Three Men in a Boat (Adaptation) characters

Appears from the start

The first-person narrator and one of three London friends who persuade themselves that overwork has damaged their health. He proposes a boating holiday on the Thames and records the journey, frequently interrupting it with memories of earlier mishaps and reflections on the places they pass.

Appears from the start

J.'s friend, who works at a bank and agrees that the group needs a holiday. Because he must remain at work on the first day, he plans to meet the others farther up the Thames. He approaches camping, cooking, and music with confidence that is not always justified.

Also known as Harris

Appears from the start

The third man in the holiday party. Harris is practical enough to help plan the trip but often avoids work while explaining how it ought to be done. He can become confused by simple tasks and believes his comic singing gives more pleasure than his companions think it does.

Appears from the start

J.'s small fox terrier and the fourth member of the boating party. Montmorency has an energetic interest in fights, noise, and anything that interferes with orderly packing. The men treat him as a companion with strong opinions about their plans.

First appears in chapter 3

J.'s housekeeper, who wakes the men on the morning of their departure after they have misunderstood the time. Her intervention keeps the holiday from beginning even later than it does.

First appears in chapter 2

J.'s uncle, remembered as a man who turned hanging a picture into a household emergency. He insisted on doing every part himself while directing everyone else to fetch tools and clean up the damage.

First appears in chapter 9

An elderly man encountered near the end of the journey who claims that an enormous trout displayed in a riverside inn is his own catch. His story proves to be one of several competing accounts attached to the same famous fish.