Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow(懒人懒办法)
Jerome K. Jerome
Preface
One or two friends to whom I showed these papers in MS. having
observed that they were not half bad, and some of my relations
having promised to buy the book if it ever came out, I feel I have
no right to longer delay its issue. But for this, as one may say,
public demand, I perhaps should not have ventured to offer these
mere "idle thoughts" of mine as mental food for the
English-speaking peoples of the earth. What readers ask nowadays in
a book is that it should improve, instruct, and elevate. This book
wouldn't elevate a cow. I cannot conscientiously recommend it for
any useful purposes whatever. All I can suggest is that when you
get tired of reading "the best hundred books," you may take this up
for half an hour. It will be a change.
On Being Idle
Now, this is a subject on wh…