| Title | : | Wishful Drinking |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1439102252 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781439102251 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 163 |
| Publication | : | First published December 2, 2008 |
| Awards | : | Grammy Award Best Spoken Word Album (2010) |
Wishful Drinking Reviews
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When the original Star Wars trilogy came out, I was too young to have nurtured any grotty, pubescent fantasies about Princess Leia (though I guess by the time of Return of the Jedi, I was old enough to be confusedly excited by those harem scenes with Jabba the Hutt). But now that I’ve read Wishful Drinking, I kind of want Carrie Fisher for my girlfriend. Except that she’s my mother’s age. And she’s a recovering alcoholic/drug addict with bipolar disorder and a lavishly messed-up family. Other than that, though, she’s really great: she’s smart as a whip, wickedly funny and she swears like a teamster, whatever that is.
All the same, I definitely wouldn’t want her for a daughter, or even a distant cousin. When it comes to her family’s dirty laundry—of which there are piles and piles lying around, hopelessly soiled—she’s not what you’d call the soul of discretion:
My father is beyond likeable. I mean you would just love him. My father also smokes four joints a day. Not for medical reasons. So I call him Puff Daddy. But he is just adorable. There’s a reason he got all that high-quality pussy—except for the Miss Louisiana thing, and anyone can make one mistake.
How often do you find the word ‘father’ and the phrase ‘high-quality pussy’ in the same paragraph? Right, not very. And it takes a special kind of daughter to describe her mother’s sexual orientation in the following terms: ‘Not that it matters, but my mother is not a lesbian. She’s just a really, really bad heterosexual.’
I’m not exactly up on Hollywood tell-alls, so maybe I’m overlooking some classics of the genre, but I don’t imagine there’d be that many celebrities out there who are blessed with either Fisher’s command of the American vernacular or her healthy perspective on her own fame:
Speaking of graves, I tell my younger friends that one day they’ll be at a bar playing pool and they’ll look up at the television set and there will be a picture of Princess Leia with two dates underneath, and they’ll say “awww—she said that would happen.” And they’ll go back to playing pool.
Or there's this:
You know what’s funny about death? I mean other than absolutely nothing at all? You’d think we could remember finding out we weren’t immortal. Sometimes I see children sobbing in airports and I think, “Aww. They’ve just been told.”
See, that’s clever, but isn't it also just the teensiest bit profound? Okay, not Schopenhauer profound, but still.
Wishful Drinking is fluff, I guess, in the sense that it won’t change your life or even your lunch break. But it’s good, witty fluff. True, Fisher’s relentless wisecracking starts to sound needy and defensive after a while—he said, casually lobbing a rock from his glass house—but I think it’s to her credit that, despite her freakish Hollywood existence, she’s still human enough to laugh at herself. Come to think of it, what could be more freakish than that: a human being in Hollywood? It must get awfully lonely for her. -
5 Stars
This was such a fun read.
I really enjoyed Carrie Fisher's wit, self-awareness, and self-deprecating sarcasm. As someone with a very offbeat sense of humor myself, I felt like I just got Carrie. Like we were just hanging out shooting the shit. I felt a kinship with her.
My only complaint is that I would have liked a few more details about her life and experiences. I enjoyed what we got, but would have loved a little more. But I can guess what she would have to say about that...lol.
Anyway, I occasionally get into these memoir modes, where I systematically dive into every memoir/biography about a specific topic or person. A few years ago it was Freddie Mercury and all things Queen. This year, I have a feeling it's going to be old Hollywood, starting with the Reynolds/Fisher/Taylor/Burton drama. I'm already diving into Reynold's Unsinkable. -
5+ stars
At 163 pages and approx 3 hours on audio, I started listening to this and finished it in one afternoon. It's been a long while since I was so immersed in an audio I couldn't stop listening.
Who knew that Carrie Fisher was so snarky, witty, and funny?!
