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Title Wishful Drinking
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Author Carrie Fisher
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Genre Autobiography
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Pages 156
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Publisher Simon & Schuster
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Copyright 2008
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Synopsis (from web-site)
Finally, after four hit novels, Carrie Fisher comes clean (well, sort of ) with the crazy truth that is her life in her first-ever memoir. In Wishful Drinking, adapted from her one-woman stage show, Fisher reveals what it was really like to grow up a product of "Hollywood in-breeding," come of age on the set of a little movie called Star Wars, and become a cultural icon and bestselling action figure at the age of nineteen. Intimate, hilarious, and sobering, Wishful Drinking is Fisher, looking at her life as she best remembers it (what do you expect after electroshock therapy?). It's an incredible tale: the child of Hollywood royalty -- Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher – home wrecked by Elizabeth Taylor, marrying (then divorcing, then dating) Paul Simon, having her likeness merchandized on everything from Princess Leia shampoo to PEZ dispensers, learning the father of her daughter forgot to tell her he was gay, and ultimately waking up one morning and finding a friend dead beside her in bed. Wishful Drinking, the show, has been a runaway success. Entertainment Weekly declared it "drolly hysterical" and the Los Angeles Times called it a "Beverly Hills yard sale of juicy anecdotes." This is Carrie Fisher at her best -- revealing her worst. She tells her true and outrageous story of her bizarre reality with her inimitable wit, unabashed self-deprecation, and buoyant, infectious humor.
Why I read It
Heard a very funny interview with Carrie Fisher on NPR’s Wait, Wait, Don’t tell me. She was a guest on the “It’s not my job” segment. In it she mentions the book and shares some stories from it.
The Good
She is brutally honest and doesn’t avoid any of the hard truths about her life. At the same time she manages to be very funny. The discussion on whether her daughter and Elizabeth Taylor’s grandson (who were dating) were related is worth the read alone. It really lays out the pitfalls of the Hollywood life and multiple marriages can lead too.
The Bad
Can be a bit brutal for some, but it was her life. If you want to keep your nerd boy Princess Leia image do not read this book.
The Ugly (my opinion)
The shallow gossipy side of me loved this book. I also like learning the truth behind the public image that we are usually presented with. Great fun and an interesting what it means to be labeled and branded at such a young age.
The Truth? (other reviews)
Entertainment Weekly
Salon
Mormon Mentions
None.
Author Biography
Carrie Fisher has been a compelling force in the film industry since her feature film debut opposite Warren Beatty in the 1975 hit Shampoo. The daughter of Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, she became a cultural icon when she played Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy. Her star-studded career includes roles in countless films such as Austin Powers, The Blues Brothers, The Burbs, Charlie’s Angels, Garbo Talks, Hannah and her Sisters, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, The Man with One Red Shoe, Scream 3, This is My Life, When Harry Met Sally, and Wonderland. In 1987, Fisher’s book, Postcards from the Edge, leapt onto the New York Times’ bestseller list and netted her the Los Angeles Pen Award for Best First Novel. Three more bestsellers followed: Delusions of Grandma, Surrender the Pink, and The Best Awful. Fisher turned Postcards into a screenplay for the hit film starring Shirley MacLaine and Meryl Streep, Her writing has also appeared in Details, Harpers Bazaar, the New York Times, Travel & Leisure, Vogue, and many other major publications. Fisher hosted her own show on the Oxygen network, Conversations from the Edge. Her television credits range all the way from Laverne and Shirley to Sex and the City, with recent appearances on popular programs such as 30 Rock and Weeds. Her experiences with addiction and bipolar disorder—and her willingness to speak honestly about them—have made her a sought-after speaker and respected advocate for these communities.
