Search results for ""Author Stephen Fry""

AN EPIC BATTLE THAT LASTED TEN YEARS. A LEGENDARY STORY THAT HAS SURVIVED THOUSANDS.'An inimitable retelling of the siege of Troy . . . Fry's narrative, artfully humorous and rich in detail, breathes life and contemporary relevance into these ancient tales' OBSERVER'Stephen Fry has done it again. Well written and super storytelling' 5***** READER REVIEW ________ 'Troy. The most marvellous kingdom in all the world. The Jewel of the Aegean. Glittering Ilion, the city that rose and fell not once but twice . . .'When Helen, the beautiful Greek queen, is kidnapped by the Trojan prince Paris, the most legendary war of all time begins.Watch in awe as a thousand ships are launched against the great city of Troy.Feel the fury of the battleground as the Trojans stand resolutely against Greek might for an entire decade.And witness the epic climax - the wooden horse, delivered to the city of Troy in a masterclass of deception by the Greeks . . .In Stephen Fry's exceptional retelling of our greatest story, TROY will transport you to the depths of ancient Greece and beyond. ________ 'A fun romp through the world's greatest story. Fry's knowledge of the world - ancient and modern - bursts through' Daily Telegraph'An excellent retelling . . . told with compassion and wit' 5***** Reader Review'Hugely successful, graceful' The Times'If you want to read about TROY, this book is a must over any other' 5***** Reader Review'Fluent, crisp, nuanced, begins with a bang' The Times Literary Supplement'The characters . . . are brilliantly brought to life' 5***** Reader Review PRAISE FOR STEPHEN FRY'S GREEK SERIES: 'A romp through the lives of ancient Greek gods. Fry is at his story-telling best . . . the gods will be pleased' Times 'A head-spinning marathon of legends' Guardian 'An Olympian feat. The gods seem to be smiling on Fry - his myths are definitely a hit' Evening Standard 'An odyssey through Greek mythology. Brilliant . . . all hail Stephen Fry' Daily Mail 'A rollicking good read' Independent

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Penguin presents the CD edition of Heroes written and read by Stephen Fry.Mortals and Monsters. Quests and Adventures . . . __________There are Heroes - and then there are Greek Heroes.Few mere mortals have ever embarked on such bold and heart-stirring adventures, overcome myriad monstrous perils, or outwitted scheming vengeful gods, quite as stylishly and triumphantly as Greek heroes.In this companion to his bestselling Mythos, Stephen Fry brilliantly retells these dramatic, funny, tragic and timeless tales. Join Jason aboard the Argo as he quests for the Golden Fleece. See Atalanta - who was raised by bears - outrun any man before being tricked with golden apples. Witness wily Oedipus solve the riddle of the Sphinx and discover how Bellerophon captures the winged horse Pegasus to help him slay the monster Chimera.Filled with white-knuckle chases and battles, impossible puzzles and riddles, acts of base cowardice and real bravery, not to mention murders and selfless sacrifices, Heroes is the story of what we mortals are truly capable of - at our worst and our very best.___________'Ebullient and funny' The Times'Entertaining and edifying' Daily Telegraph'A rollicking good read' Independent'Fry exhibits enormous erudition and enthusiasm' Mail on Sunday'The Greek gods of the past become relatable as pop culture, modern literature and music are woven throughout. Joyfully informal yet full of the literary legacy' Guardian

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Michael Young is a brilliant young history student whose life is changed when he meets Leo Zuckerman, an ageing physicist with a theory that can change worlds. Together they realise that they have the power to alter history and eradicate a great evil. But tinkering with timelines is more dangerous than they can imagine and nothing - past, present or future - will ever be the same again. 'The tensions and resolutions are intrinsically comic, made still more enjoyable by [Fry's] sinuous invention and cleverness at caricature' Spectator 'Sprightly and entertaining' Telegraph

