The Princess Diarist in Retro Chapter Chicks

Apr 07, 2017 Brina rated it really liked it

Shelves: memoirs, poetry, celebrity

Last year before her passing, a number of Goodreads friends of mine posted that they were reading a new memoir in diary format written by Carrie Fisher. Upon finding out that Fisher had already authored four books and one memoir, I had my curiosity piqued. Having watched the original Star Wars trilogy so many times that I have the credits and most lines memorized, I was giddy to get my hands on Fisher's insightful, first hand look at the what went on behind the scenes of the most iconic movie in Last year before her passing, a number of Goodreads friends of mine posted that they were reading a new memoir in diary format written by Carrie Fisher. Upon finding out that Fisher had already authored four books and one memoir, I had my curiosity piqued. Having watched the original Star Wars trilogy so many times that I have the credits and most lines memorized, I was giddy to get my hands on Fisher's insightful, first hand look at the what went on behind the scenes of the most iconic movie in American film history. Then, I heard the news that she passed, and I saw the new movie with her computer generated image and I decided to wait on the memoir for awhile. Finally, my library had a copy for me, and I decided to store away the sad memories, and read about Princess Leia in Fisher's own words.

Despite being the child of a famous actress and singer, Carrie Fisher was never interested in becoming an actress herself. She witnessed firsthand how her father left the family when she was only eighteen months old, and decided that the acting life was not for her. Yet, Fisher's upbringing was anything but normal, and by age seventeen, she had dropped out of high school and starred in her first movie, Shampoo. Two years later, after attending classes at the Central Acting Agency in London, Fisher received her first break when asked to read for the part of a princess in a new sci-fi movie directed by George Lucas. Even though Fisher still was not convinced that the acting life was what she desired, she went through with the interview, and the rest is, as we shall say, history.

Going behind the scenes of the filming of A New Hope, Fisher answers the burning question that fans have been asking for forty years, and then some. Included in this section is a diary that she had wrote while working on the movie, which she admits was three months of being secluded from all else besides the cast and crew of the film. I found the prose and poems of diary raw and revealing as to what a nineteen year old Fisher experienced emotionally while becoming Princess Leia. For a would be actress who did not fully complete high school, I thought the poetry she penned was above average and nearly left me in tears, while reading it. Through the reading of the diary, I found out what it was to be Carrie, rather than Leia, and how she at a relatively young age was able to separate the two personas.

What I found the most introspective in this book was not her relationship with other actors or the poems, but of life after Star Wars. After the film moved from movie to iconic status, the stars were given the royal treatment and rarely out of the public eye. Fanatics waited in line for hours to meet her for less than one minute to receive an autograph or photograph opportunity. While this may be the moment of a lifetime for a fan, for a celebrity this must be exhausting. Carrie practically ceased to become herself to the public, who know her only as Princess Leia. Even though actors and actresses choose this life for themselves, I still find it upsetting that they rarely appear to have moments to just be themselves.

The Princess Diarist may not receive literary awards, but I found it written better than the average celebrity memoir. Poems always tug at my emotions, and I find it courageous of Fisher to include the poetry along with her forty year old diary in this memoir. Reading this book gave me the finality that Princess Leia will no longer be acting in future Star Wars movies. I enjoyed this look back at Carrie Fisher's life, and found The Princess Diarist to be easy reading for a relaxing morning at home, which I rate 3.5 bright stars. ...more

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Dec 14, 2016 debbicat *made of stardust* rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2016-reads, netgalley

Brilliant and hilarious. I loved it! But I really like Carrie for various reasons which I'll add more about when I get to write up my review. She is rigorously honest. I admire that.

Thank you NetGalley!

UPDATE: As I sit here waiting to watch the HBO Documentary Bright Lights about Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, I feel incredible sadness. I finished this book in December 2016 actually close to the publish date. In the hurrying and scurrying of Christmas preparations I did not get time to do a ...more

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Jun 15, 2024 Theresa rated it really liked it

Shelves: highly-recommended-by-me, short-stories-and-essays, myth-legend-fairytale, z-13-moons-2024, coming-of-age, women-s-history, biography-memoir, buddy-reads, england, fantasy

One day Carrie Fisher is clearing out some boxes and finds her 40 year old diaries from the 3 months filming Star Wars (the original of course) in 1976. She had forgotten all about them, and finding them triggered her decision to finally tell the full story of that time, both as she remembered it 40 years later and as revealed by her diaries. While some of the stories I'd heard before, specifically in her one woman show Wishful Drinking, there is one significant one that has never before been tr One day Carrie Fisher is clearing out some boxes and finds her 40 year old diaries from the 3 months filming Star Wars (the original of course) in 1976. She had forgotten all about them, and finding them triggered her decision to finally tell the full story of that time, both as she remembered it 40 years later and as revealed by her diaries. While some of the stories I'd heard before, specifically in her one woman show Wishful Drinking, there is one significant one that has never before been truly revealed: her 3 month affair with her co-star, Harrison Ford.

The structure of the book is basically 3 sections: first part is Carrie now telling what she remembers of herself, getting cast, and the filming, the second part is the affair told in part through her memories but in large part from the actual excerpts from her diaries, and the third part is 40 years later and her life long experience of having been Princess Leia in a global phenomenon that continues to influence today. The diary entries are fantastic - a combination of prose and poetry. At one point she mentions that she started writing, in the form of diaries, when she was 12 as it helped quiet her mind, helped her calm herself and create stillness. Those years of writing showed in these diaries. There is great wit, humor, and self-deprecation, throughout the book and the diaries, all written in an easy engaging manner. She doesn't try to 'prettify' or 'aggrandize' anything, especially not herself. If anything, she uses humor to temper her own harsh judgment about the girl she was.

Who was that girl? She was a naive, inexperienced, protected, anxious, 19 year old with low self image issues who had had a role in one movie previously (Shampoo directed by Warren Beatty). She was way out of her depth. Like so many teens, she wanted to appear sophisticated, wanted to be liked, was looking for adventure but had no clue what was in store by being cast as Leia in this little low budget scifi film. It's quite a story.

As for Harrison ... read it an find out. Let's just say my personal infatuation has not diminished in the least. ...more

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Jan 25, 2022 Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Jenn Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ Schu rated it liked it

Shelves: biography

I grew up with the original Star Wars and it's safe to say that Princess Leia was one of my childhood heroes (along with Wonder Woman and the Bionic Woman). I have read several of Carrie Fisher's memoirs and what appealed to me about this one was learning about her experience with the Star Wars' franchise. Some chapters I enjoyed more than others and my favorite, by far, was the chapter entitled "Leia's Lap Dance". It was wonderfully hilarious listening to accounts of the many fans she met over ...more

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