Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) characters

Also known as Jerome

Appears from the start

The narrator, a Londoner given to diagnosing himself with alarming illnesses and turning ordinary inconveniences into elaborate reflections. He joins his friends in proposing a restorative river holiday and records the journey through comic digressions, memories, and observations.

Appears from the start

A bank clerk and one of Jerome's two companions on the Thames trip. Practical in some matters but no less susceptible than his friends to laziness, misplaced confidence, and mishap, he must remain at work until the party is ready to leave.

Also known as William Samuel Harris

Appears from the start

Jerome's other human traveling companion. Harris is hearty, opinionated, and convinced of his competence, qualities repeatedly tested by the practical demands of boating and camping.

Appears from the start

Jerome's small fox terrier and the fourth member of the expedition. Energetic, inquisitive, and eager to treat other animals as challenges, he complicates preparations while appearing entirely satisfied with his contribution.

First appears in chapter 2

The woman who keeps house for Jerome. Her practical response to the friends' late-night discussion helps bring their first evening of holiday planning to a close.

First appears in chapter 3

A relative remembered by Jerome as a model of bustling self-confidence. When he undertakes a simple household task, he directs everyone around him and turns the job into a prolonged family disturbance.