Fry, Stephen. The Liar. London : Arrow, 1992.
Before Stephen Fry
wrote his first memoir, he wrote several novels (as well as TV shows, sketches, newspaper columns and a
play). His first, The Liar, was first published
in 1992, five years before he wrote Moab is My Washpot. It’s an engaging and
amusing read (and downright hilarious in parts). It’s the tale of Adrian
Healey, and his life from his later years of high school to his later years in
university. He may or may not get caught up in an international conspiracy
along the way, I won’t spoil anything.
Despite the exciting plot hint I just dropped, the main character isn’t quite as original as the
readers in 1992 may have suspected. Adrian Healey is a bisexual, lying,
self-hating, extremely intelligent, witty young man. All of which could be
applied to his creator, as was later admitted in the memoir.
For those who are
familiar with Fry’s subsequently-told life story, many aspects of this novel
make for interesting and even uncomfortable reading. I include both books as an
fascinating contrast between two styles for telling one’s life story.
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