Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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66 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stephen goes Stateside, 1 Oct 2008
"Oh no, not ANOTHER travel book, written by some jumped-up celebrity hoofing it around some unheard of corner of the world, almost gloating at me, saying 'Look where I am, you're not here, ha ha'...oh, hang on! Stephen Fry, is it? I quite like him. And he's in America? Hmmm...I'm intrigued."
And that's how this book made it into my hands. I don't usually go for books like these, but because it's Stephen Fry, I took the plunge. Am I ever glad I did.
Stephen Fry travels across USA's 50 states on a mission: to discover the real America. As a country everyone seems to have an opinion on, this comes as being very timely. Is the stereotype of the 'Fat Dumb Yankee' fact or fiction?
In the hands of any other author, such a journey would be dull and cliched, always ending with the inevitable 'my perception's completely changed' wrap-up. But such is Stephen Fry's voice, intelligence and wit, that his writing leaps out at you, and you can almost hear his voice booming in your ear as he guides you from Maine to Hawaii in a black cab. His observations and opinions are wonderful; insightful yet humourous, thoughtful yet sharp. What's best is that it allows you to draw your own conclusions. All the evidence is laid out before the reader: it's up to you to make your own assumptions.
This is a book that could be recommended to practically anyone and everyone: it's big, full of lavish pictures and crammed with facts, and can be either dipped into or read cover to cover. It's a perfect companion piece to the upcoming TV series. Brilliant.
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fine milshake of a book: smooth, creamy and satisfying, 28 Oct 2008
Facing the Introduction to this book is a picture of a satisfied "Steve" (Fry's American alter-ego) enjoying a strawberry milkshake in a typical American diner. This sets the tone for what follows.
Fry's Great American Journey is both idiosyncratic and insightful. He present's the country as he finds it: take it or leave it. You be the judge. No doubt some will be disappointed by what is not included, but that is part of the nature of the USA that Fry tries to convey: it is too large and eclectic for anyone (even natives like myself) to get to know all it.
The United States is a giant grab-bag of a nation. Everytime you dip into it you pull out something different: strange, new, old, delightful, appaling or simply intriguing. You cannot stereotype a nation of 300 million people descended from the scrambled cultures of the world and spread over thousands of miles of varying terrain. To his great credit "Stephen" Fry does not attempt to do so. Here is one celebrity travelogue worth reading.
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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
From Cover to Shining Cover, 2 Nov 2008
Having read the three and four star reviews, I had second-thoughts about purchasing 'Stephen Fry in America'. But after purchasing the book on the back of watchin three episodes of the TV programme I was compelled to write a review and it is one of 5 stars, as I'm sure you may be aware of! I can tell you my friends, that this well put together travelogue of a quintessentially Englishman's journey through and into the heart of America is almost definitely a book everyone who 'views' this item on amazon should purchase.
I don't want to slate the former reviews (apart from the 5 star one, great outlook ol' chum) because they're entitled to create their own opinions but they are wrong! To quote Mike D of the Beastie Boys, "I don't speak what I hear, I just say what I know" and this will form the basis of my own review, which I hope will prove informative and may tip the balance in favour of you buying this book. And I am an independent source, I'm not on Stephen Fry's payroll (NB* If he has one, can somebody please get in touch with me).
Firstly, the price of this book, as of 2/10/08 (or to be topical 10/02/08), on Amazon is £9, which is £1 cheaper than the low price of ASDA and Waterstones, is very reasonable especially seeing as it is in hardback and vibrant in colour, and perhaps more central, priceless with in the qualitative and quantitative information it is crammed with.
Fry starts off in Maine, following an interesting and humorous introduction. From the off, one can simply tell that this tale is going to be an insightful and intriguing journey through all 50 states. Fry does not fail to miss out the `little man' which he seems to stress as being so important in the fabric of the American global blanket.
I won't list every single tale from every single encounter in every single tale for I feel it is a story you need to embark upon yourself. But I can tell you he meets one very special Hollywood A-lister, and this isn't even the highlight of the saga!
This very factual and delightfully subjective account avoids falling into that massive cavity of the all-too common `America-bashing', something the man makes clear he is not a fan of. This book is not a fact-by-fact, number-by-number tale but rather an engrossing book which will see you turning the page faster and faster, your fingers will be moving faster than a New York Minute, or faster than a mid-western diner waitress swiftly topping up the `bottomless coffee' of her thirsty patrons.
Stephen Fry, the stand up for America guy! A warming and enlightening tale that is sure to warm up your autumn. Purchase in confidence of owning a great book that I'm sure you will be able to go back to again and again, until Fry embarks upon another such journey, perhaps of England!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
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![Stephen Fry in America [DVD] [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513GUUZOa-L._SL500_SS90_.jpg)
DVD ~ Stephen Fry
by Stephen Fry
by John Lloyd
