Book of the Month - May 2023
The Princess Diarist
Carrie Fisher - ISBN: 978-0399173592 - 2016
Author:
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher is an author and actress best known for her roles as Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise. She has appeared in countless other films, including Shampoo and When Harry Met Sally, and is the author of four bestselling novels: Surrender the Pink, Delusions of Grandma, The Best Awful, and Postcards from the Edge as well as the memoirs Shockaholic and Wishful Drinking. Fisher lives in Los Angeles.
From the jacket of The Princess Diarist
She passed in 2016.
Brief Synopsis:
The Princess Diarist is Carrie Fisher's intimate, hilarious and revealing recollection of what happened behind the scenes on one of the most famous film sets of all time, the first Star Wars movie.
When Carrie Fisher recently discovered the journals she kept during the filming of the first Star Wars movie, she was astonished to see what they had preserved - plaintive love poems, unbridled musings with youthful naiveté, and a vulnerability that she barely recognized. Today, her fame as an author, actress, and pop-culture icon is indisputable, but in 1977, Carrie Fisher was just a teenager with an all-consuming crush on her costar, Harrison Ford.
With these excerpts from her handwritten notebooks, The Princess Diarist is Fisher's intimate and revealing recollection of what happened on one of the most famous film sets of all time - and what developed behind the scenes. Fisher also ponders the joys and insanity of celebrity, and the absurdity of a life spawned by Hollywood royalty, only to be surpassed by her own outer-space royalty. Laugh-out-loud hilarious and endlessly quotable, The Princess Diarist brims with the candor and introspection of a diary while offering shrewd insight into the type of stardom that few will ever experience.
Insights:
“Do not let what you think they think of you make you stop and question everything you are.”
“Someone has to stand still for you to love them. My choices are always on the run.”
“If you look at the person someone chooses to have a relationship with, you’ll see what they think of themselves.”
“I've got to learn something from my mistakes instead of establishing a new record to break.”
“Kidding yourself doesn’t require that you have a sense of humor. But a sense of humor comes in handy for almost everything else.”
Should I read it or skip it?
May the Fourth be with you! I love biographies. In honor of May the 4th, I thought I would bring you a Star War Legend.
This book interested me for lots of reasons. My parents took me to my first movie in the theaters: The Return of the Jedi. From Green Lightsabers to my favorite line, Return of the Jedi captivated my mind.
I love the moment when Princess Leia rescues Han Solo from Carbonite. But I really loved the turn about of the “I love you. I know” moment from Empire Strikes Back.
So to hear stories from the set from one of the Big Three cast members was awesome. However, the realism of the situation was heavy. Two people I admired found themselves in situations they weren’t ready for in life. If I had read this book when I was younger, I may have been really judgmental. However, as a man with a daughter not much younger than Ms. Fisher at the time she filmed Star Wars, I realize the importance of parents who can lead and guide in ways that help mentor young adults.
Her story proves my college kid still needs me. My high school kids still need me. They need our experience to navigate life. I wish someone had been there for Harrison and Carrie.
If you are a fan of Star Wars, read the book. I enjoyed it and highly recommend the audio book read by Ms. Fisher herself.