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READ THE FINAL BOOK IN STEPHEN FRY'S ACCLAIMED INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING GREEK MYTHS SERIES TELLING THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY CAN A HERO FIND HIS WAY HOME? The most famous heroic story of all time, Odyssey is chock full of monsters, murder, maelstroms, gods, giants, wit, wisdom and the most cunning hero of them all: Odysseus ----Setting sail, hero Odysseus dreams of lying in the arms of his beloved wife Penelope, and of teaching his son Telemachus a warrior's ways. However, gods toy with the desires of little mortals. Angered by this upstart's presumption, Poseidon God of the ocean realms curses our hero to wander the seas for ten long years.Encountering one-eyed giants, six-headed monsters, terrible storms, titanic whirlpools, hypnotic sirens, seductive witches and jealous goddesses, Odysseus is tempted and tormented beyond any man's endurance.Yet he is no mere mortal and the lu

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Britain's best-loved comic genius Stephen Fry turns his celebrated wit and insight to unearthing the real America as he travels across the continent in his black taxicab. Stephen's account of his adventures is filled with his unique humour, insight and warmth in the fascinating book that orginally accompanied his journey for the BBC1 series. 'Stephen Fry is a treasure of the British Empire.' - The Guardian Stephen Fry has always loved America, in fact he came very close to being born there. Here, his fascination for the country and its people sees him embarking on an epic journey across America, visiting each of its 50 states to discover how such a huge diversity of people, cultures, languages, beliefs and landscapes combine to create such a remarkable nation. Starting on the eastern seaboard, Stephen zig-zags across the country in his London taxicab, talking to its hospitable citizens, listening to its music, visiting its landmarks, viewing small-town life and America's breath-taking landscapes - following wherever his curiosity leads him. Stephen meets a collection of remarkable individuals - American icons and unsung local heroes alike. Stephen starts his epic journey on the east coast and zig-zags across America, stopping in every state from Maine to Hawaii. En route he discovers the South Side of Chicago with blues legend Buddy Guy, catches up with Morgan Freeman in Mississippi, strides around with Ted Turner on his Montana ranch, marches with Zulus in New Orleans' Mardi Gras, and drums with the Sioux Nation in South Dakota; joins a Georgia family for thanksgiving, 'picks' with Bluegrass hillbillies, and finds himself in a Tennessee garden full of dead bodies. Whether in a club for failed gangsters (yes, those are real bullet holes) or celebrating Halloween in Salem (is there anywhere better?), Stephen is welcomed by the people of America - mayors, sheriffs, newspaper editors, park rangers, teachers and hobos, bringing to life the oddities and splendours of each locale. A celebration of the magnificent and the eccentric, the beautiful and the strange, Stephen Fry in America is our author's homage to this extraordinary country.

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Brought to you by Penguin.Following the bestselling retellings of the Greek myths in Mythos and Heroes, Stephen Fry's bewitching third volume Troy - concerning love and war, passion and power - is now ready for ordering.The story of Troy speaks to all of us - the kidnapping of Helen, a queen celebrated for her beauty, sees the Greeks launch a thousand ships against the city of Troy, to which they will lay siege for ten whole and very bloody years.It is Zeus, the king of the gods, who triggers the war when he asks the Trojan prince Paris to judge the fairest goddess of them all. Aphrodite bribes Paris with the heart of Helen, wife of King Menelaus of the Greeks, and, naturally, nature takes its course.It is a terrible, brutal war with casualties on all sides as well as strained relations between allies. The Greek's most fearsome warrior, Achilles, argues with King Agamemnon, his commander, over another woman, the Trojan slave Briseis. The consequences lead to terrible tragedies.In Troy you will find heroism and hatred, love and loss, revenge and regret, desire and despair. It is these human passions, written bloodily in the sands of a distant shore, that still speak to us today.It is a myth in which we seek the truth about ourselves and which Stephen Fry brings breathtakingly to life.Praise for Heroes and Mythos:'Ebullient and funny' The Times'Entertaining and edifying' Daily Telegraph'The Greek gods of the past become relatable as pop culture, modern literature and music are woven throughout. Joyfully informal yet full of literary legacy' Guardian'An odyssey through Greek mythology. Brilliant . . . all hail Stephen Fry' Daily Mail'A romp through the lives of ancient Greek gods. Fry is his story-telling best . . . the gods will be pleased' The Times© Stephen Fry 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