I’m not a fan of celebrity memoirs as it is often used as a vehicle to humble brag, but not this one. Carrie tells it like it is and covers some difficult subjects with brutal honesty, but it in a way that finds you laughing out loud (literally) with her. Her observations are spot on and hilarious.
I highly recommend you listen to this on audio, read by Carrie herself. With her self-deprecating wit and comedic timing, it was perfection.
It was bittersweet listening to her voice, knowing she is no longer with us. Don’t miss this one! -
Carrie Fisher, as in Princess Leia from Star Wars, as in daughter of
Debbie Reynolds (Singin' in the Rain etc.) recounts her life story in a disjointed manic but entertaining fashion, taking no prisoners when it comes to talking about her alcoholism, drug abuse and her treatments for being bipolar; yet I found this book a wonderful read; which is proven by the fact that it was turned into a hugely successful off-Broadway one-woman show by Fisher. Oh, and yes, she does mention Star Wars. Recommended read. 8.5 out of 12
2011 read -
Audiobook - Library Overdrive- I downloaded this on a whim - it was available. I think this is the shortest Audiobook I’ve ever listened to - yet many topics are covered.
There was a lot I didn’t know - including that Carrie Fisher was married - not long - to Paul Simon.
Actually there was a lot I didn’t know — I didn’t follow any news about Princess Leia from Star Wars. I knew nothing about her childhood - her absent father - her history with drugs - her history with a variety of psychiatrists and different therapies including shock therapy -
Her memoir — which was adapted from one of her stage shows- gives us a panoramic view of what Carrie Fisher’s life was like : EXTREME HIGHS and EXTREME LOWS....NOT LIKE MOST CHILDREN’S growing years —-with Debbie Reynolds as her mother and growing up with ‘stars’ as family friends. So sad for the lost of both Carrie and Debbie Reynolds.
I laughed at how much I understood from Carries point of view - that when she watched “The Father’s Knows Best” show.....she thought THAT was what ALL NORMAL families were like ( since she soon figured out her life wasn’t normal) .... Ha!....As if the “The Father’s Knows Best” TV Show represented reality. I wished it did.
This quote of Carries speaks volumes:
“If my life wasn’t funny it would just be true, and that would be unacceptable”.
Great audiobook! Beautiful tribute to Carry Fisher. I fell in love with her myself. -
March is my "Memoirs & Biographies" Month!
Why I chose to listen to this memoir:
I loved watching
Carrie Fisher's stage show on HBO (also titled
Wishful Drinking) so much that I jumped at the chance to take a listen to her audiobook!
Positives:
1. THE HUMOR! With her droll, self-deprecating wit, Fisher shares her headshaking history, from her famous parents, her family, friends, acquaintances and relationships, including ex-husband, Paul Simon, to her tongue-in-cheek self-observations about her alcohol and drug abuse, eventually being diagnosed as bi-polar, and her various treatments, including electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which she highly endorses, at least for herself;
2. no, I haven't forgotten her stint as Princess Leia in Star Wars - her schtick about that was absolutely hilarious (my favorite part!);
3. she makes no excuses in her story - she tells it like it is; and,
4. I'm sure the print version of her story is well-written, but Ms. Fisher self-narrates the audiobook. I loved her comedic timing and nuances! So many times I would laugh out loud!
If you haven't watched her stage show, listened to this audiobook, or at least have read her book, then, in the immortal words of Ms. Fisher ..."DO IT!"
RIP Carrie. -
Who doesn’t know the name Carrie Fisher? Not only was she the daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, but also the delightful Princess Leia of Star Wars fame. Carrie has indeed let quite a colorful life.
She lets it all hang out as she both entertains and makes us laugh in her book Wishful Drinking. Carrie has had some issues but is able to look at the fun side of her life with snide comments and a wit that is infectious. Her relationship with her famed mother is one that she treasured, and seeing her father once a year, after Debbie and Eddie’s divorce seemed to suit her just fine.
She talks about her various stints in rehab, and is quite clear in pointing out it was her failure not the programs which caused her relapses.
