Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Wishful Drinking

Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher

14 reviews

jessicafaithh's review against another edition

funny fast-paced

4.5

Carrie Fisher’s Wishful Drinking is a refreshingly fast-paced memoir that delves into the darker corners of her life without ever letting the mood drag. Fisher’s signature wit and dark humor shine through, making this a uniquely engaging read that feels less like a structured autobiography and more like a candid, unfiltered conversation.

The writing style is sharp and conversational, creating a sense of intimacy as though Fisher is sitting across from you, sharing her life’s highs and lows. Her humor, often biting and dark, adds levity to heavy subjects like addiction, mental health struggles, and family dynamics. It’s a tone that some readers will adore—especially those who appreciate raw honesty—but it might not suit everyone.

One of the most eye-opening aspects of the memoir is the insight into how Fisher’s family handled her addiction issues. The balance of love, exasperation, and resilience in these relationships is both touching and revealing. Her relationship with her mother, Debbie Reynolds, is particularly memorable. Through her anecdotes, it’s clear how much Fisher admired and revered her, even as they navigated the complexities of their familial bond.

Beyond the humor and family stories, Wishful Drinking also offers a poignant perspective on mental health. Fisher’s reflections on her experiences with bipolar disorder are deeply personal, shedding light on the realities of living with mental illness in the public eye.

This memoir isn’t a traditional, linear life story. Instead, it’s a patchwork of memories, reflections, and tangents that might feel scattered to some but perfectly encapsulates Fisher’s chaotic brilliance. It’s a book that’s best suited for readers who are ready to embrace her unconventional style and can handle the emotional weight of topics like addiction, mental illness, and loss.

Trigger warnings are a must for potential readers, as Fisher doesn’t shy away from discussing heavy, potentially upsetting themes. But for those who connect with her humor and storytelling, Wishful Drinking offers an unforgettable glimpse into the mind of a cultural icon.

Highly recommended, but with the caveat that this is Carrie Fisher in her rawest, most unfiltered form—and that’s exactly what makes it so compelling.

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blizzardinsummer's review

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emotional funny reflective fast-paced

unrated ⭐️

still can’t believe she’s gone. we really lost her way too soon. 💔

this short memoir/transcript of her one woman show was hilarious. if you’re looking at reviews wondering if you should read this, my answer is yes but pick up the audiobook. hearing carrie read it herself i feel definitely improved my experience and it was a fun time overall.

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empresscosplay's review

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

5.0

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issyd23's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Carrie Fisher is a riot! Reads like stand up comedy/1 woman show - wish I saw this performed live & wish Paul Simon would write a song about me 5🥃

“But the main thing I’ve learned, I learned all by myself, no help needed. I learned not to get my tongue pierced. Because if you’re getting it pierced for the reason why I think you’re getting it pierced and you’re not good at that thing to begin with, no little piece of jewelry is going to save the day.”

God she’s brilliant - there’s way too many funny lines to include! Can’t wait to read her other books 😆

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followdiallo's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted

3.5

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usuallyaudio's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

2.75

This is a short collective of stories of Carrie Fisher's life, as written (and read) by the author. It's based on her travelling show, so it makes sense that it is somewhat all over the place, rather than a biography. The main themes are her mental illnesses and struggles she faced throughout her life and career. She has a comical and lighthearted way of reflecting on her life, but it could be because she went through electroconvulsive therapy to treat her depression. I was hoping for more thorough biography, but that is not what this book is. It is funny reading this today as it was published in 2009 and it almost felt like she predicted or spoke into existence some things that happened since.

While I love listening to autobiographies read by the author, she did read this as though it was one of her travelling performances. ie lots of yelling at the end of a sentence for emphasis.

RIP Carrie <3

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