Book Review

The Liar

Stephen Fry
Reviewed by Nisid Hajari | Jun 04, 1993
EW's GRADE
B+

Details Writer: Stephen Fry; Genre: Fiction

A lie well told can be a thing of beauty, and the mewling first novel, The Liar, tells several of them. Lascivious and sharp-tongued boy-miscreant Adrian Healey wends his smart-ass way through 1970s Harrow and Oxford, complicating the search for a Hungarian truth machine with his own elaborate fictions. Though British actor-comedian Fry (Peter's Friends) occasionally fumbles the plot, his grasp of cutting dialogue is riotously sure. Adrian launches his devastating verbal ripostes with the accuracy and glee of one who recognizes the larceny in language's heart. B+

Originally posted Jun 04, 1993 Published in issue #173 Jun 04, 1993 Order article reprints

Add your comment

The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. An asterisk * indicates a required field.

500 characters remaining
Advertisement

Today's Most Popular

  1. The Music Mix Blue Ivy Carter makes her photo debut. Commence your freak-out now.
  2. The Music Mix Whitney Houston, superstar of records, films, dies
  3. Inside Movies 'Star Wars': Deleted scene from 'Revenge of the Sith' reveals the fate of Jar Jar Binks -- EXCLUSIVE
  4. Inside Movies Box office update: 'The Vow' leads supercharged Friday with $15.4 mil
  5. PopWatch This Week's Cover: 'The Vampire Diaries'stars talk about the red-hot Damon-Elena-Stefan triangle