Jerome K Jerome: his life and works by Alfred Moss.
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JEROME K. JEROME: His Life and Works
(From Poverty to the Knighthood of the People)
by
ALFRED MOSS
with an Introduction by
COULSON KERNAHAN
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If reading to know about the subject, one could skip this and read his autobiography; this author has, and quotes too.
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From INTRODUCTION by Coulson Kernahan
"BEFORE me lies the volume for 1887 of a magazine to which Swinburne, Watts-Dunton, J. M. Barrie, Zangwill, Eden Phillpotts, G. B. Burgin, W. H. Hudson, St. John Adcock, Jerome, and, by way of contrast, even so obscure a writer as myself, contributed. On page 320, over the signature, “Jerome K. Jerome”, I read:
"“I remember one evening, not long ago, sitting in this very room of mine, with one or two boys. It was after supper, and we were smoking and discussing plots — I don’t mean revolutionary or political plots, necessitating slouch hats, black cloaks, and a mysterious walk, but plots to harrow up the feelings of magazine readers and theatrical audiences. Poor Philip Marston was one of us, and he, puffing contentedly at a big cigar, sketched us, Traddles-like, the skeleton of a tale he meant to write. There was dead silence when he had finished, and I felt hurt, because it was precisely the same plot that I had thought out for a tale I meant to write, and it seemed beastly unfair of Marston to go and think it out, too. And then young Coulson Kernahan got up, and upset his beer, and fished out, from my bookshelves, an old magazine with the very story in it. He had been and sneaked it from both of us, and published it two years before.”
"And now I, who am no longer “young”, am, in fact, a fogey, am asked to write an Introduction to a Life of Jerome. The invitation recalls something told me by the late Sir Frederick Bridge. When he was a little lad at Rochester, he met, on most mornings, while trudging to school, a bluff and bearded man who was taking his dog for a run, and whom Bridge took for a sailor.
"“Little did that small schoolboy think,” added Bridge, “that he would, one day, be at the organ when that man, Charles Dickens, was laid to rest by a mourning nation, in Westminster Abbey.”
"I record what Sir Frederick told me for the reason that the author of “Paul Kelver” believed that, as a boy, he talked with a stranger who was no other than the author of “David Copperfield”."
"When Mr. Moss asked me to write an Introduction to this book on Jerome, two instances of unconventional introductions occurred to me. One was when Jerome’s and my old friend, Israel Zangwill, penned an Introduction to one of his own books thus: “The Reader — my Book. My Book — the Reader.”
The other has to do with the staggeringly unorthodox event where an old soldier, when spoken to by the then king Edward VII, in turn introduced another old soldier. It's flavour is limited to those immersed in the caste system of England in particular and Europe in general.
Coulson Kernahan on Alfred Moss:-
"He seems, indeed, to have searched the files of any and every print known to him, in which Jerome’s name was likely to be found; to have ransacked libraries, and to have written letters to every living person who could supply information of any sort concerning Jerome. Realizing all that Mr. Moss has unearthed about his subject, I breathe a sigh of relief to think that I am too unimportant a person for him to think, after my demise, of writing a biography. With such a sleuth-hound on one’s trail, one trembles to think what dark and guilty secret might not be dragged into the light of day."
"We had differences of opinion on many matters, but never a “difference” to the end, for the very last letter he wrote me — hearing he was ill we had invited him and Mrs. Jerome to stay awhile at our little home in health-giving Hastings — was couched in all the old and affectionate terms. In saying that he and I “differed” in opinion, I word the situation mildly, for he detested certain views of mine, no less heartily than I detested certain views of his. But when, as in Jerome’s case, a man has a heart of gold, who cares greatly about his views? When he and I met on the occasion of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s second marriage, and Jerome asked me, “What are you writing now, old man?” to receive the reply: “Nothing at present, as I’m working in support of Lord Roberts’s National Defence Campaign, and, moreover, have been living in Barracks for Instruction and Training as a Company Commander in the Territorial Army,” Jerome did not attempt to conceal his amazed amusement.
"“What!” he exclaimed, almost shouted, “you, YOU, and in your fiftieth year, are playing at soldiers, marking time, forming fours, and such silliness! But what, in Heaven’s name for? Don’t you know that Lord Roberts, and those who support him, are making themselves ridiculous in the eyes of all thinking and far-seeing men and women? You are all a hundred years behind the times, for there’s never going to be another war — unless with savages. War is a thing of the past — the advance of Civilization, the International Movement in all countries, the Humanitarian Movement, and the Brotherhood Movement, will see to that!”"