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Thirteen years ago, Moab is my Washpot, Stephen Fry's autobiography of his early years, was published to rave reviews and was a huge bestseller. In those thirteen years since, Stephen Fry has moved into a completely new stratosphere, both as a public figure, and a private man. Now he is not just a multi-award-winning comedian and actor, but also an author, director and presenter. In January 2010, he was awarded the Special Recognition Award at the National Television Awards. Much loved by the public and his peers, Stephen Fry is one of the most influential cultural forces in the country. This dazzling memoir promises to be a courageously frank, honest and poignant read. It will detail some of the most turbulent and least well known years of his life with writing that will excite you, make you laugh uproariously, move you, inform you and, above all, surprise you.Unabridged. Read by Stephen Fry.

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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. Stephen Fry's breathtakingly outrageous debut novel, by turns eccentric, shocking, brilliantly comic and achingly romantic. 'Hilarious' Literary Review 'Sublime' Cosmopolitan

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Discover the most legendary story ever told in the SUNDAY TIMES bestseller TROY, Stephen Fry's most epic book yet'An inimitable retelling of the siege of Troy . . . Fry's narrative, artfully humorous and rich in detail, breathes life and contemporary relevance into these ancient tales' OBSERVER'An amiable meander through the myth of Troy' TIMES'Troy. The most marvellous kingdom in all the world. The Jewel of the Aegean. Glittering Ilion, the city that rose and fell not once but twice . . .'_______The story of Troy speaks to all of us.It is the kidnapping of Helen, a queen celebrated for her beauty, which sees the Greeks launch a thousand ships against that great city, to which they will lay siege for ten whole and very bloody years.It is Zeus, the king of the gods, who triggers war when he asks the Trojan prince Paris to judge the fairest goddess of them all. Aphrodite bribes Paris with the heart of Helen, wife of King Menelaus of the Greeks, and nature takes its course.It is a terrible, brutal war with casualties on all sides. The Greeks cannot defeat the Trojans - since Achilles, the Greek's boldest warrior, is consumed with jealousy over an ally's choice of lover and will not fight . . .The stage is set for the oldest and greatest story ever told, where monstrous passions meet the highest ideals and the lowest cunning.In Troy you will find heroism and hatred, revenge and regret, desire and despair. It is these human passions, written bloodily in the sands of a distant shore, that still speak to us today.Troy is a myth in which we seek the truth about ourselves, which Stephen Fry brings breathtakingly to life for our modern age.*** NOW COMES WITH A PROTECTIVE DUST JACKET ***_______'Fry's knowledge of the world - ancient and modern - bursts through at the seams . . . The reader will find themselves on a fun romp through the world's greatest story' DAILY TELEGRAPHPRAISE FOR MYTHOS AND HEROES:'A romp through the lives of ancient Greek gods. Fry is at his story-telling best . . . the gods will be pleased' Times'A head-spinning marathon of legends' Guardian'An Olympian feat. The gods seem to be smiling on Fry - his myths are definitely a hit' Evening Standard'An odyssey through Greek mythology. Brilliant . . . all hail Stephen Fry' Daily Mail'A rollicking good read' Independent

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Ned Maddstone has the world at his feet. Handsome, charming, popular and talented, his life is progressing smoothly, effortlessly, happily. But an unfortunate confrontation with a boy in his school results in a prank that goes badly wrong and suddenly he's incarcerated - without chance of release. So begins a year-long process of torment and hopelessness, which will destroy his very identity, until almost nothing remains of him but this unquenchable desire for revenge. 'Whatever Stephen Fry does, he has it - that rare, unlearnable quality. When he speaks you listen. When he writes, you read' Literary Review 'Keeps you simultaneously gripped and chuckling throughout' Later

