The premise of the (audio)book is to serve as a narrated version of Carrie Fisher’s one-woman show of the same name. It also serves as an abridged autobiography of sorts, including tales from all eras of Fisher’s life (from childhood to Electro-Convulsive Therapy).
Pros:
- Fisher shares harrowing tales and displays her striking wit, resulting in more than a few genuine laughs from me
- Fisher successfully wears many hats, from a wild auntie who’s the life of the party, a Hollywood veteran with a huge repertoire of stories, and a mental health advocate who’s, “been there, done that.”
Cons:
- I can’t say there was a real through-line of the work. It’s not that every book has to have a message or beat you over the head with morals, but Fisher liberally changes setting and era in her book, giving the proceedings a scattered, almost stream-of-consciousness feel
- The anecdotes are sparsely written. The audiobook comes in at just over 3 hours, which is short for a memoir; many of the memoirs I’ve read clocked in at around 6 or 7 hours. This isn’t necessarily a huge con, but I would advise readers / listeners to adjust their expectations accordingly.
- There were a few really cringe-inducing moments in the book. Notably, this included when she said her father had enough surgery to look Asian, that Russia and Ireland were filled with alcoholics, and that she refused to share a bed platonically with a gay woman she was hosting (because clearly, being gay means you have no boundaries /sarcasm).
- (Nit-pick) Fisher includes a bit about people who share her diagnoses twice
Conclusion:
Ultimately, I think the book is a fun romp. I got to see a side of Fisher that I never would have known otherwise, and I can only applaud her candor. The lack of a through-line, sparse and scattered story-telling, and a few cringe-inducing moments keep it from a 5-star work for me, however.
Check it out here.
You may also enjoy…
- “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” by David Sedaris
- “There’s Nothing In This Book I Meant to Say,” by Paula Poundstone
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