Tony
In my review, I've suggested a
comparison with 'Three Men in a Boat' rather than Bill Bryson but did either
influence you at all?
Derek
If I could
write like one other person in the world, it would be Bryson. I love his blend
of fun and fact. Jerome K Jerome’s ‘Three Men in a Boat’? I’m now going to make
a confession never told before. When I was 14, I copied out a short,
little-known, very funny story by Jerome about his dog, and submitted it to the
school magazine as my own. Nobody spotted the theft, and it was published. I
shall be punished for it one day. But the incident must indicate a deep-seated
admiration for JKJ’s style. I’m flattered by your comparison of ‘A Horse in the
Bathroom’ with anything he wrote.
(I'm a big fan of J.K. Jerome but, though I have a few books more than 'Boat' and 'Bummel', I cannot remember a story about a dog. There's Montmorency, of course - Tony)
