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The Liar

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The Liar

By: Stephen Fry
Narrated by: Stephen Fry
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Stephen Fry's breathtakingly outrageous debut novel, by turns eccentric, shocking, brilliantly comic and achingly romantic. Adrian Healey is magnificently unprepared for the long littleness of life; unprepared too for the afternoon in Salzburg when he will witness the savage murder of a Hungarian violinist; unprepared to learn about the Mendax device; unprepared for more murders and wholly unprepared for the truth.

©1991 Stephen Fry (P)1995 Random House Audio Contemporary Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Literature & Fiction Funny Witty Crime
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...which means if you are a fan of the man you will enjoy this. I am and did but would understand others finding it a little impenetrable; if not odd, blending as it does the Worlds of public schools, Cambridge, cricket, Piccadilly rent boys and espionage!

...and playful Stephen teases with the reader throughout to work out the semi-autobiographical bits....and those bits that are lies!

It is probably what you'd expect....

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I've read The Liar a couple of times, but it's the first time I've listened to it. Not surprisingly Stephen Fry is excellent at interpreting his own work and it is a pleasure to hear Donald Trefusis again over thirty years after I used to listen to him on Radio Four on Saturday mornings. The conclusion of the story has always been a bit frustrating but the set up is so entertaining I can forgive it a slight dip. This, along with the early stages of his memoirs, is Fry's best work.

An engaging and entertaining listen

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I expected more murders, less boys boarding school romps, unrequited and requited love of peers etc

expected more murders

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I've read several of Stephen Fry's books but there is nothing as delightful as listening to this marvellously talented and eloquent gentleman read his own work.

Fabulous Fry

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I find Stephen fry a bit full of himself. But the story is good and often very funny. The ending is esoecially good in these days of politicians coming from Eton and Oxbridge and only being interested in themselves - life is for their amusement and gain.

A bit of a romp.

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