JEROME K. JEROME

9

Extended Reading Text

Class

CONTENTS

About the Author ........................................................................... 9 – 10

About the Book .............................................................................. 10 – 10

Dramatis personae (Major and Minor Characters) .................. 11 – 12

All Chapters include

l Text l Word Meanings l Summary l Chapterwise Plot & Charactersl Short questions based on Understanding of the Text

Extended Reading Text

Chapter 1 ................................................................................ 15 – 29

Chapter 2 ................................................................................ 30 – 39

Chapter 3 ................................................................................ 40 – 50

Chapter 4 ................................................................................ 51 – 65

Chapter 5 ................................................................................ 66 – 77

Chapter 6 ................................................................................ 78 – 91

Chapter 7 ............................................................................... 92 – 104

Chapter 8 ............................................................................... 105 – 119

Chapter 9 ............................................................................... 120 – 133

Chapter 10 ............................................................................. 134 – 146

Chapter 11 ............................................................................. 147 – 162

Chapter 12 ............................................................................. 163 – 178

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...contd. Contents

Chapter 13 .............................................................................. 179 – 195

Chapter 14 .............................................................................. 196 – 211

Chapter 15 .............................................................................. 212 – 229

Chapter 16 .............................................................................. 230 – 237

Chapter 17 .............................................................................. 238 – 248

Chapter 18 .............................................................................. 249 – 259

Chapter 19 .............................................................................. 260 – 272

l Long Answer Type Questions based on Theme and Plot

involving Interpretation and Inference ......................... 273 – 300

l Question Based on Character Sketches .......................... 300 – 318

l Critical Analysis of the Novel ........................................ 319 – 319

l Character Analysis .......................................................... 319 – 320

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Going by the old adage by renowned thinker Francis Bacon, “Reading maketh a full man....,” and to inculcate good reading habits among the children, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) introduced novels for classes IX to XII from the 2012-13 academic session. In a recent circular issued by the Board, emphasis has been laid on reading novels as this could help children in acquiring important skills of imagination, expression and appreciation of literature. It further states that though all the skills of gaining proficiency in a language are equally important, nevertheless, reading tremendously helps in improving comprehension, accuracy, fluency and diction. For class IX, the recommended books are Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome or Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. This book on Three Men in a Boat has been designed with utmost care considering the student’s need to comprehend the text better. It contains the Original Text from the Novel as well as a Question Bank at the end of every chapter. About the Author, About the Novel and Chapter review for every Chapter is given to facilitate better understanding of the novel. At the end of every chapter, important questions and answers are incorporated in order to assist the student in systematic revision of the chapter.

A few Highlights of this book are:

ØØ Original & Unabridged Text along with Chapter Summary.ØØ Chapterwise Questions based on understanding.ØØ Questions based on Theme and Plot involving interpretation and

inference.ØØ The language used in the book is simple and accurate in order to

enhance comprehension of the novelØØ The book will enable the amalgamation of reading & writing skills of

the students We sincerely hope that this book will assist every student in better comprehension of the prescribed novel thereby facilitating examination oriented learning. We are always open to suggestions for improvement from teachers and students alike! Wishing you luck for the forthcoming Academic Year.

Publisher

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Class-IX

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Fill in Hindi or English and send this form to SWAATI JAIN, Oswaal Books 'Oswaal House' 1/11 Sahitya Kunj, M.G. Road, AGRA-282 002

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Three Men in a Boat 9

JEROME K. JEROME(1859-1927)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JEROME Klapka Jerome was a British writer. He was a humorist. He is famous for his humorous travelogue ‘Three Men in a Boat’.

Jerome was born in Caldmore (England) and brought up in poverty in London. He obtained his school education at St. Marylebone Grammar School. Jerome Clapp, his father, was an ironmonger. Jerome K. Jerome had two sisters and one brother. The young Jerome had shown early interest in politics and writing. But due to the untimely demise of his parents, he had to earn his livelihood on his own and was employed as a coal collector with London and North Western Railway, where he worked for four years.

In 1877, his elder sister Blandina inspired him to join the theatre which proved a failure. Later, he tried to become a journalist writing satires, short stories and essays, but his works were rejected most of the time. Then he joined as a school teacher.

‘On the stage–and off’ (1885, a comic memoir of his troupe activities), Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow (1886, a collection of humorous essays), etc., gave him some popularity.

The turning point in his life was his marriage to Georgiana Elizabeth Henrietta Stanley whom he married on 21 June 1888. After his marriage with Henrietta, the couple was on a honeymoon trip on the Thames river in a little boat. It was here that the idea of writing ‘Three Men in a Boat’ took shape in his mind. The book was published in 1889 and proved to be an instant success. It remains in print even today.

Its popularity was such that the number of registered Thames boats went up fifty percent in the year following its publication and it contributed significantly to the Thames becoming a tourist attraction. It has been adopted in movies, T.V and radio shows, stage plays, and even as a musical.

10 Extended Reading Text Class IXAfter this book proved to be a big hit, he wrote many novels, plays

and essays but could not recapture the same success. Later, in 1892, he was appointed as an editor to edit ‘The Idler’. In 1898, he wrote ‘Three Men on the Bummel’, a sequel to ‘Three Men in a Boat’, but was unable to attract enough attention of the readers. In 1902, he published his autobiographical novel ‘Paul Kelver’. In 1908, his play ‘The Passing of the Third Floor Back’ proved his religious bent of mind.

