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Mrs Fry's Diary
Stephen's Fry secret wife speaks out at last...
Stephen Fry - actor, writer, raconteur and wit. Cerebral and sophisticated, a true Renaissance man.
Or is he?
Finally, his secret double life - the womanizing, the window-cleaning, the kebabs, the karaoke - is exclusively revealed by Edna, his devoted wife and mother of his five, six or possibly seven children. These diaries take us through a year in the life of an unwitting celebrity wife, and are rumored to include:
- scandalous nocturnal shenanigans
- advice on childcare
- 101 things to do with a tin of Spam
"Buy the wife's book or I'll never hear the end of it." Stephen Fry
"I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train." Oscar Wilde
"A good diary should be like a good husband - a constant companion, a source of inspiration and, ideally, bound in leather." Edna Fry
Stephen Fry - actor, writer, raconteur and wit. Cerebral and sophisticated, a true Renaissance man.
Or is he?
Finally, his secret double life - the womanizing, the window-cleaning, the kebabs, the karaoke - is exclusively revealed by Edna, his devoted wife and mother of his five, six or possibly seven children. These diaries take us through a year in the life of an unwitting celebrity wife, and are rumored to include:
- scandalous nocturnal shenanigans
- advice on childcare
- 101 things to do with a tin of Spam
"Buy the wife's book or I'll never hear the end of it." Stephen Fry
"I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train." Oscar Wilde
"A good diary should be like a good husband - a constant companion, a source of inspiration and, ideally, bound in leather." Edna Fry
346 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
45 people are currently reading
1492 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
November 15, 2017
It's no secret that I'm a fan of Stephen Fry's. A while ago, there was a user on Twitter, calling him-herself Mrs. Stephen Fry and posting hilarious tweets about "the family life". I presume this is how this book came to be.
The book is in the form of a diary with entries for every day of a year and detailing everything from karaoke and sexual escapades to feng-shui made possible by child abuse. And all of it in the most delightful dry humour one could wish for in a book about Stephen Fry.
Fry himself even contributed the foreword to the book (pretty funny as well, though not as funny as "his wife's" dedication).
Maybe these two will sum up Mrs. Stephen Fry best:
I believe this is (in part) where the author (whoever he/she is) has got the idea for this character from and I just love how Stephen Fry himself is such a good sport, delighting in this form of comedy even, and playing along.
A definite must-have for all Fry fans and people enjoying laughing themselves silly.
The book is in the form of a diary with entries for every day of a year and detailing everything from karaoke and sexual escapades to feng-shui made possible by child abuse. And all of it in the most delightful dry humour one could wish for in a book about Stephen Fry.
Fry himself even contributed the foreword to the book (pretty funny as well, though not as funny as "his wife's" dedication).
Maybe these two will sum up Mrs. Stephen Fry best:
I believe this is (in part) where the author (whoever he/she is) has got the idea for this character from and I just love how Stephen Fry himself is such a good sport, delighting in this form of comedy even, and playing along.
A definite must-have for all Fry fans and people enjoying laughing themselves silly.
May 28, 2012
I'd been following the Twitter account for a while and I'm a big fan of Mr Fry (Edna's celebrity husband) so when I saw the book discounted in 'The Works' I thought I'd give it a try.
The two star rating says "it was okay" and that sums it up entirely. It's okay. There are some very clever one-liners but the ongoing narrative about Mrs Fry potentially finding out about her husband's life as a celebrity isn't particularly or engaging. The sections about her poetry also isn't great.
The book works best when the entries are short and clever and, much like the Twitter account, there are some very witty jokes hidden in there. The comic diary, perhaps best of which is Sue Townsend's Adrian Mole series, is a pleasant enough format and the fact that it is a series of short entries makes it ideal for light reading when you get short breaks in your day - train journeys, waiting for food to cook, waiting in a doctor's waiting room etc.
It's light. It's harmless. It's reasonable fun and, if like me you see it on offer for a couple of quid, then you could do worse.
The two star rating says "it was okay" and that sums it up entirely. It's okay. There are some very clever one-liners but the ongoing narrative about Mrs Fry potentially finding out about her husband's life as a celebrity isn't particularly or engaging. The sections about her poetry also isn't great.
