Please give a detailed summary of chapters 11-19 of 'Three Men in a Boat'.

The summary has already been provided on our website.  Kindly check and let us know if you face any problem.

  • -3

 i also want a detailed summary of chapters 11-19 of 'Three Men in a Boat '.

  • 1

 Me too

  • 1

 me to

  • -1

i too want it

  • 0

 lol evn i wan't :P

  • 0

 2moro's exam....i need it urgently...

  • 1

 Chapter 11
How George once woke up early in the morning accidentally
George, who is known for sleeping till late, cites an incident of waking up early one morning by chance. Once, his watch went out of order and the time it showed was quarter-past eight. Mistakenly, he woke up at three and rushed to get ready for work. Only when a policeman told him that it was just three o'clock in the morning, he realized his watch was showing the wrong time.
George, Harris and Montmorency keep off the cold water
George, Harris and Montmorency keep away from the water as it is too cold and the wind is chilly. J, however, does not give in but he isn't very keen on getting into the water either. He thinks he would not throw the water over himself but accidentally slips in the mid-stream. J asks the other two to come in but without any success.
Harris as a cook
Harris proposes to prepare scrambled eggs for breakfast. He says it is impossible for anyone to eat anything else after having the scrambled eggs prepared by him as he is quite famous for them. Eventually, he messes up everything. He has trouble breaking the eggs, getting them into the frying-pan; he even burns himself while he is near the stove. The result is altogether a dismal and burnt mess.
Historical Contemplation 
The lovely morning make them fantasise about the centuries gone long back. Narrator mentions about King John who had slept at Duncroft Hall. He speaks of the town of Staines where barons assembled before they met King John at Runningmede in 1215. The Barons slowly grate against the bank of the little island that from that day had been named Magna Charta Island.
Chapter 12
Annoyance at being in the same house with a pair of lovers
Near the Picnic Point is Ankerwyke House which is known to be the place where Henry VIII used to wait for Anne Boleyn. Narrator expresses the irritation and awkwardness one feels when one is in the same house with a pair of lovers. He considers that the same would have been the plight of the English nation when Henry VIII used to court Anne Boleyn.
Passing through Datchet
While passing Datchet, George asks J if he remembers their first trip up the river when they landed at Datchet. They had an awful experience because they were unable to find a decent place to stay.. Harris lost all hopes and was prepared to die. Finally, they had to stay at a place of the little boy whom they met on the road and considered him to be an angel.
Yearning for mustard
They have almost reached Monkey Island when J feels the craving for mustard. They were not carrying mustard with them. Harris, too, craves for it. They feel gloomy and "existence seemed hollow and uninteresting."
A battle with tin
All three of them were fond of pineapple. George draws out a tin of pineapple and they brighten up. But they do not have a knife to open it. From a pair of scissors to a sharp stone, they use everything but the tin does not open. It batters into such a shape that it ultimately shows a 'mocking grin'. Harris throws it far into the middle of the river in frustration.
Moving ahead
They reach Maidenhead and do not consider it to be pleasant as it was too snobby. It was a town of "showy hotels, patronized chiefly by dudes and ballet girls." Then they reach Cookham, have tea and feel lucky as the wind is at their backs.
Sailing - a sensation
Narrator considers sailing a task that makes one a part of Nature. "Your spirit is at one with hers; your limbs grow light! The voices of the air are singing to you."
They come across three fishermen who were 'solemn-looking men'. Somehow, the fishers do not like their presence.
Chapter 13
Bisham Abbey
The three cross Marlow, one of the 'pleasantest river centres'. The narrator gives a brief history of Marlow. They reach the grand old Bisham Abbey which was once the home of Anne of Cleves at the time of Queen Elizabeth. Warwick (an English statesman who fought the War of the Roses) also rested there. It was under the Bisham beeches that Shelley wrote 'The Revolt of Islam'.
While passing through the Medmenham Abbey, the narrator talks about the famous Medmenham monks whose motto was "Do as you please". They were followed by the Cistercian monks who wore no clothes, ate no flesh, fish or eggs.
The difference of opinion between J and Montmorency
Narrator considers that the only difference between him and Montmorency is their difference of opinion about cats. J, being very fond of cats, would caress them gently with love and care. On the other hand, Montmorency would go wild at the sight of cats and the 'whole street would come to know about it'. J says that he does not blame Montmorency for this but the natural tendency of the fox-terrier breed. It is nearly impossible to train them to be gentler. J narrates a past incident at Haymarket Stores where a fox-terrier created a great havoc among the dogs and then went away with his master pretending to be modest.
While returning from a dip, at high Street, Montmorency saw a large cat, Tom, and ran after it. But as he reached near it, he did not act violently but surrendered to the gentleness of the cat.
Departure from Marlow
J considers their departure from Marlow to be dignified and impressive. They purchased a lot of things and had boys to carry the things along with them. Montmorency, 'carrying a stick', headed the procession with 'two disreputable looking curs' following him.