Her approach is that of a straight shooter, telling it like she saw and lived it. Describing the many marriages of both parents and her own was sad but also hysterically funny.
Jan recommended this book to me narrated by Carrie herself and it was wonderful. Carrie had quite a soul and spirit. She and her mother lived next door to each other, although there was a period of ten years when they didn't speak to one another. They died within a day of one another. Truly a sad tale. Debbie was eighty four while Carrie was sixty.
For those who enjoy a laugh out loud experience and one that looks at a person who supposedly had it all, this audio book is one you will savor. -
Turning to the first of her short memoirs, I was faced with some of Carrie Fisher's most interesting sentiments and humorous anecdotes detailing a life about which I knew very little. Fisher adds as an opening disclaimer that she underwent electro-convulsive therapy (ECT), which erased some of her past memories, so things within these pages might not be as clear or succinct as their actual occurrences. Born in the worst possible situation, the offspring of two Hollywood stars, Carrie Fisher found herself in the middle of the most complex family tree imaginable. With Eddie Fisher (an apparently famous crooner of the 1950s) and Debbie Reynolds (famous Hollywood starlet at a young age) as parents, Fisher was forced to live in their blinding glory and make a name for herself. However, as with many star-studded couples, her parents moved on to bigger and better things, leaving her as a child of divorce. Does she use this excuse to explain away her decision to turn to drugs and alcohol? Not at all, or at least no more than any other child. Fisher tells of a life both in Los Angeles and New York, following her mother along her successful but fading career before she ended up on the set of Star Wars at nineteen and carving out a name for herself. This single character (Princess Leia) has permeated Fisher's very being and she was forever unable to shake its presence. Pulling out some stories about her interactions with George Lucas to explain why wearing a bra on set would not make scientific sense, her brief marriage to Paul Simon, and eventually marrying a man who got her pregnant and eventually announced that he was gay, Fisher takes the reader through a whirlwind tour of some of her most memorable moments, all surrounding an ever-increasing dependence on pills, psychiatrists, and flashes of fame. An interesting smattering of thoughts and memories, instilled with enough humour to leave the reader feeling this is an extended comedy dialogue, Fisher presents something to tide the reader over between larger and more substantial reading assignments. Funny for what it is, but not a stellar piece for those seeking an in-depth exploration of Carrie Fisher's life.
Some might wonder why I am reading Carrie Fisher after I panned her two novels so recently. I knew what I was getting into with this book and it delivered precisely what I expected. While I might have preferred something more linear, I found myself interested in all the adventures, follies, and downright stupidity that crossed Fisher's path. I knew her only as Princess Leia (though I was not one to plaster posters upon my wall) and so all of this proved both intriguing and even a little entertaining. Fisher does not try to gussy up her writing or her stories. They are precisely as she remembers them, though she does remind the reader of her ECT throughout the piece, which acts as a means to understand some of the more random commentaries found herein. Engaging and even a little provocative, Fisher serves her purpose by presenting this piece, the first in what became a series. We shall see what else comes to pass as the Force flows through me for the other two memoir-ish publications.
Kudos, Madam Fisher for entertaining and intriguing me. A nice appetizer before I delve into a month of hard-going biographies
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/ -
3.5 stars
This book is (more or less) the written version of Carrie Fisher's stage production "Wishful Drinking."
Carrie Fisher's stage show 'Wishful Drinking'
Carrie is probably best known for her role as the beautiful, intrepid 'Princess Leia" in the Star Wars movies. Carrie was 19 when the first movie filmed and - perhaps coincidentally - this was when the actress transitioned from habitually smoking pot to using hallucinogens and opiates.
Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia
In time Carrie became a drug-addicted alcoholic with manic-depressive disorder (bipolar disorder 2). In this humorous mini-biography - written when Carrie was 52 - the actress relates her story.
Carrie was born a celebrity, being the child of actress/singer Debbie Reynolds and crooner Eddie Fisher.
Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher
Debbie starred in iconic films like 'Singin' in the Rain' and Eddie has a long list of oldies, but is 'better known for his scandals than his singing.' In a bombshell incident reminiscent of Brad Pitt leaving Jennifer Aniston for Angelina Jolie, Eddie Fisher left Debbie Reynolds for the gorgeous widow, Elizabeth Taylor.
Eddie Fisher with Elizabeth Taylor
As it happens Eddie also largely abandoned Carrie and her younger brother Todd.
Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher with their children Carrie and Todd
Carrie Fisher with her brother Todd
According to Carrie, Debbie raised the kids in Los Angeles and Eddie 'checked in from time to time' while flitting from one woman to another. Eventually, Eddie married a Chinese woman - Betty Lin - and after she died 'he started to date all of Chinatown.' Carrie notes that 'this was fitting because Eddie had gotten so many facelifts that he looked Asian himself.' LOL
Eddie Fisher with Betty Lin
Carrie sang in her mother's nightclub act from the ages of 13 to 17 and - as it happens - also started doing drugs at 13.
Carrie Fisher sang in her mother's nightclub act
Carrie got hold of a bag of pot and 'experimented her brains out' with a friend. Carrie started seeing shrinks at the age of 15.....but was not diagnosed as manic-depressive until years later. By that time Carrie was in her mid-20s, and heavily into alcohol and drugs. She used these 'to turn down the sound [in her head] and smooth her sharp corners.'
Carrie's second shrink diagnosed her with bipolar disorder 1 and gave her prescription medication - but Carrie didn't want to take it. Instead, the actress jumped on a plane, went to New York and married her boyfriend, singer/songwriter Paul Simon. Carrie notes that her first marriage mirrored her mother's first union - both Paul Simon and Eddie Fisher were 'short, Jewish singers.'
Carrie Fisher married her boyfriend Paul Simon
Carrie was in her late 20s when she overdosed and had her stomach pumped. Realizing that her life had become unmanageable, Carrie started attending 12-step programs....thinking alcohol was her big problem. Over the years Carrie had four relapses or 'explosions.' During these she would become sexually promiscuous, spend excessively, and abuse substances.
Finally, Carrie's third and best psychiatrist correctly diagnosed her with bipolar disorder 2, and medicated her. Unfortunately, two of the pharmaceuticals interacted badly and Carrie was taken off her meds. She ended up psychotic. This eventually led to eletroconvulsive therapy which helped Carrie get better - but robbed her of many memories. Luckily, Carrie had enough remembrances left to write this book.
Carrie Fisher was diagnosed with bipolar disorder
Carrie notes: 'After all the rehabs and all the mental hospitals, I thought to myself, if what doesn't kill you makes you stronger I should be able to lift Cedars Sinai Hospital and glow in the dark.'
Carrie Fisher learned to live with her mental illness
Interspersed with the tale of Carrie's addiction and mental illness are interesting snippets about her life. Here are a few examples:
Carrie's stepfather Harry Karl (Debbie's second husband) was not a handsome man, but was wealthy and well-groomed, said to be distinguished looking. Carrie notes, 'That's ugly with money.' To Carrie's amusement, the very handsome Alec Baldwin played Harry in a movie. LOL
Carrie Fisher's stepfather Harry Karl
Alec Baldwin played Harry Karl in the movie 'The Marrying Man'
Harry had a 'barber' (pimp) who showed up every day with a 'manicurist' (wink wink). When Debbie caught on to Harry's shenanigans she high-tailed it to New York with the children - to do a musical. The couple soon divorced.....but not before Harry squandered all of Debbie's money.
When Todd (Carrie's brother) accidently shot himself in the leg with a gun, Debbie called Carrie from the hospital with the following instructions: 'Rush home and hide all the guns and bullets and flush Todd's marijuana down the toilet. Carrie notes, 'More like a mafia family than a show business one.'