"The advantages of birth and breeding are not to be denied in the making of what is called “a gentleman”, but Jerome was more than that. He was a “great gentleman”, with an exquisite consideration for the feelings of others, loyal in friendship, the soul of honour in himself, and as incapable of anything in the way of snobbery, as he was incapable of a meanness or a falsehood. In one of the most “human documents” ever penned, his “My Life and Times”, Jerome writes frankly, and with manly self-respect, of a time of hardship and privation, when as a young and unknown man, he made friends who were, comparatively speaking, humbly placed in life. When he came to fame, and — again, comparatively speaking, for he was too generous ever to become a rich man — to fortune, those humble friends were not, as sometimes happens, dropped, but were always welcomed to his home as honoured guests. And lastly, though his views on what is called patriotism were not mine, I believe him to have been, in the highest and truest sense of the word, a patriot, and that but for the strain he put upon a weakened heart in the Christlike task of bringing in the wounded during the War, he might have been alive to-day."
"In conversation Jerome had a dry way of saying things, and a ready wit. Discussing humour one night, someone defined it as “a surprise”, to which Jerome, with a queer, twisted smile on his face, replied: “If you came across a strange man with his arm around your sweetheart’s waist, it might come as a surprise to you, and you would probably have a surprise in store for him, but where would be the humour?” After the laughter had subsided, someone else, I think Clement Shorter, remarked: “I agree with Mr. Jerome. The essence of humour is not a surprise, but something incongruous.”
"“It is,” said Jerome, slyly, “but suppose some editor had asked you to write an article for him. And suppose you expected thirty guineas for it, and he sent you only three. You might feel that here was something incongruous, but you’d fail to find any humour.”
"When he and I were chatting, in the early days of our friendship, he mentioned that he had once been a schoolmaster.
"“That’s news to me — that you were once a schoolmaster,” I said. “How did you get on?”
"“Not at all, old man! — nor did the boys,” was his laconic reply."
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"JEROME K. JEROME’S father, Jerome Clapp Jerome, was born in London in the year 1807, and was educated at the Merchant Taylors’ School. He was trained as an Architect, but did not follow architecture as a profession. His inclination was more in the direction of the Nonconformist ministry, and he received some training for that vocation at Rothweil Nonconformist Academy, Northamptonshire. He was never ordained, but, having remarkable gifts as a public speaker, he devoted much of his time to preaching. He was also architect for several chapels: one at Marlborough, in which he afterwards occupied the pulpit."
"He then moved to Cirencester, where he was instrumental in building the Independent Chapel in which he conducted the services. ... He then married a Welsh lady, Marguerite, the elder daughter of Mr. Jones, a solicitor, of Swansea, whose family were also Nonconformists. In 1840 he moved to Appledore, where he became the accredited minister of the Appledore Congregational Church, one of the oldest in Devonshire. ..."
"At Appledore he appears to have dropped his surname Jerome, and, whether spoken or written, his name was always the Rev. Jerome Clapp, or “Parson Clapp”. ..."
"Mr. Jerome was well-to-do; he built his own house, which he named “Milton”, and occupied his spare time in farming. ..."
"These were stirring times for Nonconformists. The persecutions through which they were passing were, owing to the influence of Wesley, Whitfield, and others, less bitter than they had been for a long series of years. But they were still smarting under the memory of unjust and oppressive Acts of Parliament of the Restoration period, some of which, although not enforced, were unrepealed.
"The Rev. T. Grove, M.A., a former minister of Bridge Street Congregational Church, had been expelled from Oxford University for offering up extempore prayer, it was said, in a barn. This was his only offence. His life was exemplary, his character good, his attainments unquestionable, his behaviour humble and peaceable; but he offered an extempore prayer, it was said, in a barn. The authorities of Oxford could, at that time, tolerate many things — laziness, drunkenness, blasphemy — but not extempore prayer in a barn. So Mr. Grove had to leave the University. The object of these University regulations was, of course, to render powerless the efforts of Nonconformists.
"Mr. Jerome was moved very deeply by such injustices, and he seems to have devoted this period of his life to the removal of what was left of them. In this cause his voice and pen were very active."
