Hello,
Some of you may know that I am a huge fan of Jerome K Jerome, so it was with great interest I watched BBC2's recreation of the river journey in 'Three Men In A Boat'. I wish I hadn't bothered. Why recreate the journey taken in one of the funniest books ever written, featuring two of the least funny people who ever lived and Dara O'Brien who is a funny stand up but on the evidence of this programme not funny on holiday?
It was a drag, even the dog wasn't funny. If you had the misfortune to see this programme and have never read any Jerome, please don't be put off by this travesty. His books are absolutely hilarious. Look at the links below.
Three Men And A Boat
The Idle Thoughts Of An Idle Fellow
Three Men On The Bummel
Cheerio
7 comments:
as a fellow jerome fan i started to watch 'three men in a publicity stunt' but realised within 5 minutes that it was going to be utter crap. glad to hear my suspicions confirmed. i did a bit of work on my forthcoming rebecca loos musical instead - the pivotal moment when david beckham asks her to take a note and she mishears him and takes all her clothes off instead.
'Three Bores In A Boat' was indeed utter crap. By the end I was only watching in the vain hope the boat would sink. Exciting news about Rebecca Loos the musical though, when do you expect to have it finished?
I think I might have a go at writing a musical set in the world of blogging and based on the life of David Duff.
Well, I'm already at work on "Abbi Titmuss: The Musical". Needs some in depth research, I feel.
I, too, am a great fan of JKJ. I gave a talk recently (yes, people pay me for it!) entitled "Books Wot I red: The Literary Peregrinations of a Semi-educated Man!" His classic, "Three Men in a Boat", was one of the books I spoke of, not least because, I still remember vividly my first reading, circa 1952, during a 'Library Hour' at school. I had never heard of JKJ and I picked the book at random because of the odd title. It may be difficult to accept but I am a hopeless giggler when some-one presses my funny bone. For the rest of the day I kept collapsing in hysterics during various lessons (you try laughing at quadratic equations!)and picked up three detentions in a day for my troubles! The joy I had re-reading that passage when no-one can find the butter because it was stuck to George's trousers.
Oh dear, I'm off again .....
I know how you feel David. I made the error of trying to read Jerome on a bus on the way to work. Bad mistake. Between giggling on the bus and giggling throughout the days work it's a wonder I wasn't carted off. I'm always amazed at the number of people who haven't heard of 'Three Men In A Boat' let alone read it, though I've been doing my best to spread the word. Well done on getting paid to talk about books though, how did you get into that racket?
Talking of giggling on buses reminds me of reading and becoming hysterical over the 'The Art of Coarse Acting' by Michael Green on top of a double decker, and my girl friend of the time moving downstairs because of the embarrassment from my uncontrollable shrieks and howls of laughter.
I have since met Mike, he is a member of my theatrical society, and still possessed of a dry but anarchic wit. If you are theatrically-minded you should try some of his 'coarse acting' play scripts, they reduce me to tears! Actually we produced three of his 'plays' once. One of them was a skit on D. H. Lawrence with t'miner's family all sitting round t'kitchen table as one by one the legs fell off and the cast are forced to support the table with their hands - and then the classic line came: "Pass t'jam, will ya?" There is a startled pause as they all wonder what to do, then one of them tips the pot on its side and by tilting the table they roll it from one end to the other. Oh well, you had to have been there, I suppose. But I recommend Mike's books.
As to the talking, I'm afraid it's all part of the 'thesp' in me. Being one of life's great windbags, you show me an audience and I'll start talking. It's only just recently that I realised that people like Rotary, Round Table, Women's Institute actually pay for me to show off. Mostly I 'do' military history or Shakespeare but the 'books wot I red' was for the friends of my local library.
i'll have the rebecca loos finished quicker than she can bring a pig to orgasm. i'm hoping kate moss will play the starring role, and i have the porcine david cameron pencilled in for the pig. i intend to play the role of goldenballs beckham myself, in a blonde wig of course. i'm practising my ball control as we speak.
Hello,
David I shall keep my eyes peeled for Micheal Green's 'The Art of Coarse Acting', though I shall avoid reading it on the bus. Thanks for the tip.
Alan, I await the musical with baited breath, though I fear Kate might be a touch 'A list' to play Miss Loos. I'm trying hard to think of an alternative star, but find myself at a loss. If I were you I'd approach the former members of the Spice girls, they'd do it for nothing to get at Posh.
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