7 Surprising Things in Spare by Prince Harry
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 มิ.ย. 2024
- My curiosity got the better of me and I read Prince Harry's memoir "Spare". Here are my thoughts about it and 7 surprising things I discovered reading it. Click ‘Show More’ for info.
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Spare by Prince Harry: tidd.ly/3GWaQmh
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
2:38 Magical Thinking
3:35 Gin with Queen Mum
4:23 John Steinbeck
5:13 Abuse & Violence
6:31 The Paris Tunnel
7:30 Harry's Penis
8:17 The Supernatural
9:54 Conclusion
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I have a soft spot for Harry and I flew through this book at record speed, finishing it in 2.5 days. I am glad I read it. I hope he finds the inner peace he so desperately clearly wants ❤
Too many actually good books to read. Thanks for taking one for the team and reading it so we don’t have to. No animosity toward Harry; I hope he works through his issues.
No animosity AT ALL 🤪
Eric, thanks for this. I appreciate hearing about the content especially since I have no intention of reading the memoir. This crown is for you: 👑
Ha, thanks so much! 🤴🏻
I think it is horrific the way the press is allowed to treat people. They have caused a great deal of harm. I hope they pay for what they have done.
@Kitty _gurl talking about your experiences and having people stalk you, hack your phone and even cut fences to get pics of your children are totally different.
A very gracious review of a book that I won’t be reading, and I was so relieved to hear you say you wouldn’t recommend it.
There is one book I will not be reading this year and it is "Spare." Your comments were very good and you were so kind. Thank you for sharing.
Love the approach you took with the book, so classy and sensible!
Thanks Eric, I think you've taken one for the team by reading this, I certainly won't be.
Don’t waste your time or money
The thing that surprises me, is learning more about the British tabloids. Here in The United States we have real divisive tribalism. I certainly understand how the British public are weary of hearing about the royals. However, I think his experience is common amongst a great many socioeconomic groups. To me it’s about, re-orienting to our own views; what works for us. The book resonated with me because I love reading about people who have experienced a paradigm shift. A shift in perception against how one’s raised.
i will spare myself from Spare. but i adore you Eric!
That’s totally fair! 😄 And thank you.
The last ever king of Greece, Constantine II, died yesterday. Not many people seemed to notice. This is how I hope the British royal family ends up someday. Just ordinary people, like everybody else.
An excellent well - thought - out review. Thank you.
@leafyvegan3465 Thank you so much for your comment. I cannot wait to read this memoir.... I am very happy to see "vegan" as I have been searching for vegan recipes. Best wishes from Virginia🙏
I understand why Harry and Megs wanted to get their feelings and opinions known to the public, and particularly Harry with all the trauma surrounding his mother's death, but good lord can this be enough already? They've done the docuseries, and his memoir is out...my question is: If they want to live a quiet life as private citizens, away from the spotlight, why do they keep putting themselves in the spotlight? I'm pretty indifferent to the monarchy, but its kind of irksome that this cloying couple have been consistently in my orbit, whether I want to hear about them or not. Like a torn fingernail that keeps snagging on my clothing. Thank you for your honest review of the book, I find your opinions very interesting. Cheers.
Yes.. I am not in favor of royalty anywhere.. but I was sympathetic to Harry and Megan... but this constant , in your face presence , has been annoying to say the least.
I agree ..I watched a couple of episodes of the Netflix series and I felt a lot of sympathy for them …until the fake paparazzi photos and the fake paparazzi who supposedly chased them in their car….it was so obviously staged that I gave up watching ! Then came the interviews and I thought Harry came across as an arrogant , angry and rather aggressive man. I don’t think this book has done their brand any favours other than make them a lot of money
I'm reading it now. Love it! The British press is bloodthirsty!
The British Press are no more bloodthirsty than the European , Australian and the US press !
