sarah_hutchins's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: War, Stalking, Car accident, Death, and Islamophobia
Minor: Colonisation, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Misogyny
puglover's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Misogyny, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Miscarriage, War, Islamophobia, Xenophobia, and Racial slurs
Minor: Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Infidelity
susanlanigan's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Islamophobia and Abandonment
vaguely_pink's review
2.5
And not too much about the monarchy or whatever. But perhaps too much about the war. And his frostbitten penis.
I suppose I can sympathize with having a hard time editing out bits of your life when composing a memoir, especially when that life has been lived so publicly and with such scrutiny over events that were inaccurately reported. And when you've endured so much trauma. But this book was entirely too long and often felt disjointed. I often tuned out during the middle section of the book where he goes on for eons about how much he loved the war.
Which is a shame because he has some very poignant and important things to say about how we treat those in the public eye. You just have to endure many stories about flying helicopters and camping in Botswana that you might not be interested in and paragraphs of the former Prince of Wales reminding you of all the "great work" he's done.
At the end of the day, if you're at all intrigued by the inner workings of the British monarchy and Harry specifically, Spare is probably worth a read. Just be aware that it definitely needed a more discerning editor.
Graphic: Classism, Grief, Gun violence, and War
Moderate: Death of parent, Stalking, Alcohol, Bullying, Car accident, Cursing, Drug use, Medical content, and Racism
Minor: Colonisation, Miscarriage, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
peachani's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Mental illness, Stalking, Grief, Islamophobia, Toxic relationship, Car accident, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcohol, Classism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Animal death, Medical content, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, War, and Xenophobia
Minor: Blood, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Dysphoria, Gun violence, and Racial slurs
miggyfool's review against another edition
3.75
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Sexism, Stalking, Addiction, Animal death, Antisemitism, Bullying, Classism, Car accident, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Murder, Pregnancy, Racism, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
dianaschmidty's review
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Stalking, Bullying, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Death, Classism, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Car accident, Death of parent, Grief, Violence, War, and Racism
Moderate: Addiction, Antisemitism, and Colonisation
Minor: Islamophobia
venetiana's review
3.75
It's in three parts: roughly, those are 1. Harry's childhood, 2. his time in the army, 3. his time with Meghan.
The childhood/yourh part is of course emotional and sad, but also interesting. The army part absolutely made me cringe, the way he talks about war and killing people etc. (also slightly racist, though I guess trying not to be). The third part was shocking in terms of the violent and racist press, the aggressions within the family/firm etc., but of course also romantic and hopeful. Harry reading the book himself certainly adds to that, and makes it much more personal.
Given how the author has spent his whole life "inside", certain views didn't surprise me, though I was kind of disappointed that he hadn't yet found the time to "adjust" them to a world less enabled by privilege. But I definitely respect how he shared all his traumata (and stories), and how he's working on them. I respect that Meghan and him left, it's a big step, and I think it was important to share and explain what led there.
That being said, one small thing, I felt the book ended quite abruptly.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Car accident, Stalking, Racism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Confinement, Ableism, Gun violence, Slavery, Islamophobia, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Violence, Alcohol, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Drug use, Body shaming, Addiction, Grief, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Mental illness, War, and Xenophobia
The way Harry writes about travelling to Africa isn't always done well, there are sort of mildly racist bits (also, a bit white saviour-y and tourist-y). There are islamophobic/racist bits in the army part (quite violent at times). It's within the frame of the "duty" of war etc., but still.mads_reads_books's review
Graphic: Gun violence, Classism, Colonisation, War, Death of parent, Death, Stalking, Pregnancy, Antisemitism, Murder, Grief, Car accident, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Slavery, Self harm, Racism, Ableism, Racial slurs, and Toxic friendship
Minor: War, Car accident, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Violence, Addiction, Genocide, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Colonisation, Islamophobia, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Classism, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Domestic abuse, Antisemitism, Infertility, Vomit, Xenophobia, Incest, Toxic relationship, and Religious bigotry
jessdrafahl's review against another edition
Graphic: Islamophobia, War, Animal death, Pregnancy, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Mental illness, Bullying, and Drug use
Moderate: Miscarriage and Grief