The Hippopotamus: Fry Stephen

Product Information

This is a beautifully well made, extraordinary well acted movie. I would argue it's quite a high brow watch, but then you should be expecting that. Film Notes An ageing writer finds himself caught up in a mystery in this underwhelming adaptation of Stephen Fry's comic novel The language definitely was a pleasure and, as a non-native English reader, it sent me repeatedly to the Merriam-Webster which, in fact, actually didn't always cope with the idioms.

The Hippopotamus - Wikipedia

Ted Wallace is a sour, old, cantankerous beast, a womanising and whisky-sodden bounder of a failed poet and drama critic, but he has his faults too.It definitely references two films I've seen - "Rueben, Rueben" (1983), for the amusing, lecherous, literary drunk, and "Equus" (1977), for reasons you'd better watch both films to learn. Stephen Fry is one of the most brilliant individuals of the current time. To find that he excels in literature as well should be no surprise. I find it fitting that I started my reading challenge with Mr. Fry and am closing it out with one of his books. For a debut novel this is remarkable but then again so is the man that wrote it. It is every bit as witty and charming as the man himself. Which to me reinforces the veiled autobiographical nature of it. If you are a fan of a good mystery, this is not for you. It is really only a mystery in the broadest sense. Mostly it's a comedy of manners. Wodehouse could not have written this, however. Not enough fun, and too much sex. Including all sorts of odd couplings, some of which are uncomfortable to think about.

THE HIPPOPOTAMUS by Stephen Fry Book Review – THE HIPPOPOTAMUS by Stephen Fry

The ostensible superficiality of the characters featured within it (a colourful and eclectic bunch), belies the depth of meaning and heart to be found within The Hippopotamus. This is not quite ‘meaning of life’ territory, but the subjects of human identity, courage and endeavour are certainly taken for a spin. I need to start by saying that I think this man is a God, which does seem to be the standard opening play in any discussion of Stephen Fry by at least one person in the room. If, in this case, that person needs to be me, well, so be it. This is his first novel and although there were parts of it that had me making the kind of snorting sounds that could all too easily have had people thinking I was suffering from a terribly debilitating illness – mostly I don’t think it worked. It pains me to say it, but it’s done now. The characters are larger than life let's say, the best element for me was the acting of the ever wonderful Roger Allam.

🍪 Privacy & Transparency

and if you enjoyed listening to Roger Allam last night, seek out “Conversations from a Long Marriage” on BBC Sounds, a series of two-handers he does with Joanna Lumley"

The Hippopotamus (film) - Wikipedia

There isn't exactly a plot of sorts, other than someone is hired to solve a series of mysteries, other than that it just seems to be a series of random occurrences.I did fear that re-reading it might destroy my loving memories, but I needn’t have worried. I still felt connected with the sections I had remembered so fondly, and in fact, probably had an even greater appreciation for Stephen Fry’s skills with the pen. The story is of Ted Wallace (Roger Allam), an old poet, brilliant despite his toxic personality and propensity for whisky. Fired from his job as theater critic, he meets an old acquaintance who proposes him an unusual job, to investigate the mysterious going-ons at an estate of a family he used to be friends with .. before he destroyed their relationship in a drunken fit.