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Ted Wallace is a sour, old, cantankerous beast, a womanising and whisky-sodden bounder of a failed poet and drama critic, but he has his faults too. Fired from his newspaper, months behind on his alimony payments and disgusted with a world that undervalues him, Ted seeks a few months' repose and free drink at Swafford Hall, the country mansion of his old friend Lord Logan. But strange things have been going on at Swafford. Miracles. Healings. Phenomena beyond the comprehension of a mud-caked hippopotamus like Ted. 'Clever...witty...not what it seems' The Times 'My goodness what fruity language Fry uses! You can feel his enjoyment, and also the huge force of his desire to please you, as you read this' Daily Mail

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READ THE FINAL BOOK IN STEPHEN FRY'S ACCLAIMED INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING GREEK MYTHS SERIES TELLING THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY CAN A HERO FIND HIS WAY HOME? The most famous heroic story of all time, Odyssey is chock full of monsters, murder, maelstroms, gods, giants, wit, wisdom - and the most cunning hero of them all: Odysseus'A sweeping, engrossing story' i ----Setting sail, hero Odysseus dreams of lying in the arms of his beloved wife Penelope, and of teaching his son Telemachus a warrior's ways. However, gods toy with the desires of little mortals. Angered by this upstart's presumption, Poseidon - God of the ocean realms - curses our hero to wander the seas for ten long years.Encountering one-eyed giants, six-headed monsters, terrible storms, titanic whirlpools, hypnotic sirens, seductive witches and jealous goddesses, Odysseus is tempted and tormented beyond any man's endu

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Step into Stephen Fry’s richly colourful world of magic, mayhem, monsters and maniacal gods in MYTHOS: THE ILLUSTRATED STORY . . .No one loves and quarrels, desires and deceives as boldly or brilliantly as Greek gods and goddesses.In Stephen Fry's vivid retelling, we gaze in wonder as wise Athena is born from the cracking open of the great head of Zeus and follow doomed Persephone into the dark and lonely realm of the Underworld. We shiver in fear when Pandora opens her jar of evil torments and watch with joy as the legendary love affair between Eros and Psyche unfolds.Mythos: The Illustrated Story captures these extraordinary myths for our modern age in striking colour - in all their dazzling and deeply human relevance.

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IMAGINE SANDALS ON YOUR FEET, A SWORD IN YOUR HAND, HOT SUN BEATING DOWN ON YOUR BRONZE HELMET. ENTER THE WORLD OF STEPHEN FRY'S SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, HEROES'An odyssey through Greek mythology. Brilliant . . . all hail Stephen Fry' Daily Mail___________Few mere mortals have ever embarked on such bold and heart-stirring adventures, overcome myriad monstrous perils, or outwitted scheming vengeful gods, quite as stylishly and triumphantly as Greek heroes.In this companion to his bestselling Mythos, Stephen Fry brilliantly retells these dramatic, funny, tragic and timeless tales.Join Jason aboard the Argo as he quests for the Golden Fleece. See Atalanta - who was raised by bears - outrun any man before being tricked with golden apples. Witness wily Oedipus solve the riddle of the Sphinx and discover how Bellerophon captures the winged horse Pegasus to help him slay the monster Chimera.Filled with white-knuckle chases and battles, impossible puzzles and riddles, acts of base cowardice and real bravery, not to mention murders and selfless sacrifices, Heroes is the story of what we mortals are truly capable of - at our worst and our very best.Order TROY now, Stephen Fry's bewitching retelling of the most legendary story ever told'A romp through the lives of ancient Greek gods. Fry is at his story-telling best . . . the gods will be pleased' Times'Assured and engaging. The pace is lively, the jokes are genuinely funny' Guardian'An Olympian feat. The gods seem to be smiling on Fry - his myths are definitely a hit' Evening Standard'Just as delightful and difficult to put down as the first. Heroes makes the stories relatable without skimping on the gory details, or sacrificing the truths of the myth. It's rich, it's funny and you'll feel like you've learned a lot' HeraldPraise for Mythos:'Ebullient and funny' Times'Entertaining and edifying' Daily Telegraph'A rollicking good read' Independent'The Greek gods of the past become relatable as pop culture, modern literature and music are woven throughout. Joyfully informal yet full of the literary legacy' Guardian