You are right but the stories Harry and his wife objected to most came from the US press. And, the British press lavished praise and jubilation on Harry and Meghan for awhile. Harry neglects to analyze what that meant to him. It's all black--and maybe being adored by the press is bad but Harry neglects talking about that side of the picture, making the discourse shallow.
@@stefashaler8340 I doubt that what Harry says is inaccurate. The British press is notoriously savage. Look at what happened to Princess Diana.
@@jackwalter5970 I don't want to support the British press on its savagery. I just think a little perspective would help Harry's argument. Pundits drag out all the headlines praising and idolizing Harry and Meghan in this debate. Yet, Harry doesn't make a peep about how welcomed they were by the press that heralded them as "rock stars" of the Monarchy. It weakens his argument to smear the press as a whole and erase all the fawning pieces. If he produced specific cases of racism by specific journalists and included the whole spectrum of attack and praise, he'd have more credibility. I don't know what the press did to Diana. I believe it's complicated. Diana was famous for using the press. She didn't make a move without letting the press know in advance where and when she'd be somewhere. She also spearheaded the practice of airing family linen in the media.The press were a kilometer behind her car when she crashed according to the coroner's report. They showed up ghoulishly after the crash but had nothing to do with the crash. Harry says the report is wrong but I can't imagine where he gets that information, plus he's no stranger to a fantasy or a lie.
I love your videos Eric, your voice is so calming, not sure I'll be reading Spare though but appreciate your review.
Thank you, Helen. 😊📚
I bought it because I thought the leaks on twitter must be fake. No! I'm about 150 pages in. It's an interesting read because he's had such an unusual life, but I did wonder if the disclaimer at the beginning about his unreliable memory was included as a defense tactic.
Oh yes, I meant to mention that disclaimer where he pointedly says he has trouble remembering dialogue from the past yet he recounts many conversations (and most of the time his portion of an exchange involves him saying very reasonable things while the other person is irrational) sooo… why should we believe all the details of these conversations?
I am reading this at the moment. I am no royalist but even so I found myself sympathetic on the whole to someone who has been hurt and damaged. I will come back to this review when I’ve finished my reading 😊
Fact check what he says if you can - his ‘charming’ story of how he got to hear of the Queen Mum’s death with sunlight pouring into his rooms at Eton has been disproved, as there is the photo of him with Prince Charles and William flying back from Klosters - a skiing trip.
Sara you do know he’s a grown man right? He’s playing on your sympathies to destroy his family. 😣
@@sabinekoch3448 What’s the source? Seems like an odd thing to lie about lol
@@Sunnydreamer1470 She can make up her own mind.. not everyone has to hate them like you annoying 🙄.
@Kitty _gurl It still doesn’t make sense that he would lie about that 🤷♀️
I can’t wait to read it. ❤
I enjoyed this video a great deal. Thank you Eric.
I feel sorry for Harry but only up to a point, I had a lot more sympathy before his interviews where he came across a bit too ' it's everyone's fault but mine' - especially complaining about being cut off financially in his mid thirties in a time when most of us are struggling to pay basic bills. I hope therapy helps him deal with Diana's death and the rift with his family. Like you said at the end, the whole situation just seems very sad.
The thing about being cut off financially is puzzling. His father gave him £15 million to have a fresh start in his new life. Does that sound like cut off? At Harry's age, as you say. All I can surmise is that Harry expected to get support as a working Royal without working.
Thank you for posting this! I'm not interested in reading this book. It's not that I dislike Harry, and I do sympathize with the issues he has surrounding his trauma over his mother's death, but "his truth" is not necessarily the full truth & the royal family (whatever one might thing of them) are constitutionally barred from giving their side of events. I hope all parties involved find a road towards a mutual peace.
"the royal family are constitutionally barred from giving their side of events."
This was explicitly addressed in the book. They DO give their side of events but they release it through "Palace sources" or "friends close to the family" which is exactly the main grievance of Harry in the book.
Thank you Eric !
Thank you for this thoughtful review.
That's the problem: I didn't want to know how ordinary he is!!