"Jerome Clapp Jerome’s second name was given him after one Clapa, a Dane, who lived in the neighbourhood of Bideford, Devonshire, about the year A.D. 1000. Clapa owned property there, and some years ago relics were discovered near a ruined tower which proved beyond all doubt that the said Clapa was the founder of the Jerome House. Even at that early period there was a family crest, which was an upraised arm grasping a battle axe, the motto being Deo omnia data.
"Mr. Jerome Clapp Jerome claimed relationship to Leigh Hunt. ..."
" ... Leigh Hunt and Jerome K. Jerome both experienced much poverty in their early days, both published humorous books, both wrote plays which became extremely popular, both were journalists of high repute, both used their influence mainly on behalf of suffering humanity, both experienced an unsympathetic and even hostile press, both had a “firm belief in all that is good and beautiful, and in the ultimate success of every true and honest endeavour”."
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"Jerome’s first name was given him, of course, after his father; his second one is not a variation of his father’s second name, as is often supposed, but is after a famous Hungarian general, George Klapka, who was an exile, and was frequently a guest of the Jeromes. Some ten years previously, during the Hungarian War of Independence, this courageous young general, only twenty-nine years old at the time, held the fort of Komorn against the united Austrian and Russian armies, and only surrendered when he had secured honourable terms for his soldiers. This was on October 3rd, 1849. After the surrender, General Klapka came to London. On his arrival, Francis Pulezky (secretary to Kossuth, the leader of the Hungarian insurrection) advised him to write his memoirs. As the book had to be finished within two months, he needed a quiet retreat, and gladly accepted the invitation of Mr. Jerome Clapp Jerome, and it was in his home that Klapka’s memoirs of the “War of Independence in Hungary” were written. This book was published in 1850, and a copy is in the Walsall Public Library. Klapka visited the Jeromes in Walsall, and in all probability was with them at the time of their youngest son’s birth, and in honour of their famous guest named him Jerome Klapka."
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"Jerome’s parents were eager that he should take full advantage of it. He accordingly commenced his school life in the Philological School, at the corner of Lisson Grove, having passed the preliminary examination, according to his mother’s diary, “with flying colours”.
"It did not take the other boys long to discover the kind of material he was made of. Stratton himself once, and only once, thoughtlessly tweaked Jerome’s ear. In less than two seconds he wished he hadn’t. The boys sometimes made play with his uncommon name, of which he himself was rather proud. They made rhymes and limericks with it. On one occasion a few of them were indiscreet enough to go beyond fun to a mean insult. Jerome singled out the biggest, as he always did, and went for him. His onslaught rather terrified them and took them by surprise. They never made fun of his name again.
"There is a story of a school fight in “Paul Kelver”, in which Paul found himself fighting a whole crowd of boys. He was hitting out right and left, and presently found himself punching something soft. He was putting in his best work when he discovered he was punching a policeman. Mr. Stratton says this is a “Jeromian” description of the fight mentioned above, which he himself witnessed."
The story in Anthony John is closer to reality, perhaps, and a reader having gone through Collected Works of the author is familiar with the various works that retain elements of his own life, Paul Kelver being only one of them.
"When he was twelve years old his father died of heart failure."
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This author, Alfred Moss, blames the struggle Jerome K. Jerome had regarding religion, on his - Jerome K Jerome's - mother.
" ... He had great affection for his mother, but as time went on he had misgivings about her faith. He found some difficulty in reconciling it with his conscience and his daily experiences. ... "
"A mother would probably give her boy a better start in life if she trained him to do without her, and made herself unnecessary to him. He would then become self-reliant and would the sooner learn to play the game of life off his own bat. This may be a hard task for a mother; but motherhood is full of hard tasks, and this is probably the hardest of all, but the boy will be better equipped to face the realities of life."
This sounds typical abrahmic misogyny, culminating in inquisition and Salem witch hunts, where women were blamed for everything including knowledge and spiritual inclination - Jean D'Arc an example of latter - and burned at stake as in inquisition, or hanged as in Salem. Moss does not appreciate, of course, the desperate struggle of a mind that sees beyond church dogma and a soul that nevertheless yearns for more, but is promised hell if one seeks outside boundaries of church, and cannot easily shake it off. Bernard Shaw did, but not everyone can.
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"Jerome commenced the real battle of life as a clerk under the L.N.W. Railway Company at Euston, at a salary of £26 a year. In busy times he was allowed to work overtime, which enabled him to increase his income somewhat, but the drudgery of office routine was distasteful to a mind working in the direction of the drama and literature. Indeed, it tormented him to be perched upon a stool from morning till night."