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Penguin presents the unabridged audio CD edition of Mythos written and read by Stephen Fry.THE TIMES AUDIOBOOK OF THE WEEK'Perfect for the 21st Century. Ebullient, funny, Fry retells the Greek myths with elegance' The Times'A cracking good story' The Times Literary Supplement 'A wondrous new immersion in ancient stories we only thought we knew. Page to page, Mythos is brilliant, funny, erudite, inventive, surprising and enthralling' Richard North Patterson'Fry's lively writing certainly conveys his lifelong passion for Greek myths . . . It's a rollicking good read' The Independent_________No one loves and quarrels, desires and deceives as boldly and brilliantly as Greek gods and goddesses. They are like us, only more so - their actions and adventures scrawled across the heavens above. From the birth of the universe to the creation of humankind, Stephen Fry - who fell in love with these stories as a child - retells these myths for our tragic, comic, fateful age. Witness Athena born from the cracking open of Zeus's great head and follow Persephone down into the dark realm of Hades. Experience the terrible and endless fate of Prometheus after his betrayal of Zeus and shiver as Pandora opens her jar of evil torments.The Greek gods are the best and worst of us, and in Stephen Fry's hands they tell us who we are. Mythos - smart, funny, and above all great fun - is the retelling we deserve by a man who has been entertaining the nation for over four decades.'A cracking good story' The Times Literary Supplement

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Stephen Fry invites readers to take a glimpse at his life story in the unputdownable More Fool Me.'Oh dear I am an arse. I expect there'll be what I believe is called an "intervention" soon. I keep picturing it. All my friends bearing down on me and me denying everything until my pockets are emptied. Oh the shame'In his early thirties, Stephen Fry - writer, comedian, star of stage and screen - had, as they say, 'made it'. Much loved in A Bit of Fry and Laurie, Blackadder and Jeeves and Wooster, author of a critically acclaimed and bestselling first novel, The Liar, with a glamorous and glittering cast of friends, he had more work than was perhaps good for him. What could possibly go wrong?Then, as the 80s drew to a close, he discovered a most enjoyable way to burn the candle at both ends, and took to excess like a duck to breadcrumbs. Writing and recording by day, and haunting a never ending series of celebrity parties, drinking dens, and poker games by night, in a ludicrous and impressive act of bravado, he fooled all those except the very closest to him, some of whom were most enjoyably engaged in the same dance.He was - to all intents and purposes - a high functioning addict. Blazing brightly and partying wildly as the 80s turned to the 90s, AIDS became an epidemic and politics turned really nasty, he was so busy, so distracted by the high life, that he could hardly see the inevitable, headlong tumble that must surely follow . . .Containing raw, electric extracts from his diaries of the time, More Fool Me is a brilliant, eloquent account by a man driven to create and to entertain - revealing a side to him he has long kept hidden.

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Discover the tales behind the ties in Stephen Fry's witty companion to our most distinguished accessory'A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life' Oscar Wilde'What do ties matter, Jeeves, at a time like this?' 'There is no time, sir, at which ties do not matter' P.G. Wodehouse ________ Every single one of Stephen Fry's ties - whether floral, fluorescent, football themed; striped or spotty, outrageous or simply debonair - tells an intimate tale about a moment in Stephen's life. Inspired by Stephen's hugely popular Instagram posts, this book will feature beautiful, hand-drawn illustrations and photographs to celebrate his expansive collection of man's greatest clothing companion: The Tie, in all its sophisticated glory. Distinctively funny and offering witty asides, facts and personal stories, this book will make the perfect gift for anyone who has ever worn a tie.