I love your channel! I’ve spent many happy hours reading books that you’ve recommended. I’m going to pass on Spare though. I just cannot muster any interest in the woes of the royals when the general British public is suffering under this terrible economy.
Just because Harry is royal doesn't make him less human than you are. He didn't choose the family be was born into. It doesn't make him any less prone to abuse. He didn't ask for his every action to be put under a microscope by the media since birth. He has the same human emotions as any other human being. Him writing this book is his prerogative to put his truth out there rather than have it twisted and perverted by the press for money as it has been all his life.
@@claudinedebruyns5026 h is actually the one putting himself under the microscope and taking his family down with it. We all have troubling times with out families. The difference is that he has a global platform thanks to being in the RF so he uses this to humiliate his family and looks like he has more to say unless his family apologizessounds like blackmail to me
Love the 📕. Bravo PH
Have been on the fence about picking it up. Really appreciate your review & recommendation!
I listened to this book on Audible which was narrated by Harry.
I couldn’t believe the amount of times he was called a “spare” especially when his dad said to him that he had his “spare” and his work was done, and then left to go see his girlfriend. Harry had zero hugs and love from any of the royal family when his mother died. That broke my heart when I learned how he was surrounded by this lavish home, served food on a sliver platter and was not given the attention a child actually needs after the death of a parent. He never had to want for anything in his life this is true. But he said he was literally going to be used for being a blood donor if needed, or an organ donor if ever needed. I think that this “spare” position that he was raised as, is sad like a cow raised on a farm waiting to be slaughtered if the need ever arises. His voice reading this book, gives it much more depth and creates so much more empathy. All he wanted to do, was go all the way back to the beginning of his memories and explain to the reader and his family, what events led up to him leaving. And give all the many reasons he felt justified doing so. He was just a “spare” and was treated as such. It made me see that the royal family was not as “loving” as they portrayed themselves to be. I now say, good for Harry, I am glad he found freedom and someone who loves him and stands by his side. I wish him health and happiness and lots of love in his new life away from royal family. And if you take away from your mind the money, royalty experiences, and look at him, he is just a human. And all he wanted was to feel loved. But, he was treated as the “spare” and lost the one person who made him feel more than just a spare. His mom.
Good try Tina
Thank you
But is Harry 's truth, THE TRUTH...?
Didn't his mother call him the spare?
Thank you so much for reviewing this book. I have so many books on my TBR list. I feel like I can put this one on the back burner for now, thanks to your amazing review. I love books about the monarchy. I really love historical fiction books. Especially about King Henry's wives. If you have any recommendations in this genre and period please please let me know. Anyone.
I am so glad you have read and shared some highlights. There is a part of me that wanted to read because I am always curious about "hot topics" but the other part of me is disgusted by his privileged whining so don't want to spend a penny on the publication. Why are we sympathetic about someone who complains about the media's response to him when the only reason he is of more significance than anyone else is because of his birth into the royal family? My father's political leanings when I was growing up ( I am an old lady) was communist and whenever I make my anti monarchy comments I claim it is only because I am a communist's daughter. 😉
Well, the hardest part for me to value is that Harry has made a huge point of hating the press and wanting privacy but he continually seeks publicity and destroys his own privacy. I don't know how to listen to someone who's so confused, since he's a stranger to me and I have nothing to offer or gain by listening.
So far I have been enjoying the book. It is his side of the story so it is bias by definition. I like how he describes places with such vivid detail and how he gave us an insider view of some very public events. I found it very interesting, bold, and refreshing to show the complexity of events, families, and cultures.
Yes, the ghostwriter did an excellent job as all his previous work ... Agassi Biography, etc
I won't read this book (I prefer Joyce Carol Oates! 😉) but I watched the TV interview. Too many contradictions, too many lies... It's HIS truth but not necessarily THE truth. Compared to the difficulties that people are facing at the moment, I find all these whims for their housing, their marriage, their money... indecent. It's always other people's fault and they never question themselves... They want to live away from gossips but make Netflix docus and books, they're afraid for their safety but they put a target on their back with this Talibans story... All this unpacking is rather sad and I believe that the influence of his wife is not very healthy. He doesn't look very happy.
