Saviez-vous que le fils d'Apollon a failli brûler la terre en jouant avec le char solaire de son divin père ? Que Psyché est entourée de deux vilaines belles-soeurs prêtes à tout pour ruiner son histoire d'amour avec Éros ? Ou que Sisyphe a passé les menottes à la Mort en personne ? La mythologie grecque racontée par le facétieux Stephen Fry est un délice. D'un ton décalé et piquant, mais toujours avec la rigueur et l'infinie tendresse qui le caractérisent, l'artiste anglais aux multiples talents capture ces mythes extraordinaires dont la modernité vous frappe à chaque page.
The brilliant and outrageous debut novel from British actor, comedian, author, presenter, journalist and national treasure, Stephen Fry.Stephen Fry's breathtakingly outrageous debut novel, by turns eccentric, shocking, brilliantly comic and achingly romantic. 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.The Liar is a thrilling, sophisticated and laugh out loud hilarious novel from a brilliantly talented writer.
Stephen Fry's The Ode Less Travelled provides us with a witty and entertaining guide to the mysteries of writing poetry..Stephen Fry believes that if you can speak and read English you can write poetry. But it is no fun if you don't know where to start or have been led to believe that Anything Goes.Stephen, 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.
Ted Wallace is an old, sour, womanising, cantankerous, whisky-sodden beast 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.With this funny and deliciously readable novel, Stephen Fry takes his place as one of the most talented comic novelists of his generation.
A novel of ideas - comical, historical, frightening and unputdownable.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. Making History is funny, moving, romantic and told with Stephen Fry's characteristic skill and brilliance.
A compelling novel of revenge told with wit and skill.Ned Maddstone has the world at his feet. He is handsome, talented and about to go to Cambridge, after which he is expected to follow his father into politics. 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. Inspired by the Count of Monte Cristo, Fry's psychological thriller is written with the pace, wit and shrewd insight that we have come to expect from one of our finest novelists.
A delightful compendium of writings that perfectly express the wit and wisdom of Stephen Fry.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.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Featured in the PBS documentary The Harvey Girls: Opportunity Bound
The legendary life and entrepreneurial vision of Fred Harvey helped shape American culture and history for three generations--from the 1880s all the way through World War II--and still influence our lives today in surprising and fascinating ways. Now award-winning journalist Stephen Fried re-creates the life of this unlikely American hero, the founding father of the nation’s service industry, whose remarkable family business civilized the West and introduced America to Americans.
Appetite for America is the incredible real-life story of Fred Harvey--told in depth for the first time ever--as well as the story of this country’s expansion into the Wild West of Bat Masterson and Billy the Kid, of the great days of the railroad, of a time when a deal could still be made with a handshake and the United States was still uniting. As a young immigrant, Fred Harvey worked his way up from dishwasher to household name: He was Ray Kroc before McDonald’s, J. Willard Marriott before Marriott Hotels, Howard Schultz before Starbucks. His eating houses and hotels along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroad (including historic lodges still in use at the Grand Canyon) were patronized by princes, presidents, and countless ordinary travelers looking for the best cup of coffee in the country. Harvey’s staff of carefully screened single young women--the celebrated Harvey Girls--were the country’s first female workforce and became genuine Americana, even inspiring an MGM musical starring Judy Garland.
With the verve and passion of Fred Harvey himself, Stephen Fried tells the story of how this visionary built his business from a single lunch counter into a family empire whose marketing and innovations we still encounter in myriad ways. Inspiring, instructive, and hugely entertaining, Appetite for America is historical biography that is as richly rewarding as a slice of fresh apple pie--and every bit as satisfying.
*With two photo inserts featuring over 75 images, and an appendix with over fifty Fred Harvey recipes, most of them never-before-published.
From the Hardcover edition.
The original bestselling autobiography by the comedian, novelist and national treasure, Stephen Fry.Moab is My Washpot is in turns funny, shocking, tender, delicious, sad, lyrical, bruisingly frank and addictively readable.Stephen Fry's bestselling memoir tells how, sent to a boarding school 200 miles from home at the age of seven, he survived 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 to which we have become accustomed, but with shocking candour too. In an age of glossy celebrity autobiographies, Moab is My Washpot sets the high standard to which others should aspire.
We take our medicines on faith. We assume our doctors are well-informed, our drug companies scrupulous, our FDA diligent--and our medications safe. All too often we're wrong. Just how wrong is documented in this critically acclaimed portrait of the international pharmaceutical industry by one of our most highly respected investigative journalists.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), adverse drug reactions are the fourth leading cause of death in America. Reactions to prescription and over-the-counter medications kill far more people annually than all illegal drug use combined.