The book works best when the entries are short and clever and, much like the Twitter account, there are some very witty jokes hidden in there. The comic diary, perhaps best of which is Sue Townsend's Adrian Mole series, is a pleasant enough format and the fact that it is a series of short entries makes it ideal for light reading when you get short breaks in your day - train journeys, waiting for food to cook, waiting in a doctor's waiting room etc.
It's light. It's harmless. It's reasonable fun and, if like me you see it on offer for a couple of quid, then you could do worse.
July 20, 2012
Hilarious.
Just... Wow. The casual references to child neglect, the horrible puns, the terribly misguided self-image of Edna and the way the family's entire lifestyle is a parody of a certain class of English people... It's just fantastic.
The best part is that there are also a lot of references to famous literary works, etc, that Edna never gets, but are still entertaining to the reader. There are also a lot of parodies, some of which are actually worked out in the novel, such as an alternative version of "Funeral Blues" by W.H. Auden, which was painful to get through in its blasphemy, and a novel called "The Brown Conundrum" wonderfully mocking the works of Dan Brown.
I wonder how much longer Stephen can keep his wife in the dark, and his children out of prison...
Just... Wow. The casual references to child neglect, the horrible puns, the terribly misguided self-image of Edna and the way the family's entire lifestyle is a parody of a certain class of English people... It's just fantastic.
The best part is that there are also a lot of references to famous literary works, etc, that Edna never gets, but are still entertaining to the reader. There are also a lot of parodies, some of which are actually worked out in the novel, such as an alternative version of "Funeral Blues" by W.H. Auden, which was painful to get through in its blasphemy, and a novel called "The Brown Conundrum" wonderfully mocking the works of Dan Brown.
I wonder how much longer Stephen can keep his wife in the dark, and his children out of prison...
November 5, 2023
Terribly disappointing. This nice hardcover has been standing in by bookshelf for ages and I couldn’t really tell why I never got around to read it. Now I wonder why I ever finished it. Yes, it has a chuckle or a few’s worth of short, absurd and slightly offensive jokes. It also has a lot of not very amusing short, absurd and slightly offensive jokes. All in all it has around 365 or so of short,… oh you get it! The whole premise is just stupid and the jokes just taking over from one another in a seemingly never ending series has absolutely nothing to do with what I associate Stephen Fry with.
July 11, 2012
For Christmas I received a collection of books, one in particular from my brother Steven by a certain Mrs Stephen Fry it is rather originally called “Mrs Fry’s Diary”. This catalogues the day to day on goings of Stephen Fry’s secret wife and the humdrum goings on of her housewife life.
This fantastic little tale centres around Stephen Fry’s secret wife as she raise their many (the number if abundantly unclear) children. As you flick through the pages you learn of Edna’s spam obsession and begin to fall for her somewhat spaced out view of life, the more you read on it becomes clearer and clearer why Stephen married her in the first place – hell you wish you’d bagged that catch before he did.
Throughout Mrs Fry records her thoughts and adventures, much like many of use bloggers, as and when it occurs to her to pen them. Unlike on blogger when you sometimes wish you hadn’t read that post, that’s fifteen minutes of my life I’m not getting back you ranters! You do not regret a second of reading this hilarious account, from Stephen’s breakdown over the pub renovations to the romantic trip to “Paris” you find yourself chuckling as though you bore witness to these shenanigans.
The only unfortunate thing about this book is it's small consumer market, to anyone outside the UK it is a no-man’s land. The nationwide jokes would leave anyone else feeling slightly baffled by the whole story. I will admit that there were times I had to Google things to understand them and some (particularly nocturnal on goings) that I still do not comprehend – perhaps when I am older, although hopefully not.
This book is set out in the form of a diary; each month starts a new chapter and each day a new heading. Most of the entries are short although, like any human Edna does have her moments of sometimes even three page long accounts of one day’s worth of events. True to form this diary even includes some randomly dotted about entries such as favourite recipes or personally written poetry, each of these tantalisingly funny.
This book has easily achieved its intent, assuming its goal was to make all who read it chortle. One of the most hilarious features of this book is in that Edna has no idea she has married a celebrity and her continuing blindness to this fact no matter how many hints or suspicious circumstances arise. You know at some point that it is inevitable that she will find out the truth but by the end of this book you have truly related the this fictional work of art finding yourself appreciating that sometimes ignorance is bliss.
If you find yourself suffering from the New Year blues I highly recommended that you take a visit to your local bookshop and purchase a copy, it is just what is needed this time of year to lift your spirits just enough to commit to those pesky resolutions.
