What do male, 40 something librarians do when they can’t sleep? They read and write book reviews for their blog (first post since 19 January).I didn't know what to make of Carrie Fisher's mini-autobiography, Wishful Drinking! Is it a serious autobiography or a collection of self-mocking anecdotes? How much is accurate and how much is tongue in cheek exaggeration? Do I see the real Carrie Fisher in these pages or the celebrity Carrie? After reading it three times, like forbidden fruit, the answer is both. For me, a closest Star Wars fan, this book was a leap into the unknown as I am not that much interested in the lives of Hollywood celebrities, and I don’t like to find that some of my idols, when I was young and impressionable (i.e. the actors I loved in Star Wars at age 13) are real people with very real problems.
This book is a companion piece to Carrie’s one woman show of the same title, and in it she struts her stuff as a raconteur, and presumably in the stage show too, delivering a wide range of anecdotes, many fun, some sad, lots of laughing at herself – a quote at random, from page 111, illustrates much of the book:
“I was probably rebounding from Paul [Paul Simon] when I met Bryan (a week later), but Bryan is really, really attractive. When I met him, he had hair. Actually, I do that, too – I make them bald, I turn them gay, my work is done!"
The book is short (163 pages) and snappy and easy to read; my first read was over in one night. All in all it’s the sort of thing you can read without getting a headache, have some laughs, and look through a window into that parallel universe of Hollywood, California. To tie this up: not high literature, not demanding (unless you have to live Carrie’s life), but fun.
Carrie, if you happen to read this can I have your phone number? No? Thought so! How about a signed photo? Very Hollywood of me! Good night all!
Bibliographic details: Fisher, Carrie Wishful drinking. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2008. ISBN 13: 978 1 4391 0225 1; price $US 21.00.
2 comments:
Peter,
since i have been following your blog i have seen a different Peter than the peter i knew. Im very impressed.
Brett, glad I am keeping you interested in it all! See there is more to me than an NGC number or five. I only put stuff here that I think is interesting or fun. I don't believe in filling the blog with noise, or in being a slave to it in an attempt to be cool. That's why I sometimes don't post here for weeks. Geez, I hope the skies clear!!!!!!!!!
Cheers, Peter
Post a Comment