Status
Available
Call number
Publication
[Helsingfors] : Schildts & Söderströms, 2014
Description
The popular actor, comedian, and writer traces his unlikely Cambridge education, his relationships with such contemporaries as Hugh Laurie and Emma Thompson, and his hedonistic rise to stardom.
Media reviews
This is, above all else, a thoughtful book. And namedroppy too, and funny, and marbled with melancholy throughout. Its camaraderie of tone lets it wear its learning lightly yet leaves you with a hoaching number of new insights, new ways of looking at things, from snobbery to reality-TV contestants.
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The mask is now firmly on, and he grows into it each day, not least early last week in the Festival Hall, at his mammoth broadcast book launch, when he strode on stage as if lent – no, willingly given, for ever – the confidence of half of England, and was welcomed with the roars and love of the other half. Yet this book is a painfully honest attempt to tear the mask aside, for us. We are, if we are not damnably incurious, splendidly the better for it. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member camillahoel
I have mentioned before how utterly delightful I find Stephen Fry. It should therefore not be a surprise that I glared at the Blackwell's people when they told me the book might have arrived but it would still be in the cellar because you see they are an academic book shop and I must understand
I suppose that is an indication that Stephen Fry really is a "national treasure", as the various newspapers I read seemed to agree to tell me about a year ago. I suppose that that also means that it is just a matter of time before it becomes fashionable to set oneself apart from the crowd by sneering that ``I know everybody thinks he is great, but I never thought he was all that wonderful, myself''. If you feel the inclination, please go over to the corner there and sit down. I don't want to hear it.
Treasure or not, he is definitely a good writer. The book is funny in a way very few books are, much like the previous instalment in this autobiographical project; but the wonderful truth is that this book is nothing like Moab Is My Washpot: it is something else. It is certainly an altogether happier book. Thank goodness. My laughs in the former were often slightly guilty -- it felt wrong somehow to laugh at the pain and despair of this child, no matter how humorously recounted. In this, the laughs are less problematic, more giggly and (unfortunately, if you are in favour of reading in cafés, like I am) loud.
But the major shift from Moab to Chronicles (it seems unavoidable to compare the two) resides in the fact that in the former, the story stood on its own. It might as well have been fiction, with the exception of the knowledge that this was Stephen Fry's life. In Chronicles, almost every participant is someone you will have heard of. Be it Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie, Rowan Atkinson or Alistair Cooke (or, indeed, Ben Elton). And this changes things. Not for the better or the worse, necessarily. But it is definitely different. You cannot help supplying information to the narrative. It happens automatically. You do not need Stephen Fry to tell you that it is interesting that Hugh Laurie and Tilda Swinton played Americans in a hit at Cambridge. And when he comments on the wildly different acting styles of Rowan Atkinson and Rik Mayall, you instantly know what he is talking about. And he plays around with it. He will often write long introductions, describing a person and his reactions to them, before he gives the name which ultimately makes the reader (or me, at any rate) apply the label (and images) attached to that name.
In something recalling the QI fashion (to me, at any rate), the book is structured around the letter C, opening with an emphasis on the addictions of candy and cigarettes (and coffee), which is the part of the book most reminiscent of the self-castigation of Moab, and then moving on to a two-part division into ``College to Colleague'' (about the Cambridge (another C) years) and ``Comedy'' (which contains a distinct sprinkling of computers, celibacy, celebrity and ends on the concerning cliffhanger of cocaine). It is astonishing how well this period of his life orders itself around this letter, and I cannot help but wonder whether the C came first and functioned as an organising principle, or the organisation sprang from a sudden realisation that everything seemed to begin with that letter. I am not complaining. But I am intrigued. And a little paranoid, because suddenly it is cropping up (there it is again!) everywhere I look. Can you be stalked by a letter?
