Amusing, refreshing and genuinely interesting read
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I first borrowed this book a while ago from the library. I haven't read any other books by Stephen Fry, only seen and enjoyed him on the small and big screen. While the book is indeed written "As told to Tim Lihoreau", its content is still Frysian, and evnthough I couldn't possibly argue whether it is typical, I definitely found it highly enjoyable.
The book reads like a charm, from cover to cover, and back again for reference. The humour is cheeky and silly at times, but never offensively so, in fact it is this light and playful style that packed more information into my memory than reading an entirely serious text ever could. Never patronising to the reader, this book will appeal to many people who may be scared off Classical Music as being "posh" (which is crying shame!), and if you are too precious to have fun with a wonderful subject, such as music, and an often frustrating and saddening subject, such as history, then what is wit good for?! :)
Personally, I extended this book so much at the library, I decided to just buy it. It's a friend :)
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unreadable
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I felt as though I was being arched and punned and whimsied to death. An insult to any reader any age any amount of previous knowledge. Just awful.
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Does what it says on the tin
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The thing to understand about this book, apart from the fact that it isn't really written by Fry himself, is that it is indeed incomplete, as it says in the title. I approached this with high hopes after reading his excellent book on poetry, and found myself somewhat disappointed. If I had read it first I suspect I may not have been so underwhelmed. As it is, there are very few books available which offer a readable, albeit necessarily potted history of classical music, and when approaching the subject as a rank amateur, desperately in need of a way into the genre one takes what one can get. It isn't technical, it doesn't have all the answers, it doesn't cover everything and there are some terrible jokes in it, but it does offer a glimpse into and reasonable overview of the world of classical music without either being 12 billion pages long, or so technical you haven't a hope in hell. This, in my opinion, is a good thing.
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Oh deary me...
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I was so excited when I bought this book. I love classical music, I love Stephen Fry's wit and so I thought this happy union would have me wetting my pants with some Bach playing in the background.
As the title suggests, it is very very incomplete, but far from utter. I'm not a huge fan of Mozart, but I found it slightly unfair that he was given a total of around 6 pages of the book, whereas Fry's favourite composer, Wagner (given a larger font throughout he book - somewhat annoying) gets a whopping 30 pages. Which is not very respective of the two composer's works.
Fry's wit is in there, alright. But reading his wit just isn't the same as hearing it. I found it frustrating that I had to keep thinking how Fry would have said this or that line, to have even the faintest dribblings in my seat. Even then, Fry uses the same jokes over and over again. Tedium sets in after a while.
Perhaps the most annoying thing, though, is that this book is NOT a history of music. It is a very incomplete narrative of historical events interspersed with the odd musical reference. If I'm reading a book concerning the history of classical music, am I likely to care about the population of China in the 18th century? I think not.
In short, those who want to have a little chuckle would do better with either the Liar, Moab or the Tennis Star's Balls. Those who want a little background to music would be better off buying the Groves Encyclopoedia. It may cost a lot more than the Incomplete and Utter History, but you get what you pay for.
On the back cover, R Schumann gives "his" views on this book. "I threw it in the Rhine". I know the feeling, and will be quite happy to throw it in the Danube.
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Light and frothy entertainment
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This book made me laugh a good deal and thus helped to pass the time in a long transatlantic flight. No it is not in depth, and yes it tries too much to put composers in a historical context with superfluous details, but light and frothy Fry can delight the weary traveller.
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