More Fool Me

Stephen Fry

Sep 2014 · Penguin UK

About this ebook

Stephen Fry invites readers to take a glimpse at his life story in the unputdownable More Fool Me.

'Oh dear I am an arse. I expect there'll be what I believe is called an "intervention" soon. I keep picturing it. All my friends bearing down on me and me denying everything until my pockets are emptied. Oh the shame'

In his early thirties, Stephen Fry - writer, comedian, star of stage and screen - had, as they say, 'made it'. Much loved in A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Blackadder and Jeeves and Wooster, author of a critically acclaimed and bestselling first novel, The Liar, with a glamorous and glittering cast of friends, he had more work than was perhaps good for him.

What could possibly go wrong?

Then, as the 80s drew to a close, he discovered a most enjoyable way to burn the candle at both ends, and took to excess like a duck to breadcrumbs. Writing and recording by day, and haunting a never ending series of celebrity parties, drinking dens, and poker games by night, in a ludicrous and impressive act of bravado, he fooled all those except the very closest to him, some of whom were most enjoyably engaged in the same dance.

He was - to all intents and purposes - a high functioning addict. Blazing brightly and partying wildly as the 80s turned to the 90s, AIDS became an epidemic and politics turned really nasty, he was so busy, so distracted by the high life, that he could hardly see the inevitable, headlong tumble that must surely follow . . .

Containing raw, electric extracts from his diaries of the time, More Fool Me is a brilliant, eloquent account by a man driven to create and to entertain - revealing a side to him he has long kept hidden.

Stephen Fry is an award-winning comedian, actor, presenter and director. He rose to fame alongside Hugh Laurie in A Bit of Fry and Laurie (which he co-wrote with Laurie) and Jeeves and Wooster, and was unforgettable as Captain Melchett in Blackadder. He also presented Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, his groundbreaking documentary on bipolar disorder, to huge critical acclaim. His legions of fans tune in to watch him host the popular quiz show QI each week.

Ratings and reviews

Mr Fry tells us how very busy he is - too busy, I assume, to spend any time on this book. There is no conclusion. The much feared 'intervention' is not described, instead just a rehash of an old diary: 'went with some famous person to some fabulous event where I met some more fab people and snorted some lines of coke'. Much of what little content there is may be found in the endnotes which were inconvenient (slow) to access on my tablet, footnotes would have been much better. Suggest you wait for volume 4 where no doubt the material in volume 3 will be summarised at a more appropriate length.

Most of us could be content with just the one autobiography. Mr. Fry isn't, with three or four. Endless self-aggrandisement; expect at least four more.

It's £2.99 on Kindle. I'm sure the book is a fine read but what a rip off it is on the Google store. Price compare with kindle.

About the author

Stephen Fry is an award-winning comedian, actor, presenter and director. He rose to fame alongside Hugh Laurie in A Bit of Fry and Laurie (which he co-wrote with Laurie) and Jeeves and Wooster, and was unforgettable as General Melchett in Blackadder. He hosted over 180 episodes of QI, and has narrated all seven of the Harry Potter novels for the audiobook recordings.