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Three Men in a Boat / Three Men on the Bummel

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AUTHOR’S ADVERTISEMENT.<br />

MY Publisher suggests my add<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g a few l<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>es to his. To refuse<br />

to do so, under <strong>the</strong> circumstances, might appear surly. The<br />

world has been very k<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>d to this book. Mr. Arrowsmith speaks<br />

<strong>on</strong>ly of its sales <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> Great Brita<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>. In Chicago, I was assured by<br />

an enterpris<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g pirate now retired, that <strong>the</strong> sales throughout<br />

<strong>the</strong> United States had exceeded a milli<strong>on</strong>; and although, <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />

c<strong>on</strong>sequence of its hav<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g been published before <strong>the</strong> Copyright<br />

C<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong>, this has brought me no material advantage,<br />

<strong>the</strong> fame and popularity it has w<strong>on</strong> for me am<strong>on</strong>g <strong>the</strong> American<br />

public is an asset not to be despised. It has been translated<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to, I th<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>k, every European language except Arabian, also<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>to some of those of Asia. It has brought me many thousands<br />

of letters from young folk, from old folk; from well folk, from<br />

sick folk; from merry folk, from sad folk. They have come<br />

to me from all parts of <strong>the</strong> world, from men and women of<br />

all countries. Had <strong>the</strong>se letters been <strong>the</strong> <strong>on</strong>ly result I should<br />

feel glad and proud that I had written <strong>the</strong> book. I reta<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a few<br />

blackened pages of <strong>on</strong>e copy sent me by a young col<strong>on</strong>ial officer<br />

from South Africa. They were taken from <strong>the</strong> knapsack<br />

of a dead comrade found <strong>on</strong> Spi<strong>on</strong> Kop. So much for testim<strong>on</strong>ials.<br />

It rema<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>s <strong>on</strong>ly to expla<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>the</strong> merits justify<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g such an<br />

extraord<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>ary success. I am quite unable to do so. I have written<br />

books that have appeared to me more clever, books that<br />

have appeared to me more humorous. But it is as <strong>the</strong> author of<br />

<str<strong>on</strong>g>Three</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Men</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> a <str<strong>on</strong>g>Boat</str<strong>on</strong>g> (to say noth<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g of <strong>the</strong> Dog) that <strong>the</strong> public<br />

persists <str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> remember<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g>g me. Certa<str<strong>on</strong>g>in</str<strong>on</strong>g> writers used to suggest<br />

that it was <strong>the</strong> vulgarity of <strong>the</strong> book, its entire absence of humour,<br />

that accounted for its success with <strong>the</strong> people; but <strong>on</strong>e<br />

feels by this time that such suggesti<strong>on</strong> does not solve <strong>the</strong> rid-

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