Title Wishful Drinking
-------------+----------------------------------------
Author Carrie Fisher
-------------+----------------------------------------
Genre Autobiography
-------------+----------------------------------------
Pages 156
-------------+----------------------------------------
Publisher Simon & Schuster
-------------+----------------------------------------
Copyright 2008
-------------+----------------------------------------
Synopsis (from web-site)
Finally, after four hit novels, Carrie Fisher comes clean (well, sort of ) with the crazy truth that is her life in her first-ever memoir. In Wishful Drinking, adapted from her one-woman stage show, Fisher reveals what it was really like to grow up a product of "Hollywood in-breeding," come of age on the set of a little movie called Star Wars, and become a cultural icon and bestselling action figure at the age of nineteen. Intimate, hilarious, and sobering, Wishful Drinking is Fisher, looking at her life as she best remembers it (what do you expect after electroshock therapy?). It's an incredible tale: the child of Hollywood royalty -- Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher – home wrecked by Elizabeth Taylor, marrying (then divorcing, then dating) Paul Simon, having her likeness merchandized on everything from Princess Leia shampoo to PEZ dispensers, learning the father of her daughter forgot to tell her he was gay, and ultimately waking up one morning and finding a friend dead beside her in bed. Wishful Drinking, the show, has been a runaway success. Entertainment Weekly declared it "drolly hysterical" and the Los Angeles Times called it a "Beverly Hills yard sale of juicy anecdotes." This is Carrie Fisher at her best -- revealing her worst. She tells her true and outrageous story of her bizarre reality with her inimitable wit, unabashed self-deprecation, and buoyant, infectious humor.
Why I read It
Heard a very funny interview with Carrie Fisher on NPR’s Wait, Wait, Don’t tell me. She was a guest on the “It’s not my job” segment. In it she mentions the book and shares some stories from it.
The Good
She is brutally honest and doesn’t avoid any of the hard truths about her life. At the same time she manages to be very funny. The discussion on whether her daughter and Elizabeth Taylor’s grandson (who were dating) were related is worth the read alone. It really lays out the pitfalls of the Hollywood life and multiple marriages can lead too.
The Bad
Can be a bit brutal for some, but it was her life. If you want to keep your nerd boy Princess Leia image do not read this book.
The Ugly (my opinion)
The shallow gossipy side of me loved this book. I also like learning the truth behind the public image that we are usually presented with. Great fun and an interesting what it means to be labeled and branded at such a young age.
The Truth? (other reviews)
Entertainment Weekly
Salon
Mormon Mentions
None.
Author Biography
Carrie Fisher has been a compelling force in the film industry since her feature film debut opposite Warren Beatty in the 1975 hit Shampoo. The daughter of Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, she became a cultural icon when she played Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy. Her star-studded career includes roles in countless films such as Austin Powers, The Blues Brothers, The Burbs, Charlie’s Angels, Garbo Talks, Hannah and her Sisters, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, The Man with One Red Shoe, Scream 3, This is My Life, When Harry Met Sally, and Wonderland. In 1987, Fisher’s book, Postcards from the Edge, leapt onto the New York Times’ bestseller list and netted her the Los Angeles Pen Award for Best First Novel. Three more bestsellers followed: Delusions of Grandma, Surrender the Pink, and The Best Awful. Fisher turned Postcards into a screenplay for the hit film starring Shirley MacLaine and Meryl Streep, Her writing has also appeared in Details, Harpers Bazaar, the New York Times, Travel & Leisure, Vogue, and many other major publications. Fisher hosted her own show on the Oxygen network, Conversations from the Edge. Her television credits range all the way from Laverne and Shirley to Sex and the City, with recent appearances on popular programs such as 30 Rock and Weeds. Her experiences with addiction and bipolar disorder—and her willingness to speak honestly about them—have made her a sought-after speaker and respected advocate for these communities.
Totally pointless side note: As the only guy of my generation not to see the movies in the theater, I did not grow up with the Leia fantasy like everyone else. That said I did find the thirty-something Carrie Fisher I saw in the movies very hot :-)
1 comment:
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