Words of wisdom

From the sublime …

“The marvellous thing about a joke with a double meaning is that it can only mean one thing.” Ronnie Barker

… to the sublimely ridiculous but still true…

“A sure cure for seasickness is to sit under a tree.” – Spike Milligan
“Never trust a man, who when left with a tea cosy … Doesn’t try it on.” Billy Connolly.

Now how true is that!

You can find all these plus thousands more at a fab website called http://www.brainyquote.com/

One more quote from Stephen Fry.

I get an urge, like a pregnant elephant, to go away and give birth to a book.

Which is evidently what he’s done. I just hope the book Stephen Fry in America has a more content in it than the TV series which as a six part gallop through all 50 states of the USA has only time to pick out about one or at the most two features or stereotypes per state.
In the first episode, they visited ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, DE, MD, DC and ended up in PA, knocking off 12 in one programme!

Although I enjoyed the programme because Fry is such an intelligent and genial host, I felt totally short-changed by the brevity of each state’s visit. We had no covered bridge in Vermont, no Shakers in Mass. No Ivy League colleges, and no Liberty Bell – how could he miss those American symbols out! Admittedly this was made up for by his chat with an old rich gal in Rhode Island who kept reaching for – and missing her gin – classic.

One of these days someone should do a travel series to do all the states justice – but not a history series, Simon Schama and before him Alastair Cooke have that covered. How about a 12 or 13 parter or even, dare I suggest it, 50!

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Source: Own copy. To explore further on Amazon UK, please click below:
Stephen Fry in Americaby Stephen Fry, illus paperback.

0 thoughts on “Words of wisdom

  1. Ali says:

    I liked it for the fact that he didn’t do the ‘obvious’ hilights of each state. The quirky underbelly usually makes for a better story!But I gather there’s a follow up comissioned for BBC Four of a load of stuff he couldn’t fit into this run.

  2. Annabel Gaskell says:

    I shall look forward to BBC4 immensely. That cheers me up hugely about the series – I may go and look at the book now – It’s half price on Amazon at the mo. I was trying to be ironic when I listed the ‘obvious’, although I confess I was point-scoring during that episode having visited 10 out of 12 of those states!

  3. Cooking The Books says:

    I was really looking forward to this series but the speed with which we shot through each state, one or two only gaining a namecheck and nothing more saddened me. It’s good to hear there will be more on BBC4. I only hope that old dear drank her gin and then spilled some serious beans.

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