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Spanning 1979-1987, The Fry Chronicles charts Stephen Fry's arrival at Cambridge up to his thirtieth birthday. 'Heartbreaking, a delight, a lovely, comfy book' The Times 'Perfect prose and excruciating honesty. A grand reminiscence of college and theatre and comedyland in the 1980s, with tone-perfect anecdotes and genuine readerly excitement. What Fry does, essentially, is tell us who he really is. Above all else, a thoughtful book. And namedroppy too, and funny, and marbled with melancholy' Observer 'Arguably the greatest living Englishman' Independent on Sunday 'Extremely enjoyable' Sunday Times 'Fry's linguistic facility remains one of the Wildean wonders of the new media age. The patron saint of British intelligence' Daily TelegraphWelcome to Stephen Fry's The Fry Chronicles, one of the boldest, bravest, most revealing and heartfelt accounts of a man's formative years that you will ever have the exquisite pleasure of reading.Stephen Fry's film, stage, radio and television credits are so numerous and wide-ranging that there is not space here to do them justice. It is enough to say that he has written, produced, directed, acted in or presented productions as varied as Wilde, the TV series Blackadder and Jeeves and Wooster, the sketch show A Bit of Fry & Laurie, the panel game QI, the radio series Fry's English Delight and documentaries on subjects as varied as manic depression, disappearing animals and the United States of America. He's also the bestselling author of four novels - The Stars' Tennis Balls, Making History, The Hippopotamus and The Liar - as well as a volume of autobiography, Moab is My Washpot, and sundry works of non-fiction.

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If you can speak and read English, you can write poetry.The trick is knowing where to start. Stephen Fry, who has long written poems, and indeed has written long poems, for his own private pleasure, invites you to discover the incomparable delights of metre, rhyme and verse forms.Whether you want to write a Petrarchan sonnet for your lover's birthday, an epithalamion for your sister's wedding or a villanelle excoriating the government's housing policy, The Ode Less Travelled will give you the tools and the confidence to do so. Brimful of enjoyable exercises, witty insights and simple step-by-step advice, The Ode Less Travelled guides the reader towards mastery and confidence in the Mother of the Arts.

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______________________________The original bestselling autobiography by comedian, novelist and national treasure Stephen Fry.Few people serve time in prison before studying at Cambridge. You might be surprised to know that Stephen Fry is one of them.Moab is My Washpot, the remarkable story of Stephen Fry's tumultuous early life, is by turns funny, shocking, tender, delicious, sad, lyrical, bruisingly frank and addictively readable.It's the story of a boy sent to a boarding school 200 miles from home at the age of seven, who survives beatings, misery, love, ecstasy, carnal violation, expulsion, imprisonment, criminal conviction, probation and catastrophe to emerge, at eighteen, ready to try and face the world in which he had always felt a stranger. Fry writes with the wit and warmth which have become his hallmark, but with shocking candour too. For anyone seeking to understand one of Britain's greatest cultural treasures, this book is utterly essential reading.

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STEP INTO ANOTHER WORLD - OF MAGIC, MAYHEM, MONSTERS AND MANIACAL GODS - IN STEPHEN FRY'S MOMENTOUS SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, MYTHOS'A romp through the lives of ancient Greek gods. Fry is at his story-telling best . . . the gods will be pleased' Times___________No one loves and quarrels, desires and deceives as boldly or brilliantly as Greek gods and goddesses.In Stephen Fry's vivid retelling, we gaze in wonder as wise Athena is born from the cracking open of the great head of Zeus and follow doomed Persephone into the dark and lonely realm of the Underworld. We shiver in fear when Pandora opens her jar of evil torments and watch with joy as the legendary love affair between Eros and Psyche unfolds.Mythos captures these extraordinary myths for our modern age - in all their dazzling and deeply human relevance.___________NOW THE INSPIRATION FOR THE MYTHOS SUITE, STEPHEN FRY AND DEBBIE WISEMAN'S MUSICAL PRODUCTION OF FRY'S THRILLING RETELLINGS'A head-spinning marathon of legends' Guardian'An Olympian feat. The gods seem to be smiling on Fry - his myths are definitely a hit' Evening Standard'An odyssey through Greek mythology. Brilliant . . . all hail Stephen Fry' Daily Mail'A rollicking good read' IndependentSHORTLISTED FOR A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD

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In his early thirties, Stephen Fry - writer, comedian, star of stage and screen - had, as they say, 'made it'.What could possibly go wrong?As the 80s drew to a close, he discovered a most enjoyable way to burn the candle at both ends, and took to excess like a duck to breadcrumbs. Writing and recording by day, and haunting a never ending series of celebrity parties, drinking dens, and poker games by night, he fooled all those except the very closest to him.He was - to all intents and purposes - a high functioning addict - he was so busy, so distracted by the high life, that he could hardly see the inevitable, headlong tumble that must surely follow . . .Containing raw, electric extracts from his diaries of the time, More Fool Me is a brilliant, eloquent account by a man driven to create and to entertain - revealing a side to him he has long kept hidden.

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A hilarious collection of the many articles written by Stephen Fry for magazines, newspapers and radio. It includes selected wireless essays of Donald Trefusis, the ageing professor of philology brought to life in Fry's novel The Liar, and the best of Fry's weekly column for the Daily Telegraph.Perfect to dip into but just as enjoyable to read cover to cover, this book, perhaps more than any other, shows the breadth of Fry's interests and the depth of his insight. He remains a hilarious writer on whatever topic he puts his mind to.

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The intergalactic adventures of Arthur Dent begin in the first volume of the 'trilogy of five', Douglas Adams' comedy sci-fi classic The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.On 12 October 1979 the most remarkable book ever to come out of the great publishing corporations of Ursa Minor (and Earth) was made available to humanity - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.It's an ordinary Thursday lunchtime for Arthur Dent until his house gets demolished. The Earth follows shortly afterwards to make way for a new hyperspace express route, and his best friend has just announced that he's an alien. At this moment, they're hurtling through space with nothing but their towels and an innocuous-looking book inscribed, in large friendly letters, with the words: DON'T PANIC. The weekend has only just begun . . .

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NARRATED BY STEPHEN FRYYou are about to hear the true story of FATHER CHRISTMAS . . . If you believe that some things are impossible,you should walk away right now.(Because this story is FULL of impossible things.)Are you still there?Good.Then let us begin . . .

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EADT "Reader's Choice" winner, The New Angle Prize for Literature 2011"Scallop is at once a monument to a great musician-composer and a celebration of the origins of his art... A robust and poetic work of art (that) stands at the thrilling edge where culture meets nature" - Mel GoodingMuch has been said and written about Maggi Hambling's Scallop on Aldeburgh beach. Here is the artist's own story, told as it happened, with interpolations by some of those who supported (and some who didn't) her exhilarating and provocative sculpture to Benjamin Britten, one of Britain's most exalted composers.Maggi Hambling traces her love of the sea back to earliest childhood and records how this lifelong passion has fired her work, culminating in the construction of a 15ft high, six-and-a-half ton stainless steel sculpture rising out of the shingle on Aldeburgh beach. Children love it. Lovers love it. Those paying tribute to lost loved ones gather around it. And there are those who would wish it melted down or carted away. The artist, and those nearest the action, tell the fascinating story of its conception, official acceptance and construction, and the unholy row that erupted after it was finally unveiled.

