Stephen Fry's Autobiography 'Moab Is My Washpot'

The fat cat: Get out your Oxford dictionary and prepare to dive into a British wold some 50 years ago! Jokes aside, though, it's one of Fry's best works. I don't usually read memoirs, but I enjoyed this one so much that I went on to get Fry Chronicles, and liked it even better. A great read for any fan of Fry, or even just for anybody who appreciates a well-told story!

United States on Oct 07, 2023

samcram07: Fry’s storytelling style is as much fun as the stories themselves. An easy read, full of British sentimentalism and heartfelt memories. Loved it.

France on Jul 31, 2018

telecat: Nice read!

Canada on Sep 30, 2017

Gurnoor Grewal: This book will take readers to Stephen Fry's boarding school and will take them on a journey of spending spree which culminates in Stephen Fry going to jail.The book is intensely humourous.

India on Aug 06, 2017

RSharkey: El siempre ingenioso Stephen Fry no defrauda. Te ríes , aprender y sentir un poco de pena por él al mismo tiempo. Un buen libro

Spain on Jun 17, 2015

Ulysses Grant Dietz: Moab is my Washpot

By Stephen Fry

Five stars

The basic reaction I had as I finished Stephen Fry’s autobiographical “Moab is my Washpot” was: Would Stephen Fry like me?

I’m not usually quite this narcissistic, but I couldn’t help but feel that Fry was someone I wished I knew, someone quite remarkable, and yet palpably flawed and human in ways that provoked forgiveness.

Against all better judgment, I rather fell in love with him.

This should be honestly described as a partial-autobiography, since it only takes the famous British comic actor from birth to about the age of twenty. Given that he’s just two years younger than I am, there’s a lot of his life left undiscovered at the end of this book. But the part he writes is in equal parts hilarious and hair-raising.

Apologetic and unrepentant, Fry’s helter-skelter narrative describes to us exactly how he managed to bugger up his life without any help from his parents (who, if eccentric and quirky, were adoring and as patient as saints). Much better, from my point of view, than the fictionalized version of his early life offered in “The Liar,” “Moab is my Washpot”...

United States on Feb 15, 2015

Amazon Customer: Stephen Fry is amazing with words. Unfortunately he uses a few too many of them sometimes and it can take several pages (if not chapters) before he gets back on track. It is, however, a fascinating read. He goes into great detail about his earlier years and the last 3 or 4 (when he really went off the rails and how he got back on again) are just glossed over quite quickly by his standards. I'm not sure how factual it is but given his outstanding memory it is certainly believable. All in all a good start - will definitely be reading the next 2 sometime soon.

United States on Nov 21, 2014

K. A. Newton: I bought the "The Fry Chronicles" from Audible but decided not to listen to them till I had read "Moab is my Washpot" which is a prequel. At that time Moab is my Washpot was not available from Audible so I bought it for my Kindle.

I started reading the book on my Kindle and then during an Audible Sale found that Moab is my Washpot had become available from Audible, read of course by Stephen Fry himself (£17-99 but I bought it as my monthly credit so only £7-99).

Stephen Fry talks very quickly when narrating "Moab is my Washpot" but it is still over 11 hours of speech. Probably if he had not spoken as quickly the book could have been twice as long and cost twice as much.

It covers from early childhood, through Prep School and on to his public school. Unfortunately an addiction to sugar led from overeating to theft for cash to buy the sweets and later cigarettes. Getting caught, expulsion from school and on to others where forever in trouble, truanting etc. Finally this led to theft and the law. A period on remand, found guilty and luckily not a prison sentence and he had learned his lesson.

Stephen gritted his teeth and pulled himself together, working...

United Kingdom on Mar 21, 2013

Jan: Being a big fan of Stephen Fry and having read The Fry Chronicles, I was looking forward to reading about his life from birth to 20. Unfortunately, the book was a little disappointing. Although he talks about a range of his experiences, there is an over-emphasis on his sexuality. This may be because his sexuality had the most influence on his life, at least he certainly seems to think so. For the reader though, the talk of sexual experiences, described in rather unnecessarily explicit detail (and no, I'm not a prude), becomes rather tedious and seems to be an attempt to shock rather than inform. Added to that, the language used is unnecessary, both in terms of vulgarity and understandability. Most people I know would have great difficulty understanding what on earth he was talking about half the time because his choice of words are at too high a level for the average reader. I have a fairly broad grasp of the English language but I occasionally had to reach for the dictionary myself. Vulgar language doesn't make me blush, however, Fry's coarse language gives an overall impression that he is trying to pretend he isn't the posh snob that many people might think he is.

I read...

United States on Dec 22, 2012

Stephen Paul: A very moving account of an internationally famous actor and public intellectual's childhood and adolescence in English 'public' (i.e.private) boarding schools. The territory is largely familiar, but what marks this book off from most others is the explicit and courageous way in which Fry writes about "growing up gay". He also uses some very explicit language, but very little that is gratuitous. It will be of great comfort to every adolescent who ever felt "odd" or not a member of the "in-crowd". The comfort lies in Fry's honesty about his sexuality, and that he never allowed this to cripple his growth to what D H Lawrence once called "spontaneous creative fullness of being". Though parents may raise eyebrows or objections to some of the content, this is a profoundly warm, human and healing book.

United States on Jul 28, 2012