Stephen Fried's wife took a pill for a minor infection--and ended up in the emergency room. Some drug reactions go away in a few hours or days. Diane's did not. This emotionally wrenching experience launched Fried into a five-year examination of the entire pharmaceutical industry, the most profitable legal business in the world. Rigorously documented, Bitter Pills is a full-scale portrait of pill making and pill taking in America today, presented through the powerful human drama of doctors, patients, drug companies, the FDA, and government regulators as they war for control of our medicine cabinets.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
A distinct departure from his popular comic novels, this haunting, provocative tale of wrongful imprisonment and violent retribution is Stephen Fry's first thriller. A brilliant recasting of the classic story The Count of Monte Cristo, Revenge crackles with the wit and intelligence readers have come to expect from this hugely talented author, actor, and comedian, yet it reveals an intriguingly deep, much darker side of his imagination.
Ned Maddstone is a happy, charismatic Oxford-bound seventeen-year-old whose rosy future is virtually preordained. Handsome, confident, and talented, newly in love with bright, beautiful Portia, his father an influential MP, Ned enjoys an existence of boundless opportunity. But privilege makes him an easy target for envy, and in the course of one day Ned's charmed life is changed forever. A promise made to a dying teacher combined with a prank devised by a jealous classmate mutates bewilderingly into a case of mistaken arrest and incarceration. Drugged and disoriented, Ned finds himself a political prisoner in a nightmarish, harrowing exile, far from home and lost to those he loves. Years pass before an apparently mad, obviously brilliant fellow inmate reawakens the younger man's intellect and resurrects his will to live. The chilling consequences of Ned's recovery are felt worldwide.
While Revenge breaks new ground with its taut plotting, exhilarating pace, and underlying air of menace, its sophistication and irreverent humor are vintage Fry--a gloriously rich mix that only he could deliver. His first novel in four years is a dramatic, powerful tour de force that is sure to enlarge the American audience for this singularly talented author's work.
From the Hardcover edition.
Why do men hog the remote? Refuse to stop and ask for directions? Have such a hard time sharing their emotions? Why can't they drop their socks in the laundry basket instead of near it? What does a man mean when he says "uh-huh"? (No, it doesn't always mean he's not listening.)
In his wickedly observant collection of essays, Stephen Fried, widely praised as an investigative journalist, turns his attention to the subject of marriage-his own and others'. The result is a daring, provocative, often hilarious read that throws incisive light on mysteries that have long plagued womankind: the inner workings of the male mind.
Originally published as a series of popular columns in Ladies' Home Journal--and now compiled in one volume at the request of his enthusiastic readers--Fried's pitch-perfect essays fearlessly tackle the realities of love, sex, and marriage with both wit and tenderness. Drawing from candid conversations with fellow husbands as well as with his own wife, Fried's eye-opening work will surprise, disarm, entertain--and tell you more about the man in your life than you could ever learn by asking him.
From the Hardcover edition.
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.Stephen Fry is an award-winning comedian, actor, presenter and director. He rose to fame alongside Hugh Laurie in A Bit of Fry and Laurie (which he co-wrote with Laurie) and Jeeves and Wooster, and was unforgettable as Captain Melchett in Blackadder. He also presented Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, his groundbreaking documentary on bipolar disorder, to huge critical acclaim. His legions of fans tune in to watch him host the popular quiz show QI each week.
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, HEROESOrder TROY now, Stephen Fry's bewitching retelling of the most legendary story ever toldIn this companion to his bestselling Mythos, Stephen Fry gloriously retells the epic myths of the Greek heroes - which will be loved by young and old alike. '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. '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' Herald___________If you like the sound of Heroes, you'll love Mythos - Fry's first foray into the enthralling world of Greek mythology. Praise 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
Stephen Fry's secret wife speaks out at last...Enjoyed a nice cuppa this morning with a HobNob & Jeremy Kyle. There was a woman on there who'd been married 16 years without realising her husband was gay. Extraordinary! Which reminds me, it's our 16th
Comedian and actor Stephen Fry?s witty and practical guide, now in paperback, gives the aspiring poet or student the tools and confidence to write and understand poetry.
Stephen Fry believes that if one can speak and read English, one can write poetry. In The Ode Less Travelled, he invites readers to discover the delights of writing poetry for pleasure and provides the tools and confidence to get started. Through enjoyable exercises, witty insights, and simple step-by-step advice, Fry introduces the concepts of Metre, Rhyme, Form, Diction, and Poetics.