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"So truthful, bold, clear, candid and convincing that I read it in one breathless sitting" Stephen FryOne night three years ago Josh Roberts went to a party. The next morning he awoke to discover his mind had collapsed.In a matter of days he went from being a fun loving, seemingly successful twenty-something to a hot mess of tears and nerves. Eventually he was diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Since then, he's been mending his mind, rediscovering happiness and learning to live his nervous life. Anxious Man is the story of all this.Told with originality, wit and great humour, it's an essential guide for mental health and a thought-provoking exploration of the millennial condition.***************"The best book I have ever written" Josh Roberts (debut author of Anxious Man)"Yep, fine" Cali Mackrill (girlfriend of author of Anxious Man)"Have you seen my scissors?" Vicky Roberts (mother of author of Anxious Man)

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The classic story of Paddington, the bear from Darkest Peru, who was found lost on Paddington Station. “A bear on Paddington Station?” said Mrs Brown in amazement. “Don’t be silly – there can’t be.” The Browns first met Paddington on a railway station – Paddington station, in fact. He had travelled all the way from Darkest Peru with only a jar of marmalade, a suitcase and his hat. The Browns soon found that Paddington was a very unusual bear. Ordinary things – like having a bath, travelling underground or going to the seaside became quite extraordinary, if a bear called Paddington was involved.

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'James Anthony has done something I would have confidently stated to be impossible. He has "translated" Shakespeare’s sonnets and he has done so with an insolent, loveable charm … A dazzling success’ – Stephen FryRediscover the greatest love poetry ever writtenShall I compare you to a summer’s day?You’re more delightful, always shining strong;High winds blow hard on flowering buds in May,And summer never seems to last that long…Shakespeare’s sonnets are some of the nation’s favourite lines of verse, but the Elizabethan language can make it difficult to really understand them. Many guides offer to clarify the meaning, but lose the magic of the words by explaining them away.James Anthony has done something boldly different.He has rewritten the whole series of poems as sonnets using modern language, while retaining the rhythm and rhyme patterns that gives them such power. In doing so he breathes new life into the original poems and opens them up for a modern readership, demystifying Shakespeare’s eternal poetry with provocative new translations and delightful new lines. Presented as an attractive book with the original sonnets facing their new translations, this is a stunning collection of beautiful love poems, made new.

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Sir Stanley Wells is one of the world's greatest authorities on William Shakespeare. Here he brings a lifetime of learning and reflection to bear on some of the most tantalising questions about the poet and dramatist that there are. How did he think, feel, and work? What were his relationships like? What did he believe about death? What made him laugh? This freshly thought and immensely engaging study wrestles with fundamental debates concerning Shakespeare's personality and life. The mysteries of how Shakespeare lived, whom and how he loved, how he worked, how he produced some of the greatest and most abidingly popular works in the history of world literature and drama, have fascinated readers for centuries. This concise, crystalline book conjures illuminating insights to reveal Shakespeare as he was. Wells brings the writer and dramatist alive, in all his fascinating humanity, for readers of today.

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THE NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERWhen Douglas Adams died in 2001, he left behind 60 boxes full of notebooks, letters, scripts, jokes, speeches and even poems. In 42, compiled by Douglas’s long-time collaborator Kevin Jon Davies, hundreds of these personal artefacts appear in print for the very first time.Douglas was as much a thinker as he was a writer, and his artefacts reveal how his deep fascination with technology led to ideas which were far ahead of their time: a convention speech envisioning the modern smartphone, with all the information in the world living at our fingertips; sheets of notes predicting the advent of electronic books; journal entries from his forays into home computing – it is a matter of legend that Douglas bought the very first Mac in the UK; musings on how the internet would disrupt the CD-Rom industry, among others.42 also features archival material charting Douglas’s school days through Cambridge, Footlights, collaborations with Graham Chapman, and early scribbles from the development of Doctor Who, Hitchhiker’s and Dirk Gently. Alongside details of his most celebrated works are projects that never came to fruition, including the pilot for radio programme They’ll Never Play That on the Radio and a space-inspired theme park ride.Douglas’s personal papers prove that the greatest ideas come from the fleeting thoughts that collide in our own imagination, and offer a captivating insight into the mind of one of the twentieth century’s greatest thinkers and most enduring storytellers.

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