The Hippopotamus |
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Stephen Fry
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Pages: 368 (Paperback)
ISBN: 0099457032
Pub: Arrow Books Ltd
Pub date: 2004-08-05
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 11886
Reader Reviews:
A hilarious novel that will keep you guessing (0/0 people found this helpful)
When I began reading this novel, I was sceptical, as it had been written by a celebrity, who is clearly a genius, but a celebrity nonetheless. However, my prejudices were thankfully proved wrong, and I found that "The Hippopotamus" proved a fantastic, amusing read.
Primarily, the characters in this novel are brilliant. The fantastically flawed Ted Wallace, who is bitter, despairs for society as well as himself, and has very little to live for, finds his pathetic life revitalised in this uplifting and hilarious novel.
Fry's humour is intelligent, witty, and often verges upon being filthy! The humour you expect in the novel is there, and it will not disappoint. Having finished this, I have bought his autobiography "Moab is my washpot" and will be beggining that shortly!
If you enjoy Fry's humour on screen, you will no doubt enjoy this novel. Don't write off Fry as another celebrity writer - he is an incredibly talented novelist as well as a good actor, presenter etc.
Thanks for reading!
A delicious light read. (1/1 people found this helpful)
During a holiday in eastern Austria I borrowed this novel and read it very nearly cover-to-cover. Having hardly read a book written post-1950 for months, I was utterly delighted.
Fry has that pure love of language that all the best authors possess. The texture of a phrase, the imagery from a sentence - his adoration of the possibilities, humour and wash of words is tangible on every page.
In The Hippopotamus Fry has created a great anti-hero, a rum, self-concerned miser who one can not fail to like completely. The plot moves fairly quickly and amusingly, but the (actually rather good) story is not the attraction of this book. As I have said, Fry's love of language is what makes this compelling reading. That Fry is fond of Oscar Wilde is rather blatant. Small, unimportant witticisms are thrown in at any convenient time and plot-twists abound. It's a ferrero rocher book: there's not an awful lot of point in it, but it is sublimely delicious when you treat yourself to it.
Having not read any of his other books other than his utterly excellent autobiography, Moab Is My Washpot, The Hippopotamus has that complimentary but not entirely welcome quality of making me not want to read anything else he has done, lest it not be of as good a quality. When I finished the book (I think I read it within twenty-four hours) I spent the next hour fondly remembering it. It's one of those books.
You can pick up a copy on here for a penny plus postage. You really might as well.
Don't waste your time,,,,, (0/11 people found this helpful)
Not a great story and a little bit of a let down if I'm honest!!
A brilliant read (0/0 people found this helpful)
From start to finsish i loved this book. It's secrets and mystifying events keep the reader entertained the whole way through. Stephens writing technique is wonderful and very humourous. A great read!!!
The hippest hippo ever (0/0 people found this helpful)
Oh man, I miss Tedward already! Bring him back Fry! He is the best novel character ever...
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Amazon.co.uk places this book into the following categories:
Books -> Special Features -> Custom Stores -> Fiction Complete -> Contemporary Fiction
Books -> Subjects -> Fiction -> Authors, A-Z -> F -> Fry, Stephen
Books -> Subjects -> Fiction -> Contemporary Fiction: 1970 Onwards -> Popular Fiction
Books -> Subjects -> Fiction -> General
Books -> Refinements -> Language (feature_browse-bin) -> English
Books -> Refinements -> Format (binding_browse-bin) -> Paperback
Books -> Refinements -> Font Size (format_browse-bin) -> Regular Size