Moab Is My Washpot: Unabridged [8 tapes]: Unabridged

Be warned however, that this is not a whimsical account of his comedy career. It is an emotional confession of the struggle Fry had in the first twenty years of his life. Although the man's intelligence and charm are evident throughout, he vents spleen aplenty and his language is rather colourful at times. His love of music, film and words are my loves and so I devoured his writing. His digressions (he calls then diversions) often lead to even greater digressions and this is wonderful. The style is not stilted or excessively crafted but heartfelt and accessible. Fry does not set out to portray himself as misunderstood but to tell things as they are. I found the book inspirational and somehow felt better about myself afterwards. It will make you think about your family and your honesty. Yes, you will laugh but do not read this expecting a saccharine happy childhood story.

Treat yourself and indulge in some pot-washing yourself.


Touching   May 28, 2003
 4 out of 5 found this review helpful

This is a book i would strongly recommend to any virgin of Stephen Fry's works, or to anyone who is now familiar with his witty intelligent writing style. Fry's ability to capture the reader and render the English language cannot be understated. This autobiography refuses to indulge in any pomposity or insincerity, and for such honest qualities, it should be praised. There are included in this novel, what i considered to be, some bitter sweet moments and he talks of experiences that we would normally shy away from, yet in this arena, the only prerogative for a hopeless liar and daring reader is utter truth. And that is what you get. I have just put the book down and am off to read another one of his works. In one word, i would describe this as 'beautiful' and I urge everyone to give it a go!


Achingly funny   May 16, 2002
 3 out of 5 found this review helpful

Not many people would be so comfortable with themselves as to lay their life bare, warts and all, as Mr. Fry does in this biography.
Some people reading the passages about boarding school may think that this sort of thing only goes on in the imagination of pretentious sensation-mongers ... I can assure the reader that it does NOT! It is all TRUE! - been there, done it (well, apart from THAT bit) - this is a graphic, poetic, comic account of an extrovert's formative years.
Made me laugh, made me want to cry, some of the reminiscences hit so close to home; this is a deep insight into what makes one of Britain's funniest men who he is. Highly recommended


Brilliant book, gorgeously read. Pity about the abridgement   May 14, 2002
 4 out of 5 found this review helpful

To hear Stephen reading this was as delightful as I'd expected. There is the sheer gorgeousness of Fry's voice, of course, and his knack for mimicry -- all those remembered voices! -- but a lot of it could easily have been too painful to listen to in the man's own voice. Certainly I ached to be able to reach out with the least measure of comfort; but despite the sounds of remembered anger, shame and pain, it was not only a pleasure to listen to, but a compulsion -- I intended to listen to just one side before I went to sleep, and ended up listening straight through until 3ish.

This audiobook does have its faults, though; the abridgement is brutal and frustrating. Stuart Owen seems to have gone through circling the bits he thought the public might find most titillating: "Anything about being gay, that's what they want to hear, oh and suicide, that'll sell," and left out pretty much everything else. It is simply too short (3 hours), and I would have been happy to pay a lot more for an unabridged version.

So, this is an audiobook I'd recommend very highly, to anyone who has already read "Moab..." in its entirety.


What a naughty boy Mr Fry once was!   March 25, 2002
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

This book is absolutely fantastic! It is written is such a personable way it is almost as though Mr Fry is in the room with you. However, if you are no fan of the author or his way with words you are probably going to hate this book. The language in some parts could be deemed as offensive, but in reality it is no worse than you would hear walking through the streets of Basingstoke (a lot milder in my opinion!) and depending on your sexuality or attitudes towards sex you may very well find some pages a slightly uncomfortable read.

This book is not just your 'typical' Fry and there are some genuinely touching moments throughout the book which he has not tried to gloss over with humour. I found his comments on homosexuality as feelings of love and not just lust refreshing and expertly dealt with. Similarly any parent whose child is suffering from depression should read this book (as should the child) as he brilliantly articulates the feelings and emotions of an adolescent child unable to express what they are going through (this is spoken from my own personal experience).

...I did not feel alienated from the stories of his public school days at all, I thought they were very funny and some of which I was even able to relate to my own comprehensive education.

To sum up, if you are a fan of Fry then you will love this book, if you don't mind the bloke you will probably find it a fascinating and amusing read, but if you can't stand him then avoid at all costs because 'Moab' won't make you change your mind.