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Why was the journey up the river considered important by the three friends in Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome?

The three friends—narrator J., George, and Harris—thought they needed a change of scenery. They were all feeling listless. Each one of them even experienced occasional “fits of giddiness.” As J. tells it in Chapter I, they discussed their maladies with each other one day and decided that they were all overworked. They needed a vacation, away from the city. George suggested that they make a boat trip along the River Thames. Travel would be important for their collective well-being. The others agreed, figuring they would get “fresh air, exercise, and quiet.” The only member of the group who wasn’t enamored with the river idea was Montmorency, the fox terrier. He was bored by boats and water. He would rather chase cats. Still, the vote was three to one, so the boat trip passed. We read of their travels here. And although the four later cut their two-week outing down to ten days, they all agreed they had a pleasant time.

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