"Jerome was fifteen years old when his mother died. This was the greatest grief of his life. When the end came, his sister Blandina was away in the North, and he was alone in the house. The spectre of loneliness now stared him in the face. At this early age he had experienced more than a grown man’s share of sorrow and tribulation."
"Jerome followed the example of a companion and tried his luck on the stage. He still kept his post in the office at Euston and did all his theatrical work in his spare time. This enabled him to increase his income at first by about 10s a week. He took part in plays that were popular at that time, “Dolly Varden”, “Little Nell”, “Lost in London”, and others. He doubled and trebled parts. He played the part of a soldier, a shepherd, and a priest on the same evening. At times he had to look at his clothes to make sure which he was. His company had a successful run and his salary was raised to 30s a week.
"He then gave up his situation at Euston and, joining a touring company, went North and South through the provinces. Occasionally he got into the clutches of a bogus manager. So long as money was being made the manager paid his company their salaries, but when the takings were small the manager would disappear, takings as well, leaving his company to do as best they could. Sometimes they had to beg their way along the roads."
"WHEN acting as a clerk to a firm of solicitors, Jerome lived in a front room at No. 36, Newman Street, W. In a back room of the same building lived also Mr. George Wingrave, a bank clerk. For a considerable time the two young men used to pass each other without speaking. The property changed hands, and the landlady then suggested that it would be more economical for them both if they lived together. This they did, occupying the same sitting-room and sleeping in the same bedroom. This was the beginning of an intimate and lifelong friendship. They were both poor, and Jerome never claimed to have over-much business aptitude, but Wingrave had keen business instincts, and, no doubt, often saved Jerome from being imposed upon."
Would that be George of the trio, of the famous Three Men? In Paul Kelver he's clubbed with Dan it seems.
"He qualified himself for journalistic work by getting an insight into every phase of human activity, and, like all budding journalists, he was prepared to go up in a balloon or down a coal-pit; he would dodge brick-ends in a riot or take his chance at a political meeting, or follow criminals to their dens with all the energy at his command in order to secure good “copy”."
He wrote, and began to be published, serialised in weekly or monthly issues.
"Among his fellow contributors to Home Chimes were Mark Twain, Swinburne, Coventry Patmore, Bret Harte, Coulson Kernahan, J. M. Barrie, Dr. Westland Marston and his blind son Philip, the poet. It was no small matter that a clerk living in lodgings on twenty-five shillings a week should find himself associated with some of the most eminent writers of the day."
"The year 1888 was an eventful one in Jerome’s life. In addition to his journalistic work his first book, “On the Stage and Off,” was published; he wrote three plays which were performed in London theatres, and he was married all in the same year. The lady who henceforth was to be the gracious companion of his life was Georgina Henrietta Stanley, daughter of Lieutenant Nesza of the Spanish Army; her mother was Irish. The marriage ceremony took place quietly and simply at St. Luke’s Church, Chelsea, and was performed by the Rev. F. Relton, whose son, Prebendary Relton, afterwards became vicar of Walsall, Jerome’s native town. George Wingrave was “best man”. Jerome and his wife resided for a time at Chelsea Gardens and then went to live at Goulds Grove, a pretty country place near Wallingford."
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"To return to the journalistic ladder, Jerome gained the next rung in 1892 when he became joint editor of The Idler with Robert Barr. ... "
"Among the contributors were Mark Twain, Morley Roberts, Bret Harte, Andrew Lang, Sir Gilbert Parker, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I. Zangwill, Coulson Kernahan, W. W. Jacobs, D. Christie Murray, the Rev. Dr. Joseph Parker, Marie Corelli, and Eden Phillpotts. ... "
"Another series of articles, entitled “My First Book”, appeared in this magazine. These were written by some of the most distinguished contributors. The experiences these writers went through, their anxious days and sleepless nights while they were discovering exactly what publishers would accept and what would appeal to the reading public, would certainly be profitable reading for young authors of to-day.
"The remarkable interest of these articles lies in the fact that all the writers were young beginners in the field of literature, and that nearly all of them in after-life won world-wide fame. This shows how sound Jerome was in his judgements of the quality of literary work."
