Scan barcode
A review by oceanwriter
Spare by Prince Harry
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
I read this more out of curiosity than genuine interest. I'm quite fond of Princess Diana and I mostly wanted to hear what Harry had to say about her.
Told in a linear timeline, Prince Harry discusses the brutal reality of what it means to be part of the royal family. My heart has always gone out to him and I certainly sympathize more now that I've read this. What was off-putting to me was the amount of personal family matters disclosed that really didn't need to be discussed. It's one thing to talk about your own life in a memoir, but it doesn't sit well for me when it turns on others, even when they have wronged you.
Overall, the book was what I expected it to be: a media grab. There isn't a lot of depth to any of the stories aside from maybe what it was like to lose his mother in such a public and traumatic way. I found the writing melodramatic which didn't keep me super invested. I do understand that writing about difficult moments in one's life can be therapeutic, but that doesn't mean it needs to be published. So while I do feel sorry for some of the things he's had to go through, I also can't deny this story is getting so much attention simply due to his place in the Royal Family.
Told in a linear timeline, Prince Harry discusses the brutal reality of what it means to be part of the royal family. My heart has always gone out to him and I certainly sympathize more now that I've read this. What was off-putting to me was the amount of personal family matters disclosed that really didn't need to be discussed. It's one thing to talk about your own life in a memoir, but it doesn't sit well for me when it turns on others, even when they have wronged you.
Overall, the book was what I expected it to be: a media grab. There isn't a lot of depth to any of the stories aside from maybe what it was like to lose his mother in such a public and traumatic way. I found the writing melodramatic which didn't keep me super invested. I do understand that writing about difficult moments in one's life can be therapeutic, but that doesn't mean it needs to be published. So while I do feel sorry for some of the things he's had to go through, I also can't deny this story is getting so much attention simply due to his place in the Royal Family.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and War
Moderate: Drug use, Miscarriage, and Suicidal thoughts