This fantastic little tale centres around Stephen Fry’s secret wife as she raise their many (the number if abundantly unclear) children. As you flick through the pages you learn of Edna’s spam obsession and begin to fall for her somewhat spaced out view of life, the more you read on it becomes clearer and clearer why Stephen married her in the first place – hell you wish you’d bagged that catch before he did.
Throughout Mrs Fry records her thoughts and adventures, much like many of use bloggers, as and when it occurs to her to pen them. Unlike on blogger when you sometimes wish you hadn’t read that post, that’s fifteen minutes of my life I’m not getting back you ranters! You do not regret a second of reading this hilarious account, from Stephen’s breakdown over the pub renovations to the romantic trip to “Paris” you find yourself chuckling as though you bore witness to these shenanigans.
The only unfortunate thing about this book is it's small consumer market, to anyone outside the UK it is a no-man’s land. The nationwide jokes would leave anyone else feeling slightly baffled by the whole story. I will admit that there were times I had to Google things to understand them and some (particularly nocturnal on goings) that I still do not comprehend – perhaps when I am older, although hopefully not.
This book is set out in the form of a diary; each month starts a new chapter and each day a new heading. Most of the entries are short although, like any human Edna does have her moments of sometimes even three page long accounts of one day’s worth of events. True to form this diary even includes some randomly dotted about entries such as favourite recipes or personally written poetry, each of these tantalisingly funny.
This book has easily achieved its intent, assuming its goal was to make all who read it chortle. One of the most hilarious features of this book is in that Edna has no idea she has married a celebrity and her continuing blindness to this fact no matter how many hints or suspicious circumstances arise. You know at some point that it is inevitable that she will find out the truth but by the end of this book you have truly related the this fictional work of art finding yourself appreciating that sometimes ignorance is bliss.
If you find yourself suffering from the New Year blues I highly recommended that you take a visit to your local bookshop and purchase a copy, it is just what is needed this time of year to lift your spirits just enough to commit to those pesky resolutions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2012
Looking through these reviews I can't believe how many people who claim to be fans of Stephen Fry just don't get this book. It was hilarious and quintessentially Stephen. Stephen did not write this book, it was written by one of his Twitter followers who call themselves Mrs Stephen Fry https://twitter.com/MRSSTEPHENFRY They were an early presence in his Twitter life and turned out to be quite witty themselves and caught his attention. In the beginning Stephen followed his followers back (I kept my email that says "Stephen Fry is now following you on Twitter") and they conversed often, Stephen refers to them as his wife. Makes me wonder which of Stephen's works the so called fans here are really fans of.
January 5, 2019
This guy is the smart woman's chocolate. He f****d up.
July 30, 2015
Mrs Stephen Fry is a comedy twitter user and blogger and this is her spoof diary about her chaotic family and layabout alcoholic husband, Stephen Fry. This book contains simple illustrations and large text and in hardback, it is 346 pages.
This book is brilliantly funny and with it’s short one-liners and littering of euphamisms, a lot of it is almost cringe-worthy in it’s humour. The book itself is a great concept; a fictional diary, written in such a way that it sometimes seems rather believable, and yet you know that this couldn’t possibly be real. The diary entries themselves vary in length, making this an extremely quick read. It only took me a few hours and I read it mostly in one sitting.
Mr and Mrs Stephen Fry’s relationship is developed throughout and their lives, especially Stephen’s, is surrounded by a lot of mystery. Although the reader knows exactly what is going on, because of outside knowledge of Stephen Fry, Edna, his fictional wife and author of this “diary” doesn’t seem to fit things together as quickly, adding to the humour and surprise throughout.
This book has everything; humour, euphamisms, family life, mystery and even a hilarious rewording of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. Pop culture references are scattered throughout the book and I think that it really adds to the realism and the plot of the diary.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book as it was a captivating and entertaining read. I would definitely recommend it to fans of Stephen Fry.
This book is brilliantly funny and with it’s short one-liners and littering of euphamisms, a lot of it is almost cringe-worthy in it’s humour. The book itself is a great concept; a fictional diary, written in such a way that it sometimes seems rather believable, and yet you know that this couldn’t possibly be real. The diary entries themselves vary in length, making this an extremely quick read. It only took me a few hours and I read it mostly in one sitting.
