Moab Is My Washpot
Ratings39
Average rating4
Fry's tangents and monologues are very charming when he speaks, less charming in the written form.
This has been on my to-be-read pile for quite some time. I'm glad I finally took the time to read it. Moab is my Washpot chronicles the early years of Stephen Fry, from birth to his 20's. At times funny, other times sad, this is Stephen's warts and all story, a great insight into a fine comedian.
Whatever your expectations for this book, it will outstrip them. No, that's an understatement. It will take those expectations, multiply them with a factor of 10 or so, take you through 60s England, through the land of schoolboy mischief and lies and heartbreak, show you kindness and compassion along the way, go off on tangents about music and madness and philosophy,and leave you with mad props and respect and love for one Mr. Fry.
For that is the heart of it, of this book and of the writing and all that contained therein: Stephen Fry. Incredibly funny, witty, kind, compassionate, brutally honest and very, very clever.
This is deceptively titled as an autobiography, for it is much, much more than that. Yes, it is a book chronicling the first 20 years of Stephen's life, no doubt - but it is also a book that goes much beyond the life of one schoolboy and into the wild territory of intellectual passions and real world cruelties. Stephen is prone to going off on tangents now and then on anything that tickles his fancy, in the best way possible.
He has more than a way with words, one of the chief reasons why reading this book is such an enjoyable experience. It is a delight to watch Stephen go about anecdotes and essays, conversations and explanations as he weaves his web of verbal dexterity, balances on a trapeze of mental kickbacks and does tricks with words.
Hail Stephen Fry.
This is utterly candid and revealing. The audiobook is read by Stephen Fry himself, which, in this instance, makes it all the more enjoyable. It's quite incredible how open and honest he is in this book, although I suppose that's what autobiographies are all about.
This follows the first 20 years of his life and gives a great insight into what it's like at prep school amongst other things. I didn't even know what a prep school was, so it was most interesting for me.
I read this alongside his new autobiography and enjoyed one as much as the other.