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Fry's Ties

Discover the life and ties of Stephen Fry

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Fry's Ties

By: Stephen Fry
Narrated by: Stephen Fry, Juliet Stevenson
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Every single one of Stephen Fry's ties - whether floral, fluorescent, football themed; striped or spotty, outrageous or simply debonair - tells an intimate tale about a moment in Stephen's life.

Inspired by Stephen's hugely popular Instagram posts, this book will celebrate his expansive collection of man's greatest clothing companion: The Tie, in all it's sophisticated glory.

Distinctively funny and offering witty asides, facts and personal stories, this book will make the perfect gift for anyone who has ever worn a tie.

© Stephen Fry 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

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Critic Reviews

What do ties matter, Jeeves, at a time like this?' 'There is no time, sir, at which ties do not matter'
A well-tied tie is the first serious step in life (Oscar Wilde)
Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society (Mark Twain)
All stars
Most relevant
This just goes to show that an outstandingly clever and witty raconteur can make a listenable story from something as mundane as his tie collection. Of course, Stephen's ties are not just any ties, but it takes someone of his brilliance to talk for four hours about them. And it's not just the ties - it's who made them, who designed them, where he acquired them, where he wore them, and the social environment at the time, all peppered with quirky anecdotes. It's not profound, there are plenty of other Fry offerings in the 'very serious' category, but it's sharp and it's fun and a very pleasant break from the woes of the world.

Very clever

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Super cute narration by Stephen about his coulorful array of ties. Nice little filler between books.

Lovely!

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Ferreting through his wardrobe during lockdown, Stephen Fry started posting photos of his ties on Instagram with short reflections on their makers and designers, how he acquired them, or how they relate to events in his life. The book encompasses and expands on these. He starts the collection with an overview of the rise and fall of the tie in men’s fashion and what set him on the path of dressing the way he does. It’s not earth-shattering or deep, but it’s not trivial either. What you get is a light, occasionally charming, sometimes amusing series of descriptions of the ties and observations about them. It’s very British and people outside the UK will not relate to some of the stores’ or tailors’ names. The book appears to have photos of the ties in question, whereas the audiobook relies on verbal descriptions, which seems like an awkward way to present them. On the plus side, the audiobook showcases Stephen Fry’s wonderful tones and gently comic musings.

Anecdotes about Stephen Fry’s tie collection

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This is a collection of past social media posts and it shows. I like Stephen Fry as an author and narrator and did enjoy this but it wasn’t his best. It also highlighted just how far apart the classes still are!

You can tell it’s cobbled together

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