 The book was intended initially to be a serious travel guide, with accounts of local history of places along the route, but the humorous elements eventually took over.The landscape and features of the Thames as described by Jerome are virtually unchanged, and the book's enduring popularity has meant that it has never been out of print since it was first published.Charles Dickens "Our Mutual Friend" (written in the years 1864–65) describes the river in a grimmer light.