"Jerome’s work in connection with The Idler kept him well occupied, yet his restless spirit and indomitable energy impelled him to start a weekly illustrated paper, a combination of magazine and journal called To-day. This venture was entirely his own. ... "
"R. L. Stevenson’s “Ebb-tide” caused the paper to be looked forward to week by week. Bret Harte’s “The Bellringer of Angels” was also a popular serial. Barry Pain contributed “Eliza’s Husband”, which Jerome regarded as Barry Pain’s best work. Coulson Kernahan, Conan Doyle, Richard Le Gallienne, W. W. Jacobs, and other distinguished men wrote for it. Illustrations were drawn by Phil May, Fred Pegram, Raven Hill, Dudley Hardy, Aubrey Beardsley, and others."
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"APHORISMS TAKEN FROM TO-DAY
"“Reason no more makes wisdom than rhyme makes poetry.”
"“The value of an idea has nothing to do with the sincerity of the man who expresses it.”
"“Knowledge collects, wisdom corrects.”
"“The cynic has little hope, less faith, and least charity.”
"“Man must go up, go down, or go out.”
"“The chief function of fools is to teach — what to avoid.”
"“The easiest to do is often the hardest to bear.”
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"“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players.”
"— SHAKESPEARE."
Glimpse there of the ocean of Light that's India, her philosophy and her knowledge of spiritual realms, usually named Hinduism.
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"About the year 1883 the “Old Vagabond Club” was formed. The original meeting-place was the sitting-room of the blind poet, Philip Marston, at 191, Euston Road. The object of the club was to discuss subjects in connection with literature and the drama. The first “Vagabonds” were Addison Bright (whose grandfather gave its name to Bright’s disease), J. K. J., Coulson Kernahan, Philip Marston, Dr. Westland Marston, Carl Hentschel, and George Wingrave, etc. Pett Ridge joined later.
"In the following year “The Playgoer Club” was formed. Jerome, being one of the regular frequenters of the pit on first nights, was a member. The “Pittites” had been in the habit of meeting regularly outside the pit, and the club was formed to enable members to discuss the drama in comfort.
"They met at the Danes Inn Coffee House, Holywell Street, the subscription being two shillings and sixpence per week. When they had collected sufficient money they took furnished rooms in Newman Street, W. Thus the first club for playgoers began its career. J. K. J. was the first president. He remained in that office until, several years afterwards, a split occurred and Carl Hentschel, followed by about five hundred members, seceded.
"The O. P. Club (Old Playgoers’ Club) was then formed to carry on the original idea of the former club. Jerome was always closely identified with it, and owing to the enterprise of Carl Hentschel (trustee and founder) it rendered invaluable aid to the cause of the drama. The club later occupied rooms at the Hotel Cecil. (It was in a small street where this hotel now stands that Jerome worked as a clerk in a solicitor’s office.)
"H.R.H. The Prince of Wales had honoured the club with his presence. H.M. Queen Alexandra also (unsolicited) granted her Royal Patronage. The club has given large sums of money to the Disabled Actors’ War Fund; and has given complimentary dinners to Sir Henry Irving, Dame Ellen Terry, Sir Charles Wyndham, and Jerome K. Jerome."
"Jerome wrote another little piece, entitled Pity is Akin to Love, which was performed as a curtain-raiser at the “Olympic” in September of the same year.
"It must be borne in mind that all the above-mentioned plays were produced in London theatres while Jerome was still in his twenties. Bernard Shaw, J. M. Barrie, and John Galsworthy were all in their thirties when they attained that coveted honour."
"New Lamps for Old was produced in 1890. The cast included W. E. Penley and Bernard Partridge (afterwards knighted). Later it was taken to America by Augustus Daly, where it proved a great attraction.
"In 1891 his three-act play Woodbarrow Farm was produced at the Comedy Theatre. This was more ambitious than any of his previous plays, and certainly contained merit far in advance of most new productions of that period. It has a capital story with many touches of pathos, as well as much humour of the best quality. At one moment the audience is moved to tears, then it rocks with laughter; there are no dull moments. At the conclusion of the first performance the author was called to the stage and offered the hearty congratulation of the crowded audience. This play afterwards had a successful run in America."
"Jerome himself did not like collaborations. He jokingly said: “It was like the old tandem bicycle; each man thinks he is doing all the work.” A deeper reason was probably the difficulty in keeping the aesthetic imagination of two men, when under the stimulus of emotion, under equal control. There is, of course, the classic example of collaboration in Beaumont and Fletcher of Shakespeare’s time. Their dramas are generally regarded as being among the finest in the world after those of Shakespeare. These two poets were closely allied spiritually, as well as being fellow-students, lifelong co-workers, and close friends.
