Three Men in a Boat

by Jerome K. Jerome

Three Men in a Boat: Genre 1 key example

Genre
Explanation and Analysis:

Three Men in a Boat is a quintessential example of an English comedy novel. Jerome makes fun of social niceties and people’s peculiarities with humor that ranges from subtle wit to outright slapstick. The narrative is full of funny anecdotes and irreverent observations, and a lot of the humor arises from misunderstanding or mislaying things and people. The humor of this novel is also based on the exaggerated personalities of the “three men” and their graceless manner of handling everyday situations. Jerome’s language is playful and dry, which helps to make the (often ironic) situations the characters find themselves in even funnier.