Rating: 
Summary: Stephen Fry excels in all he pursues
Review: Consistently tawdry - in the way that having builders next door is consistently irritating. Where someone else might have a minor linking scene 'while dining' or something, Fry will inevitably have it 'while receiving oral sex' or the like. Is it a sex comedy? Partly, inasmuch as immorality is seen as merely amusing, although the typical bedroom farce still treats the act as a big thing, with some sense of taboo. For Fry there's not even a hint of such innocence: for him fifteen year old boys seducing homesick and confused twelve year old boys is innocence. It's almost beyond gratuitous: the sex is just scenery, and not nearly as important as, for example, the undeniably clever wordplay about sex. Although there's even something of the 'Pretty Woman' nonsense about the moral neutrality of prostitution - it means nothing more than any other trade, except that it's more glamorous and pays better. While I'm sure some moralists overstate it, this sort of absurd understatement isn't any better.
There's also an essentially warped view of reality: he is unlikely to see virtue standing right in front of him ('What is truth' said jesting Pilate...) because he projects his own ugly stereotypes: we meet one brother and sister in the book - go straight to 'incest' (I mean, they worked on a farm - what choice does a writer have?). And on a more personal note, there is gross hypocrisy in a writer who'd bridle at yet another absurd Hollywood depiction of a gay man as emotional and neurotic - yet can blithely, and oh so obviously - write off every clergyman with his cliché dumb malicious paedophile. A guy with Fry's education has come across dozens of committed Christian writers, clergy among them (Donne, Carroll, Keirkegaard) of towering intellect, yet in this case he chooses the Daily Mirror approach to character insight.
If you can habituate yourself to the constant seedy action (and it's disturbingly easy to do so given years of sexually oriented pop-culture; most of the raving critics in the liner notes don't even seem to notice), the language itself is drenched with wit. This is not merely a prurient cynic's mistaken 'exposé'. Fry is really far more interested in words than bodies, and he's extremely good with them. The sentences are a pleasure in themselves (think Wodehouse or Chandler, although where they often brought it home with a witty simile, Fry is funny in a dozen different ways, including ingenious puns).
Critics often laud Fry's intelligence too (and he is undoubtedly smart), but I think a lot of this is mistaking his public school education and consequent vocabulary of literary 'in-jokes' and allusions for intellect. He's grown up on classical texts, but that doesn't make, for example, his bawdy line about the statue Eros 'burying his shaft down Shaftsbury avenue' any more intelligent than someone in primary school teasing Richard Little by shortening his first name to 'Dick' (ho ho) and reversing surname and Christian name (ha ha!). But because Fry can place this pun in the context of his knowledge of the myth of Eros and Psyche - this is classed as intelligent wit.
That being said, Fry sets himself up for an enormous fall when he describes his central character as a prodigy of wit. Yet unlike just about any popular thriller writer (eg. Lustbader, Clancy) who claim perceptive, sophisticated heroes but actually paint dumb thugs, Fry comes through above and beyond. The dialogue is constantly sharp, funny, and slap-in-the-face incisive. There are a thousand of the excellent 'Black Adder' style ripostes, and some tougher ones as well. I suppose that's why I've still got the book on my shelf and gave it a 'recommended' rating. For humour and wit it's an easy 'A'; for offensiveness it's an easy 'F'.
It's actually very easy to compartmentalise the book. Read it for the wit and the style (unless you just can't cope with flagrant immorality as everyday background).
Characters? You'll only get insight into the one character that Fry appears to be interested in: himself. He even describes the sensation of feeling that the rest of the world are just bit players in your own personal drama: a common enough adolescent feeling, but not one I'm sure he's ever shed. I wonder whether he's ever got past the habit of scanning a room and then honing in on the one or two people 'worth talking too'. He's not an out and out misanthrope; rather only a fraction of people in the world are of any interest to him (i.e. the people most like himself who can play with words or, at least, get his word plays because of a shared educational heritage). The central character virtually becomes the only other major character in the book, Trefusis, parroting him in the final scene to a new potential protégé.
Plot? Well, it is interesting that he breaks up the chronology, though not essential. There is also an odd departure: suddenly about three quarters of the way through we're in a spy novel (hinted at in a single teasing aberrant scene in the prologue). It hasn't been woven in to the rest of the story, it's just stuck on the end, and actually quite optional. On its own it's even a bit weak, with a 'and then he woke up' style conclusion that doesn't quite work. But you've been given plenty of other diversions, so you don't mind so much - he might get better at this plot thingy later.
