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labunnywtf's review
5.0
What you'll have of me after I journey to that great Death Star in the sky is an extremely accomplished daughter, a few books, and a picture of a stern-looking girl wearing some kind of metal bikini lounging on a giant drooling squid, behind a newscaster informing you of the passing of Princess Leia after a long battle with her head.
Dammit, Fisher.
I can't tell if this was shorter than Wishful Drinking. It felt extremely short, but I read this one as opposed to listening to the audiobook for WD. It was way too short. Need more stories. Princess Diarist coming very soon behind this.
I love the idea of these books, that because she was going through ECT and it was affecting her memories so deeply, she wanted to put everything she could potentially lose down on paper. At least, that's how each of these started, with that basic explanation.
In this, she talks about the benefits of ECT, and why though the movies make it seem like torture for unruly asylum patients, it's a last resort treatment that actually does work. Doesn't make it more horrifying to think of, though.
We get some truly fantastic stories in this book. Her date with a senator that led to her meeting Ted Kennedy, a man who was more than a little creepy. She also talks about her friendship with Michael Jackson.
Can we just pause for a second and marvel at how absolutely ridiculously insanely perfect it is that Carrie Fisher was friends with Michael Jackson? I mean...are there words? Because I have none. Her perspective on his life, and his death, for that matter, are so intelligent and make sense in a way that a non-celebrity, an outside observer, might never have seen. Plus her dentist was the father who blew the whistle and started the molestation claims, and...yeah, that's something you have to read.
There's a chapter that could almost be considered a throw away, talking about her stepfather, the man who farted (heh) her mother's hard earned money away. That one I could take or leave, but even then the information was interesting. And spread throughout are pictures from her life, her childhood, covers of magazines featuring her parents with the most amazing captions included by Carrie.
The final chapter is all about her father, and her relationship with him up to and including his death. In there is also the tale of how she and Elizabeth Taylor, the wanton strumpet who broke up her parents' marriage (but not really?), became friends. Complete with pictures. Oh, those are my favorites in the book.
The story of her relationship with her father is hard to read. Not only because it's lovely and sweet and so full of love and grief. But also because...
I guess I'm grateful she never had to write a chapter about the loss of her mother.
And that is just a really painful realization to have while reading that chapter.
Ugh, Fisher. Why you do this to me.
Dammit, Fisher.
I can't tell if this was shorter than Wishful Drinking. It felt extremely short, but I read this one as opposed to listening to the audiobook for WD. It was way too short. Need more stories. Princess Diarist coming very soon behind this.
I love the idea of these books, that because she was going through ECT and it was affecting her memories so deeply, she wanted to put everything she could potentially lose down on paper. At least, that's how each of these started, with that basic explanation.
In this, she talks about the benefits of ECT, and why though the movies make it seem like torture for unruly asylum patients, it's a last resort treatment that actually does work. Doesn't make it more horrifying to think of, though.
We get some truly fantastic stories in this book. Her date with a senator that led to her meeting Ted Kennedy, a man who was more than a little creepy. She also talks about her friendship with Michael Jackson.
Can we just pause for a second and marvel at how absolutely ridiculously insanely perfect it is that Carrie Fisher was friends with Michael Jackson? I mean...are there words? Because I have none. Her perspective on his life, and his death, for that matter, are so intelligent and make sense in a way that a non-celebrity, an outside observer, might never have seen. Plus her dentist was the father who blew the whistle and started the molestation claims, and...yeah, that's something you have to read.
There's a chapter that could almost be considered a throw away, talking about her stepfather, the man who farted (heh) her mother's hard earned money away. That one I could take or leave, but even then the information was interesting. And spread throughout are pictures from her life, her childhood, covers of magazines featuring her parents with the most amazing captions included by Carrie.
The final chapter is all about her father, and her relationship with him up to and including his death. In there is also the tale of how she and Elizabeth Taylor, the wanton strumpet who broke up her parents' marriage (but not really?), became friends. Complete with pictures. Oh, those are my favorites in the book.
The story of her relationship with her father is hard to read. Not only because it's lovely and sweet and so full of love and grief. But also because...
I guess I'm grateful she never had to write a chapter about the loss of her mother.
And that is just a really painful realization to have while reading that chapter.
Ugh, Fisher. Why you do this to me.
moireach's review
5.0
Another very interesting read by Carrie Fisher, mostly focused on her relationship with her father. Made me cry (a bit) and made me laugh (a lot).
itsalexjackman's review
4.0
Shockaholic will be familiar to fans of Carrie's first memoir [b:Wishful Drinking|4961048|Wishful Drinking|Carrie Fisher|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347698159s/4961048.jpg|5026857] - it is similar in tone and often overlaps in subject matter. However, where Wishful Drinking mostly mines her family's scandals for laughs, Shockaholic dives deeper - it tackles emotions and "real problems" in her signature wit.
In Shockaholic, Carrie covers her bipolar disorder, addiction relapses, the loss of her father, and electro convulsive therapy, which she insists is not as bad as it sounds - what she can remember of it anyway. Despite the cover's suggestion, fans of her turn as The Princess will not find much of Star Wars in this body of work, but instead a sarcastic and insightful examination of her relationships: with friends, family, drugs, and, most often, her own mind.
In Shockaholic, Carrie covers her bipolar disorder, addiction relapses, the loss of her father, and electro convulsive therapy, which she insists is not as bad as it sounds - what she can remember of it anyway. Despite the cover's suggestion, fans of her turn as The Princess will not find much of Star Wars in this body of work, but instead a sarcastic and insightful examination of her relationships: with friends, family, drugs, and, most often, her own mind.
rgag86's review against another edition
3.0
I liked Wishful Drinking better, there was way too much focus on Michael Jackson and on other people than on her own life.
petersimpson's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Death of parent, and Alcohol
boogiewoogiesheep's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
ap2009's review
5.0
My heart.
I read this book ages ago and liked it enough. But oh, Carrie.
If you have the chance to listen to the audio book, which Carrie reads herself, do it! Her narration is so much more poignant and weighted and bittersweet.
Hearing her stories is always a full experience. She's so funny! She has a very special way of pulling you down, feeling a certain emotion (a good portion of the book is about death and how losing those close to her and those who merely rotated in similar circles effected her), sometimes having me in tears (perhaps more so since losing Carrie herself). Only to have me pulled up and laughing just a moment later. It's a rare gift and having Carrie Fisher's audio books only makes it more special.
I read this book ages ago and liked it enough. But oh, Carrie.
If you have the chance to listen to the audio book, which Carrie reads herself, do it! Her narration is so much more poignant and weighted and bittersweet.
Hearing her stories is always a full experience. She's so funny! She has a very special way of pulling you down, feeling a certain emotion (a good portion of the book is about death and how losing those close to her and those who merely rotated in similar circles effected her), sometimes having me in tears (perhaps more so since losing Carrie herself). Only to have me pulled up and laughing just a moment later. It's a rare gift and having Carrie Fisher's audio books only makes it more special.