When acclaimed writer, television broadcaster, and gifted audiobook narrator, Steve Matchett, was asked to name his three favorite authors, he swiftly volunteered the names of Ernest Hemingway, George Orwell, and Jerome K. Jerome. The last of these may not be as widely known, but this only highlights the immense value Matchett places on Jerome’s work. Best known for his comic masterpiece of 1889, Three Men in a Boat, Jerome's captivating tale of an unhurried boat trip along old England’s river Thames, with its charming mix of adventures and misadventures, has long stood the test of time. More than a century after its initial publication, Jerome’s witty, often pithy observations on the quirkiness of daily life remain both relevant, poignant, and genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. In this wonderfully attractive special edition: Three Men in a Boat: The 130th Birthday Celebration, Steve Matchett presents us with a warm, heartfelt tribute to this enchanting, evergreen story.

Matchett's own comforting tones, his captivating English accent prove a truly inspired choice for narrator of this perfectly performed audiobook edition - his beguiling range of British accents and dialects used for the story's ever changing cast of minor characters is most appealing. In terms of its additional content, The 130th Birthday Celebration special edition is introduced with a touching foreword written by Steve Matchett, himself, in which he discusses exactly why he is so enamored with Jerome's sweetly gentle tale of yesteryear. Moreover, each chapter of this compelling, unfolding story comes complete with Matchett's own series of annotated musings: these personal "notes from the riverbank" concluding each of the books nineteen chapters.

The end result of all of this, Steve Matchett's genuine labor of love is a truly beautiful volume; a fresh and elegantly presented audiobook edition of this timeless classic; one sure to win a whole new audience - a recording to enjoy over and over again.