J's disgust over steam launches
J, being the man rowing the boat, expresses his disgust over steam launches. The three of them make every possible effort to irritate the people in steam launches when they get in the way of any steam launch.
They deny drinking the river
Falling short of drinking water, they go up to the lock-keeper to ask for some. The lock-keeper recommends them to fetch some from the river. They, finally, get some from a cottage nearby. 
He recalls an incident when they got some water from the river, boiled it, prepared tea and started drinking it. It was during the course of drinking tea that they saw a dog swimming in the river. The three felt disgusted and discontinued drinking the tea.
Harris disappears
While carving a beefsteak pie, Harris disappears. This comes as a shock to George and J, as well as Harris. He thinks that George and J played a prank and made him sit there and falls into a gully that was hid under the long grass.
Chapter 14
Wargrave, Shiplake and Sonning
They go past Wargrave and Shiplake. Shiplake is a pretty village where Tennyson (the famous poet) was married.
They go out at Sonning and take a walk round the village. Then they decide to go back to one of the Shiplake islands and put there that night.
Preparing the Irish stew
Harris and J peel the potatoes which seem to be an undertaking job to both of them. Montmorency's contribution to the Irish stew is a dead water rat to which Harris agrees but George does not.
Montmorency's fight with the kettle
Throughout the trip, Montmorency has been curious about the kettle. He rushes at the kettle and seizes it by its spout. He burns his nose and never tries to get close to the kettle again, especially while it is on the stove.
Playing a musical instrument
George wants to play the banjo so that some music may cure Harris' headache. Harris chooses to rather have a headache.
Narrator describes that George could never learn to play a banjo till date. He was discouraged by his landlady, his neighbourhood and was barred from playing it for six months. Narrator also mentions about one of his friends who learned to play bagpipes going against the wishes of his family members. J is of the opinion that one has to be in good health to play the bagpipes.
A stroll round Henley
George and J leave Harris in the boat and go out for a stroll round Henley. As the night falls, it gets cold and scary. The two find themselves lost in the woods and cannot figure out which island they are at. They are not sure whether they are walking towards the river or away from it. Finally, they catch hold of the boat and shout out to Harris and Montmorency. Harris is quite sleepy and behaves in a weird manner throughout the night searching for clothes and umbrella. The next day he has no clue about any incident of such sort.
Chapter 15
J's workaholism 
Harris' idea of J and George rowing the boat and he himself steering does not seem justified to J. J is of the idea that he has been doing more than his 'fair share of work' on this trip. It seems to him that he has done more than what he should have. It is his passion to accumulate work. George and Harris think that they have been doing more than what J has been doing.
They finally decide that George and Harris would scull past Reading and J would tow the boat from there.
The old river hand
The old sailors, who are now retiring, tell anecdotes to the new generation sailors about how they sailed bravely in the past.
Early boating experiences 
J developed a fondness for water when he went for boating on the Regent Park's lake. After devoting three months to rafting, he went for rowing.
George went to the water to Kew when he was sixteen with eight other gentlemen. They selected the boat that they thought they would look best in. While they were under the Kew Bridge they lost control over the boat. George dipped his oar into the water and it disappeared under the boat.
Harris is more inclined towards sea rowing. He likes to watch an old boatman rowing. He considers an old boatman to be free from haste, which is contrary to the nineteenth century boatmen. It is amusing to see two beginners to try to time with one another. Keeping the bow and stroke in pace is the most difficult task.
Punting
J reflects upon his past experiences of punting. According to him, it is not as easy as it seems to be. He mentions of an incident when a young man fell into the water while he was enjoying the scenery around and was left clinging to the punt (a square boat) and went into the water with the pole.
An amusing incident occurred with J when he went punting with three other fellows. They could not get a punt. Meanwhile, he was sitting and watching the river. There was another man on the river who looked exactly like J. He did not know punting well and did funny things while punting. J's friends made fun of the man considering him to be J and felt embarrassed after knowing that it was not their friend.
Same sort of an experience once happened with Harris when he was bathing at Boulogne. He was seized by the neck and was forcibly drowned in the water. When he regained his feet, the person behind him stood laughing. The moment he caught the sight of Harris's face, he apologized for mistakenly considering him to be his friend.
Sailing experience
J considers that sailing is a thing that needs knowledge and practice. He once went for a trip to Yarmouth. Hector pulled the sail and J unrolled it. It was a tiring experience for them as the boat travelled upstream at a very low pace. Half the sail was under water. They eventually landed up in a mud-bank which saved them. They were rescued by an old fisherman with immense difficulty.