Mr and Mrs Stephen Fry’s relationship is developed throughout and their lives, especially Stephen’s, is surrounded by a lot of mystery. Although the reader knows exactly what is going on, because of outside knowledge of Stephen Fry, Edna, his fictional wife and author of this “diary” doesn’t seem to fit things together as quickly, adding to the humour and surprise throughout.
This book has everything; humour, euphamisms, family life, mystery and even a hilarious rewording of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. Pop culture references are scattered throughout the book and I think that it really adds to the realism and the plot of the diary.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book as it was a captivating and entertaining read. I would definitely recommend it to fans of Stephen Fry.
March 29, 2012
Как очень точно подмечено в одной из рецензий на эту книгу, феерический бред!
Наконец-то поняла, что имелось в виду в "Алисе в Зазеркалье": "Слыхала я такую чепуху, рядом с которой эта разумна, как толковый словарь!"
Речь явно об этой книге.
Секретный дневник секретной жены Стивена Фрая: мойщика окон, любителя кебаба и караоке... Бред!
Но бред умопомрачительно смешной. Читала книгу несколько вечеров перед сном и еле сдерживала себя, чтоб не заржать, как боевой конь, перебудив всю округу.
Вообще-то, юмор в книге, что называется на любителя. Но я как раз и есть тот самый любитель, 5 из 5
Наконец-то поняла, что имелось в виду в "Алисе в Зазеркалье": "Слыхала я такую чепуху, рядом с которой эта разумна, как толковый словарь!"
Речь явно об этой книге.
Секретный дневник секретной жены Стивена Фрая: мойщика окон, любителя кебаба и караоке... Бред!
Но бред умопомрачительно смешной. Читала книгу несколько вечеров перед сном и еле сдерживала себя, чтоб не заржать, как боевой конь, перебудив всю округу.
Вообще-то, юмор в книге, что называется на любителя. Но я как раз и есть тот самый любитель, 5 из 5
January 31, 2011
Some of the jokes made me groan while others had me practically falling off the settee and onto the floor due to extreme laughter.
Great fun and I am so glad it was recommended by one our reading group members. Of course, some of the humour might be lost on non-Brits just as I sometimes feel a little perplexed reading (or watching) things that relate a lot to USA popular culture.
So perfect light weight fare for dull January days. Hopefully Mrs Fry will produce more of these in the coming years.
Great fun and I am so glad it was recommended by one our reading group members. Of course, some of the humour might be lost on non-Brits just as I sometimes feel a little perplexed reading (or watching) things that relate a lot to USA popular culture.
So perfect light weight fare for dull January days. Hopefully Mrs Fry will produce more of these in the coming years.
June 20, 2015
This is the fictional diary of Mrs Edna Fry, the long suffering yet still devoted wife of Stephen, that tells of her husband's debauchery, her kids wild antics and her methods of coping from hobnobs and Jeremy Kyle to creative writing classes and book clubs. Added to this Edna provides us with a few good Spam recipes (none of which I'm particularly keen to try, I must be honest) this is an entertaining and amusing read, especially if you're familiar with Mr Fry, his humour and his intelligence.
March 2, 2018
I would have given four stars but I was hampered by slang:)
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November 8, 2015
It's humour as a twitter account is generous enough, but in book format it seemed only to stall and drag. It was funny enough, but as such a long piece, I can only imagine it would tire me out so much that Stephen Fry became less to me than he is. Unfair, of course, for he had nothing to do with this.
December 27, 2016
I was so disappointed. The book was easy to read, but the whole story is just ridiculous. I expected much more from Mr. Fry. He is so well read and intelligent that it's unbelievable that he wrote such a bad book. The jokes are just stupid. So stupid that they are not even funny. Too bad this was the first book by Fry I had read because it discouraged me from reading his other works.
November 2, 2010
A riotous read that will have you giggling and snickering all the way through. Be sure to read slowly as you don't want to miss a single laugh. I'll be reading it again in the future and will undoubtedly pickup more than I did the first time around. Well done Mrs. Fry!
October 29, 2018
A roll on the floor, laugh out loud, diary from the secret wife of Stephen Fry. She gives us a starling glimpse into who this Renaissance man truly is with 6 or maybe 7 children, karaoke and an off and again window cleaning job.
September 5, 2014
Loved the ending.
January 21, 2016
Reading this book will make you wonder about what other wacky ideas Stephen Fry might be keeping in his head. The man's a true wit.
