Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow
Jerome K. Jerome
(IDB Productions, July 6, 2016)
Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow by Jerome K. Jerome is a collection of the authorās essays written in the witty, funny style Jerome is so well-known for and providing an excellent, entertaining read for anyone. The collection is Jeromeās second book and certainly the one that established him as one of the best humorous writers of his time. The book contains 14 essays organized in 14 chapters, each of them discussing different themes such as love, vanity, idleness, being broke, cats and dogs, the weather, eating and drinking, dresses, apartments, even memory. The essays have been written more than a century ago ā the book was first published in 1886 - yet the topics described are incredibly pertinent today, with the way they are described being just as entertaining today as they were when they first came out of print. The trope and method used throughout the essays is understatement ā paired with Jeromeās eye for the grotesque nature of things, the book provides a uniquely articulate and satiric take on everyday life. Other works by Jerome K. Jerome that are perhaps more familiar to the public include Three Men on a Boat, Three Men on a Bummel, All Roads Lead to Calvary and Paul Kelver ā novels that made Jerome successful and appreciated in his time and which enjoy popularity even in our times. Many of his novels have been made into films, stage plays and radio shows. He also published a number of essay collections that were just as popular among readers as the novels. Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow was followed by Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow, The Observations of Henry, A Bicycle in Good Repair and numerous others. One year before his death he published his autobiography entitled My Life and Times, a book written in his funny, satiric and at the same time melancholic signature style as well.