Burroughs & Ginsberg: ‘And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks

This analysis focuses on “And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks,” a significant early collaborative work by William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac. It examines the novel’s experimental narrative, thematic preoccupations, and specific appeal to readers interested in the formative stages of these authors’ careers, offering a contrarian perspective on its literary merits and accessibility.

And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks by William S. Burroughs: Quick Answer

• “And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks” is an experimental, collaborative novel by William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, notable for its fragmented narrative and exploration of themes like obsession, homosexuality, and murder, but it is not a conventional story.
• It is best suited for readers interested in the raw, unpolished output of early Beat literature and avant-garde writing, particularly as a historical document of their collaboration.
• Those seeking a coherent plot, character development, or a traditional narrative will likely find this work disorienting and potentially unsatisfying, making its value highly dependent on reader expectation.

Who This Is For

• Readers keen to explore the literary experimentation and raw, often unsettling, creative impulses of William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac in their formative years, predating their more polished solo works.
• Individuals interested in the historical context of early Beat literature and collaborative writing projects, viewing the novel as a document of a specific moment and creative partnership rather than a standalone masterpiece.

What To Check First

• Collaborative Authorship and Stylistic Blending: Understand this is a joint effort where distinct stylistic contributions from Burroughs and Kerouac create a fragmented and often jarring tone. The interplay, not just individual parts, defines the work.
• Publication Context and Intent: Be aware that the novel was written in 1945 but not published until 1979. This temporal gap is crucial for understanding its place as an archival piece, not a polished product for immediate consumption.
• Thematic Precursors, Not Fully Developed Ideas: Recognize that the themes of obsession, violence, and fractured identity explored here are nascent explorations, foreshadowing later, more developed preoccupations in Burroughs’s solo works, but are presented here in a less refined state.
• Non-Linear, Associative Structure: Prepare for a narrative that prioritizes dreamlike imagery and psychological exploration over conventional plot exposition. The structure is a deliberate feature, not a flaw to be overcome.

And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks

• Audible Audiobook
• Jack Kerouac (Author) - Ray Porter (Narrator)
• English (Publication Language)
• 11/11/2008 (Publication Date) - Blackstone Audio, Inc. (Publisher)

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Step-by-Step Plan: Deconstructing And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks

Engaging with “And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks” requires a specific, often contrarian, approach to appreciate its experimental nature and historical significance.

1. Initial Immersion for Unsettling Atmosphere: Read the opening sections with an emphasis on absorbing the pervasive mood of unease and psychological tension, rather than seeking narrative clarity.

• Action: Focus on sensory details, fragmented dialogue, and recurring motifs that evoke a sense of dread or disorientation.
• What to look for: Signs of entrapment, surveillance, and internal psychological decay that create the book’s signature atmosphere.
• Mistake: Expecting clear plot exposition; instead, prioritize the emergent feeling and atmosphere as the primary takeaway, understanding that clarity is not the goal.

2. Identify Authorial Voices as a Contrast: Reread specific passages, attempting to distinguish stylistic contributions from Burroughs and Kerouac, not to assign blame or credit, but to understand the collaborative friction.

• Action: Note sections that exhibit Burroughs’s stark, clinical prose versus Kerouac’s more lyrical, jazz-inflected style, and observe how they clash or merge.
• What to look for: Burroughs’s clipped sentences and focus on mechanics; Kerouac’s emotional introspection and rhythmic phrasing, and the resulting disjunction.
• Mistake: Over-attributing passages without acknowledging the fluidity of their collaboration; the interplay and its inherent discord are key to the book’s experimental nature.

3. Track Recurring Symbols and Motifs as Associative Links: Note any recurring objects, images, or phrases that appear throughout the text, understanding they function as associative, not logical, connectors.

• Action: Maintain a list of significant symbols as you encounter them, noting their context.
• What to look for: How these symbols gain associative meaning across different narrative fragments, serving as the glue in a non-linear structure.
• Mistake: Dismissing seemingly random imagery as filler; these often serve as the associative links that hold the fragmented narrative together, albeit loosely.

4. Analyze Character Motivations (or Lack Thereof) as Psychological Studies: Examine the fragmented character arcs, particularly those of Gene and Jacques, as studies in obsession and fractured identity, not as conventional character development.

• Action: Consider the driving forces behind their actions, even when irrational or obscure, as manifestations of internal states.
• What to look for: Manifestations of obsession, guilt, and fractured identity that drive the psychological landscape.
• Mistake: Judging characters by conventional moral standards; their actions are dictated by internal psychological states and the experimental narrative structure, not by relatable human logic.

