THE HIPPOPOTAMUS

On his way to becoming a great, fat English poet, Ted Wallace became a great, fat English drunk instead. Now the eponymous hippopotamus has lost his job as theater critic: “some frantic piffle about shouting insults from the stalls on the first night.” His disdain is magnificent. “If you’re a halfway decent human being, you’ve probably been sacked from something in your time.” Ted’s the perfect cynic to report on a miracle, a godchild who seems to be able to cure cancer by making love to the patients. This is good-hearted English humor, but far, far from Disney World. This chicken soup has bones in it, and feet. If you have a soul, it’s made to order. Stephen Fry reads Stephen Fry magnificently. B.H.C. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 01]