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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
I am of the firm belief that the tabloid media are responsible for Diana’s death, and have therefore been dismayed watching them trash Kate, Meghan, Pippa, and so many others whose only crime was entering the orbit of the British royal family.
At the same time I finish this at the end of a series of books including histories of Edward III and another about Regency Britain - so I have just about had my fill of entitled royals whining about their lot in life.
So I have mixed feelings about Harry’s story, because he is at once the most real and most insufferable of the lot. I have little doubt that Charles extended his vendetta against Diana onto his own children, particularly Harry who is the image of his mother. We see this frequently in how he deals with Kate, as reflected in the book.
Will was determined to be to Charles what Charles and particularly Diana were not - compliant and ‘crown-ready’. Harry was never going to fit that mold, nor was he allowed. I have no problem seeing Will as sabotaging Harry & Meghan at every turn, just as Charles & Camilla attempted to sabotage Kate.
In the end this is a very sad tale with no winners - Harry & Meghan have been exiled and shut out, the House of Windsor is about to crown a deservedly unpopular monarch, and not a thing has changed since the press killed Diana.
As for this book? It is solid storytelling and a compelling read - Harry doesn’t gloss over his frequent mistakes, ones that would have had much greater impact for others. And at times he shows how little he learned from each, as he was taught these things were to be managed and messaged through courtiers. It seems like through time he has learned the impact of his actions, though I confess to wishing he’d stopped self-medicating at some point. I am left unchanged on my opinion of the king and heir … but unsure about my feelings on the Spare. But glad I read this book.
At the same time I finish this at the end of a series of books including histories of Edward III and another about Regency Britain - so I have just about had my fill of entitled royals whining about their lot in life.
So I have mixed feelings about Harry’s story, because he is at once the most real and most insufferable of the lot. I have little doubt that Charles extended his vendetta against Diana onto his own children, particularly Harry who is the image of his mother. We see this frequently in how he deals with Kate, as reflected in the book.
Will was determined to be to Charles what Charles and particularly Diana were not - compliant and ‘crown-ready’. Harry was never going to fit that mold, nor was he allowed. I have no problem seeing Will as sabotaging Harry & Meghan at every turn, just as Charles & Camilla attempted to sabotage Kate.
In the end this is a very sad tale with no winners - Harry & Meghan have been exiled and shut out, the House of Windsor is about to crown a deservedly unpopular monarch, and not a thing has changed since the press killed Diana.
As for this book? It is solid storytelling and a compelling read - Harry doesn’t gloss over his frequent mistakes, ones that would have had much greater impact for others. And at times he shows how little he learned from each, as he was taught these things were to be managed and messaged through courtiers. It seems like through time he has learned the impact of his actions, though I confess to wishing he’d stopped self-medicating at some point. I am left unchanged on my opinion of the king and heir … but unsure about my feelings on the Spare. But glad I read this book.
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
I wasn’t sure what to expect. Originally, I hadn’t intended on reading it.
I think it was a careful balance between telling it all and doing nothing further to upset his Royal Family.
I wanted more of the beginning of his and his wife’s love story.
Overall, good read.
I think it was a careful balance between telling it all and doing nothing further to upset his Royal Family.
I wanted more of the beginning of his and his wife’s love story.
Overall, good read.
[audiobook][no spoilers, I just mention topics that are typically known by the public][looooong review]
I was never interested in the British (or any other) monarchy until I watched “The Crown”. When I finished the TV serie, I was in need for more. “Spare” seemed a good way to continue. Only… it wasn’t.
Maybe I was naive, since I’ve never read this type of books before. I mean, I read memoirs… but not of the VIP. I was prepared for drama, of course, but this was something else. An entire book meant to point out the flaws of the family and make people understand the harm of the media… is no way to get closer to your family through the media.