November 2, 2016
Hilarious
August 3, 2022
Edna Fry hat es nicht leicht. Eigentlich ist sie eine liebende Ehefrau und Mutter und die perfekte Hausfrau. Aber ihre Familie sorgt immer wieder dafür, dass diese scheinbar so einfache Rechnung nicht aufgeht. Ihr Mann ist arbeitsscheu und läuft jeder Frau hinterher, auf die sein Blick fällt. Die Kinder benehmen sich so schlecht, dass sie sie am liebsten aussetzen würde. Wie kann man sich da als Frau noch verwirklichen? In ihrem Tagebuch schreibt Edna schonungslos ehrlich über ihr hartes Leben in der Familie Fry.
Ich habe das Mrs. Fry's diary vor zehn Jahren schon einmal in der deutschen Ausgabe gelesen. Auch wenn mir das Buch damals schon gut gefallen hat, hatte ich damals kleinere Kritikpunkte. Für mich hat die Übersetzung nicht immer gut funktioniert denn manche Wortspielerein kann man nicht übersetzen.
Dieses Mal habe ich beim Lesen tatsächlich mehrmals lachen müssen. Nicht nur über die absolute Ignoranz von Mrs. Fry, die auch für die seltsamsten Anwandlungen ihres Mannes noch eine Erklärung gefunden hat. Auch ihre Rezepte fand ich herrlich- solange ich das jeweilige Gericht nicht selbst essen muss. Am besten haben mir aber tatsächlich die Spielereien mit bekannten Namen und Begebenheiten gefallen. Mein besonderer Liebling ist der Hausarzt Dr. Laurie Hausman.
Stephen Fry hat mit seiner Ehefrau ein wunderbares Alter Ego erschaffen. Sie ist herrlich überzeichnet, weiß auf alles eine Antwort und sieht das Leben durch eine ganz spezielle rosarote Brille, in der sie das perfekte Leben führt (und die Erde wahrscheinlich auch eine Scheibe ist, wenn man sie fragen würde). Allerdings ist es auch eine spezielle Art von Humor, den man mögen muss. Wenn man das tut, ist Mrs. Fry's diary ein großer Spaß.
Ich habe das Mrs. Fry's diary vor zehn Jahren schon einmal in der deutschen Ausgabe gelesen. Auch wenn mir das Buch damals schon gut gefallen hat, hatte ich damals kleinere Kritikpunkte. Für mich hat die Übersetzung nicht immer gut funktioniert denn manche Wortspielerein kann man nicht übersetzen.
Dieses Mal habe ich beim Lesen tatsächlich mehrmals lachen müssen. Nicht nur über die absolute Ignoranz von Mrs. Fry, die auch für die seltsamsten Anwandlungen ihres Mannes noch eine Erklärung gefunden hat. Auch ihre Rezepte fand ich herrlich- solange ich das jeweilige Gericht nicht selbst essen muss. Am besten haben mir aber tatsächlich die Spielereien mit bekannten Namen und Begebenheiten gefallen. Mein besonderer Liebling ist der Hausarzt Dr. Laurie Hausman.
Stephen Fry hat mit seiner Ehefrau ein wunderbares Alter Ego erschaffen. Sie ist herrlich überzeichnet, weiß auf alles eine Antwort und sieht das Leben durch eine ganz spezielle rosarote Brille, in der sie das perfekte Leben führt (und die Erde wahrscheinlich auch eine Scheibe ist, wenn man sie fragen würde). Allerdings ist es auch eine spezielle Art von Humor, den man mögen muss. Wenn man das tut, ist Mrs. Fry's diary ein großer Spaß.
June 27, 2024
It's fairly funny, but with a few too many cheap jokes for my taste. Especially since I know how funny Stephen Fry can be. But overall, a lighthearted little book that's worth a peak if you want to put your brain and heart on pause for a minute and just have some fun for a moment.
February 24, 2021
Not my cup of tea. I did not find any of the jokes even mildly funny and I only laughed once (the Bohemian Rhapsody parody). It is a quick read and Mrs. Fry being in the dark about her husband's profession and going at lengths to discover the truth was interesting.
November 14, 2023
Nagyon funny es funky easy read
August 29, 2016
Written by Stephen Fry as in the humorist, writer, actor and tv host come 'national treasure' Stephen Fry?
