Fry's English Delight (BBC Audio) -

I can't review this item as the delivery company were useless. I didn't happen to be at home when they tried to deliver and then they didn't bother again. Really unhappy as it was to be a birthday present.

Frys English Delight (0/0 people found this helpful)

i would have liked to have had more details on this cd, whilst it was mildly entertaining it would have been better if it had more information about the contents. whilst it gave insights into old sayings it is not entertaining enough to listen to again,not for me any way.

The Title Rings True - Fry still hits the Right Notes. (1/1 people found this helpful)

I seem to be going through a 'Fry phase' at the moment, as I've just finished the entire series of 'Stephen Fry in America', watched many episodes of 'Jeeves & Wooster' & have listened to his excellent 'Short Stories by Anton Chekhov'. I've even watched his videos debating alongside Christopher Hitchens & have yet to find him annoying, snobbish or arrogant, but rather the model of a renaissance man.

Starting off with a section called 'Current Puns', the English language is dissected in depth by a mixture of academics and amateurs. The comedian who holds the world record for the most jokes told in an hour (Tim Vine, at 499) is asked about how he makes puns & there is also a section on the Pun computer. Fry also analyses different types of puns & ends with one of his favourites (which I'm sorely tempted to tell you, if it weren't for the fact that it would ruin your enjoyment of the CD!)

Section 2 is 'Metaphor'. Many other reviewers have said that Section 1 is the only section worth listening to, but I disagree. This section is arguably the best one, with lots of QI-style insightful gambits. The large quantity of Naval metaphors (e.g. taken aback) are explored in this section, along with 'skeletons of metaphors'. Personally I had no idea that English was so laden with buried metaphors within individual words (e.g. 'sarcastic' meaning 'flesh tearing'). The phrase 'Deep Metaphor' takes on a whole new meaning...

Moving onto CD 2, Section 3 is 'Quotation'. Unlike the 'QI book of Advanced Banter', this is not just a long list of quotes but more an exploration of their nature (although it does include some good ones - e.g. 'Pretentious? Moi??' by Miss Piggy). Fry explores the meme-like nature of quotes & their nature, before looking into some users of quotes (such as Politicians & Celebrities). There is also a section on the institution that is Colemanballs - tawdry, cliched & incongruent quotations made by Football commentators.

Section 4 is 'Cliche', which sounds like a dreadful idea for an ending, but is actually interesting. Cliches aren't just cringe-worthy, but are actually a way of using language efficiently. There are interviews with printers (where the term 'cliche' comes from) & also compilers of Dictionaries of Cliche. This section also explores Tottenham's history with Parrot cliches as well as many other animal-related cliches that seem to plague but also enrich the English language.

Overall I found this CD lived up to expectations & moves me one stage closer to wanting to explore his books again (which initially put me off his work). As yet, I'm still to find anything from Fry's second-wind that hasn't appealed & educated in equal measure. Here's hoping the sequel is as good...

Not much Fry, lots of others. (2/3 people found this helpful)

I was disappointed with this and haven't returned to it since buying it a while ago.
I have a few of Mr Fry's fine audio cd's and was eagerly anticipating this not only for its subject matter, but for another civilised session with his master's voice. But no, he's more of a linksman than a host, and thus the stage is left for any number of self-important people to drone endlessly about narrow slices of this broad language. And the actual linguistic examples for each section quickly deteriorate into unnecessarily crude ones which I found to be very disappointing. Surely we don't need to be given the history of a certain part of a dog's anatomy? It's not particularly funny and becomes even less so as the clock ticks away and yet more time is wasted, and then it is referred to again.... and again.

Every now and then on the tv series QI the humour can stray into the realms of the playground which undermines all the clever quips, and this goes the same way. Only the section on puns is worth hearing, and hardly surprisingly it is the first subject dealt with. The remaining parts 2, 3 and 4 can be left on one side.

I'd say the rent-a-drone folks and their bizarre voices occupy way too much of this and it's been completely mis-represented as a Fry vehicle. He's hardly there.

Wonderful! We still have a rich language! (1/2 people found this helpful)

I had this from my wife as a Christmas present. It has dispelled all the post-holiday blues, banished the icy weather and kept me chuckling ever since. It is a joy to immerse oneself in Fry's exhuberance as he explains the origins of everyday phrases, dissects the metaphors and double meanings. Here is life beyond the txt msge and freedom to speak in whole sentences with those verb things and adjectives nautical, not naughty. Thank you Stephen for the erudition in this edition which was imminent before you were eminent.

Fry's English Delight (BBC Audio)

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Reader Reviews:

Useless Delivery (0/0 people found this helpful)

Frys English Delight (0/0 people found this helpful)

The Title Rings True - Fry still hits the Right Notes. (1/1 people found this helpful)

Not much Fry, lots of others. (2/3 people found this helpful)

Wonderful! We still have a rich language! (1/2 people found this helpful)

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