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Thoughtful outsiders take on the US by Stephen Fry
- grellas 17y agoI do not always agree with Stephen Fry but find him to be one of the most thoughtful commentators around on almost any subject, full of sharp insights and with a writing and speaking style graced by innumerable felicities. A most worthy follower of P.G. Wodehouse. He even makes poetry interesting ("An Ode Less Travelled" is his quite fascinating book on this otherwise often dull subject). Anyone wanting to develop strong skills in communication would do well to study his style closely. This piece is very long, and even rambling, but a joy to read from the standpoint of style alone.
- llimllib 17y agoI think the style was the only thing that kept me reading... truly smart and smooth.
- deleted 17y ago[deleted]
- cLive 17y agoI was surprised nobody had submitted it to Digg yet... http://digg.com/political_opinion/America_s_Place_In_The_World_a_Stephen_Fry_Essay http://digg.com/political_opinion/America_s_Place_In_The_Wor...
- dkarl 17y agoHe does a wonderful job of putting into words what I, an American, like about the U.S. I'm glad somebody else sees our enthusiasm, optimism, and naivety in the same positive light I sometimes do. I just want to stress that I found his insightful appreciation of the United States the most enjoyable aspect of the article before quoting this most hilarious and quotable criticism: "So let me look again at that holy text: ‘if life gives you lemons, make lemonade.’ Huh? But… but… Lemons are amongst the best and most wonderful gifts of nature. They are adaptable, versatile and delicious. A slice for your gin and tonic – juice to zing life into salads, stews, fish and seafood. Oil and sweetness from the rind and zest that is pure and perfumed and precious. They are a staple of what doctors agree is the best dietary regimen we can follow. So if life gives you lemons, shout ‘Thank you, Life, thank you!’ But the American response is ‘make lemonade,’ in other words – just add sugar and sell it."
- jlees 17y agoI was going to quote that final sentence here, as well. What a phrase to sum up American enterprise throughout the ages! I am, as always, in awe of Colonel Fry.
- grellas 17y agoFor anyone interested, I have posted a link to Mr. Fry's tribute to P.G. Wodehouse, written in 2000. It is entitled "What ho My hero, PG Wodehouse." http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=689217 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=689217 Notable quote: "Without Wodehouse I am not sure that I would be a tenth of what I am today."
- jgamman 17y agomy first thought was Canadian soldiers quoting Shakespeare as they launched across the great lakes...