Yes written by that Stephen Fry (for those of you who are familiar if you look close enough 'Mrs Edna Fry' is in fact a mock-up of his good self) .... or perhaps not. Rumours abound that it is in fact written by someone other than the comedian himself. Either way, what I considered a fun read (yes, I know, its written in diary format, not a format I usually enjoy) which is more than I can say for Mr T who thought it rather lame.
As with all books it all comes down to a matter of personal choice but with 'funny' books I think this is very often even more so the case. And I'm afraid if you don't enjoy puns or one liners than you might struggle with Mrs Fry's Diary. Then again, something Mr T normally enjoys (the one liners that is, he's not such a big fan of puns as I am) but I don't think I heard him laugh out loud once ... unlike myself.
As I said, not a big fan of the diary format but with many sharply observed, short entries (which incidentally worked better for me than the longer entries) I found myself if not exactly 'belly laughing' out loud than certainly giggling away on several occasions.
Yes, even giggling away to entries some have argued are rather juvenile or risque or even allude to child/animal abuse but to me, umm, perhaps slightly juvenile (I'll give them that), were inoffensive and done in what I felt could be described as done in a manner typical of the old 'music hall' type albeit with a 'modern' edge.
Copyright: Tracy Terry @ Pen and Paper
Yes written by that Stephen Fry (for those of you who are familiar if you look close enough 'Mrs Edna Fry' is in fact a mock-up of his good self) .... or perhaps not. Rumours abound that it is in fact written by someone other than the comedian himself. Either way, what I considered a fun read (yes, I know, its written in diary format, not a format I usually enjoy) which is more than I can say for Mr T who thought it rather lame.
As with all books it all comes down to a matter of personal choice but with 'funny' books I think this is very often even more so the case. And I'm afraid if you don't enjoy puns or one liners than you might struggle with Mrs Fry's Diary. Then again, something Mr T normally enjoys (the one liners that is, he's not such a big fan of puns as I am) but I don't think I heard him laugh out loud once ... unlike myself.
As I said, not a big fan of the diary format but with many sharply observed, short entries (which incidentally worked better for me than the longer entries) I found myself if not exactly 'belly laughing' out loud than certainly giggling away on several occasions.
Yes, even giggling away to entries some have argued are rather juvenile or risque or even allude to child/animal abuse but to me, umm, perhaps slightly juvenile (I'll give them that), were inoffensive and done in what I felt could be described as done in a manner typical of the old 'music hall' type albeit with a 'modern' edge.
Copyright: Tracy Terry @ Pen and Paper
November 14, 2014
У «Анилингуса с сыновьями» началась распродажа. Урвала кое-что в качестве подарков на «после Рождества». Перчатки-щекоталки Стивену-младшему — девочкам из его класса должно понравиться, а крошке Бранджелине игровую приставку «Каа Пуу». Вроде бы она точно такая же, как «Пии», только на этой играют сидя.
Днем уговорила Стивена свозить меня в ИКЕА — сказала, что это такое подразделение «Эппл». К сожалению, у Стивена там случился приступ паники. Я и забыла о его клаустрофобии. И о том, как он боится всего шведского. А все потому, что когда-то, давным-давно, он застрял в лифте с группой «АББА».
«Вечер свиных прижарок»
— Доктор Хаусманн, — представился он, выйдя из ванной и протягивая мне свою крупную ладонь. — Доктор Лори Хаусманн.
По случаю воскресенья приготовила на обед Стивену и детям невероятную вкуснятину — «фальшивый хамон», с виду окорок, а на самом деле безе. Право слово, я их балую.
Днем уговорила Стивена свозить меня в ИКЕА — сказала, что это такое подразделение «Эппл». К сожалению, у Стивена там случился приступ паники. Я и забыла о его клаустрофобии. И о том, как он боится всего шведского. А все потому, что когда-то, давным-давно, он застрял в лифте с группой «АББА».
«Вечер свиных прижарок»
— Доктор Хаусманн, — представился он, выйдя из ванной и протягивая мне свою крупную ладонь. — Доктор Лори Хаусманн.
По случаю воскресенья приготовила на обед Стивену и детям невероятную вкуснятину — «фальшивый хамон», с виду окорок, а на самом деле безе. Право слово, я их балую.
July 20, 2012
Stephen Fry has always been unpredictable as a writer, often blending his sharp wit with shocking plot lines and highlighting the grotesque in society in all its forms. So when I started reading Mrs. Fry's Diary, I thought it was some sort of elaborate joke. Just like Stephen, I thought, to construct a meta-novel, at the end of which his normal sardonic self will emerge like a rather rotund butterfly from a pupa.