5. Map Narrative Threads (Loosely) as Intersecting Fragments: Attempt to sketch out the primary plot lines, acknowledging their overlap and discontinuity as features of the experimental design.

• Action: Create a simple diagram connecting characters and major events, allowing for significant gaps and parallel, unconnected threads.
• What to look for: Points where different narrative strands intersect, however briefly, and how these intersections create dissonance.
• Mistake: Forcing a rigid, linear plot structure onto the text; embrace its inherent fragmentation as a deliberate artistic choice that defines its experimental quality.

6. Consider Thematic Resonance as a Subtextual Layer: Reflect on how the novel explores themes of control, freedom, sexuality, and the nature of reality as subtextual explorations rather than explicit statements.

• Action: Connect the fragmented narratives and symbolic imagery to these overarching themes, looking for thematic echoes rather than direct commentary.
• What to look for: The interplay between external events and internal psychological states as a means of thematic exploration.
• Mistake: Focusing solely on surface-level plot elements or expecting thematic resolution; the deeper thematic currents are crucial for understanding the work’s experimental intent.

7. Post-Reading Synthesis as an Evaluation of Intent: After completing the novel, review your notes and reflections to form an overall impression based on its experimental goals, not its narrative success.

• Action: Write down your overall impression of the book’s impact as an experimental document and its central message about fractured consciousness.
• What to look for: Lingering questions or feelings the novel evokes about the nature of collaboration and experimental writing.
• Mistake: Expecting a neat resolution or conventional literary satisfaction; the power of this work lies in its unresolved ambiguities and unsettling atmosphere as a testament to its experimental design.

Understanding And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks by William S. Burroughs

This novel serves as a fascinating, albeit challenging, window into the nascent stages of two of American literature’s most influential voices. It’s less a conventional story and more a collage of anxieties and obsessions, reflecting a period of intense creative ferment for both Burroughs and Kerouac. The collaboration itself is a testament to the experimental spirit of the era, where boundaries between authors and genres were actively being pushed. The title itself, evocative and bizarre, hints at the surreal and often disturbing imagery that permeates the text, setting an immediate expectation for unconventional content.

The narrative centers around themes of homosexuality, murder, obsession, and the breakdown of identity, presented through a series of interconnected vignettes and shifting perspectives. It’s a work that demands patience and a willingness to surrender to its unique logic. The fragmented style, while potentially alienating to some, is precisely what gives the novel its power, mirroring the fractured psyches of its characters and the disorienting nature of their experiences. The early literary output of Burroughs, in particular, is often characterized by its raw exploration of taboo subjects and its rejection of traditional narrative conventions, and this novel is a prime example of that impulse, offering a raw, unvarnished look at these emerging preoccupations.

Common Myths About “And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks”

• Myth: The book has a clear, discernible plot that unfolds linearly, making it a conventional crime or psychological thriller.
• Why it matters: This misconception leads readers to frustration when they cannot follow a traditional narrative arc, expecting genre conventions that the book deliberately subverts.
• Fix: Approach the novel as a mosaic of scenes and psychological states rather than a sequential story. Focus on thematic connections and atmospheric consistency, understanding that the “mystery” is internal, not external.

• Myth: It is primarily a William S. Burroughs novel, with Jack Kerouac’s contribution being a minor stylistic embellishment.
• Why it matters: This overlooks the significant collaborative aspect and the distinct, often contrasting, voices present, diminishing the unique product of their shared experimentation.
• Fix: Actively look for and acknowledge the stylistic contributions of both authors. Recognize that the book is a product of their shared creative energy and experimentation, where the friction between their styles is a defining characteristic.

• Myth: The novel’s fragmented nature is a sign of poor editing or unfinished work, rather than a deliberate stylistic choice.
• Why it matters: This leads to a critical judgment based on conventional standards, failing to appreciate the experimental intent behind the fragmentation.
• Fix: Understand that the fragmentation is a core element of the novel’s experimental design, mirroring the fractured consciousness of its characters and the disorienting nature of their experiences. Embrace it as a feature, not a bug.

Expert Tips for Engaging with “And The Hippos Were Boiled In Their Tanks”

When approaching this collaborative work, adopting a specific, contrarian mindset can enhance comprehension and appreciation of its experimental value.

• Tip: Embrace Associative Logic Over Causality.

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