I get so annoyed when I see the term "my" truth...so now we call lies, versions, opinions, emotions "our" truth? It's so deceiving...
I won’t buy it either!
When I initially heard that Harry wrote a book, I had no interest at all. Then on a whim I put a hold on the audiobook at the library- a one year wait. Wow! Thanks for that excellent summary and review!
I bought the audio book and I'm happy I did. Before hearing Harry's side I wasn't a fan of MM because of everything I'd heard from the media. Now I know those rumours came from the Palace because "somebody" didn't want a repeat of a newcomer stealing his limelight
Did you already read it, WOW... thanks for this overview , hopefully you will tell us what you think of Steinbeck Mice and Men , , I will read it btw.
Thanks Eric for your perspective on “Spare”. While I most certainly will not be reading it, others will. Your comment on Harry believing Diana is not dead was interesting. I know people who keep voicemails of their deceased family, relatives and friends to listen to. There is a photo circulating on the internet of an elderly woman who looks the splitting image of my grandmother (I first saw it as a physical card in a shop). While I know my deceased relatives have passed on, there is a sense of poignancy in your description of Harry being unable to accept his mother died during that period. I think younger people have experienced this. The section mentioning a NAZI uniform is why I turned off the television news whenever Harry was reported on. I can’t accept it was an immature act as he knew exactly what he was doing and what it meant. Anyway, thank you for your interesting comments on Spare. I’m appreciative of your commentary on a range of books featuring a range authors and people (some who I might regard as not very well rounded in life experience).
At the time of that party , Catherine and William had temporarily split . He is a wicked liar . I love this review which is so beautifully presented . He was not able to continue as a soldier because of his public nude pool photos in Las Vegas and his drug taking . He had to leave but was not cashiered because of his status .
I won’t read it., and only because I have no interest in the situation. I am an ex-pat living most of my life in Canada but I remember vividly Diana’s sacrifice wedding and ultimate death. He is experiencing second generational trauma maybe? I hope they can all heal to best they can and do what they do. For me, personally, I will spend my reading money elsewhere, although that is not a slight on the book or Harry. Sometimes I think the interest around this situation is perpetuated by the media and they may not understand how little those in other countries (maybe excluding Us as they celebrate and worship celebrity to extreme) don’t follow the drama. Of course, I could be very wrong here haha… there are three truths… his, theirs and the factual truth. Thanks for the review of the book. 🇨🇦
This is a very nice and fair review.
I was interested in your take on the book as I respect your opinion. I take your point that is Harry's side of the riff. Quite honestly, as an American, I've never been that interested in the royals. However, the wedding of Harry marring a biracial beauty from my country captured my interest. I followed the wedding and became disappointed at all the negative press attacks regarding Meghan, which seemed to me, even though I'm a white woman, to have a racial undertones. So, I'm therefore, sympathetic to both Harry and Meghan. Of course, that's an opinion, not a book review. It was written with the help of a ghost writer. It's really a "celebrity" piece for the curious. However, I view the royals, as celebrities, too.
The Royals are not celebrities. Never have been and never will.
I generally agree with you, but the Royals in all European countries come from a VERY long history, which is has far more depth than just being a superficial ‘ celebrity’ ( even though some really do just behave like celebrities do…😊).
Royalty and celebrity are almost polar opposites. Royals don't seek attention. They put attention on charities and national celebrations for everyone. Royals don't usually receive awards, they give them. Royals keep their deportment and demeanor understated. Royals don't struggle for position and jobs. They are born with specific responsibilities and held accountable for them. The list goes on.....
