The Hippopotamus

By Stephen Fry

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE

Stephen Fry's charmingly misanthropic send-up of the English mystery features an unlikely but necessary hero: Ted Wallace, AKA the Hippopotamus, a failed and disolute poet, recently fired theater critic, and muckraker of modern irrationality, whose war against the unreasonable finds sudden purpose investigating a series of supposed miracles at a mansion in the country.

"I’ve suffered for my art, now it’s your turn.” So begins the tale of Ted Wallace, unaffectionately known as the Hippopotamus. Failed poet, failed theater critic, failed father and husband, Ted is a shameless womanizer, drinks too much, and is at odds in his cranky but maddeningly logical way with most of modern life. Fired from his newspaper, Ted seeks a few months’ repose and free liquor at Swafford Hall, the country mansion of his old friend Michael Logan. This world of boozy dinners, hunting parties, and furtive liaisons has recently been turned on its head by miracles, healings, and phenomena beyond Ted’s comprehension. As the mysteries deepen, The Hippopotamus builds into “a deliciously wicked and amusing little fable” (The New York Times).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Dec 30, 2014
• ISBN: 9781616954741

Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry is an award-winning comedian, actor, presenter, and director. He rose to fame alongside Hugh Laurie in A Bit of Fry and Laurie (which he cowrote with Laurie) and Jeeves and Wooster, and he was unforgettable as General Melchett in Blackadder. He hosted over 180 episodes of QI and has narrated all seven of the Harry Potter novels for the audiobook recordings. He is the bestselling author of the Mythos series, as well as four novels—Revenge, Making History, The Hippopotamus, and The Liar;—and three volumes of autobiography—Moab Is My Washpot, The Fry Chronicles, and More Fool Me.

Reviews for The Hippopotamus

[resi_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely hilarious!

[gingermama-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very, very funny -- Mr. Fry really has a way with words. The plot centers around a teenage boy who may or may not have a miraculous gift for healing, and the narrator is his curmudgeonly, washed-up poet of a godfather. I listened to an audio version, read by the author, and highly recommend it.

[moem-3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I greatly enjoy Fry's language use, which shows tremendous skills. He's often very funny.

Of course, as his books are apparently likely to do, the book features a flamboyant homosexual. He is one of the funniest characters in the book, mainly because of the way his manner of speaking is portrayed.

The story is entertaining enough and I was quite satisfied with the ending, too. Sometimes, I had a bit of trouble keeping all the characters apart.

[fist_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An earlier work by Stephen Fry, it is set in the classical huis clos of an English country estate. No murders occur, but there is a whodunit atmosphere that is expertly announced on its first pages and keeps you wondering until the denouement (which takes a few pages too many, if truth be told). Mr Fry's wit and erudition are on fine display here, though not as finely measured as in his later work. The use of recondite vocabulary is a bit - dare I say - unctuous, and would be annoying for lesser personalities than Mr Fry's. Rather unsettlingly, the author deftly inserts unorthodox and non-PC views in the narrative, eg on international jewry and on sex with underage boys. All in all, a nice holiday read.

[kousouna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's laugh out loud funny!

[isabelx_21 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Insanely, as if by the power of hypnosis, I found myself asking whether, since I'd shown him mine, he'd show me his.He blushed like a ripe peach. 'You don't want to see it really,' he said.'Well, can you recite any? Truly, I'd love to hear some.'This from Ted Wallace, mind you, who'd been known to hurl himself into moving traffic at the prospect of verse recitation.The poem was short, which was good. The poem was sweet, which was good. The poem had form, which was good. The poem was bad, which was bad. The poem was called 'The Green Man', which was unpardonable.A very clever book - witty, entertaining and surprising. Everyone sees Ted Wallace as a a grumpy drunken old curmudgeon , but underneath it all he has a kind heart, spending time with his godson David (who wrote the poem mentioned above) and going to the East of England show with David's brother Simon, when he couldn't think of anything he'd like less than trudging round a boiling hot field looking at pigs and tractors. He is also the only one to see the truth about what is happening at Swafford Hall, while everyone else succumbs to wishful thinking and sees what they want to see.

[minaisham · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

-- Some people advise to leave a book if it doesn't grab your attention at start. One reason I read is to expand my knowledge. I'm glad I didn't close Stephen Fry's THE HIPPOPOTAMUS permanently after reading first few chapters. I am usually rewarded when I struggle at beginnning of novels. Structure, plot, & characters are interesting as they are revealed. I'm glad I invested some time early in THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. Fry is a great British writer as well as actor. This novel is a modern classic. --

[neilsantos_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Yes, THAT stephen Fry. This was a very good book. The first 20 pages are rough, because the hippopotamus is pretty vicious (like they are) and he talks alot about the state of modern british theatre (one of the few areas I know little and care less about). I almost gave up on it before I got past that, to when the actual story begins. It's worth it. He isn't laugh aloud like Chris Moore; he's more like, oh how wicked, as if Quentin Tarantino directed Hamlet.

[ofstoneandice · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There's a tangible improvement here from his first book, The Liar. The plot was a solid thread throughout the story, which is always a plus. But what I'd like to know is how I'm always surprised when Mr. Fry divulges on an unscrupulous taboo? Perhaps it's that suggestion of tweed-ness that his appearance and manner emanates; it's so misleading. And yet I can't help myself from delighting in his daring. The voice of Ted Wallace was particularly chuckle-invoking.

[rrriles · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I can only seem to read Stephen Fry in a deck chair or on vacation, which I think qualifies his work as light reading. That said, it's usually pretty good light reading.

[mumoftheanimals · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sharply written narrative of freeloading elderly poet that covers English upper classes, God and death. It's PG Wodehouse with sex (rather too much in my prudish opinion). It is the best of his I have read.

[cayzers · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Best book Stephen Fry has written. Wonderfully crafted, a good understanding of human nature - and just plain funny.

[volumed42 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Zu dem Buch habe ich keinen Zugang gefunden.

[miaculpa-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Stephen Fry is humorous in person but I've found his prose to be less than enthralling. "Hippopotamus" covers an aging, broke lothario poet's time at a friend's country house and his relationships with the inhabitants, particularly one young lad who apparently has the powers to heal animals. Turns out the lad's modus operandi is unorthodox and our protagonist almost gets into a hell of a spot.I kept thinking "this surely is about to get really interesting, but, bar a few moments (like discovering exactly how the lad heals animals), I was left unimpressed.