The first of the two main parts of the book was lovely. While he seems to have forgotten the layout of Edinburgh (he claims the Royal Mile runs from the Old Town to the New Town -- clearly he should visit more often; I'd be happy to show him around), the description of life at Cambridge made me curse my academic sensibilities and wish that I had spent time running from theatre to theatre instead of writing essays; and the discovery of Emma Thompson and Hugh Laurie and the developing friendship are almost painful in their accidentalness (yes, that is a word; I just made it up). But if you are anything like me it will all make you will giggle in that painful, inward way which makes it difficult to breathe. It skips back and forth in time and serves up anecdotes with delightful punchlines, or insane descriptions, or (indeed) musings on life, the universe and all that jazz. It is happy.
The second part is surprisingly different, and ironically (as the title of the section is ``Comedy'') much less funny in that hilarious, giggly way the first part was. Still funny, of course. It is Stephen Fry, after all. A meeting at the Carlton Club (the bastion of the Conservatives) with cockney socialist Ben Elton (where Fry is offered a part in Blackadder II) provides this description:
I could see out of the corner of my eye that an ancient gentleman had been having difficulty accepting Ben's vowel sounds as they ricocheted off the portraits of Wellington and Churchill and into his disbelieving ears. For the past ten minutes he had been spluttering and growling into his soup with growing venom. He looked up at Ben's last exclamation, and I recognized the blotched, jowly and furious countenance of the Lord Chancellor, Quintin Hogg, now Lord Hailsham. He had his napkin tucked into his shirt collar like Oliver Hardy and his mixed expression of disbelief and a reluctant desire to know more put me in mind of a maiden aunt who has just had a flasher open his raincoat at her in the church tea-rooms. (381-2)
With a scattering of such mental images, how can we really complain? And it must be stated that while this section may be lacking in playful insanity, it is chock full of comedy interestingness. As a more conventional type of memoir, the description of the British comedy scene of the 80s certainly doesn't fail to give a strange peek behind the scenes of the madness. Fry also seems acutely aware of the narrative problem:
A cat that keeps falling on its feet, even one that had a rather problematic kittenhood, does not make a very interesting or admirable hero. (361)
The tension of overcoming, the struggle to succeed, is replaced by a list of success stories. But who cares, when the success stories are the stories of the successes we love and cherish as the best British television of a decade? Some may; I don't.
Margaret Thatcher lurks in the shadows (as you would expect her to). As does AIDS, except it is called GRID (gay-related immune deficiency) at first. But they are never major issues to be dealt with. And his descriptions of named people are almost always positive and loving (there are exceptions: notably a less than enthusiastic attitude to Robbie Coltraine and a scathing portrait of Terry Allen Kramer and much of the New York theatre scene). This is very much an autobiography, in the sense that it is not an attempt to define a decade or reveal the ghastly secrets of former friends; it is, or gives the impression of being, a very honest attempt at honesty. Manic depression lurks in the wings, but the whole narrative is informed by a sense of unworthiness which is quite shocking when you know how brilliant the man is. In the forefront is comedy and the growing partnership with Hugh Laurie, and the geek with his Macintosh computer, the startling innovation of the fax machine and the laser printer, and the friendship with Douglas Adams.
He also gets special points for using ``Mary Whitehouse'' as a verb. And yet more points for the selection of beautiful/hilarious/fascinating pictures of the period (there is a beautiful picture of Emma Thompson with short-short hair, for example), leaving me with the conviction that there really should be a word for the very strange feeling you get when you see pictures of someone from a time before they were presented to you, before they are fully formed. That, of course, is the primary charm of an autobiography.
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that bringing books to undergraduates is more important than my paltry needs; and also why I bonded with the girl at Waterstones who agreed to sell me the book at half price. She almost bounced as she told me she had bought it as soon as she got to work and she couldn't wait till her shift was over so she could run home and read it. The guy next to her weighed in with the information that he would buy it at the end of the day (bravo for self restraint?).I suppose that is an indication that Stephen Fry really is a "national treasure", as the various newspapers I read seemed to agree to tell me about a year ago. I suppose that that also means that it is just a matter of time before it becomes fashionable to set oneself apart from the crowd by sneering that ``I know everybody thinks he is great, but I never thought he was all that wonderful, myself''. If you feel the inclination, please go over to the corner there and sit down. I don't want to hear it.
