Moab Is My Washpot (original 1997; edition 2000)

MOAB IS MY WASHPOT is an autobiography that covers the first 20 years of Stephen Fry’s life. I have long been a fan of this articulate, incredibly clever and funny man. But like many who work in comedy, there is a dark core to Mr. Fry, and unlike many, he has a ‘past’. In Stephen Fry’s past there is stealing and lying, and a short term in prison. His dark core is that he suffers from bipolar disorder, this last bit of information doesn’t come out in this book, however it explains a lot of the feelings that he experiences in his story.

If you have ever watched Stephen Fry’s TV show QI you will know that he rambles along on various subjects, getting sidetracked, and then eventually comes back on track again. This is exactly how he has written his story. I loved it for the most part; there were one or two areas where I felt I was being preached at rather than told of his opinion or stand on a subject, and my eyes just glazed over as they are wont to do when I am being lectured. I admire his openness as he shared the stuff from his past, activities that a lot of people would prefer to never mention again. The reader learns that he stole from his mother, a pensioner, his school chums and staff at the boarding schools he attended. He doesn’t make excuses for his behaviour, just tells it like it is. He also reveals his growing awareness of his homosexuality, not that he had problems with the knowledge, but more that he understood that this was normal for him but baffled why others didn’t think it was normal. MOAB IS MY WASHPOT ends with his release from prison, then a very dark time where he attempts suicide, followed by a new start as he followed his dream of being an actor. Stephen Fry’s story is witty, bare to the bone honest and very moving, but a little preachy at times.
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The insight into Stephen Fry's fucked up childhood was fascinating, but because of the negative nature of it, it didn't feel quite as magnetic as his more upbeat Fry Chronicles. Still, it's not the say that the book wasn't good. On the contrary, Fry's playful language is a treat, as usual, and his stories evoke strong emotions. It's really quite good. ( )

Bit annoying at the beginning with the meandering nature of the story but has a much stronger finish. Amazingly frank. ( )

Look, it's no secret to anyone who knows me in the slightest: I love this man. He is my inspiration and my hero, I love his attitude to life, his sense of humour and unflinching ability to stand up and speak out for what he believes in.

He here tells a brutally honest account of his growing up and how he first came to realise that he was gay. He takes the reader through his days in a boarding school where he struggled to fit in and constantly rebelled against, without knowing quite why. He tells of his troubled mind and how it led him to spend time in prison prior to completing his education at Cambridge, he also speaks of his first love and questions his own thoughts and feelings. Fry attempts to analyse his own behaviour, struggling himself to understand why he grew up the way he did when he was treated no differently to his brother.

It is honest, it is funny, poignant and sometimes sad. It is nearly always curious and often confused. But it is never apologetic. Good for you, Stephen. ( )

I ask myself three questions when I have read an autobiography:

1) was it honest?
2) did it elicit emotion from me?
3) did I get to know the author?

The answer to those three questions with regard to Stephen Fry's, "Moab is My Washpot" was a resounding yes.

This autobiography takes the reader through the first 20 years of Stephen Fry's life. Fry holds nothing back as he describes his life with his family, his schooling, his sexuality and troubles with the law. At no time does Fry try to paint himself as anything other than what he was, good or bad.

This autobiography was funny, poignant and very real. By the end I felt I knew Stephen Fry. I look forward to reading Part II of his life, "The Fry Chronicles". ( )