"Jerome and Phillpotts, too, had much in common. One was a bishop’s grandson, the other, the son of a Congregational minister. They both had dramatic instincts, and were great friends. Their play, The Prude’s Progress, met with a large measure of success. Wherever it was performed there were crowded houses. It has a cleverly evolved story and is lit up with wit and humour, and was one of the smartest and brightest comedies then running.
"The Mac Haggis of these two dramatists had a successful, but brief, existence. The good people of those days were shocked when, for the first time, the principal actress rode a bicycle and smoked a cigarette on the stage. W. E. Penley was running it, but, owing to illness, which turned out to be mental, he suddenly closed the theatre.
"The Rise of Dick Halward was Jerome’s play entirely, and was produced in 1896. There was a good deal of dissatisfaction with the unwholesomeness of some of the drama of the day. The public, therefore, turned with pleasure to such a story as was told in this play."
"Honour (adapted from the German of Sudermann) came next. This was followed by Miss Hobbs, which was produced in America and was a big success. It also became very popular in Russia and Italy, and, perhaps, even more popular still in Germany. Mr. Jerome was staying in Dresden at the time and the Kaiser sent him his congratulations through an official of the Saxon Court. Miss Hobbs was Jerome’s first real moneymaking success.
"Tommy is a three-act play and a clever adaptation by Mr. Jerome himself of his book “Tommy and Co”.
"The Passing of the Third Floor Back calls for special notice."
Moss goes on about that for a while, with various testimonials.
"While “The Passing” was still running at St. James’s, London, in 1908, another of Jerome’s plays, Fanny and the Servant Problem, was produced on October 14th, at the Aldwych Theatre."
"In America it was a big success. To please the Americans, who love a title, the play was called Lady Bantock.
"The Master of Mrs. Chilvers was produced at the King’s Theatre, Glasgow, in April, 1911"
"Esther Castways was produced in 1913. Miss Rowena Jerome made a successful first appearance in this play. During the War she also played the part of Stasia in the Passing of the Third. Floor Back. Mr. Jerome said that his daughter and Miss Gertrude Elliott (Lady Forbes-Robertson) were the two best Stasias he had seen.
"The Great Gamble was produced in 1914, just before the War. It had the ill-luck to be a play of German life.
"Cook also was running during the War, but enemy bombs falling over London suddenly brought it to an end.
"The Soul of Nicholas Snyders was the last play Mr. Jerome wrote. In America it has been used as a Christmas play."
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"It is a remarkable fact, though, that Jerome’s humour was not understood by the critics of his early days. It is doubtful whether any contemporary writer met with a more hostile press. He was reproachfully styled “The New Humorist”. ..."
"It was the kind of humour they could live with. It was very different from the humour that old-time jesters employed in royal and noble houses; or from the humour, say, of the early eighteenth century; the strongest feature of which was often scurrility, inasmuch as it attacked men’s reputations. It was often offensive and revolting in its vulgarity, and would jest at sacred things.
"Jerome’s “new humour” never offends. Its aim is to mix sunshine with the stuff life is made of. It provokes laughter that has some relation to intelligence. Charles Kingsley once stated his belief that the Almighty has a sense of humour, and that He wishes to give happiness to humanity by causing laughter. For a man to be a humorist he must have that creative gift which is the characteristic of genius. Someone has said that “genius is sent into the world, not to obey laws, but to give them”. The difference between talent and genius is, talent is merely imitative, while genius is creative. Jerome’s genius in creating a “new humour” was recognized by the great mass of readers; while the charity, tenderness, and purity permeating his writings made him one of the most popular authors of his time.
"Jerome wrote twenty books, but it would be difficult to classify them into humorous and serious because there is much that is intensely serious and wise in his most humorous books, and much humour in those most serious."
"“Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow” was written in 1889, while still a clerk and in lodgings with George Wingrave."
"“Three Men in a Boat”, illustrated by A. Frederics, was written in the top room of a house in Chelsea Gardens shortly after his marriage. This, like “Idle Thoughts”, was first published in Home Chimes."
"The “three men” were Jerome K. Jerome (“J”), Mr. Carl Hentschel (whose name for the purpose of the book was changed to “Harris”), and Mr. George Wingrave (“George”)."