  • 4

 Chapter 16-17

The men come to Reading, an unattractive place, and J. provides a brief history. They meet some friends of theirs by chance in a steam launch, and ask for a tow. J. enjoys being towed, moving along at a brisk pace, but complains - with tongue in cheek - that the only problem with it is that so many smaller boats are always getting in the way. Ten miles past Reading, they cast off from the steam launch and J. claims his turn at rowing is over, since they are now past Reading. The others do not agree with his assessment and he takes the oars.

After a short time, they see something black floating in the water and approach it to see what it is. They are startled to find it is the body of a woman. Some men on the shore, who have already seen the body, take...

Chapter 18-19

From Streatly, the men row to Culham and camp in the boat for the night. Part of the trip includes a long stretch with no locks, which is preferred by sport rowers, J, says, but not by pleasure boaters, who enjoy going through the locks. He tells the story of going through a lock one busy day a Hampton Court. A photographer has set up at the lock to take pictures of all the boats in the lock with the people dressed in their boating costumes. J. and George pose vainly as the photographer sets up. They don 't notice that the nose of their boat has become caught under part of the lock, and the rising water threatens to flip the boat. They push away just in time, and just as the photographer snaps the photo they are caught falling over, feet in the air.

  • 1

 Chapter 11 Summary

J. wakes early the next morning and finds George is also awake. Neither of them can get back to sleep, J. remarks, because there is no reason for them to get up. If there had been some reason for them to be up, it would have been very easy to sleep for several more hours.

This sends J. into a story about a time when George's watch stopped at 8:15 one night and he did not notice. He woke up the next morning and seeing his watch believed it was 8:15 in the morning and rushed to get ready to go to work. He is dismayed to find the landlady has not prepared breakfast, and rushes out to the bus station. He eventually notices there is nobody else around and hears a clock strike three. Confused, he asks a policeman for the time, who assumes he is drunk and tells...

Chapter 12 Summary

After their breakfast, the young men explore the area. They go over to the island where King John is supposed to have signed the Magna Charta, and explore the ruins of a priory where King Henry VIII supposedly courted Anne Boleyn.

This subject reminds J. of being in a house where two young people are courting. No matter where one goes in the house, the couple seems to be there, and when one interrupts them, all parties are embarrassed. He imagines such a scene with Henry and Anne.

The men take to the river and soon are passing Datchet. This reminds George and J. of a previous boat trip they took when they stopped at Datchet late one night and wanted to sleep. They walked into the town and came to an inn, but thought they might go on and see if there was something they liked better. They came...

Chapter 13 Summary

J. give a brief history of Marlow, which he considers one of the most attractive river towns on their trip. They wake up early, and go to the river to bathe before breakfast. On their way back, Montmorency, their rat terrier, attacks a cat. J. muses on the mischievous nature of the rat terrier breed, telling a story of a time he witnessed an innocent-looking rat terrier belonging to a young woman start an enormous dog fight.

Montmorency charges after the cat, but instead of running, the cat simply waits for the dog to get close, then sits down and stares at it. J. imagines a conversation between the self-assured cat and the puzzled and slightly frightened dog, who stops in his tracks and begins to back away slowly.

After breakfast, the men resupply their food stores. Rather than have the shops deliver their purchase to the dock later, they...

Chapter 14 Summary

After lunch, they boat to Sonning, a picturesque village with quaint houses and gardens. They choose an island to camp on for the night, and set about making dinner. At George's suggestion, they make an "Irish stew" out of potatoes and peas and some of the leftovers. They begin to throw many different things in the pot and Montmorency gets into the spirit by killing and offering a water rat. They pretend to consider adding the rat to the stew, but decide against it.

The stew is delicious, J. writes, and they make tea to have afterward. On the journey, Montmorency has shown some animosity toward the teakettle, standing by and growling at it as it begins to hiss and spit. On this occasion, he goes so far as to attack it, grabbing it by the spout as it begins to boil. He learns his lesson and runs off howling.

Chapter 15 Summary

The men wake up and have a plain breakfast. They decide they will start out rowing the boat rather than tow it, and begin to quarrel about which two should pull the oars and which should sit and steer. In a boat, J. remarks, each person imagines he has done more work than anyone else.

J. gives a synopsis of the three men's various experience with boats. He himself became attracted to them at a young age, sometimes getting in trouble when he would steal material to make rafts. George had begin boating as a teenager, as many other young men had. Harris had more experience rowing on the sea, which J. finds too difficult.

J. also relates some humorous stories about boating. He is on a punt with another young man, who is propelling the boat by punting it with a long pole, which is stuck down into the...