Rating: 
Summary: Unpredictable romp
Review: Fry's first novel is a more-than-promising debut, a novel of magnificent flights-of-fanciful wordplay within a complex structure of shifting time and points-of-view. It's not perfect, by all means, but it more than makes up for its little faux pas with the sheer audacity of its style and scope. The book centers around the life of one Adrian Healey, a boy-man who is an incontrovertible prevaricator. We meet Adrian at English public school, and instantly we are charmed. While he is no role-model, his is the type of quick wit that most of us would like to have. And since the point-of-view is Adrian's, we also come to understand some of the seedier aspects of his soul. The delivery is similar to Tom Brown's Schooldays or the "boy's school" novels that Wodehouse wrote before he started righting the record of valets and aunts.To this plebeian plot Fry overlays a post-Cold War bit of skullduggery, full of code names and mysterious packages, sudden deaths and people described simply by the type of clothing they are wearing. There is a definite link between the two plots from the beginning, but the ties that bind are less than apparent. It is in this Fleming/Carre subplot where the novel slacks off a bit, but even when the novel seems to have finally turned a predictable corner, you discover that Fry's quite the sly one. Like a lie repeated over time, everything seems to make sense until it all adds up and doesn't. Let me assure you, you will not be able to predict where this novel is going.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent humour for Anglophiles
Review: Having lived in England, I understood all of Fry's references and witticisms. Americans might be lost on some of the mentions, but should read it nonetheless. It is a quick and addicting read. What a wonderful book!
Rating:
Summary: Wit and a love for the English language
Review: I put myself at a disadvantage by reading Stephen Fry's second novel, The Hippopotamus, before reading The Liar. In so doing, I fostered expectations that The Liar would not live up to. The Hippopotamus is a much funnier, racier and scathingly witty work than Fry's first novel. But, after the initial shock of having my expectations dashed, I was rather pleasantly surprised at how engaging, charming and unpredictable this novel is. Well, okay, I wasn't really all that surprised. Stephen Fry is so good a writer that one book--one chapter in fact--is enough to convince you he is unlikely to disappoint. Fry writes with such clarity, flare and adeptness that one is left basking in the sheer joy of the English language. Fry lifts the veil of dreadfully dry, pretentiously hip, consciously urban and premeditatedly mainstream English that dominates literature today to reveal a language that is once again fresh, smart, vibrant, intellectual and tantalizingly naughty. Delightful! Forget that The Liar is chock full of sordid trysts (real, imagined and fabricated), homosexual and bisexual liaisons and scandalous accusations about the sexual traditions of English public schools, this is a masterful book in language alone. But if that is not enough for you, The Liar is also an exciting and maze-like blend of international intrigue, murder, teenage male prostitution and the coming of age of a pathological liar of the first degree. Or is it? You're never really sure which way's up in this book until Fry brings things to a last-minute wrap-up that would be the envy of even the most devious mystery writer. Is the Liar funny? Yes, but in a wholly different way than The Hippopotamus. It is possibly a more conventional a novel than the one immediately following it, less bizarre in its plot and less mysterious throughout. But in construction it is more compelling, intermingling episodes from different times in the Liar's life in such a way that the act of story telling itself entices the reader on. Add to that the espionage theme and the appalling escapades of Adrian, the Liar, and you end up with a novel that is hard to put down, is a smart and witty read and completely worth your time.
Rating:
Summary: Masterful, like its author
Review: Stephen Fry has done it again. The Liar is a beautifully hilarious novel that captures colorfully, the life inside an all boys private school. The main character is the image of confused teenage angst portrayed wonderfully by Fry in an intelligent and humurous manner. I honestly laughed out loud the entire way through and i recomemd this novel to anyone who enjoys off-the-wall comedy and good old fashioned dirty fun.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant debut novel from the British actor/playwright!