I didn’t want to listen to any reviews until I read the book and I just finished this morning. I loved it and the main reason is it felt truthful (good, bad, and ugly), and because Harry is so honestly and often unknowingly imperfect. The topics and conversations this book opens up are so vast and important, and Harry has a platform that could actually nudge cultural shifts. Five stars from me. ❤
Except that he hasn’t been honest …lots of inconsistencies popping up now that the book is out and that makes me doubt his credibility. Maybe too many chemicals ? 🤔
I thoroughly enjoyed this review. It is clear that most people that are giving commentary have not read the book and relied on someone else to read it and provide them with the highlights that fit their agenda. Thank you for actually reading the book. I found him to be very entitled. But I could not help but feel sorry for his life experience. The trauma of losing his mom. The butt of his fathers jokes that for him were hurtful even if Prince Charles was just trying to be funny. You can tell how hurt we is by the way he wields ‘Darling Boy’ like a dagger. Jab and twist. But really, he has had to learn what we have all had to learn. How to live life on life’s terms. But he still has the money to manipulate those terms far more than most.
I agree with your analysis
I'm looking forward to this. If nothing else it'll be an insight into him and the monarchy that we would never normally see. I think the main thing I take from this is that this is his truth. And he had spent his whole life (and his brother) living behind a facade, where his truth was never going to come out and yet we're all expecting to own a piece of him. Now he can say whatever he wants, and he should. He's not controlled anymore.
Hi, Eric, you’re brave and kind. I watched the interview, which was enough to have an opinion: his childhood was hard, no doubt, but at the age of 38! and all possibilities to find and pay for help, it’s poor to only accuse others and construct stories which makes him innocent in all points. Informations nobody asked for. Poor rich guy. Wish you happy reading in 2023, love, Monika❣
P.S.: to use a comparison from old literature : Peer Gynt from Norway, kind of entertaining, but not more than a story to hide mistakes…
I am definitely planning to read Spare and I’m glad you’re I did too. The “magical thinking” was described during Harry’s interview with Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes and it was so sad and poignant. I think it’s clear that Diana’s death damaged Harry profoundly and that his upbringing was dysfunctional to say the least. It must be an astonishment to him to be able to speak his truth after a lifetime of being subject to the Palace’s rules.
Thanks so much for this, especially giving such an unbiased opinion... not only you've saved many of us the bother of reading it ourselves, since many of us are slightly curious but not enough to read an entire book, but you've not imposed your own judgments, prejudices and biases onto it, as many Brits do, thus reducing the entire thing to broad generalisations and often condescending dismissal of Harry's experience. Most refreshing Eric, and respectful to him as a human being too... many thanks!!!
Thank you for the review. I think you gave it your usual classy take 😊.
Do you think he’s depressed or mentally unwell in anyway? Some of what you said sounded like he’s a bit disconnected from reality.
Thank you for this excellent review. I just finished reading the book and agree with your interpretation. I'm not a close follower of the Royal family stories, and neither fan nor foe of Harry and Megan, so a lot of it was new to me. I love that whenever he spoke to his brother or father about his problems with the press, they told him to just ignore it, well let's see how easy they will find it to ignore this book.
Well they can’t ignore the book because he has revealed very private information and conversations, without their consent I might add. I would be interested to hear how his lawyers cleared that …on the face of it , the royal family will simply not comment on the book because , as with all the press , their policy is to never comment so they will follow the advice they gave Harry and they will stay silent . It is proving to be a good policy because Harry , for all his interviews and transparency , has made himself a laughing stock and I don’t know if he will ever be taken seriously again. Certainly not by people from the UK anyway…Americans seem to have an obsession with people exposing their frailty and faults but in the UK we don’t have the same admiration . We particularly don’t admire disloyalty to one’s family and I would have thought that most Americans would have felt the same way. I found his book to be very angry and bitter …I think he could have told a very different story without the anger , jealousy and bitter rhetoric, particularly about his brother and most definitely without the bizarre and weird obsession with his genitals !! No one needed to hear about that !! The writing was not wonderful and at times was like a floury romance novel …very odd …throughout the book , you are reminded due to all the inconsistencies, that the book is full of “Harry’s truth “ , not necessarily the truth .