"These expeditions were frequent, extending over several years. Mr. Hentschel states that nearly the whole of “Three Men in a Boat” is founded upon incidents that actually took place."
"“Three Men in a Boat” has been translated into most European languages. In Russia it had a great vogue. It was said that the moujik at one time read only two translations of English books, the Jacobean version of the Bible and “Three Men in a Boat”. The latter was also used in Germany as a school reading-book."
"In 1890 a party of three, consisting of J. K. J., Eden Phillpotts, and Walter Helmore, decided to visit Germany in order to see the Ober-Ammergau Passion Play. Helmore and Phillpotts were at that time in the Sun Insurance Office, Charing Cross, but the latter, owing to ill-health, had to withdraw from the trip and J. K. J. and Helmore went.
"In the following year “The Diary of a Pilgrimage”, with illustrations by G. G. Fraser, was published. This is a diverting account of their journey and experience. In the preface Jerome states that a friend said to him: “Well, now, why don’t you write a sensible book?” Jerome replied: “This is a sensible book.”"
"“Told after Supper”, illustrated by K. M. Skeaping, was published in 1891."
"“The Second Thoughts of an Idle Fellow” was published in August, 1898."
"J. K. J. and George Wingrave and Carl Hentschel — the same personnel as the “Three Men in a Boat”—”wanting a change”, had gone on a bummel through the Black Forest."
"In the same year “Three Men on the Bummel”, illustrated by L. Raven Hill, was published."
"“Idle Ideas” was published in 1905."
"“They and I” was published in 1909. This book has been spoken of as “a cheerful companion to take with you when you go for a holiday to get cured of the hump”. It was read by the soldiers in France during the War."
"“Tommy and Co.” was published in 1904."
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"When Jerome was crossing the Atlantic, in order to go on a lecture tour, he was persistently annoyed by a fellow-passenger, who was bubbling over with information.
"“Sir,” said this man one day, when Jerome was leaning over the rail, “do you know that if the earth were flattened out the sea would be two miles deep all over the world?”
"“My dear sir,” exclaimed Jerome, anxiously, “if you catch anybody flattening out the earth, please shoot him on the spot. I can’t swim.”"
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"Before Jerome’s day there was a world shortage of clean, healthful humour, and even now there are far too many long faces and far too much dejection in the world."
Obviously that was penned quite a few years before the Nazi menace appeared on the horizon in late twenties.
"He once said that the East End of London filled him with horror, and gave him his melancholy, brooding disposition. He had a haunting sense of being alone in a small boat on a stormy sea."
"“John Ingerfield” was published in 1894."
"“Paul Kelver” was published in 1902. It was written for the most part in Germany, ... "
"At a complimentary dinner given to Jerome by the O. P. Club, Mr. Pett Ridge said: “It is fair to say that through ‘Paul Kelver’ posterity will share the delight we all feel in the power and genius of Jerome K. Jerome.”
"“Tea-Table Talk”, illustrated by Fred Pegram, was published in 1903."
"“The Angel and the Author, and Others” was published in 1908."
"“All Roads Lead to Calvary” (published 1920) ... was written at Bath shortly after the War."
"“The Observations of Henry and Others”, published 1901.
The observations are both serious and humorous and are made under ten headings including “Evergreens”, “Clocks”, “Tea Kettles”, “A Pathetic Story”, “Dreams”, etc."
Those "Others" are included also in The Diary Of A Pilgrimage And Six Essays, as the six essays.
"“Anthony John” was written at “Monks’ Corner”, Marlow Common, and was published in 1923."
"Jerome’s last book, “My Life and Times”, was published in 1926."
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"IN appearance J. K. J. resembled the late Lord Oxford and Asquith, and was occasionally mistaken for that statesman. During the Suffragette agitation Mr. Asquith was often subjected to undignified treatment at the hands of the militant ladies. On one occasion Jerome was walking along Whitehall, when two policemen courteously took him by each arm and escorted him to a place of safety. They had mistaken him for Mr. Asquith. On discovering their mistake they released him with many apologies."
"After removing to Belsize Park, London, each year the family spent their summer holidays at Dunwich. ... This house had been made famous by Edward Fitzgerald, who a few years previously wrote his inspired translation of “The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam” in the same room in which Jerome wrote “My Life and Times”.
