Moab is my Washpot

[Barblue]

Just finished this book. In fact when I started it I was not sure I would finish it. I am not a lover of autobiographical sob stories, but I do love Stephen Fry.

Moab is my Washpot is a form of catharsis it would seem. A way of allowing Fry to relate his childhood and wash himself of his sins. I struggled with the first third of the book because of the 'lavatorial language' that he uses throughout the book. I found it impinged on my reading and began to distance me from the writer. In fact I contemplated not finishing the book because I wanted to retain my good opinion of this erudite and interesting person.

What happened? Why did I finish it? I went along to Borders reading group this week and listened to others discussion it. Their good opinions of Fry had not changed and they put into perspective the language he used. So yesterday I sat and read the remainder of the book and I'm glad I did.

In fact the language I disliked did crop up again, but seemingly not so often. Or was that because I was more interested in what happened to him. Whatever the reason, I am glad I have read it. It gives me another perspective on this highly individual human being who contributes much to entertaining us as a writer, comedian and actor.

Without giving anything away and not wanting to use spoilers, I feel mostly for his mother (perhaps being a mother myself I empathise totally) who must have gone through hell rearing Stephen and watching what he did as a boy.

I have yet to decide whether he was brave or stupid to write this book, but in the years since its publication it doesn't seem to have harmed his career so I hope it has helped his mental state to have written it.

[megustaleer]

Moab is My Washpot was published two years after Fry 'disappeared' just three days after opening in a West End play. Presumably his well known mental health problems were at the root of both his flight from public gaze, and the writing of this portion of his autobiography. He is to be admired for openness with which he has educated us about life with bipolar disorder since that time.

Having said that, when my husband turned up with a copy pf Moab which he had found in the street, I flicked through it and immediately put it in the box for the charity shop :o I have regretted it since.

[Grammath]

As regards Fry's occasional lapses into potty mouth, this is something he's done for as long as I've been aware of the great man and his work, which stretches back to his appearances with Hugh Laurie on "Saturday/Friday Night Live" in the mid-1980s. It's not surprising it sometimes crops up in his writing.

Like you, Barblue, this probably isn't the sort of book I'd have picked up if it was by anybody other than Stephen Fry. However, unlike many autobiographies, where individuals are often trying to defend and justify the things they have done during their lives, this was refreshing in the sense that Fry is very open and honest about the sort of person he is and how it does not totally gel with the general public's perception of him, probably to his detriment. It's an indication of his great charm that he can get away with it.

[Jen]

He's an intriguing character, isn't he? Loved by all apart from himself, it would appear. My opinion (as I recall it) seems to concur with the others here, not my usual read but very glad I did.

I saw him in the play which triggered his notorious breakdown. He was pretty terrible in it, but so was everyone else. It wasn't a great play by any measure.

[lipstick_librarian]

I've been wondering for a while about when he'd get around to writing the sequel. The Bookseller reports today that it's just been bought and will be published in autumn 2010. So, still a while to wait yet, but it's on it's way.

[Hazel]

I love Stephen Fry, but I thought Moab was so-so. I read it a few years ago and can only remember now, liking it to a certain point then growing rapidly tired of it. I wish I could be more specific than that!

[helenoftroy]

It has to be said I'm a huge fan of Stephen Fry, but I haven't been around for that much of his career, knowing him mostly from 'Jeeves and Wooster', and of course his reputation for being incredibly knowledgable and generally nice. I did know a bit about the various misadventures in his life, and was a little worried my ideas about him might be tarnished by the book. But I actually found myself liking him more at the end of it, and I'm glad to hear there's more on the way. His frankness was refreshing, he didn't seem, as I thought he might, (as source work for history GCSE has showed me is often the case!) just to be trying to justify everything he's done, he seemed on the whole to be pretty objective about it. I don't tend to go in for biographies of people who are still very much in the public eye, but I'm glad I changed that habbit and read this one!

[Cassie]

I have had a copy of this for some time and haven't had a chance to read it, having read the above comments, I am now more inclined to make sure I do. Thanks all for your thoughts.