Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome

George, Harris, Jerome and Montmorency, a fox terrier, are spending an evening smoking and discussing illnesses they fancy they suffer from. They conclude they are all overworked and need a holiday. The three decide on a boating holiday up the River Thames. Initially intended to be a serious travel guide, with accounts of local history along the route, the humour and witty adventures transformed the story into once of the most admirable comic novels of all times.