Treasure or not, he is definitely a good writer. The book is funny in a way very few books are, much like the previous instalment in this autobiographical project; but the wonderful truth is that this book is nothing like Moab Is My Washpot: it is something else. It is certainly an altogether happier book. Thank goodness. My laughs in the former were often slightly guilty -- it felt wrong somehow to laugh at the pain and despair of this child, no matter how humorously recounted. In this, the laughs are less problematic, more giggly and (unfortunately, if you are in favour of reading in cafés, like I am) loud.
But the major shift from Moab to Chronicles (it seems unavoidable to compare the two) resides in the fact that in the former, the story stood on its own. It might as well have been fiction, with the exception of the knowledge that this was Stephen Fry's life. In Chronicles, almost every participant is someone you will have heard of. Be it Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie, Rowan Atkinson or Alistair Cooke (or, indeed, Ben Elton). And this changes things. Not for the better or the worse, necessarily. But it is definitely different. You cannot help supplying information to the narrative. It happens automatically. You do not need Stephen Fry to tell you that it is interesting that Hugh Laurie and Tilda Swinton played Americans in a hit at Cambridge. And when he comments on the wildly different acting styles of Rowan Atkinson and Rik Mayall, you instantly know what he is talking about. And he plays around with it. He will often write long introductions, describing a person and his reactions to them, before he gives the name which ultimately makes the reader (or me, at any rate) apply the label (and images) attached to that name.
In something recalling the QI fashion (to me, at any rate), the book is structured around the letter C, opening with an emphasis on the addictions of candy and cigarettes (and coffee), which is the part of the book most reminiscent of the self-castigation of Moab, and then moving on to a two-part division into ``College to Colleague'' (about the Cambridge (another C) years) and ``Comedy'' (which contains a distinct sprinkling of computers, celibacy, celebrity and ends on the concerning cliffhanger of cocaine). It is astonishing how well this period of his life orders itself around this letter, and I cannot help but wonder whether the C came first and functioned as an organising principle, or the organisation sprang from a sudden realisation that everything seemed to begin with that letter. I am not complaining. But I am intrigued. And a little paranoid, because suddenly it is cropping up (there it is again!) everywhere I look. Can you be stalked by a letter?
The first of the two main parts of the book was lovely. While he seems to have forgotten the layout of Edinburgh (he claims the Royal Mile runs from the Old Town to the New Town -- clearly he should visit more often; I'd be happy to show him around), the description of life at Cambridge made me curse my academic sensibilities and wish that I had spent time running from theatre to theatre instead of writing essays; and the discovery of Emma Thompson and Hugh Laurie and the developing friendship are almost painful in their accidentalness (yes, that is a word; I just made it up). But if you are anything like me it will all make you will giggle in that painful, inward way which makes it difficult to breathe. It skips back and forth in time and serves up anecdotes with delightful punchlines, or insane descriptions, or (indeed) musings on life, the universe and all that jazz. It is happy.
The second part is surprisingly different, and ironically (as the title of the section is ``Comedy'') much less funny in that hilarious, giggly way the first part was. Still funny, of course. It is Stephen Fry, after all. A meeting at the Carlton Club (the bastion of the Conservatives) with cockney socialist Ben Elton (where Fry is offered a part in Blackadder II) provides this description:
I could see out of the corner of my eye that an ancient gentleman had been having difficulty accepting Ben's vowel sounds as they ricocheted off the portraits of Wellington and Churchill and into his disbelieving ears. For the past ten minutes he had been spluttering and growling into his soup with growing venom. He looked up at Ben's last exclamation, and I recognized the blotched, jowly and furious countenance of the Lord Chancellor, Quintin Hogg, now Lord Hailsham. He had his napkin tucked into his shirt collar like Oliver Hardy and his mixed expression of disbelief and a reluctant desire to know more put me in mind of a maiden aunt who has just had a flasher open his raincoat at her in the church tea-rooms. (381-2)
With a scattering of such mental images, how can we really complain? And it must be stated that while this section may be lacking in playful insanity, it is chock full of comedy interestingness. As a more conventional type of memoir, the description of the British comedy scene of the 80s certainly doesn't fail to give a strange peek behind the scenes of the madness. Fry also seems acutely aware of the narrative problem:
A cat that keeps falling on its feet, even one that had a rather problematic kittenhood, does not make a very interesting or admirable hero. (361)
The tension of overcoming, the struggle to succeed, is replaced by a list of success stories. But who cares, when the success stories are the stories of the successes we love and cherish as the best British television of a decade? Some may; I don't.
