Wishful Grieving

A couple of weeks ago, I thought it would be fun to listen to "Wishful Drinking" (2008) to get ready for Carrie Fisher's newest, "The Princess Diarist" (November 22, 2016). Before Audible, I'd read "Wishful Drinking" on paper. I thought it was mildly amusing but not terribly insightful or even memorable, a 3 or 3.5 out of 5.

"Wishful Drinking" as a listen is brilliant, laugh out loud funny, and - especially for those in the 18% - a bookmark-that-clip "at last someone isn't afraid to say it" picture of an intriguing life with mental illness. It is so good it was nominated for a Grammy for Spoken Word in 2009, losing to former Vice President Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" - and to be fair, global warming affects the 100%.

What's the 18%? According to the National Institute for Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health, that's the percentage of American adults who, in any given year, are living with a mental illness. (Retrieved from nimh dot nih dot gov on December 27, 2016).

I personally hate the term "suffering from" - does anyone say they are "suffering from" diabetes? a heart condition?" I don't think Fisher ever used it. She lived with manic Roy and sobbing Pam, the names she gave to the two wildly divergent sides of her bipolar disorder. Fisher's bipolar disorder went undiagnosed for long enough to give her blackout drinking and overdose drug problems when she self-medicated. Shock treatment helped eventually, but it robbed her of some memories - but thankfully, not her sense of humor.

Here are some great quotes from the book: "Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die." And "I like to quote fictional characters because I'm somewhat of a fictional character myself."

I really liked hearing Fisher narrate, and I got such a kick out of the times that she couldn't help but laugh at herself. I was so looking forward to listening to "The Princess Diarist." I'd planned something special: I was going to wait until Fisher was on her book tour in Los Angeles so I could get a signed hardback - and then buy the Audible and listen to it , book in hand. I was hoping for an appearance at the 2017 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

I was crushed when Fisher died on December 27, 2016. Her mother, the charming actress Debbie Reynolds, followed Fisher just a day later, on December 28. I imagine if there's an afterlife, Fisher's already busy at work on an amusing monologue about her mother dramatically upstaging her in death.

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236 people found this helpful

Another Perspective....

I'm a bit confused by the low-ratings other listeners have given this audiobook, as I found it to be a frequently hilarious, laugh-out-loud work marked by an enjoyably idiosyncratic performance by the author. My only complaint is that at just a hair over three hours, it left me wanting much more. I can only hope that in the near future we'll see the release of Wishful Drinking Strikes Back!

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52 people found this helpful

An entertaining, yet unfortunate story.

I decided to listen to this AudioBook because I have been a fan of Star Wars since I was a kid. I wanted to hear more about Carrie Fisher from her own words and hear her stories.

There are essentially two parts to the book. She talks about growing up in the entertainment industry, and how it's weirdness, along with the influences of those around her, famous or not, helped shape her life. She does briefly talk about Star Wars, and how George Lucus "ruined her life" but, in the nicest way possible. She also talks about her Mother (Debbie Reynolds) quite a bit as well.

The second part goes into great detail her struggle with Bipolar disorder, and also her struggles with drugs and alcohol. She mentions her electro-shock therapy as a means to help overcome this disorder, with the unfortunate side effect of losing a lot of her memory.

The tale she tells is very entertaining, as Carrie Fisher is a very witty individual. I never felt bored or wishing I was listening to something else during the audiobook. At first, I had wished for more stories about her experiences with Star Wars, but I do understand that it certainly wasn't the only part of her life and if anything made her life very stressfull.

The quality of the audio is well, though Carrie does have the tendancy to shout some of the end of her lines to try and add a bit of humor, which isn't all too necessary. Overall, I'd recommend this one and would listen to any future audiobooks by the author.

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33 people found this helpful

Crazy person in traffic

What did you love best about Wishful Drinking?

Carrie Fisher's humor was non stop - her self deprecating 1 liners had me in tears. I know people at the stop lights were looking at me wondering what was wrong with me.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wishful Drinking?

When she was referring to Lucas owning the "rights" to the Princess Leia likeliness - and referred to her cosmic regions.

What does Carrie Fisher bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I love her voice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

YES

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24 people found this helpful

Laugh out loud funny

This is not an autobiography; this is a memoir of sorts; just some funny bits from a life lived at full tilt. The humor and insight Ms. Fisher reveals regarding her struggles with addiction and bipolar disorder is marvelous. I thought it was great. She does not complain or wallow in self pity; she has reached the stage in her life that she can laugh at the hard bits; and shares that with us. I think that perhaps older folks (40+) might enjoy this book more than younger people.

I enjoyed her reading; I thought it really added to the book. I enjoyed hearing about Cary Grant and Paul Simon; would have liked to hear more, but I liked what I heard. She swears and has a different sense of humor, but that's what I liked about it.

This is not a book of her life; it is a book of scenes from a life. Apparently, it's based on a nightclub act she is doing; I would love to see it. I have recommended and purchased it for friends. I say give it a try.

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20 people found this helpful

A rambling pleasure

Listening to this book is like sitting down for a few drinks with Carrie Fisher and getting all the gossip. She doesn't spare any details, either - but nor does Carrie start at the beginning. The prose is like a stream of consciousness ramble, but it works well. Her random one-liners pop up where you least expect them. I would certainly recommend this book to prospective listeners.

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15 people found this helpful

A wonderful writer!

I can't understand the low ratings by some listeners.Carrie Fisher is an inspiration.She's a survivor who's laugh out loud funny.I couldn't stop listening to this audiobook.

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13 people found this helpful

Narcissistic Entertainment at best

Wow... not really that funny at all. I suppose there were a few smiles, but the people that have claimed 'rolling with laughter' in their reviews must have rolled something else before listening to this book. It is a three hour journey into things Carrie Fisher thinks are funny because people have told her they are... which if a former movie star looked you in the eye and asked you "was that a funny story?" you would of course laugh and say, "Oh Yes... Hilarious! You should write a book!"

I was hoping this book would have some humorous wisdom about growing up in Hollywood and growing up in general. I only found it painfully narcissistic and not relevant to anyone living "in the real world." She tries to make a joke out of the saying, "in the real world" as opposed to the world she lives in. Well, it is true, her world surely doesn't seem all that Real to me, and unfortunately, not funny either. At one point she describes trying to have sex with a lifesize likeness of herself, only to end with the punchline: "I couldn't - the doll is heterosexual and my penis has been revoked until the end of the financial crisis." (WTF?)

So, I gave it two stars because I admire the risks she takes in being that honest about her childhood and recovery, and because I did smile a few times. AND it's only three hours - not a huge investment of time and energy. Also, I like the fact that she is not blaming her parents outright for her dysfunction. A pleasant surprise - almost enough to get a third star... but not quite.

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7 people found this helpful

Falls Short

I have always loved Carrie Fisher's sense of humor and I still do. But this book sounds more like a letter to someone who doesn't know her history, who has the same mental problems, and she is trying to say, "See what I have been through and am still laughing. You can do it too." She does say that this is basically the monolog she recites and she wrote it down so not to forget it. Unfortunately, her reading of it falls short.

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6 people found this helpful

I want to like this more than I actually do

THis poor book. I actually feel kind of sorry for it. It means to be funny, but it somehow falls flat. It's like reading the transcript of your favorite show. There's no doubt in my mind that this is a hilarious stage show. It just doesn't do much in the book department - even with the author reading it. I LOVE Carrie Fisher and will go see her show Wishful Drinking if it comes to my town. THis book is a better value if checked out from the library.

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6 people found this helpful