Review: Stephen Fry is mainly known in the United States for his television roles (Jeeves & Wooster, Black Adder; both on PBS), and lately for a few film roles (Peter's Friends, I.Q.) Gifted as he is for acting, Stephen Fry is also known in his native England for his astute observations of society and the world we live in. He had his own column in the London Daily Telegraph, and was contracted to rewrite the play Me & My Gal. "The Liar" is his first novel. Reading this book, you come to appreciate how knowledgeable Fry is about culture--especially literature and music. Poetic imagery abounds in his descriptions of otherwise mundane things. Laced throughout is the characteristic wit (call it "Fry Dry" wit!) which will keep a smile on your face from start to finish. The story is about Adrian, a young man who fabricates most of what he says (hence, the Liar) and, pathological as he is (or is he?), he is still the hero and you want to know in what situation he will find himself next. This book may not be a page-turner, but it is definitely a fun read. Take it with you on your next vacation! This book won't embarrass you on the beach. Everyone that I have recommended this book to has loved it, and ended up buying Fry's follow-up novel, "The Hippopotamus," which has just been released in trade paperback format. That too, is a great read, but that is another review altogether
Rating:
Summary: multi-layered and clever, a thoroughly enjoyable novel
Review: Stephen Fry's novel THE LIAR is a highly entertaining and original read. Comedic situations range from ironic to hilarious. The author's acting experience has apparently influenced his writing; this book is quite visual. The videotaped school meeting scene in Chapter 6 is a cool blend of clever dialog and slapstick humor (I'd never READ slapstick before this!). And although the book is billed as Comedy, there are in fact several scenes that are quite touching. . . . Americans may have some trouble with specifically British references, yet as shown in the following paragraph (in which Adrian and Prof. Trefusis leave school on a mysterious mission) descriptions are rich, and context explains most of what one needs to know about the scene, Horlicks notwithstanding: . . . >> The interior of the car smelt of Merton Park thrillers, Bakelite headsets and the Clothes Ration. It only needed the profile of Edgar Wallace or the voice of Edgar Lustgarten to sweep Adrian and Trefusis, with bells ringing, into a raincoat and Horlicks Britain of glistening pavements, trilbied police inspectors and poplin shirts. So familiar was the odour, so complete the vision it evoked as they swung with a whine of gears out of the college gates and onto the Trumpington Road, that Adrian could almost believe in reincarnation. He had never smelt that precise smell before, yet it was as familiar as his own socks. << . . . I recommend THE LIAR to anyone who wants to luxuriate in good writing. It's like a fine multi-layered wine. Take your time and enjoy it! - Terry Cox-Horton
Rating:
Summary: A good introduction to Stephen Fry
Review: Stephen Fry, for those of you who don't know him, is an archetypal Brit in the Monty Python sense of the word. Outrageously funny and original, he can easily be likened to Oscar Wilde. In Britain, Fry is the darling of the television public, with numerous appearances both in TV series and also on chat shows. He is also well known and regarded as raconteur, newspaper columnist, actor and writer, where he is refreshingly open about his own sexual ambiguity. The Liar seems in some way to hint at an autobiography (though this was fully achieved in his later book, 'Moab is my Washpot'). Adrian Healey - Fry's protagonist - is an overachiever with no sense of right or wrong as he passes through school into university with little effort and much disrespect. There, he is challenged by Professor Donal Trefusis to produce a truly original work. Adrian seemingly achieves this, though Trefusis appears to know better. From this point on, the story moves cleverly forward, leading into strange territory and the recesses of Stephen Fry's mind. If irreverent, taboo-busting, sexually explicit writing disturbs you, stay away from this book. If, on the other hand, you are open-minded enough to enjoy outrageous, in-your-face British humour, you should give 'The Liar' a test drive. I am often quoted as saying that Europeans read American literature but that Americans seem loathe to reciprocate. Well here's your chance to begin to understand the cultural differences that make us so alike yet so unique. You may not always understand the references to cricket. You may not always appreciate the British Public School jargon. But then we, too, get totally lost with the seemingly incomprehensible rules of baseball, and the unintelligible street talk of American youth. Stephen Fry has a razor sharp mind and a very special wit. His story won't disappoint, and his storytelling is a literary treasure.
Rating:
Summary: Thankyou.
Review: Thankyou, Stephan Fry. Every day I read and read and read. Rarely do I laugh and cry and think so much as I have today. Why? Today I read The Liar.
Rating:
Summary: Great Beginning!
Review: This book captivated me right from the beginning. Stephen Fry uses language in the most beautiful way, and paints a spectacular picture of young Adrian Healey's life. I loved how he interplayed Adrian at Public School, and Adrian at Cambridge. "The Liar" starts out as a story about a person's feelings and identity, and is strongest when it sticks to those themes. Unfortunately, as others have mentioned, the spy story that is threaded throughout the novel is just a disruption. I feel that plots should strengthen authors' themes, and the plot of this book is actually detrimental to it. Also, I didn't feel that there was much of a resolution to Adrian's identity, suddenly everything is fine and dandy with him. I would however recommend this book to people. It is very entertaining and thought provoking, just don't expect too much with the ending.
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