I actually liked the division in 3 parts; they make a lot of sense considering what’s being told. I didn’t understand, however, how each part could have so many chapters, considering the narrative. They were way too short, to just start a new one with the chronological continuation, still on the same topic.
Now… the real deal. The first part was very difficult to pass through, even if temporarily speaking was the reason why I started this book. Ok, it was heartbreaking, the way his father had to tell him what happened. But soon enough we have him blaming the family to make him walk behind his mom’s coffin - who does that to a child? Well, Harry, I actually don’t know whether there’s a manual explaining what to do to 12 year old’s when their moms die.
This entire part… The heir and the spare, the heir and the spare… We got it, Harry. You were saw as / made into the problematic one; the press was very harsh on you; your family didn’t help… But listening to 5 hours of “poor me” didn’t make me feel empathetic. It made me think: you’re an adult and you’ve had the resources to deal with all of this crap later in life. Own it and stop blaming everyone else for your trauma.
Second part: much better, he was discovering himself. He found something he liked, that he was good at. He found a purpose. He was serving his country and his queen in even more ways than he thought he would, and he was good at it!
Although paps and press in general have gone too far already (we know this since the beginning, right? He had lost his mother because of that, I don’t care if the driver was drunk or not. There’s a context), I was shocked that they compromised their troops by sharing Prince Harry’s location. These acts have consequences on innocent people’s lives; it’s much more than gossip and “public interest”.
Almost at the end of this part, I started feeling uneasy again… Not so good things about his brother were told, even if not fully explicit all the time. I knew what I was about to feel in the next chapter.
I finally arrived to the last part, “Captain of my Soul”. With such a title, I thought “ok, he’s going to talk about the decisions he/they made”, because he finally has control over his life. But then again… nop.
It starts with the beginning of his story with Meghan. If everything written there is true, they had a very beautiful love story, and I’m happy they found each other. The dream was over and the nightmare with the paps began when they went public and every minute after that. This can’t be easy; it all seems horrible in fact! These people have no respect, not even self-respect - even if they believe they’re entitled to stalk and harass people just for their own benefit. I felt for them. Also, all the prejudice against her, it just wasn’t right!
But then again… so much of the private life of other people (his family) was shared here. Things said, things done. I believe they are the truth: but if these people are among the ones you love the most... exposing certain things… it doesn’t feel right.
I’m sorry, darling boy, many things are unfair but “it’s protocol”. Yes, you didn’t decide to be born into this family, but look at your own family. How did you expect to be treated differently? Maybe you should have studied more.
Another thing I don’t understand: why is this book called “spare”, considering he even said in the book that he couldn’t understand why the press asked him how he felt about no longer being the spare? How could they ask such a thing when he was so happy about the birth of beings he loved so much? Well… Because you still feel like it.
There’s a final moment, that made me tear up: when he talks about his relationship with “granny”. It was so sweet; I could understand her soft spot for him. And then my sceptical-self kicked in again when I had to rewind the audiobook to be sure I heard it correctly. Lilibet? His daughter’s name? I googled it (yes, I wasn’t really a follower). Lilibet Diana. During this book and considering his unhealthy coping with his mom’s dead (better now! Therapy finally worked!), I had already wondered why his daughter wasn’t called Diana. Well… She is, and I don’t believe I’m going to finish this review calling them ass kissers.
I was never interested in the British (or any other) monarchy until I watched “The Crown”. When I finished the TV serie, I was in need for more. “Spare” seemed a good way to continue. Only… it wasn’t.
Maybe I was naive, since I’ve never read this type of books before. I mean, I read memoirs… but not of the VIP. I was prepared for drama, of course, but this was something else. An entire book meant to point out the flaws of the family and make people understand the harm of the media… is no way to get closer to your family through the media.
I actually liked the division in 3 parts; they make a lot of sense considering what’s being told. I didn’t understand, however, how each part could have so many chapters, considering the narrative. They were way too short, to just start a new one with the chronological continuation, still on the same topic.