But it was not to be. The tirade of awful puns and 70s-style innuendo is, in fact, all there is to this book. Perhaps Fry is making a statement on society precisely by appealing to the lowest common denominator. If so, it's a statement that I don't think has much value, and one can't help but feel that a statement that causes one to sell thousands of novels always has the edge taken off it a little.
But it was not to be. The tirade of awful puns and 70s-style innuendo is, in fact, all there is to this book. Perhaps Fry is making a statement on society precisely by appealing to the lowest common denominator. If so, it's a statement that I don't think has much value, and one can't help but feel that a statement that causes one to sell thousands of novels always has the edge taken off it a little.
July 14, 2013
The humbling story of one long-suffering woman's struggle to make sense of her life. Is her daughter, Brangelina, really the Antichrist? Who is the father of Viennetta's baby? Will she ever learn to recognise the difference between twins, Asbo and Subo? And to where on earth does Stephen keep disappearing? Thank goodness for the support of her good friends Mrs Norton, Mrs Winton and Mrs Biggins.
Two small extracts to tempt you:
February 2
Social Services called round this morning but I refused to let them in. Last time, they wanted to give us our kids back.
May 31
I'm getting too old to run around after the kids every night. It's much easier to let the police do it. Plus they've got tasers.
Wonderful!
Two small extracts to tempt you:
February 2
Social Services called round this morning but I refused to let them in. Last time, they wanted to give us our kids back.
May 31
I'm getting too old to run around after the kids every night. It's much easier to let the police do it. Plus they've got tasers.
Wonderful!
September 21, 2012
An amusing, easy-to-read diary of the rather surreal life of the wife of Mr Stephen Fry - and to think we believed him to be a single gay man! To say that Mrs Fry is eccentric is rather like saying that the Pope is slightly averse to contraception, and her relationship with her famous husband leaves something to be desired.
For the most part it's beautifully crafted and weighted humour - as befits the diary of someone who initially came to the notice of the world through her compact tweets - even if it does, perhaps, sag towards the end. The only problem for me is that it was a very amusing first-time read, rather less so second time around ... and there won't be a third time.
One to borrow perhaps!
For the most part it's beautifully crafted and weighted humour - as befits the diary of someone who initially came to the notice of the world through her compact tweets - even if it does, perhaps, sag towards the end. The only problem for me is that it was a very amusing first-time read, rather less so second time around ... and there won't be a third time.
One to borrow perhaps!
September 24, 2012
A complete year of diaries entries by Stephen Fry's secret wife, Edna. She cheerfully discusses their children's anti-social behavior, including teen pregnancy and school counseling, her own literary ambitions and shares her poems, and relays life with her husband, window washer and sometime taxi-driver, Stephen Fry. Though she often thinks she has seen Stephen's face on a passing bus and people get excited to hear she's married to him, Mrs Fry thinks it strange that anyone wants to hear what it's like to be married to a drunken, skirt-chasing window washer who only changes his pants with the seasons.
To anyone unfamiliar with Stephen Fry, it's still a funny book but you'd miss out on the main point. To Fry fans, this is hilarious. 4.5 stars
To anyone unfamiliar with Stephen Fry, it's still a funny book but you'd miss out on the main point. To Fry fans, this is hilarious. 4.5 stars
February 20, 2014
Who would have guessed that National Treasure, Stephen Fry, had a wife and family! Mrs Fry is very proud of her husband and brood but seems to know very little about her partner; seems she thinks he's a window cleaner! Stephen appears very concerned to preserve that impression and goes to great lengths to keep her from discovering the truth.
This unlikely scenario is the basis to the diary that Mrs Fry keeps of her family's activities.
Though the book starts out with some laugh-out-loud comedy, it soon settles down to a mildly amusing retelling of events throughout a nominal year. There are a few other chuckles but largely the style follows predictable directions.
Not one of Fry's better books but an enjoyable read none the less.
This unlikely scenario is the basis to the diary that Mrs Fry keeps of her family's activities.
Though the book starts out with some laugh-out-loud comedy, it soon settles down to a mildly amusing retelling of events throughout a nominal year. There are a few other chuckles but largely the style follows predictable directions.
Not one of Fry's better books but an enjoyable read none the less.
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