'Moab is My Washpot' - Stephen Fry

Before I proceed I'd like to state that this is not a book review per se, but more of a book recommendation.

At twenty years of age it seems like the perfect time to read Stephen Fry's wonderful autobiography, not only because it is the age at which he writes up to in his life, but because it is a clear message to all of us in doubt about our futures that no matter how badly you mess up things can still turn out well for you. Now you might say that we're not all going to have the same level of success and become the next host of QI but on the other had I doubt that the majority of us will get in anywhere near as much trouble as the young Mr. Fry did. I won't spoil the "plot" for those of you who don't know it, but it's safe to say that he had a torrid, tough and overall fascinating childhood and adolescence.

However it is not only the stories in the book that make it worth reading, but moreover the style and honesty with which they are written. Fry tells us about falling in love with English language early on in his life and how that love affair blossomed into something beautiful and terrifying throughout his life. It is obvious to anyone who has read, seen or heard anything that he's ever done that it is a flame that still burns in his heart today. The vocabulary is exceptional (you'll learn a lot of new words from reading this, and then if you're anything like me you'll have forgotten them by the end of the page), his influences range from modern day comics to nineteenth century poets and beyond, he can turn a simile like a hooker turns a trick and probably administer just as much pleasure in doing so. His writing style is not a stream-of-thought kind of style a la Jack Kerouac, but he does often go off on tangents in the middle of an anecdote to give his opinions on a range of things from homophobia to school games lessons. It may at first seem confusing or annoying but in the end will endear him more to the reader.

In this book he will make you laugh, cry and pause in awe at some of his feats; he holds nothing back (excpet a few identities); his emotions, sexuality and sins are all laid bare and put under intense scrutiny. A true tour-de-force of a life story that is a must read for any Stephen Fry fan.

Despite all the marvelous facets of this book that I've already mentioned perhaps the nicest one is that with the high brow writing style and flourishes of French there is no way to read this book without hearing Fry's deep and smooth voice articulating it to you inside your mind. It's a must read.

Rob