Todd Fisher accidentally shot himself
Carrie adored her mother. She describes Debbie as 'the prettiest, funniest, kindest mother; quick and witty; a consummate performer; and an insanely strong life force.....but a little bit eccentric.' Debbie thought Carrie should have a baby with her (Debbie's) third husband, Richard Hamlett, because he had 'nice eyes.' Carrie declined.
Debbie Reynolds was a kind, pretty mother
Debbie Reynolds with her third husband Richard Hamlett
Carrie had a beautiful daughter, Billie, with her second husband Brian Lourd. When Billie was one, Brian left Carrie for a man named Scott. This devastated the actress.....and perhaps exacerbated her mental illness.
Carrie Fisher with her second husband Brian Lourd
Carrie Fisher with her daughter Billie
After Star Wars became a megahit, Carrie was 'merchandised' into a little doll, a shampoo bottle, a soap, a watch, a Mrs. Potato Head, a Lego figure, a stamp, and a Pez dispenser. Much to Carrie's dismay, she's even a sex doll. Carrie notes, 'If someone tells me to go fuck myself, I can give it a whirl.' Ha ha ha.
Princess Leia doll
Princess Leia Mrs. Potato Head
Princess Leia Pez dispenser
Towards the end of the book Carrie acknowledges, 'The place I've arrived at in my life isn't everyone's idea of heavenly....but I'm in a good place.'
Both Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds died in December, 2016 and they're missed. Fortunately, we'll always have their stories and films.
The book is entertaining and amusing - and provides an instructive and uplifting story about coping with addiction and mental illness. If you're interested in the subject, it's well worth reading.
You can follow my reviews at
https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.... -
The sad thing about this book is that my favorite part was the cover. I mean, that's a brilliant cover!
But overall? Not the book I was hoping for. Fisher seems to have mostly transcribed her one-woman show, and the problem is, what works for a performance doesn't hold up very well as a book. Everything's sort of glossed over with self-deprecating jokes, and there's not a real sense of narrative or much in the way of self-reflection. I didn't really want a celebrity tell-all, but I would really be interested in what Fisher really thinks and feels about her struggles with addiction, mental illness, and the bizarreness of her fame. Instead, I mostly got a lot of jokes about how it's weird when guys talk about jacking off to Princess Leia. It seemed like whenever she got too close to something painful, it was danced around or told in such a way that felt like she was saying, "Ok, told you about that, got it out of the way, so there." There is some genuinely interesting and affecting material here, but it's hard to find, which is really disappointing. -
Gone too soon...
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Carrie Fisher was so funny! I really had no idea how funny she was until I read her memoirs and was treated to her potty mouth and quick wit and thought, "Aha! Here is a woman who would be very fun to sit next to and swap stories with!" After reading and loving
SHOCKTASTIC, where she talks about her dysfunctional family, mental illness, and, yes, celebrity at large, I dove right into WISHFUL DRINKING which is basically more about the same.
There's a little overlap with SHOCKTASTIC and she does share some of the same anecdotes, but the stories are mostly different. I feel like SHOCKTASTIC is more focused on mental health and some of the ways it impacted her personal life. This book is more focused on celebrity gossip and her family, with some segues into her addiction and mental illness. I think I liked this one a little better because it didn't have the super slow parts of SHOCKTASTIC, but it also has fewer pictures I think, and the pictures are obviously the best part.
One thing I really love about Ms. Fisher is that she is so unequivocally herself. She seems to embrace everything she is-- at least on paper-- both good and bad, and she can laugh about it. I also liked the afterword where she talks about the importance of reducing the stigma against mental illness, and I loved her for that, too. Even though memoirs like these really show the dysfunction that mental illness can create, it also shows that the people who have these illness are just people like you and me-- they are funny! They have people thoughts! They grew up in a mansion with three pools and were the child of Golden Age Hollywood celebrities! --Wait.
Okay, so maybe not exactly like you and me (unless you're much cooler than I am), but it definitely goes a long way towards normalizing mental illness IMO to see that people you respect or admire also have the disease and are able to cope with it if on medication. Or drugs.*
*And not all of us are lucky enough to have a Cary Grant on stand-by to talk us down from acid.**
**Yes.
If you like books about celebrity gossip and mental health, I believe this is what you'd call a "twofer."