Margaret Thatcher lurks in the shadows (as you would expect her to). As does AIDS, except it is called GRID (gay-related immune deficiency) at first. But they are never major issues to be dealt with. And his descriptions of named people are almost always positive and loving (there are exceptions: notably a less than enthusiastic attitude to Robbie Coltraine and a scathing portrait of Terry Allen Kramer and much of the New York theatre scene). This is very much an autobiography, in the sense that it is not an attempt to define a decade or reveal the ghastly secrets of former friends; it is, or gives the impression of being, a very honest attempt at honesty. Manic depression lurks in the wings, but the whole narrative is informed by a sense of unworthiness which is quite shocking when you know how brilliant the man is. In the forefront is comedy and the growing partnership with Hugh Laurie, and the geek with his Macintosh computer, the startling innovation of the fax machine and the laser printer, and the friendship with Douglas Adams.
He also gets special points for using ``Mary Whitehouse'' as a verb. And yet more points for the selection of beautiful/hilarious/fascinating pictures of the period (there is a beautiful picture of Emma Thompson with short-short hair, for example), leaving me with the conviction that there really should be a word for the very strange feeling you get when you see pictures of someone from a time before they were presented to you, before they are fully formed. That, of course, is the primary charm of an autobiography.
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LibraryThing member gbsallery
Worth reading on the whole, but surprisingly full of irritating apologies for having made the most of what appears to be an interesting life. Also slightly disappointing in that whilst Fry admits that indulging in his passion for technology has provoked some of his happiest memories, he pretty much
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glosses over this aspect in a derisory manner, stating that it's only of interest to obsessives. As a technological obsessive myself, I would be much more interested in the light Mr. Fry can shed on this subject than some of the other episodes, which degenerate to the viewpoint of a fairly stereotypical "luvvie". After all, to stand astride the two cultures of the arts and technology is a rare thing, and can do nothing more than amplify stature - if you doubt me, go and read some Douglas Adams. Actually, just do that anyway. Show Less
LibraryThing member subbobmail
Stephen Fry is often called a national treasure in Britain, and it's not hard to see why this affable & avuncular fellow has made himself so beloved: he writes books, he acts in movies, he's a great comedian, he's a tech nut from way back (with over a million Twitter followers), he's a lord of
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language, and he's managed to do all these things despite suffering from bipolar disorder. In this, the second volume of his memoirs, Fry covers his university days and the first few years of his career in show business. Though the main tale in interesting enough -- his best pals at uni were Emma Thompson and Hugh Laurie, f'God's sake -- as usual, Fry is at his most diverting when he's off on a tangent. Little essays on divers topics stud the tale like diamonds. Non-Fry fans might find this memoir a bit dull, but I pity them. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cynara
Funny, touching, and interesting, particularly to those who know something about the English comedy community in the '70s and '80s. If it isn't quite as riveting and appealing to a wide audience as the brilliant first volume of Fry's memoirs, Moab is my Washpot, which covered his childhood and
Although Fry spends quite a bit of time in introspection, his main subject is his university education and early career. A professional memoir that isn't a dirty tell-all can get a bit... burbly. I have great respect and affection for Fry, but there's no doubt that he does, at times, burble.
