Central Kansas Library System

This engaging collection of tales from the author of "Three Men in a Boat" presents the amusing and sometimes bittersweet adventures of a crew of Fleet Street journalists and their cronies, beginning with the arrival of young Tommy, a gutter-born scamp of uncertain gender. Fans of P.G. Wodehouse should find it especially appealing.

Paul Kelver, a fictional character, recounts an eventful life loosely based on author Jerome K. Jerome's personal and professional exploits prior to becoming a writer. It's an intriguing look at an unconventional path that led to a promising literary career. In Paul Kelver: A Novel, the narrator explains the critical events that pushed him into his current profession. He details both platonic and romantic relationships that have come and gone. He...

Tea-table Talk is an imaginary conversation between the writer and a number of un-named characters at the afternoon tea table. The Woman of the World, the Old Maid, the Girton Girl, the Philosopher and the Minor Poet wax lyrical on subjects like marriage, art, society and politics.

A decade after their wild boat ride adventure on the Thames river, J, Harris, and George reunite for another vacation. Older, richer, and fatter, but not wiser, the three men stumble through mishaps and surprises as they journey to Germany. First saying their goodbyes, J and Harris seek the approval of their wives, worried about leaving their kids. Their wives are supportive, secretly considering their husbands' trip from home as a vacation for themselves...

Another classic short story by Jerome K. Jerome, The Love of Ulrich Nebendahl is a mirthful then sobering story during the Franco-Prussian War of a non-traditional embodiment of "love." Poetic in both scope and style.

Featuring five works of extraordinary short fiction, John Ingerfield: And Other Stories is an unforgettable collection that textualizes the aspects of human nature that are often left unspoken while exploring nostalgia and the macabre. In The Woman of Saeter, an uneventful hunting trip turns into a spooky experience when two men are forced to take shelter in a mysterious hut in the woods. With a similar tone, Silhouettes is a frightening recollection...

While they are discussing the possible illnesses they may have, Jerome, Harris, and George all realize they suffer from the same thing-working too much. Upon the realization, the three best friends decide that they must go on a vacation. After rejecting the ideas of a sea trip or country stay, because Jerome doesn't like the sea, and Harris finds the country to be dull, the men decide on a boat trip. With their bags packed and with the company of...

(Excerpt): "They look so dull and dowdy in the spring weather, when the snow drops and the crocuses are putting on their dainty frocks of white and mauve and yellow, and the baby-buds from every branch are peeping with bright eyes out on the world, and stretching forth soft little leaves toward the coming gladness of their lives. They stand apart, so cold and hard amid the stirring hope and joy that are throbbing all around them."

(Excerpt): "The most extraordinary dream I ever had was one in which I fancied that, as I was going into a theater, the cloak-room attendant stopped me in the lobby and insisted on my leaving my legs behind me. I was not surprised; indeed, my acquaintanceship with theater harpies would prevent my feeling any surprise at such a demand, even in my waking moments; but I was, I must honestly confess, considerably annoyed. It was not the payment of the...