British institution(s)
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Stephen Fry is a British institution and this is mainly the autobiography of his early life in other British institutions- namely boarding school and prison. Told in broadly chronological order, besides the occasional digression, it is a fascinating stroll from childhood innocence through puberty and into crime. Stephen Fry was in prison- no really. He really was.
I wouldn't say I related to this book the way others have said they did, but it was so warmly and conversationally told that it was impossible not to be gripped by Stephen Fry's tale-telling.
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Brilliant
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This has to be one of the funniest and honest books I have ever read. At first i was slightly dubious as to what Stephen Fry had to tell us about his life, but after the first page i was hooked. The anecdotes are side-splittingly funny. The honesty is honourable. I can't wait to read anything else Fry has written. I strongly recommend anyone to read this book.
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Witty but brutally honest
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This autobiography may come as something of a surprise for those who see Stephen Fry on the television and imagine that he's always been a sort of friendly uncle/Oscar Wilde hybrid. His early life was certainly troubled - for example, not everyone steals their girlfriend's (sic) father's credit card in order to be able to run away from school - but he writes about his first twenty years with a complete lack of whining or self-pity, and is unafraid to show the reader his own very grave failings.
Fry's wit and candour make this book very difficult to put down - indeed, I ended up reading it one session and, when coming to the end, investigating whether he had written further volumes. Sadly, he hasn't yet, so we'll just have to make do with this little gem for the moment.
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My first time
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I'm a first-timer to Fry's work and I have to say that I'll be reading everything he's written as soon as I can get my hands on all of it. While I'm normally one for a cult classic such as McCrae's Katzenjammer or some self-help inspirational such as Eat, Pray, Love, I found this book through a recommendation of a friend. Glad I did. Fry's take on his life and those around him is rational, funny, and full of insight. My only beef was that I wasn't able to put it down. If you like to laugh and enjoy peeling of extra layers in a book, MOAB is the right move for you.
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Can't write, can't act
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This bloke can't write any more than he can act. He's a terrifically amusing and likeable entertainer and TV show host. He should stick to that.
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