While Moab was about the near-universal experiences of school, family, depression, and first love, this book is much more concerned with Fry's pleasant and generous recollections of Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie, Ben Elton, et al. The only people who come in for any zingers are Robbie Coltrane and, overwhelmingly, Fry himself.
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youth, that isn't entirely its fault.Although Fry spends quite a bit of time in introspection, his main subject is his university education and early career. A professional memoir that isn't a dirty tell-all can get a bit... burbly. I have great respect and affection for Fry, but there's no doubt that he does, at times, burble.
While Moab was about the near-universal experiences of school, family, depression, and first love, this book is much more concerned with Fry's pleasant and generous recollections of Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie, Ben Elton, et al. The only people who come in for any zingers are Robbie Coltrane and, overwhelmingly, Fry himself.
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LibraryThing member lycomayflower
More autobiog from Fry in the veinish of Moab is My Washpot, though this one concentrates more heavily on his career (comma beginnings of). Fun to read (Fry's humor, word play, and alliteration are almost as much fun on the page as they are to listen to when he speaks them) and chock full of
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anecdotes about lots of people who you'll recognize if you are in any way familiar with British entertainment of the eighties and nineties (and naughts). If I have any criticisms they are these two: first, there is a tendency for material to be repeated (not dreadfully often, but frequently enough I noted it)--as if the sections haven't quite fully decided to cling together as a book (or as if maybe just one more editorial read-through might not have gone amiss). This I found mostly a minor complaint and generally it did not diminish the reading experience. Second, Fry insists that he has always found his body uncomfortable and disgusting and has always believed himself to be decidedly less than good-looking. (I believe him, even if I find the first notion odd and the second to be proved incontrovertibly wrong by the very pictures he includes in the book). He also makes passing mention of a several-years-long relationship which he says was sexual and implies was loving and friendly. And yet he never comments on how (whether?) this self-image was impacted by that relationship. It seems it almost must have been, and though Fry discusses (briefly) the end of that relationship and a subsequent period of celibacy, he never makes any kind of connection between that image and that relationship. As the self-image is an oft-returned to part of Fry's character in the book, the result of this lack is a hole in the story. And I cannot tell if that hole is telling or just, well, a gap. Show Less
LibraryThing member eleanor_eader
“No, but hush.”
[As the title suggests] Stephen Fry herein chronicles his life, or another section of it at least (see Moab is my Washpot for a more comprehensive biography of Fry’s younger years) and including the beginnings of his launch into television, but not quite his launch into
I’m already an unashamed and inveterate Fry fan, but I think this book would serve as a reinforcement to anyone circling the Fry fandom; it’s the man’s quirks, vulnerabilities, flaws, endearing traits, towering and extraordinary strengths, story, connections and influences laid bare; an essence du Fry (I have no idea if that means what I think it means, sorry) as much as a written history.
He’s one of few subjects, to my mind, whose biography might maintain your interest, but whose autobiography will fascinate, delight and entertain you, while imparting a certain introspective wisdom (and some pitiful moping, which will either annoy you or make you want to pat him gently) and plenty of pertinent facts. There are the hoped for anecdotes - two students meeting and saying ‘hullo’ a few times never took on more significance – and unexpected byways. And, of course, it’s a potted history of an era of British Comedy. And all of it is written in Fry’s own paradoxical brand of humility (which, he claims, stems from a perceived whomping arrogance, which is wrought from hideous insecurity which… well, read the book) and, more importantly, with that lunatic and lovely wordiness for which we value him, and gladly consider him one of our ambassadors of British brain and wit.
[As the title suggests] Stephen Fry herein chronicles his life, or another section of it at least (see Moab is my Washpot for a more comprehensive biography of Fry’s younger years) and including the beginnings of his launch into television, but not quite his launch into
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stardom. There is, it seems, another volume to come. Excuse me while I wriggle impatiently in my seat. There. I’m already an unashamed and inveterate Fry fan, but I think this book would serve as a reinforcement to anyone circling the Fry fandom; it’s the man’s quirks, vulnerabilities, flaws, endearing traits, towering and extraordinary strengths, story, connections and influences laid bare; an essence du Fry (I have no idea if that means what I think it means, sorry) as much as a written history.