Chapters 16-17 Summary

The men come to Reading, an unattractive place, and J. provides a brief history. They meet some friends of theirs by chance in a steam launch, and ask for a tow. J. enjoys being towed, moving along at a brisk pace, but complains - with tongue in cheek - that the only problem with it is that so many smaller boats are always getting in the way. Ten miles past Reading, they cast off from the steam launch and J. claims his turn at rowing is over, since they are now past Reading. The others do not agree with his assessment and he takes the oars.

After a short time, they see something black floating in the water and approach it to see what it is. They are startled to find it is the body of a woman. Some men on the shore, who have already seen the body, take...

Chapters 18-19 Summary

From Streatly, the men row to Culham and camp in the boat for the night. Part of the trip includes a long stretch with no locks, which is preferred by sport rowers, J, says, but not by pleasure boaters, who enjoy going through the locks. He tells the story of going through a lock one busy day a Hampton Court. A photographer has set up at the lock to take pictures of all the boats in the lock with the people dressed in their boating costumes. J. and George pose vainly as the photographer sets up. They don't notice that the nose of their boat has become caught under part of the lock, and the rising water threatens to flip the boat. They push away just in time, and just as the photographer snaps the photo they are caught falling over, feet in the air.

From Culham, the men hope...

Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog Characters

J

J is the narrator of the book. He is a young, single middle-class man living in London, much like the author himself at the time of the publication of the book, and the initial J is possibly meant to suggest that he stands in for Jerome.

J is fond of history and literature and spends much of his time daydreaming about the days when knights roamed the countryside of England. This daydreaming sometimes gets him into trouble when he does not pay suitable attention to what he is doing.

J, like his two friends on the boat trip, is a little vain and conceited, but he realizes it and pokes gentle fun at himself, his friends, and the habits of others like them through his anecdotes, where he and his friends are often the butt of ego-skewering jokes.

J has always been fond of boats, but prefers the old fashioned...

Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog Objects/Places

London

The largest city in England and the home of the three men who embark on the boat trip.

Thames River

One of the major rivers in England, the Thames flows down through Oxford to London. It is on the Thames that the men take their boat trip.

Kingston

The starting point of the journey.

Hampton

A town near the beginning of the trip where boating is popular and the residents wear the most flashy boating costumes.

Kempton Park

Where Harris and J stop for lunch the first day, under some willows.

Waterloo Station

The large railroad station where Harris and J catch the train to Kingston.

Sunbury Lock

One of the locks Harris and J pass through on the first afternoon of rowing.

Walton

A quaint riverside town on the way to Weybridge.

Weybridge

A busy section of the river where Harris and J meet up with George, making him tow the boat.

Runnymede

A town opposite Magna Charta Island.

Magna Charta Island

An island reputed...

Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog Themes

The Relativity of Humor

In many of the humorous passages in "Three Men in a Boat," Jerome points out that one's point of view determines what one thinks is funny. This may seem obvious in itself, but he goes a step further and recognizes that acknowledging this human trait leads to a new level of humor.

The story of George's wet shirt in Chapter 11 demonstrates this basic observation in a simple form. George thinks that J has dropped his shirt in the river, getting it wet. He laughs, and J is angry. Then J realizes it is not his own shirt but George's that has fallen in the river. The tables have turned and now George is angry and J is amused. "I tried to make him see the fun of the thing, but he could not. George is very dense at seeing a joke sometimes," J says (p. 115).

However, J is...

Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog Style

Point of View

Three Men in a Boat is told from the point of view a young man called "J." J is a comfortable young man living in London working as a clerk. He is familiar with boating as a pastime activity, and assumes a similar acquaintance in his reader. The book is fictional, but the evident similarity between J. and the author, Jerome, suggests that the episodes within are based on his own real friends, his life and experiences.

J's point of view is of a middle class young British man who usually enjoys dining out in restaurants and having his cleaning done for him. Much of the humor in the book derives from J. and his friends of similar backgrounds coping with their excursion into the less comfortable lifestyle of living out of a boat for two weeks. He enjoys history and provides short, often humorous sketches of the historical backgrounds...

Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog Quotes

"There were four of us - George, and William Samuel Harris, and myself, and Montmorency. We were sitting in my room, smoking, and talking about how abd we were - bad from a medical point of view I mean, of course." Chapter 1, p. 1

"We therefore decided that we would sleep out on fine nights; and hotel it, and inn it, and pub it, like respectable folks, when it was wet, or when we felt inclined for a change." Chapter 2, p. 18

"That's Harris all over - so ready to take the burden of everything himself, and put it on the backs of other people." Chapter 3, p. 20

"I can't sit still and see another man slaving and working. I want to get up and superintend, and walk round with my hands in my pockets, and tell him what to do. It is my energetic nature. I...

  • 2
What are you looking for?