4 to 4.5 stars -
WISHFUL DRINKING is a short, but interesting memoir surrounding Carrie Fisher's life growing up in a celebrity household, (parents Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher) her addictions, electroshock therapy, bipolar disorder and after effects of playing Princess Leia in the epic STAR WARS saga.
Written with sarcastic humor and wit, gotta give her credit for laying it all out there, and persevering to overcome her demons.
Just ok for me.
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I loved Carrie Fisher; she was an icon of my youth. She was also smart, funny, and courageous.
Her death saddened me so much. She should have had years ahead of her. She (and we) were deprived of her wit and intelligence. Her witness to surviving mental illness and addiction.
I read this book in honor of her and to feel her presence again. The book is as funny, poignant, and funny as you would expect. It read like lightening and was over too soon.
Just like Carrie Fisher's life. -
I just adore her ☺️🤍
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Hilarious! Of course I know Carrie Fisher from her Star Wars fame and knew she had written some books. But I had no clue how funny she was. Her writing is so casual—especially listening to the audiobook which she narrates, it feels like a close friend telling you stories of her life—but she has a depth and sophistication which is unmatched by many celebrity memoirs. I wish this had been ten times as long! I could listen to her for hours and hours. Definitely going to check out more of her books, especially on audio if she reads them. Loved this.
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This was a crack up. Carrie just said it how it was. She laid bare her mental illness and addiction (interestingly calling herself an alcoholic but drug of choice is drugs, and she doesn't drink all that much alcohol). There is nothing at all wrong with that I just haven't thought of it that way. She said 12 step programs didn't fail her, she failed them.
Born into Hollywood royalty, I of course really didn't know much about her parents, but I couldn't help compare the hilarious way in which she described the way in which her parents, married, remarried others, remarried others others, falling into other's lives, or falling back into again. There was one funny one liner where her father was consoling Elizabeth Taylor on the loss of her husband (death not divorce) he fell into her 'front'. It was all so candid. Her parents were in a foursome of very good friends, in fact, they called Carrie's brother by the name of the husband. Her father left her mother Debbie Reynolds for Elizabeth Taylor.
But she goes on and on about 'what do you do when you divorce.. you remarry, you date again, and what do you do when the man steals your money, you go on to the next man that will do the same' and on and on it goes like marriage soup of sorts. All in one kind of never ending paragraph. This included Elizabeth Taylor, Burt Reynolds, her mother's marriages, her father's, her own and Paul Simons. Her mother had her fortune stolen more than once, but there was no bitterness or malice. Debbie Reynolds seemed to be a quirky yet very loving mother.
Carrie recounts her roundabout of sobriety, and really, only had 4 busts I think. This isn't bad for the revolving door of 12 step programs, and she seemed very well adjusted, finally in the end.
She name drops heaps, but this was how she was bought up, her life was spent amongst the rich and the famous. She enjoyed a short stint of peace as a 17 year old in London learning deportment and undergoing speech training. She is very self deprecating when it comes to her career and being a pez dispenser of all things, among many many more.
Oh, and who can say they shot the breeze about acid addiction with Charlton Heston? Her dad made her drug problem seem worse than it was at Princess Charlotte's funeral! Whom he'd never met! Carrie assumed her father was there for the photo op.
It made me sad to realise how Carrie's mother died the day after her daughter, they had a colourful life and loved each other very much. This was a good memoir, and boy can she laugh at herself and her many life experiences. -
Do you have a friend, who no matter how much you like her, you have to acknowledge is a horrible story teller? She tells them with too much back story, and after every overlong vignette concludes she pauses expectantly waiting for you to crack up at just how hysterical it was that Sarah would say that to Jean in line at the supermarket. Well, now you can have that experience in book form, written by someone who isn't even your friend.