He’s one of few subjects, to my mind, whose biography might maintain your interest, but whose autobiography will fascinate, delight and entertain you, while imparting a certain introspective wisdom (and some pitiful moping, which will either annoy you or make you want to pat him gently) and plenty of pertinent facts. There are the hoped for anecdotes - two students meeting and saying ‘hullo’ a few times never took on more significance – and unexpected byways. And, of course, it’s a potted history of an era of British Comedy. And all of it is written in Fry’s own paradoxical brand of humility (which, he claims, stems from a perceived whomping arrogance, which is wrought from hideous insecurity which… well, read the book) and, more importantly, with that lunatic and lovely wordiness for which we value him, and gladly consider him one of our ambassadors of British brain and wit.
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LibraryThing member mairangiwoman
began in a humorous, well written manner but deteriorated into somewhat tedious relating of his best days as a comedian and actor. Rather too focussed on the 'me me' despite his apparent humility and modesty. Gave up sometime after half way.
LibraryThing member Devil_llama
Some books are very good in general, but wear out their welcome about halfway through - and sometimes you are aware before you are halfway through that the book is going to wear out its welcome soon, and that makes it worse. This is one of those books. Very clever in many parts, but too bogged down
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in minutiae, so that it takes more than 400 pages to detail an approximately seven year period in the author's life. Perhaps I expected too much. I expected it to be on a par with Jules Feiffer's marvelous autobiography, but the author here is too self-conscious, trying too hard at times to live up to his reputation as a wit, and too apologetic for being intellectually oriented. Really, it does get tedious after the first 34 mentions that he sees himself basically as a twit because he had the benefit of a Cambridge education, and feels like that somehow makes him inauthentic. Also, I have learned in my life to steer clear of people who proclaim loudly that they are a Mac user...this merely reinforced that conviction as he looked down his nose at non-Mac users who he feels are inherently delusional, or something. Another group to steer clear of is those who feel they need to lecture non-smokers about how radical, rebellious, and coolly artistically creative it is to be a smoker, and the rest of the world are Puritan prudish bullies. Unfortunately, Fry falls in both categories. That isn't to say there weren't delightful moments. A great editor could have made this a great book. Show Less
LibraryThing member scubasue59
A great use of words- no surprise there then! Funny and honest (I think!), displaying a certain vulnerablilty.
LibraryThing member charlottejones952
You can't really describe the plot of an autobiography because this is the point of reading the story of someone's life. I have to say that the "plot" of this book is captivating. I am a fan of all of Stephen Fry's work from A Bit of Fry and Laurie to QI. I have a huge respect for this great
Many famous and wonderful people are mentioned in this book, many of whom I recognise as being brilliant; Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie and Rowan Atkinson play a large part in this book, but also Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), Chris Barrie (who later starred in Red Dwarf) and Robert Lindsay, amongst others, are also mentioned.
The writing is what made me pick this book up in the first place. It is written in such as way that it feels as though Stephen Fry is speaking to you and, in fact, on several occasions he directly addresses the reader which makes you really connect with what you are reading. It was difficult to get into at first but I got into it after a few pages and just loved the intelligence that seeps out of this style of writing whilst still sounding real and even using some swear words. The ending shocked me and definitely suggests a follow-up which I am now really looking forward to reading.
I would give this 5 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to any lover of Stephen Fry and anyone who is interested in biographies/autobiographies because I promise you this is one of the best you'll read.
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national treasure and it was interesting to find out more about his education and career. I found it all to be very insightful about an acting/writing career and enjoyed hearing of the funny stories of his past.Many famous and wonderful people are mentioned in this book, many of whom I recognise as being brilliant; Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie and Rowan Atkinson play a large part in this book, but also Douglas Adams (author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), Chris Barrie (who later starred in Red Dwarf) and Robert Lindsay, amongst others, are also mentioned.
