The Liar

The Liar (1992) was the first novel by Stephen Fry, recording the life of Adrian Healey, a student at Cambridge University.

Related Topics:
Stephen Fry - Cambridge University

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This book tells a wholly untrue story, taking the reader from the protagonist?s public school days to his life as an adult. Adrian is ?the liar? spoken of in the title. In the beginning, he is also a boy facing the problem that has attacked many a poor, unsuspecting teenager: Love. Adrian, despite having honed an amusing, extrovert image for himself and looking upon sex as his ?public pride?, is in love with the beautiful Hugo Cartwright. Adrian suffers this through his school days, not to mention a tedious job working with potatoes and darker experiences of unrequited love. It is during his University years, though, that the story of his life takes a more extraordinary turn. This is where he meets the slightly eccentric Professor Trefusis, and becomes involved in what may or may not be international espionage.

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The Liar is a hugely funny novel (to back me up on that, I quote the Literary Review who called it ?hilarious?) and it deals with many themes. It is, in part, a gay novel? or maybe more bisexual. It deals with love and its consequences. It deals with lying and its consequences.

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The entire story is told in a charming way, involving equally charming characters, from the protagonist Adrian to his friend Trefusis. It can be a little ?outrageous?, although not more so than a lot of fiction. If nothing else, you?ll probably never look at a Jiffy bag the same way again, after reading about ?Toast by Post?.

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The character of Professor Trefusis makes an appearance in another of Stephen Fry?s books, Paperweight, where you can read twenty two of his radio broadcasts.

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