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mads_reads_books's review against another edition
Graphic: Gun violence, Classism, Colonisation, War, Death of parent, Death, Stalking, Pregnancy, Antisemitism, Murder, Grief, Car accident, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Slavery, Self harm, Racism, Ableism, Racial slurs, and Toxic friendship
Minor: War, Car accident, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Violence, Addiction, Genocide, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Colonisation, Islamophobia, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Classism, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Domestic abuse, Antisemitism, Infertility, Vomit, Xenophobia, Incest, Toxic relationship, and Religious bigotry
cheuksin's review
3.75
The tunnel is called Pont de l'Alma, I told him.
Yes, yes. He knew it.
I want to go through it.
You want to go through the tunnel?
At sixty-five miles per hour - to be precise.
Sixty-five?
Yes.
The exact speed Mummy's car had supposedly been driving
Wow. The ghostwriter really worked some magic. At some times it does feel like someone tried to stretch an sentence into and essay. Harry mentions his mother in pretty much every paragraph. Oversharing is a understatement.
Honestly, anyone who could hate Harry and Megan after reading this book is a heartless bastard. My neutral opinion of Will and Kate has also depreciated.
Graphic: Death of parent, Gun violence, Racism, Sexual assault, Stalking, and War
Moderate: Xenophobia, Drug use, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
Minor: Infertility, Trafficking, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Rape, and Suicide
caitiedundas's review
3.0
Mostly I just found it very sad. I think the book has been sensationalised by the leaked quotes and early sound bites, mostly about Harry’s penis, but the actual content is desperately sad. He comes across as a deeply traumatised, anxious man who is clearly haunted by a childhood and adolescence which sounds pretty grim despite the immense wealth and privilege. It’s very difficult not to empathise with him for his difficult experiences. I particularly enjoyed the first portion of the book, covering his childhood and early adolescence. It was interesting to get a look into this period and I felt he came across the most sincere in these parts. Not that his sincerity was something I really doubted later on in the book, but it was most pronounced early.
That being said, where I struggled to empathise was when it seemed like assertions were being made to try and ensure Harry came across as ‘a normal guy’. This is the worst in the second half of the book with passages dedicated to his supermarket routines, TK Max visits, etcetera. It seemed as though he was determined to come across as any old pleb, when it’s clear this simply isn’t the case, and this is something he does acknowledge in other areas of the book. In a passage near the end he recounts never having ordered an Amazon parcel, or held a house key, so he is clearly well aware of his unconventionally sheltered and elevated lifestyle, making the repeated attempts to situate himself as an ‘ordinary’ person all the more puzzling. Add to that the copious mentions of exclusive members club Soho House, plenty of occasions of friends with spare mansions, lots of monetary talk. The guy is clearly wealthy and privileged, and the book would be better for it if his honesty there was more consistent.
The writing was decent. Nothing I felt particularly blown away by but it was an enjoyable, fast paced read. The atmospheric descriptions, in particular, I thought were strong, and the themes which strung throughout the memoir and motifs which popped up repeatedly were used effectively (the flag, the biro, etc).
Not really a critique of the book as it is indeed reality but it was sad that the book ended on a rather negative note, with evidently little contact between Harry and his Royal family. It feels like quite an open ending, something I suspect is purposeful for another book.
Overall - a decent read! Despite being long it remained pretty fast paced and only took me a few days to read, with a fairly moderate amount of time dedicated to reading each day. Wouldn’t have spent the full price or indeed the current standard half price on it, but the nice it ends up in the charity shops it is absolutely worth a wee read!
Graphic: Misogyny, Colonisation, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, War, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Death, Gaslighting, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Antisemitism, Stalking, Drug abuse, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and Racial slurs
Minor: Infertility, Drug use, Medical content, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Bullying, Sexual content, and Miscarriage
jessiereads98's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Death, War, Mental illness, Misogyny, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Torture, Grief, Sexism, Animal death, Violence, Stalking, Gore, and Racism
Moderate: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Animal cruelty, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Car accident, Classism, Colonisation, Drug use, Gun violence, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Incest, Infidelity, Slavery, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, and Pedophilia