Whoa, that was quite a roller coaster. Stephen Fry has some amazing smarts and linguistic craft, but is (or was) a hot mess emotionally. I could not stop reading, even though at times it was more than I really wanted to know. Something of a therapeutic info-dump, it is undoubtedly energetic, but could have used some pruning perhaps. Though I appreciate how candid and open he is.

I'm glad he turned out OK and able to accept himself, but though he insists it is not to blame for his troubles, really one can't help thinking the English class/school system is seriously messed up. Not that America has much to brag about there.

One also has to imagine that his fate -- after being caught stealing credit cards and going on a spending spree -- would have been quite different if he'd not been white and from an upper class family. Let off on probation, he could go on to Cambridge and an acting career. If he'd been a different color and class I do not believe that would have been so easy.