The Liar by Stephen Fry Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Liar
Book Review: Great Beginning!
Summary: 4 Stars
This book captivated me right from the beginning. Stephen Fry uses language in the most beautiful way, and paints a spectacular picture of young Adrian Healey's life. I loved how he interplayed Adrian at Public School, and Adrian at Cambridge. "The Liar" starts out as a story about a person's feelings and identity, and is strongest when it sticks to those themes. Unfortunately, as others have mentioned, the spy story that is threaded throughout the novel is just a disruption. I feel that plots should strengthen authors' themes, and the plot of this book is actually detrimental to it. Also, I didn't feel that there was much of a resolution to Adrian's identity, suddenly everything is fine and dandy with him.I would however recommend this book to people. It is very entertaining and thought provoking, just don't expect too much with the ending.
Book Review: If you thought "Making History" was confusing, think again!
Summary: 3 Stars
I read this book some weeks ago, and I still can't quite work out exactly what happened! I think I've mastered the general gist of the story, but if you asked me to chronologically explain the plot from beginning to end, I'd be stumped. Anybody would!I was looking forward to this, after the brilliant "Making History", and it really is quite clever (if a little to sophisticated for my own good!). Stripping away the layers of lies from the plot (including that funny little foreword he puts in, 'not one word of the following is true...') will leave you dazed but laughing nonetheless. (It's a good thing it does; I 'get' all the jokes, but I didn't laugh out loud once in wading through this.)
Finally, I haven't read Fry's autobiography, but come ON; an english public school? A flamboyant, clever protagonist called ADRIAN? What did you THINK it was about?? Even one of the quotes on the cover tells you its autobiographical!
To conclude, this is a very witty, very clever first novel, but somewhat disappointing after having read the later "Making History". "The Liar", although much more clever and MUCH more original, just isn't, in my opinion, as funny.
Must dash; I'm meeting three St Matthew's Ties for lunch.
Book Review: Like all other Fry works, this book is inspired
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are knowledgable on all other Stephen Fry books, articles, and telly works, that fact that this book is constantly hillarious, thought-provoking and,well, weird, will come to no surprise. This book seems to lack a plot in the middle, but by the end you will be extremely grateful that you read it.Book Review: Marrsy's review of Stephen Fry's the liar
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the best books i have ever read. Fry's outrageous sexual humour and clever wordplay often has you laughing out loud. One should not read this on a train, as you constantly find yourself giggling happily away at the most unutterable filth - the sexual nature of Fry's comedy, and his quick wit will appeal to anyone with half decent tasteBook Review: More fun and wit from Stephen Fry
Summary: 4 Stars
"The Liar" by renowned funny man and polymath Stephen Fry tells the story of a young, academically non-impressive but daring and extraordinarily creative scholar with a propensity for telling anything but the truth, who gets himself involved in his witty and trenchant Cambridge college tutor's game of spies and lies.
It is well written and, as you'd expect from Mr. Fry, has a real sense of direction in its storytelling. The characters are quirky and odd, yet believable and well fleshed out. It's not an endless series of belly tickling laughs and thigh slapping comedy, but rather a story that not only leaves you smiling most of the time, but also fills you with respect for the author. His wit, sense of drama and comedy all shines through in the tightly woven fabric that this story indeed is.
Fry actually went on to write a couple of articles after the books publication as the Cambridge tutor, Donald Trefusis, who in "The Liar" is the one to lure the hero on the path to adventure and peril.
For anyone who might not be familiar with Stephen Fry or his writing, this book is a good place to start. For those already in the knowing it is more of what we've come to expect from the hand of Mr. Fry, it is, in a word, good.
I also very strongly recommend the audiobook version of "The Liar" read by the author. Better even than the book.