At the age of 68, on 14th June, 1927, he took his last breath at Northampton, England.

ABOUT THE BOOK

‘THREE Men in a Boat’ is written by Jerome K. Jerome. It was published in 1889. It is a simple, fictional but humorous story of three London friends and a dog.

The three men are Jerome himself and his two real life friends, George Wingrave and Carl Hentschel with whom he often took boating trips. The dog, Montmorency is entirely fictional. These three friends take a typical boating holiday on the River Thames.

The book begins with the narrator, J. (Jerome) and two of his friends who are sitting at home tired of their dull lives. They want a break in order to have fun and to get rid of the chronic case of hypochondria that they have. So, they decide to go for a boating trip on the Thames. All the three men pack their supplies and set-off on the two-week long trip. They travel from Kingston to Oxford and then back again. They travel on the Thames by day and camp out in the hired boat at night. They have various mishaps as they travel up the river. They could not join the trip at a time. Also, once when they are having tinned pineapple for tea, they could not find the tin opener. They spend a lot of time trying to open it but all in vain. Also, there are stories of other trips that they narrate while travelling up the river.

When they reach Oxford, they start to travel back. It starts raining. They are not enjoying themselves so much. So, they abandon the boat and take the train back to London. Here, they go to a show and then have dinner in a restaurant. Along the journey, the writer adds different amusing incidents and stories from memory without straying from the main plot. Although, the author’s original intention of writing a guidebook is very clear. However, what he actually achieved– was a classic piece of British humorous writing.

Since its publication, ‘Three Men in a Boat’ has never been out of print. It is probably as popular today as when first published. This is because much of the language seems fresh, humorous and modern.

Three Men in a Boat 11

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

MAJOR AND MINOR CHARACTERS

1. Jerome K. JeromeHe is the narrator of the book and the initial ‘J’ is possibly meant

to suggest that it stands in for Jerome. He represents a simple middle-class Englishman who is a ‘hypochondriac’. He displays a deep knowledge of the social practices, culture, history, lifestyle, etc. that the people of Thames region are associated with. As a man of decent dressing, he has an inclination towards ‘taste in colours.’

He narrates numerous anecdotes, comic set-pieces and funny incidences from his memory that add to the humour in the novel; which at time comes from the most ordinary and casual things of life. His great love for history and nature is reflected in his descriptions of the scenic beauty and historical significance of the places that they pass through.

He is fond of liveliness and dislikes ‘dim and chilly’ churchyards and tombs. He also contemplates on human nature by rideculing man’s weaknesses. The victorian side to his. personalty is depicted in the incidence of a story relating to a dead woman’s body which they find near Goring. J also possesses a very funny idea of work and loves to preserve it; than depart.3. George

His character is based on the author’s real life friend, George Wingrave. George works at a bank. It was his idea to take the river trip. He has been depicted as an easy going, lazy man who knows the art of sleeping.

George joins his friends for the trip later, up river at wey bridge. He brings along a banzo to play but is discouraged by his friends. He is quit practical in his approach and comes up with pragmatic solutions at crucial moments. For instances, he suggest everyone to travel light and not carry unnecessary items on the boat, denies carrying cheese and also towards the end whem the weather conditions worsen, he suggests his friends to make the return trip by train from Pangbourne onwards.3. Harris

He is a young single character with a fondness for drinking as the narrator remarks that there is hardly any public house that he is not familiar with. He makes false claims of his cooking and singing skills and ends up

12 Extended Reading Text Class IXbeing a laughing-stock for his friends; as seen during his efforts of making scrambled eggs and his attempt to sing a comic song.

He has an unusual attitude towards work. He takes up complete ownership of a task and then passes the buck on to other people. He is also whimsical as he rejects, to put-up at an inn named ‘Mavor House’ just because he did not like the looks of the man stopping there.

Harris take delight in graves, tombs and monumental inscriptions. He states that the reason for him to come for the trip was to avail the opportunity of seeing Mrs. Zhonas’ tomb.

He is somewhat suspicious too as once when he had slipped into a gully, along with the pie, he blamed his friends for the mishap and continued to believe that it was a well–thought of plan executed by his friends on him. The incident with the ‘swans’ speek of his drunkenness and that of ‘Hampton Court Maze’ suggests about his self boastful nature.4. Montmorency

He has not been portrayed as a mere dog in the novel, rather treated as the fourth member of the friends in the boat. A foxl-terrier that he is, his innocent looks concealed his ferocious nature. He is an improtant part of the journey and the root of all mischief as no challenge goes unresponded by him.

Montmorency liked to pick up quarrels with other dogs and the visit to Oxford made him feel as if he was in heaven, in context to his fights with the other dogs. He adds to the humour during various incidences like; his contribution to the preparation of the Irish stew, his fascination with the pettle, his continuous Rowling when George played the banjo, his encounter with a large black cat named ‘Tom’, etc.

Jerome K. Jerome Jerome K. Jerome

Oswaal CBSE Three Men In A Boat ForClass 9

Publisher : Oswaal Books ISBN : 9788184819014 Author : Jerome K. Jerome

Type the URL : http://www.kopykitab.com/product/11162

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