optimisticcautiously's review
1.0
Also, his descriptions of his “service” are such a joke. He has no clue what it is like to serve. He missed the entire point of hostile environment training. He describes the favouritism he received without realizing that’s what he is describing.
Plus his lack of insight that the criticism reported is based on his behaviour. Plus his freaking Oedipal Complex. Plus his todger stories. And…
He thinks no one was protecting him, but this book shows the Palace was protecting him from being revealed to the public for the ass he is. Don’t believe me? Read it in his own words.
Graphic: Violence, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Mental illness, and Sexual assault
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Antisemitism, and Misogyny
Lack of compassion/empathy (bordering on sociopathic behaviour). Possible narcissistic abuse.issyd23's review against another edition
3.0
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.
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
alanabenjamin's review
2.75
The choices in content and narrative structure are baffling at best.
However, the last 1/3 is better than the first 2/3. That's its saving grace.
So many of his family members caught strays - more of a gossipy tell-all than a constructive interrogation of the Royal family.
Graphic: Grief, War, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Mental illness, Death, and Colonisation
Moderate: Miscarriage, Antisemitism, and Violence
lmy612's review against another edition
5.0
This is a very heavy book and I cried many times listening to his recount of very painful topics: his mother’s death, 9/11, self medicating with drugs and alcohol, going to war, racism against his wife and children, threats against their lives, the loss of an unborn child, the toxicity of his family, the death of the Queen, and the paparazzi who refuse(d) to let them live their lives.
This was a highly enjoyable and deeply moving memoir, even for an anti-monarchist living in the colonized commonwealth.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Racism, Alcohol, Classism, Gun violence, Hate crime, Drug use, Animal death, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Mental illness, War, Death, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Violence, Bullying, Car accident, and Cursing
Moderate: Antisemitism, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Blood, Colonisation, Miscarriage, and Kidnapping
heytherebriana's review
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Antisemitism, War, and Car accident
Moderate: Pregnancy, Bullying, Alcohol, Drug use, and Racism
Minor: Miscarriage, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic friendship
immovabletype's review
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Racism, War, Alcohol, Animal death, Bullying, Car accident, Classism, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Violence, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Racial slurs and Miscarriage
Minor: Antisemitism and Colonisation
miggyfool's review
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 against another edition
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
lethaltea's review against another edition
To start off - the first third of this book was pretty awful. The first part covers the portion of Harry's life pre-military and after the passing of his mother. It is clear that Harry has been suffering from CPTSD and in this section of the book he is very angry - at his brother, his father, the press, the palace - at pretty much everyone. This does come of as really whinny and complaining - which is hard to take from his place of privilege. This portion was definitely a slog to listen through, it was frustrating to listen to Harry vilify the one other person who understands how he is feeling - his brother William.
The second and third parts of the book concern is military service, his marriage to Meghan, and the subsequent implosion of their lives. In these sections, it is a lot easier to be sympathetic to Harry but he still somehow blames the rest of the royal family for all his problems. Don't get me wrong - the treatment of his wife in the media was absolutely disgusting and the royal family didn't do anything to help. But the sequence of events here is really confusing, it is hard to tell when they made the decision to leave England and the circumstances surrounding it.
My main takeaways/thoughts are this:
- For a large portion of the book Harry is a bit of dick towards his brother for not speaking out and supporting him and this really rubbed me the wrong way. William is the only person who actually understands the grief Harry is trying to process - he went through it too. He is also the future king and like it or not, he is held to different expectations than Harry so I can understand why he cannot and will not speak out - he doesn't have that sort of freedom.
- Harry reiterates several times that "privacy" is his primary goal - but in order to achieve this, he strips the rest of his family of their privacy. I understand this desire, but at what cost? If he really values these things, doesn't he value everybody else's privacy?
- At several points the writing is rather immature - Harry gives nicknames to senior security staff and oftentimes comes off like a petulant child tattle-tailing. The writing is ripe with jealousy and revenge at William and the whole concept of being the "spare" gets exhausted within the first 5 minutes of Harry trying to be the victim. I am sorry but I cannot sympathize with a man who has grown up in so much privilege and wealth that it never occurs to him that dressing up as n*zi might be a bad idea.
Overall, I am not really a royal family supporter or opposer - the Queen was mostly a patriotic symbol in Canada and I really like Kate Middleton's wedding dress. This book doesn't really change my opinion either way - of course the RF controls the media, they survive on public opinion. Unfortunately, this book feels like Harry just airing dirty laundry to garner public sympathy and I didn't really resonate with that message.
Graphic: War, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Racism, Miscarriage, Colonisation, Drug use, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Death of parent and Antisemitism
mrmarshall591's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Stalking, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, War, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Gaslighting, Drug use, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Grief, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Medical content, Suicide, Sexism, and Classism
Minor: Classism, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Antisemitism, Excrement, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Slavery, Colonisation, and Cultural appropriation