Now… the real deal. The first part was very difficult to pass through, even if temporarily speaking was the reason why I started this book. Ok, it was heartbreaking, the way his father had to tell him what happened. But soon enough we have him blaming the family to make him walk behind his mom’s coffin - who does that to a child? Well, Harry, I actually don’t know whether there’s a manual explaining what to do to 12 year old’s when their moms die.
This entire part… The heir and the spare, the heir and the spare… We got it, Harry. You were saw as / made into the problematic one; the press was very harsh on you; your family didn’t help… But listening to 5 hours of “poor me” didn’t make me feel empathetic. It made me think: you’re an adult and you’ve had the resources to deal with all of this crap later in life. Own it and stop blaming everyone else for your trauma.
Second part: much better, he was discovering himself. He found something he liked, that he was good at. He found a purpose. He was serving his country and his queen in even more ways than he thought he would, and he was good at it!
Although paps and press in general have gone too far already (we know this since the beginning, right? He had lost his mother because of that, I don’t care if the driver was drunk or not. There’s a context), I was shocked that they compromised their troops by sharing Prince Harry’s location. These acts have consequences on innocent people’s lives; it’s much more than gossip and “public interest”.
Almost at the end of this part, I started feeling uneasy again… Not so good things about his brother were told, even if not fully explicit all the time. I knew what I was about to feel in the next chapter.
I finally arrived to the last part, “Captain of my Soul”. With such a title, I thought “ok, he’s going to talk about the decisions he/they made”, because he finally has control over his life. But then again… nop.
It starts with the beginning of his story with Meghan. If everything written there is true, they had a very beautiful love story, and I’m happy they found each other. The dream was over and the nightmare with the paps began when they went public and every minute after that. This can’t be easy; it all seems horrible in fact! These people have no respect, not even self-respect - even if they believe they’re entitled to stalk and harass people just for their own benefit. I felt for them. Also, all the prejudice against her, it just wasn’t right!
But then again… so much of the private life of other people (his family) was shared here. Things said, things done. I believe they are the truth: but if these people are among the ones you love the most... exposing certain things… it doesn’t feel right.
I’m sorry, darling boy, many things are unfair but “it’s protocol”. Yes, you didn’t decide to be born into this family, but look at your own family. How did you expect to be treated differently? Maybe you should have studied more.
Another thing I don’t understand: why is this book called “spare”, considering he even said in the book that he couldn’t understand why the press asked him how he felt about no longer being the spare? How could they ask such a thing when he was so happy about the birth of beings he loved so much? Well… Because you still feel like it.
There’s a final moment, that made me tear up: when he talks about his relationship with “granny”. It was so sweet; I could understand her soft spot for him. And then my sceptical-self kicked in again when I had to rewind the audiobook to be sure I heard it correctly. Lilibet? His daughter’s name? I googled it (yes, I wasn’t really a follower). Lilibet Diana. During this book and considering his unhealthy coping with his mom’s dead (better now! Therapy finally worked!), I had already wondered why his daughter wasn’t called Diana. Well… She is, and I don’t believe I’m going to finish this review calling them ass kissers.
informative
slow-paced
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
The best book I have listened to in a long time! Highly recommend the audio book for this one, there is something so beautiful and tragic about hearing these words in Harry’s own voice.
I listened to this as an audiobook. I’ve been picking at it for a couple months and finally a few days ago decided to just finish it off. I really enjoyed this. I thought it to be real and raw in just the right way. While I may not support the royal family and their history. It was interesting to see it through Harry’s perspective and to have a very in-depth look into the struggles he and the entire family have had with media outlets throughout his life and even before. Truly an eye opening read in that regards.
Prince Harry comes across as very human and very relatable—kudos to the ghost writer— but reading between the lines, as it were, you get the feeling you are not getting the whole story. On the whole a sad book. All that wealth and privilege doesn’t save this family from falling apart.