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It's everyone's favorite crazy aunt, Carrie Fisher. The whole thing feels like you're over hearing a conversation you shouldn't. It's a good time. I'm undecided if I'll check out more of her books because I feel like it's just more of the same. This book does not contain drinking, just mentions of it here and there.
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Una versión más intimista (según yo) del TAB y sus consecuencias, cortito pero certero y, aunque no admiro a esta actriz y de hecho no recuerdo haberla visto actuar nunca, es interesante leer sobre su vida más allá de la pantalla. El libro tiene muchas frases para recordar, aunque la mayoría de ellas son bastante deprimentes. Aún así, el sentido del humor impregnado en cada párrafo hace que la melancolía que sientes al leerlo se resienta menos, es como un dolor agradable (?
"Básicamente tengo demasiada personalidad para una persona y no la suficiente para dos."
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You know those celebrity memoirs that are clearly ghostwritten, stilted, and pseudo-deep?
Yeah, this isn’t one of those. This is pure Carrie Fisher, demented and crooked and wise and bluntly funny and irreverent.
I really recommend listening to the audiobook. Carrie reads it herself and I think her delivery adds a lot. Plus, of course, it’s rather moving to hear her voice now, as if from the grave. The writing also sounds like something meant to be read aloud, very conversational.
She starts off with her incredibly wild childhood as the daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher. One memorable incident involved her teenage brother accidentally shooting himself in the leg, barely missing his penis, and getting his famous mother Debbie Reynolds arrested and booked for possession of an unlicensed firearm. Debbie then asked her daughter Carrie and her hairdresser Pinkie to go to their house and hide all the firearms and drugs before the police got there, all said in a Transatlantic accent peppered with lots of “dears.”
Carrie called her father Puff Daddy because he smoked 4 joints a day, and her mother bought both Carrie and her own mother (i.e. Carrie’s grandmother) vibrators for Christmas. If that doesn’t sum up her childhood, I don’t know what does.
Then she proceeds to go through her life as an adult, her fame (someone told her to go fuck herself, so she bought the Princess Leia sex doll and spent hours trying to fuck herself in a hotel room), her struggles with mental illness, and particularly her drug and alcohol dependence. Though it’s heavy material, the book itself is never heavy; Carrie intersperses it all with great humor.
Some memorable quotes I bookmarked:
“My mother thought it would be a good idea for me to have a child with her last husband Richard, because it would have nice eyes. My mother had gone through the change, so she could no longer have children, and Richard had no children of his own yet. And he had nice eyes. My womb was free, and we’re related. Now, my mother didn’t bring this up just once or twice like a normal mother would. She brought it up many many times, mostly while I was driving. And when I finally suggested to her that this might be an odd idea, she said, ‘Oh darling, have you read The Inquirer lately? We live in a very strange world.’ But when The Inquirer becomes your standard for living, you’re in a lot of trouble.”
“[That I just had to go to the AA meetings, but didn’t have to like them] was a revelation. I thought I had to like everything I did. And for me, that usually meant I had to take a boatload of dope. Which I did, for many many years. But if what this person told me were true, then I didn’t actually have to be comfortable all the time— if I could in fact learn to experience of quota of discomfort— it would be awesome news.”
“I basically just have too much personality for one person, and not quite enough for two.”
“Everything seems so much better when you’re infatuated with someone else, and you’re telling each other everything about yourself, like I’m a Libra, I like fireflies on a summer night, I like long moonlit walks on the beach on acid . . . ”
“You have to sign yourself into the mental hospital. Like commitment papers, I guess. But I was so far gone at the time I didn’t know what I was signing, or doing, so when they finally put the papers in front of me, I took the papers and signed with my left hand, ‘Shame.’ That’s how I signed in for the mental hospital. How sad is that?”
~~~~~~~Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge~~~~~~~
#12: A celebrity memoir -
To be such a short book, it really packs a punch. Wishful Drinking is less a memior and more a random array of wild stories from her over the top life.
She tells you about the time she discussed Acid with Cary Grant or the time she woke up next to a dead, gay Republican.