The writing is what made me pick this book up in the first place. It is written in such as way that it feels as though Stephen Fry is speaking to you and, in fact, on several occasions he directly addresses the reader which makes you really connect with what you are reading. It was difficult to get into at first but I got into it after a few pages and just loved the intelligence that seeps out of this style of writing whilst still sounding real and even using some swear words. The ending shocked me and definitely suggests a follow-up which I am now really looking forward to reading.
I would give this 5 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to any lover of Stephen Fry and anyone who is interested in biographies/autobiographies because I promise you this is one of the best you'll read.
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LibraryThing member EmScape
"The gilt bull beats the guilty bullshit any way you choose to look at it. We humans are naturally disposed to worship gods and heroes, to build our pantheons and valhallas. I would rather see that impulse directed into the adoration of daft singers, thicko footballers and air-headed screen actors
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than into the veneration of dogmatic zealots, fanatical preachers, militant politicians and rabid cultural commentators." Show Less
LibraryThing member LARA335
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Wonderfully written, actually liked the name-dropping, and very pleased that superman Stephen Fry got a 2:1 and that Hugh Laurie got a 3rd, I paraphrase: 'he would be the first to admit that you know more about palaeontology than he does'.
It falls slightly short of the 5*
It falls slightly short of the 5*
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because Stephen is so intent on being charming, that I don't quite understand how he comes across as being not emotionally bothered that his live-in-lover takes a live-in-lover. Surely if he is not perturbed, he should be perturbed about not being naturally perturbed? A small gripe, found this funny, revealing, and very entertaining. Show Less
LibraryThing member Miss_Giles
I think Fry's autobiography is fantastic. While I was reading the book, I was amazed about the stories he told about when he was younger. Some parts were really funny, and some parts I thought were lovely.
LibraryThing member martensgirl
I always find it difficult to review an autobiography- it's tricky to comment on the book without being rude about someone's life! This book describes Fry's life from entering university to reaching his thirtieth birthday. It is a funny book; Fry is a funny man. He cannot fail to enthrall me with
My main criticism of the book is the lack of personal insight, it reads rather like a well-researched biography, with lots of showbiz names. We don't get to know much about Fry's inner workings. Maybe he was so busy working that he didn't have time to reflect, who knows? Moab is My Washpot is far more revealing, and I expected the Chronicles to be of a similar hue. The book ends with Fry beginning to dabble with narcotics- I look forward to the next installment.
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his writing. However, I did not find his description of his showbiz life all that entertaining. Having said that, we are talking about the 1980s here, so maybe all his talk of gadgets, cars and fame is entirely accurate- it was a very shallow era.My main criticism of the book is the lack of personal insight, it reads rather like a well-researched biography, with lots of showbiz names. We don't get to know much about Fry's inner workings. Maybe he was so busy working that he didn't have time to reflect, who knows? Moab is My Washpot is far more revealing, and I expected the Chronicles to be of a similar hue. The book ends with Fry beginning to dabble with narcotics- I look forward to the next installment.
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LibraryThing member cluckily
Extremely enjoyable, but dragged a bit in the theatrical descriptions.
