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And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks Audiobook
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(3.00) - 3,240 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
More than sixty years ago, William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, two novice writers at the dawn of their careers, sat down to write a novel about the summer of 1944, when one of their friends killed another in a moment of brutal and tragic bloodshed. Alternating chapters, they pieced together a hard-boiled tale of bohemian New York during World War II, full of drugs and obsession, art and violence. The manuscript, named after a line from a news story about a fire at a circus, was rejected by publishers and confined to a filing cabinet for decades. Now, for the first time, this legendary collaboration between two of the twentieth century’s most influential writers is being released. Both a fascinating piece of American literary history and an engrossing, atmospheric novel, it brings to life a shocking murder at the dawn of the Beat Generation.
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"I decided to pick this up because I am embarrassingly ignorant about Beat literature and I thought the first book co-written by Jack Kerouac and William S. Burroughs would be as good a place to start as any. This book is gripping. It's gritty and frank and the characters are loathsome but for some reason I found it impossible to put down. According to the experts (and authors') comments in the back this isn't typical of their more famous works (it's considered more in the "existentialist" genre than Beat) so I guess I have more exploring to do. Still, it's a good pulpy read for anyone interested in literature of the 1940s and '50s."
— Brooke (4 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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Selected for the December 2008 Indie Next List
And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks Listener Reviews
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" Great read for those interested in Beat history; I wouldn't recommend for the casual Kerouac or Burroughs reader. "
— Chris, 2/20/2014 -
" The best part about this early beat novel is contrasting the temperaments of the two narrators: Kerouac comes off as a naive little boy catching fireflies, while Burroughs is a grumpy old junkie codger squashing the fireflies and grumbling to himself about how stupid they were for flying near him. "
— Paquita, 2/9/2014 -
" Decent. Burroughs' chapters were better by far. Solid work. "
— JT, 2/5/2014 -
" For those of you who didn't live "The Beat Generation" this would be a good place to get a great taste by its most authentic chroniclers. "
— Peter, 2/4/2014 -
" a very sweet little bifurcation book. funny to see the seeds of two distinct styles forming as early as 1944-45. "
— Max, 1/8/2014 -
" Boring, sorry I couldn't get into it. 200 page book with large print and I couldn't get past page 138 even trying to force myself. "
— Mary, 12/19/2013 -
" This is Kerouac and Burroughs' take on the killing of their friend David Kammerer by (their friend) Lucien Carr in 1944. This was finally published in 2008 after Carr's death. "
— Kevin, 12/19/2013 -
" Really enjoyed it. Super quick read. Anyone who is a fan of the Beats will love this book. "
— Maria, 11/26/2013 -
" This was a fast-paced read that kind of has a "Sun Also Rises" feel to it. The story is funny and dramatic but at the same time very foreboding up until something really crazy happens. They drink, they smoke, they copulate, and they wrote books aboutit. "
— Mason, 11/20/2013 -
" Great example of both Burroughs and Kerouak in their raw, early state...really enjoyed this one... "
— G.N., 11/4/2013 -
" wonderful collaboration of two brilliant writers "
— Nikita, 5/10/2013 -
" I think I agree with Burroughs that this isn't very good. It has some merit as a period piece, but not much happens. "
— Art, 2/21/2013 -
" I didn't really get the point of this story--maybe that was the point--but it was a nice glimpse into the period. Great narration of the audiobook version. The extra material at the end helped to clarify the events on which it was based. "
— Mike, 1/10/2013 -
" Takes a little while to get into the style and switching between stories, but ultimately it's well worth it. Great stories, well told. "
— Paul, 5/28/2012 -
" it was alright, it mostly made me want to drink a whole lot. a WHOLE lot. "
— Gillian, 1/3/2012 -
" The only reason I didn't LOVE this book was because the climax happened so late in the book (3 chapters before the end, I believe). The steady uphill battle to the end was amazing, of course. I would recommend it! "
— Luna, 5/10/2011 -
" This is one of my favorite novels. "
— Matthew, 4/17/2011 -
" Though the afterward and some reviews try to make a case for this being an important document of the emerging Beat Generation, it isn't. It's young guys trying to throw together some fiction your-turn, my-turn style. It is a curiosity, and fairly dull and obvious. "
— Vincent, 3/29/2011 -
" Great example of both Burroughs and Kerouak in their raw, early state...really enjoyed this one...<br/> "
— G.N., 3/22/2011 -
" Raw- kinda interesting to see where these two writers were "before" they became published and respected.<br/>I also found it more interesting because the fact that it was based on true events in their own lives. "
— Jared, 3/17/2011 -
" The plot line was lacking a little but I love Burroughs and Kerouac. I enjoyed their alternative chapter writing. "
— Ashley, 3/10/2011 -
" The story that spawned the beat generation. Written before kerouac or burroughs wrote their most famous books. "
— Phil, 2/26/2011 -
" funny and simply written. I couldnt tell the difference between the two authors, and there is no evidence of their style that would make them famous. "
— Mike, 2/11/2011 -
" I thought the inconsistency of the chapters was frustrating. You can see the raw talent of both Kerouac and Burroughs. Interesting for the way the styles play off each other. "
— Colin, 2/2/2011 -
" There's many different versions of the Lucien Carr incident. This version by Kerouac and Burroughs makes Lucien more of an aggressor than the victim. <br/> "
— Patti, 1/30/2011 -
" This is a co-authored elementary existential crime novel. <br/> <br/>It's very interesting mostly because I'm amazed by the improvement of Kerouac's writing style and development. Hope for most. <br/>Happy it was released nonetheless. "
— Jennell, 1/20/2011 -
" I approached this book having only read part of Junky and none of Keroac. I also had no idea what the book was about beyond it being a collaboration betweeen the two authors. I was pleasantly surprised. An easy, quick read. "
— Niffydee, 1/19/2011
About the Authors
Jack Kerouac (1922–1969) was an American novelist and poet who influenced generations of writers. He is recognized for his style of spontaneous prose and for being a pioneer of the Beat Generation. His first novel appeared in 1950, but it was On the Road, published in 1957, that epitomized to the world what became known as the “Beat generation” and made Kerouac one of the best-known writers of his time. Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, he attended local Catholic schools and then won a scholarship to Columbia University, where he first met Neal Cassady, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burroughs, other originators of the Beat movement.
William S. Burroughs (1914–1997) was an American author, painter, and spoken-word performer who has had a wide-ranging influence on American culture. Jack Kerouac called him the “greatest satirical writer since Jonathan Swift.” Norman Mailer declared him “the only American writer who may be conceivably possessed by genius.” A postmodernist and a key figure of the beat generation, he focused his art on a relentless subversion of the moral, political, and economic conventions of modern American society, as reflected in his often darkly humorous and sardonic satire. He wrote eighteen novels and novellas, six short-story collections, and four collections of essays. No fewer than five books of his interviews and correspondence have been published. He also collaborated on projects and recordings with numerous performers and musicians and made many appearances in films. He was elected to the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters in 1983 and in the following year was appointed to the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.
About Ray Porter
Ray Porter has garnered two Audie nominations as well as several Earphones Awards and enthusiastic reviews for his sparkling narration of audiobooks. A fifteen-year veteran of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, he has also appeared in numerous films and television shows.