Wishful Drinking is fun, chaotic trip through what life is like growing up as Hollywood royalty.
I highly recommend it! -
“I didnt realize I actually had post-traumatic stress disorder at the time, but why would I think I had that? Anyway, how would I know which was post-traumatic stress, which is addiction, which is bipolar, which is Libra?”
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This rating is all about how damn funny this book is, and how sad I am that Carrie Fisher is no longer with us.
(Also because I'm pleased that one of my favourite songs of all time - Paul Simon's Graceland - is revealed to be about her. (Which was probably no revelation at all to most fans.)) -
A memoir about drug abuse, sexual compulsion and manic depression shouldn't be this funny, but in Carrie Fisher's hands it's a laugh riot. Wishful Drinking ($21, Simon & Schuster) is slim, packed with photos and basically the script for her hit one-woman show of the same name. Fisher calls this book a "a really, really detailed personals ad," and covers everything from the dead, gay Republican in her bed (which was tabloid fodder for weeks in 2005), her missing-in-action, over-the-top parents (Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher) and, of course, plenty of anecdotes about playing Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy. I plowed through it in one evening, laughing out loud.
Fisher has a knack for making the heartbreaking hilarious and there's probably more truth packed into these 176 pages than found in other "memoirs" twice this size (Jane Fonda's bloated tome comes to mind). She talks honestly about her marriage to Paul Simon, her second husband who left her for a man, her father's womanizing (most notoriously leaving Debbie Reynolds for Elizabeth Taylor after her third husband, Mike Todd, was killed in a plane crash), and her electroconvulsive therapy, which she says has done her more good than a dozen shrinks and their pills. Her recollections of Debbie are endearing and juicy, including her gift of a vibrator to 15-year-old Carrie and having Cary Grant call her daughter not once, but twice to talk about the dangers of dropping acid.
Perhaps the most hilarious chapter in the book is Carrie's diagram of her whacked out family tree (complete with photos and linking arrows) as she tries to figure out if her teenage daughter is committing incest by dating Elizabeth Taylor's grandson. I actually wish I'd bought the audio book version, because hearing Carrie read this aloud must be a scream. -
I was on the hunt for a good memoir about alcoholism today as I'm celebrating 2 years of sobriety today (yay me) and I wasn't disappointed in this. It's not only about addiction, it's about her whole life on general and mental health. They are very very readable and reading a Carrie Fisher memoir feels like I'm being told the story by a friend rather something I read. It feels so personal and real. Highly recommend this!
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Carrie Fishers unending wit and charm shine through this quick, fun read. I highly suggest reading this before watching her Wishful Drinking special as it's nearly word for word in most parts, with the book adding a few extra stories here and there. It's heartbreaking that she left us so soon but thank goodness she left behind some great books to keep us company.
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God I miss Carrie Fisher
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This is a helluva good memoir! I finished it in one day. Longer review to come ASAP.
Some more thoughts on Wishful Drinking.
I've read several of Carrie Fisher's novels (I recommend Postcards from the Edge) but her memoir is much more fun. It's written in her droll, self-deprecating style and covers her life growing up the daughter of famous parents; the Princess Leia years; her marriages and finally being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. "My diagnosis was manic depression. I think today they call it bipolar disorder - so you might say I swing both ways."
At the end of the book, Carrie makes a plea for more tolerance regarding mental illness. She writes that she is baffled that there is still is so much stigma regarding mental illness. "At times, being bipolar can be an all-consuming challenge, requiring a lot of stamina and even more courage, so if you're living with this illness and functioning at all, it's something to be proud of, not ashamed of."
This is a quick read and I finished the book wishing I could be her friend. She is very funny. Well, as Carrie says, you get the gist of my drift!
Now that Carrie has passed away, I'm glad once more that I read this book and encourage everyone to read it too. Very sad that she died so young (she was 60) and her mom, Debbie Reynolds, died of a broken heart a few days later. May they both Rest In Peace. -
Rtc
