And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks (2008) - Plot & Excerpts
This is neither man's best work and Burroughs was right to not want it to see the light of day. Both their voices are undeveloped, with Kerouac's voice being the better of the two. Rather than coming off as enchantingly youthful as some of Kerouac's early protagonist, Ryko comes of as dull. Rather than coming off as a one of his trademark kind of cynical voice from the gutter types, Burroughs' Will Dennison simply sounds like an old man who doesn't make sense in the context of the other characters. The only value in this is if you're interested in the early beat lore of David Kammerer's murder, or really want to see how far Kerouac and Burroughs came in their creativity and voice. It's a nice testament to the work both had to put into their craft in order to make them who they eventually became. I'm really not sure yet how I feel about this book, given the subsequent fame (not to say "notoriety") of the authors and the players in this story. The murder of David Kammerer is sad and confusing. Was he just a pathetic "old" fool in love, or was he actually a predator who met a tragic but justifiable end?The book itself was a fine read, but it's almost impossible to look at objectively, considering the real-life subject matter. I'm giving this one three stars for now. We'll see how it sits in a few weeks.
What do You think about And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks (2008)?
Certainly recommended to anyone even remotely a fan of the Beat Generation
—aggarcia
It's a one off. Jack & Bill. And it's all kinda true. 5 Stars.
—mrbiscuit
"E os hipopótamos cozeram nos seus tanques"Edições Quetzal
—plategan2020