Most of us have never been taught to read or write poetry, and so it can seem mysterious and intimidating. But Fry, a wonderfully competent, engaging teacher and a writer of poetry himself, sets out to correct this problem by explaining the various elements of poetry in simple terms, without condescension. Fry?s method works, and his enthusiasm is contagious as he explores different forms of poetry: the haiku, the ballad, the villanelle, and the sonnet, among many others. Along the way, he introduces us to poets we?ve heard of but never read. The Ode Less Travelled is not just the survey course you never took in college, it?s a lively celebration of poetry that makes even the most reluctant reader want to pick up a pencil and give it a try.
P G Wodehouse saw his first article published when still at school, and he went on to become the leading humour writer of the twentieth century. He created characters famous across the English-speaking world, such as Rupert Psmith, Stanley Ukridge, Uncle Fred, the inhabitants of the Drones Club, Bertie Wooster and Jeeves, and Lord Emsworth and his beloved Empress, all of whom remain as popular today as they were when they first appeard all those years ago. But behind all the brilliant metaphors that make us laugh out loud, there is a surprising background of reality. Wodehouse didn't create his stories from scratch; he used real settings and exaggerated the characteristics of people he knew. With examples of Wodehouse's unique imagery, this book follows the development and progress of his legendary characters, tells us where Wodehouse got his ideas from and demonstrates why his admirers included Bertrand Russell, Berthold Brecht, George Orwell, Rudyard Kipling and the Kaiser. This informative little book is a must for all fans of P G Wodehouse.
**A New York Times Bestseller**
Patrick J. Kennedy, the former congressman and youngest child of Senator Ted Kennedy, details his personal and political battle with mental illness and addiction, exploring mental health care's history in the country alongside his and every family's private struggles.
On May 5, 2006, the New York Times ran two stories, “Patrick Kennedy Crashes Car into Capitol Barrier” and then, several hours later, “Patrick Kennedy Says He'll Seek Help for Addiction.” It was the first time that the popular Rhode Island congressman had publicly disclosed his addiction to prescription painkillers, the true extent of his struggle with bipolar disorder and his plan to immediately seek treatment. That could have been the end of his career, but instead it was the beginning.
Since then, Kennedy has become the nation’s leading advocate for mental health and substance abuse care, research and policy both in and out of Congress. And ever since passing the landmark Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act--and after the death of his father, leaving Congress--he has been changing the dialogue that surrounds all brain diseases.
A Common Struggle weaves together Kennedy's private and professional narratives, echoing Kennedy's philosophy that for him, the personal is political and the political personal. Focusing on the years from his 'coming out' about suffering from bipolar disorder and addiction to the present day, the book examines Kennedy's journey toward recovery and reflects on Americans' propensity to treat mental illnesses as "family secrets."
Beyond his own story, though, Kennedy creates a roadmap for equality in the mental health community, and outlines a bold plan for the future of mental health policy. Written with award-winning healthcare journalist and best-selling author Stephen Fried, A Common Struggle is both a cry for empathy and a call to action.
From the Hardcover edition.
This book has been written for PACES candidates by a team of authors who are themselves recent PACES candidates. Frustrated by the lack of suitable revision material available, the authors drew upon their own experiences of studying and the exam to create this concise revision aid.
Presented in a case study format to match the exam, the book has an informal writing style. The syllabus for the exam has been reviewed extensively by the authors and, whilst ensuring that the book covers all the essential information, obscure cases are not featured.
Designed to fit in a white coat pocket for 'on the job' study, the structure of the material guides the reader through self-directed learning.
Cases for PACES provides a concise study aid to Part II of the MRCP examination; the Practical Assessment of Clinical Examination Skills or PACES. The new edition of this very popular study guide has been completely updated, and now includes scenarios for Station 5, introduced in October 2009. Featuring a `case study' format that matches the style of the exam, it includes all the essential information - perfect for on-the-ward revision and study. Written by authors who remember their own PACES examination, their experience in learning and teaching PACES is condensed to provide exactly what you need to know to pass. With its informal style, Cases for PACES is also ideal for self-directed learning in groups, and will help you hone your clinical skills and boost your confidence in the run-up to the examination. For more titles to help you prepare for MRCP examinations go to www.wileymedicaleducation.com
Cases for PACES is concise, ideal for quick reference, and the perfect study aid to Part II of the MRCP examination. Including all the essential information for the exam in colour-coded sections for each station, it lets you quickly understand the most common cases.
Now in full colour, it features new case material, updated content on ethics and law, and revised brief clinical consultations that better reflect the current exam. Cases for PACES also includes hints and tips for preparing for the exam, and what to expect on the day.
The authors have condensed their own experiences in learning and teaching PACES to provide you with exactly what you need to pass. With its informal style it is ideal for self-directed learning in groups, and will help you hone your clinical skills and boost your confidence throughout your revision.
