Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Spare by Prince Harry

22 reviews

beaubaggins's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Classism, Stalking, War, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Hate crime, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Mental illness, Death, Addiction, Sexism, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

sarah_hutchins's review

adventurous informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

The story was interesting to me and it held my attention a lot more than I thought. I can’t really find anything I didn’t like about it that stood out other than I think it could've used a bit more editing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: War, Stalking, Car accident, Death, and Islamophobia

Minor: Colonisation, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Misogyny

ehmannky's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.25

It's an incredibly readable, interesting and engaging memoir, if maybe a little too in-depth in some areas for my liking (good on his ghost writer for doing so well there). I think that this reveals a lot of the petty and retrograde ways that the monarchy works and it just doesn't make me feel like there's any real possibility it could be made to work in a modern era. I have a lot of thoughts after reading this but they basically boil down to:

1 - Being thrust to the level of fame that he has without someone's consent should be classified as a form of abuse, and good on Harry and Meghan for keeping their kids out of this horrible and toxic environment.
2 - it is amazing he is as normal and, like, socially conscious as he is considering he comes from the least normal and socially progressive environments. Like, he's still incredibly privileged and he's never going to, like, join the revolution, but damn at least he's tried to learn. I liked that he took ownership of the racist things he's done, and I think it shows a level of maturity to not just brush it off and blame how he was raised. I am still feeling real ambivalent about all of the war chapters.
3 - I think Meghan has earned the right to complain to the end of time I truly did not know the extent of the racism and hate spewed at her and I even had watched the documentary before this. Literally gasped in my car when he was reading off the headlines and stories about her. I cannot believe the royal family simply pretended they didn't have the money to help protect them. Like, good on Harry for shouting it from the rooftops. 
4 - It feels like he is so close to realizing that the institution of the monarch and The Firm is like inherently corrupt, but can't quite get himself to admit it (which, I get, it's his family). But his anger is mostly at the press, and he can't quite get himself to damn his family (though I will, they all suck).

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Racial slurs, Sexism, War, Miscarriage, Racism, and Colonisation

puglover's review

adventurous emotional reflective sad tense

4.25

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Content Warnings

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

issyd23's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.0

You know his life is fucked when he’d enter a war zone to escape the paps. Vive la république! 3🎳

NB This was actually quite boring as I’ve read 3 Royal bios & knew everything already. The Palace Papers is 100x better! Kate Middleton’s chapter is tantalising. However, this did make me want to go to Botswana. 

Other thoughts:

• I cannot believe I now know that Prince Harry is circumcised 
• Find it hilarious that according to Haz Charles is in his ‘Camilla era’ - Taylor take note! ✍️
• On a serious note his hatred of the media (especially Murdoch) is palpable - I wonder if he’ll pursue them in court
• On a personal note I don’t love that Harry is convinced we (US + allies) were the ‘good guys’ in Afghanistan - and his refusal to think critically about the wider implications and complexities of the war/occupation. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Blood, Bullying, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Pandemic/Epidemic, Stalking, Violence, War, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug use, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Body horror, Car accident, Classism, Colonisation, and Grief

hawk_just_hawk's review

emotional funny informative reflective sad slow-paced

3.0

Interesting story, and I’m so glad to hear his honest truth. But the Prince is not a good writer. 🤷🏼

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Stalking

Moderate: Racism and Sexism

aloy's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Cultural appropriation, Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Death, War, Racism, Kidnapping, Colonisation, Classism, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Torture, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Bullying, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Xenophobia, Violence, Pregnancy, Misogyny, and Miscarriage

genevieve_eggleston's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

I found this book to be extremely interesting, even as someone who hasn’t paid much prior attention to the royal family. It provided a lot of insight and was full of emotional moments and funny stories alike. I would highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for an intriguing memoir.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Blood, War, Gaslighting, Car accident, Cursing, Stalking, Vomit, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death of parent, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Classism, Infidelity, Gun violence, Sexism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Sexual content

Minor: Suicide, Infertility, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, and Homophobia

miggyfool's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

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

katharina90's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

2.5

Endless minutiae of military training exercises aside, this was an ok read. I almost said enjoyable but I wouldn't go that far.

The memoir is at its strongest whenever Harry provides glimpses into his emotional/mental state and his attempts at growth and healing. 

Although he doesn't dive deep, you get a good sense of the family dysfunction and Harry's toxic relationship with his father and brother. Even at surface level a lot of it is heartbreaking and I often found it pretty triggering of my own trauma.

As one would expect, there's very little criticism of British colonialism and racism and the monarchy's role in all of it. In fact, Harry decidedly refuses to take a stand and instead goes on and on about his love for Africa in a very white savior-y manner. There's also no critical analysis of the wars he willingly participated in, and no real acknowledgement of the huge amounts of privilege Harry has access to. 

Yes, I get it. He's heavily indoctrinated and has a lot to unpack. 
But also, the train is moving and Harry is late to the station. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Racism, Animal death, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Bullying, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, War, Death of parent, and Colonisation

Minor: Ableism and Cultural appropriation