LibraryThing member TheBookJunky
There's an awful lot of "I" even for an autobiography. He's funny it's true, smart too, it's true, awkwardly honest in a i-hope-you-will-like-me-more-for-my-self-deprecation kind of way. Earnestly trying to be relaxed. But a fascinating man, with such a love of language. He describes a generously
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admiring and warm view of his famous friends. Show Less
LibraryThing member helenleech
This autobiography, which covers his young adult years, made me wonder what's truer: our view of Stephen Fry or his own? I think he's intelligent, articulate, accomplished, and charming. He thinks he has wasted his talents, and claims to be deceitful and pretentious and obsessed with fame. Over the
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course of the book you come to believe that he believes this: his self-loathing comes through loud and clear. I think that he is self-deluding: but there again, maybe I am too. What's objectively clear is that he is hard-working, enormously articulate, has a phenomenal memory and tells a good story. It's nice to think that we can still produce national treasures in the Peter Ustinov mould. Show Less
LibraryThing member araliaslibrary2
ok, so it's not perfect (there is too much apologising, for which i know stephen would wish to apologise, if he hadn't already, at length, in the book), and therefore perhaps doesn't deserve the 5 stars i have lavished on it. but it's a lovely warm book, where everyone is mostly very happy, and
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it's very readable, with some great student-y photographs on shiny pages. i enjoyed it a lot, though. so 5 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member EricFitz08
A witty, honest look into Mr. Fry's young adulthood, from his years at Cambridge to the launch of A Bit of Fry and Laurie. As with much of his work, The Fry Chronicles is carried by his wit and intelligence and his ability to turn a critical eye towards himself. This book is as filled with amusing
The material here is not too heavy, his biggest concerns are familiar to any young adult, acceptance, success, finding your niche, but Stephen Fry is a fine writer and that elevates this volume above the drivel of so many other celebrities. That is really all there is to know, Stephen Fry is an actor, comedian, author, playwright, techie, twitter master, and celebrity extraordinaire that has written a funny and interesting book and I would recommend you read it on the basis that it is an enjoyable and interesting book to read. It is not an inspiration, a how-to guide, a setting straight of any records, nor a revealing tell-all. But do read it anyway, it really is quite good.
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anecdotes as it is with apologies for his petty complaining (he seems constantly worried that his complaints will, in the light of his wealth and good fortune offend readers of lesser means). Of course, this only makes him more endearing to the reader. We all realize that problems and unhappiness are not the sole providence of have-nots, but it shows a certain degree of humility to recognize the blessings that were being lavished and regret some of the petulant complaints that we all at some time entertain. The material here is not too heavy, his biggest concerns are familiar to any young adult, acceptance, success, finding your niche, but Stephen Fry is a fine writer and that elevates this volume above the drivel of so many other celebrities. That is really all there is to know, Stephen Fry is an actor, comedian, author, playwright, techie, twitter master, and celebrity extraordinaire that has written a funny and interesting book and I would recommend you read it on the basis that it is an enjoyable and interesting book to read. It is not an inspiration, a how-to guide, a setting straight of any records, nor a revealing tell-all. But do read it anyway, it really is quite good.
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LibraryThing member christinelstanley
I loved this! I laughed out loud whilst sitting by myself or in the car. I know that I would find anyone else using so many words when one will do quite infuriating, and repeatedly going off at a tangent usually annoys me, but this time, I loved it and savoured every minute.
I'm a few years younger
I'm a few years younger
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than Stephen Fry (but not so many), that I recognised all the places, people, news, fashions, emerging technology and trends of the eighties he refers to. This may have contributed to the 5 stars awarded. FAB-U-LOU Show Less
LibraryThing member simbacat
Most interesting in that he refers so much to writers and performers that we are most familiar with as well as his experiences in places that are also very familiar. very entertaining writing. - typical Fry.
LibraryThing member polarbear123
An engrossing read full of interesting and occasionally revealing anecdotes. Unlike most autos it is extremely easy to get through even in one sitting. I know that Stephen Fry does not want to try and draw attention to his 'luck' in life but so many breaks come his way due to meetings with
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Cambridge alumni that one cannot but help wondering what life would have been like for him if he hadn't entered this institution. Show Less
LibraryThing member wildeaboutoscar
Although at times rather too self-deprecating, you really do get a sense of Fry's personality and his mindset (particularly in terms of his mental illness). Thoroughly enjoyable, Fry is an eloquent writer, but who would have expected anything less?
LibraryThing member PDCRead
A must read for any of Fry's fans
LibraryThing member teaswirls
A brilliant look into a section of a brilliant man's life. I can't wait for the next installment.
Subjects
Awards
British Book Award (Winner — Biography — 2010)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2010
Physical description
387 p.; 21.8 cm
ISBN
9789515234186
Other editions
The Fry Chronicles by Stephen Fry (Paperback)