The Stars' Tennis Balls

Customer Reviews

• 3 out of 5
  
  
  by Carrie from Washington, DC | Jan 13, 2009
  

  Revenge is a modern re-telling of The Count of Monte Cristo. It is very well done, because Fry manages to take the elements of Dumas’ novel that take the most suspension of disbelief and make them believable in a modern setting. It’s a clever twist on an old story – with updated methods of revenge, and a clever twist on the old characters (With puns! The character of the Count’s finance is changed from Mercedes to Portia – hee!). It’s suspenseful as well, a major feat considering that I not only knew the ending but had just read the original a month ago.
  
  While the book does an excellent job in making the story more plausible than Dumas’ version, the modern retelling also highlights the central problem with the book. That is, that while revenge is satisfying to read about, it is not a particularly healthy way to live one's life or the best way to solve problems. While Dumas unreservedly encourages the reader to root for the Count’s plan, Fry’s tale is much more morally ambiguous. His “Count” (here named Ned) has everything a man could want – riches, smarts and fame. Is what happened to him early on that bad, that he should ruin these lesser mens’ lives? Particularly since his early experience is what led him to have these great things? Fry stacks the deck a bit toward ambiguity, in his story three of the four men upon whom revenge is sought were not really seeking to ruin Ned’s life – just to humiliate him a bit, and it all went miserably wrong. In the Dumas original, all the men were seriously trying to ruin Dantes, so it was more satisfying when they were destroyed. Here, Fry presses harder on the question of whether Ned’s cause is a worthy one. Leaving the reader with a clever, action packed book that asks some serious questions about life. What more could you want?
  
  On a side note, Fry, a British author, is probably best known as an actor. He’s been in many, many movies, and is probably best known, in America, at least, as Jeeves in the most recent adaptations of Wodehouse novels (which are absolutely awesome). I’ve read two of his other books, which while more strictly comedic, are fun, too.

  
  
   1 people found this review helpful
  
  

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• 3 out of 5
  
  
  by Patrick from Capistrano Beach, CA | Mar 16, 2008
  

  A modern update of the Count of Monte Cristo revenge tale, set in England between 1980 and the present day. A well written thriller, good for a pleasant diversionary read. Starts off with a very compelling set-up, as the main character is betrayed and then sent off into a mysterious exile, lost to his father and the girl he loves. This is the most plausible part of the book, although some fairly outlandish coincedences and connections occur to make the situation as bad as possible for the main character. The second phase is the most interesting part of the book, as the lead character is mentored by a mysterious stranger during his imprisonment. Of course he escapes, makes his way back to England, and exacts his revenge on those who perpretrated the crimes against him as a young man. The escape and the subsequent events are the least realistic parts of the book, and in some ways most of the drama went out of the story once the main character returned to England.
  
  If you are familiar with the details of the Count of Monte Cristo, you'll find nearly all of them here in this tale. Monte Cristo is one of my favorite old-time adventure tales, but I will admit that it bogs down in some parts, especially towards the end. Stephen Fry's update of the story is much shorter...you can breeze through this easily in a few hours. And I liked this version better in some ways than Alexandre Dumas's original version. For one thing, since the story is set in the modern era, I can relate much better to the means used to betray the main character, and so can almost believe that this sort of thing could take place. But that familiarity created by the modern setting works against itself when we come to the endgame, because the main character manipulates events far too easily for me to buy into the idea that he could get away with such efforts and not be revealed by the press or his enemies for who he is.
  
  One last note about this book that I kind of enjoyed is the depiction of British class and social consciousness. The archvillain of the story (by that I mean that it is his jealousy is what sets the trail of events in motion) is shown at the beginning of the tale to have a fearfully well developed sense of envy of the upper classes, and he aspires to join their ranks while at the same time despising much about what he thinks they stand for. This was a very interesting section of the book, and it comes right at the beginning. I am aware that these kind of class resentments exist in English society, but they seem like very foreign ideas to me as an American. So it was mildly interesting to get a glimpse into the mind of someone who harbors that kind of hatred, though I can't be sure how realistic, exaggerated, or representative this character and his feelings are.
  
  Bottom line: a good thriller for someone looking for pleasure reading. Recommended to anyone who liked the Count of Monte Cristo.

  
  
   1 people found this review helpful
  
  

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• 2 out of 5
  
  
  by Andrew from Knoxville, TN | Jul 27, 2008
  

  Ooo this had so much promise at the beginning. I got so excited when I saw it at the library and got it home. I've enjoyed Fry's other novels so much, and this one started so interesting between the diary and the love letter and then fell into this straight narrative style that not only was conventional, but it seemed that Fry stopped trying. The first two thirds were not bad, but that last act was just awful. I didn't like the protagonist. Never saw any real fire or passion for his revenge, and the actual set-ups were so hacky and contrived. I know Fry is a big supporter of Free speech (who isn't) but the whole internet thing was just poor. I guess I was expecting a complete recontextualizing of the Count of Monte Cristo instead I just got a modern version that replaced hand delivered notes with e-mail. I'll take the Napoleonic version any time.

  
  
   2 people found this review helpful
  
  

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• 5 out of 5
  
  
  by Liam from Bowral, NSW, Australia | Mar 11, 2010
  

  Stephen Fry's book Stars Tennis Balls (a.k.a "Revenge") was possibly one of the best books i have ever read.
  The story's incorporation of a similar plot to The Count of Monte Cristo, with its wicked, sophisticated and disturbing themes, made the novel work on an entirely different level.
  Stephen Fry's ability is unbelievable and after reading this i was taken a peg down. He has this uncanny nack to- through his writing- make you take a look at the characters and their devilish deeds, and say: "Yeah... I could do that".
  You want to be as witty and a dry as one of his protagonists, and you- to an extent- want to have all the vises they have (alchoholism, heavy smoking and a total disregard to people and their feelings).
  However in the real world i am unable. I find i cannot possibly drink as much whisky as they do (although i do really rather well), i find i cannot possibly go through an two packets of Rothmans in one day, and my guilt far outweighs any desire to be abusive and have no reagard to their person.
  Such is life.

  
  

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• 4 out of 5
  
  
  by Christina from Washington, DC | Aug 26, 2009
  

  I originally got this because because it was by Stephen Fry and I'd read and enjoyed The Hippopotamus, even if it was an incredibly weird, almost Sherlock Holmes-ian novel. I started reading it and the lighthearted comedy wasn't there and I kept thinking 'Gosh, this sounds an awful lot like The Count of Monte Cristo.' And then I read the jacket description and realized that it was an update of The Count of Monte Cristo.
  
  Once I realized the framework of the story was not a coincidence, I got hooked. The substantial portion of The Count of Monte Cristo was framing and exacting revenge, but in this book, it seems to happen rather quickly and easily. I think the best adaptations are ones that stay faithful to the source materials but aren't an exact retelling. Fry handles it all rather well, including updating the material, making the main character and even the villains likeable and understandable. The ending is a sucker punch that left me rather shaken (and sent me to goodreads to write a review!). This is the kind of book that makes you think rather than teaching you a lesson.
  
  Also, it is impossible to read a book by Stephen Fry and not hear him narrating it the entire time. Go on, I dare you. You can't. (Unless you don't know who Stephen Fry is, in which case, my goodness, go rent Jeeves & Wooster. Right now. Go on. I'll wait.

  
  

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