"In Jerome’s early days there were no typewriters and he did all his writing with his own hand. Some of the work which he sent to editors was not even returned so that he would have to write it all out again, and with wonderful persistence he would stick to it until it was re-written. Mrs. Jerome still has the little desk on which he wrote “Three Men in a Boat” when living at Chelsea Gardens.
"Most of his work was done in the country, being quieter. At “Monks’ Corner” the study was at the far end of the house, so that he could work without being disturbed. His wife and daughter understood and fell in with his desire for solitude and did all they could to ensure this. He would take long walks, and many were the plots that were woven during his walks on Marlow Common with his dog. He would then draft the main outlines of a story or play in shorthand notes himself. ... "
"In the late ‘Nineties he expressed in To-day his righteous indignation against “Abdul the Damned”, as William Watson called the Sultan of Turkey. So forcible was his condemnation of the massacre of Armenians by the Turks that his articles were the subject of diplomatic negotiating between the British and Turkish Governments. He was sent for by the Foreign Office and an Act of Parliament was read to him, but that did not prevent his continuing to write powerful articles in condemnation of Turkish brutalities until they began to diminish."
" ... When the ghastly news came of the sinking of the Lusitania he was unable to work. A very dear friend, Mr. Charles Frohman, had perished."
"At a dinner in Washington an important group of German bankers and business men assured Jerome that Germany had already realized that she “had bitten off more than she could chew”, and would welcome a peace conference. He brought back the message to England, but the idea of a conference came to nothing.
"He then offered himself for active service but was rejected by the British Army Authorities as being over age. He was, however, accepted by the French Red Cross Society as an ambulance driver."
"He was in France about a year.
"“When he came home,” his secretary writes, “the old Jerome was gone. In his place was a stranger. He was a broken man.”"
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"On January 30th, 1927, a complimentary dinner was given in Jerome’s honour at the Hotel Cecil by the members of the O.P. Club. The club is composed of literary men, artists and musicians, and a large and distinguished company assembled. Sir Johnson Forbes-Robertson presided."
"“My successes I never had any difficulty in explaining to myself (laughter), but I confess my failures always puzzled me — until one day there came to me an explanation, and I give it to-night for what it may be worth. It is that life is a gamble. Disappointments are part of the game. Without them life would be a poor thing.”"
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" ... Thursday, February 17th, 1927. This was “Jerome Day” in Walsall. ..."
"After a while his humour gained the mastery, and he told an amusing incident concerning the production of The Passing of the Third Floor Back at Harrogate. The audience had expected something different from the author of “Three Men in a Boat”. He himself walked out of the theatre behind two old ladies. One, wiping her eyes, said: “Well, my dear, I did not think it was at all funny.”
"“Never mind,” said the other, also wiping her eyes, “it does not do to be too critical. No doubt he was doing his best.” The next morning he read in the paper a criticism that “the play began all right, but towards the end the fun collapsed.” (Laughter.)"
"Dr. Layton proposed the toast of “Literature and the Drama”. This was responded to by Mr. W. W. Jacobs, who kept the company in a state of continual merriment. He indulged in some delightful raillery at Mr. Jerome’s expense.
"“The rewards of literature,” he said, “were very unequal. One man gets a tablet stuck on a house in which he says he was born, the freedom of a famous town is conferred upon him in a beautiful casket I should like to have stolen, and a public dinner given in his honour. Another man has to act as a sort of best man, carrying his train, so to speak, and whispering in his ear not to look quite so self-conscious and try to appear as though freedoms and public dinners in his honour were matters of every-day occurrence. (Laughter.) The rewards are unequal. As I say, one man writes about ‘Three Men in a Boat’ and lives in affluence; another man writes about boats of all sorts, and crews consisting of hundreds of people, and has to borrow money to pay his super-tax.
"“I am very pleased to come to take part in this honour to Jerome K. Jerome, who is a clever man. I have always had a great respect for his intelligence since he took my stories thirty years ago, and asked for more. He is one of the best men I know. A lot of people say so, and he himself has never denied it. (Laughter.) He has never tried to. (Laughter.) I know a great deal in favour of him, but have never heard anything against him. Whether that is due to my carelessness or to his carefulness I will not say.”"
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"In May, 1927, Mr. Jerome, his wife and daughter visited Devonshire. ... "
"He passed peacefully away on June 14th at the age of sixty-eight."
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October 20, 2020 - October 22, 2020.
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