So far so good. The Royals are practicing what they preach by not being thrown off course by Harry's book, interviews or movie. I think that's what they mean by "ignore it". Harry's interpretation might be different than others. It often is, as is the case with all groups looking back on a situation.
@@decorDD When they said "ignore the press" to Harry, he might have taken it quite differently than it was meant. Harry might have had difficulty digesting a phrase like that whereas others found it obvious..? My sense of what the Royal Family meant is "don't allow it to throw you off course and spoil your experience". I suspect that was their meaning because that's how the rest of them act.
@@stefashaler8340 I think you’re right .,either way , Harry should Hebert taken their advice
@@decorDD Me too. Harry would still be in the safety of his family and not the butt of jokes worldwide and looking as worn out as he does. I feel for him but I don't like his out of control blaming. He doesn't go after one offender but attacks whole groups like 'the press', his country and his family. I doubt that he means to be so ham-fisted. He doesn't have the sophistication to focus and proceed honourably. The best thing for me if Harry had taken his family's advice, is that I would still be blissfully barely aware of the Monarchy or Harry.
I will be reading this book. Making Harry & William walk behind Diana’s casket in their youth was strange and emotionally abusive.
Did he intentionally wait until after Queen Elizabeth's death to publish this book?
Apparently, nobody expected Queen Elizabeth to die as soon as she did. She had an unexpected sudden health crisis even though she had a terminal illness. That's why most members of the family didn't make it to her bedside. The book was scheduled to be published and Queen Elizabeth was expected to be alive when it was.
@@stefashaler8340 thanks.
@@judybrown1624 You're welcome.
Thanks for sharing this very nuance review but I don't think I'll be reading this book. It's ghost written for a person who had to employ a teacher to finish off his own A levels. I'm sure every dog-bowl, psychic encounter and frost-bitten appendage has been thoroughly assessed as to how it will play in the US. I don't think giving a kill count will help with his PSTD and will most likely inflate the price on his own head and on those of his family. I'm not a royalist and I do think our own press have been shamefully racist in its coverage of Megan. I just think the man should take time out before publishing anything else.
I'm not a royalist either but his self indulgence and bitterness and lack of awareness is enough to make me want to support William et al
Ooooooooh, I need to read this.
That was very interesting. I wasn't sure if I would read the book but I'm pretty sure I will now. I've heard both good and bad things about it, so much so that it seems almost like a rorsach test. You're synopsis seems very unbiased and I am intrigued.
Eric you do realise that this book was written by a ghostwriter not by Harry ? This book is 'his truth' not THE TRUTH, he states that in the forward of the book. There are a number of discrepancies in this book, also do you think it is fair of Harry to discuss not only his personal intimate information but also that of his family, even dragging his brothers children into it, attacking not only the press but numerous family members who are UNABLE to DEFEND themselves against frankly slanderous accusations . I think you should take an in-depth look at interviews etc out there and see how he has been manipulating the truth to suit his narrative.
I agree.
UK folks certainly seem to have strong feelings about him, judging by the comment section. 🤔
The fact that there is STILL a monarchy is the real shame.
SW - Yhere are many Monarchies in Europe and the world . What would you replace the Monarchy with ? Check out the Republics out there - especially the US - a total basket case !
@@dianepayne1102 with anything other than one based on birthright! Just because there are several monarchies in Europe does not make it okay. It makes it antiquated and unjust. All monarchies should be abolished. Period. Shame on anyone who continues to support such a system, and I hope his book helps people see this.
Democracy in Europe allows people to decide to keep their monarchs as head of state.
@@7jarrow that doesn’t mean there is still not something fundamentally wrong with monarchies. People make all kinds of decisions that go against their interests. The emotional attachment to the celebrity of an imperial tradition based on birthright is a case in point. 🤷♀️
@@SM-vr8dz your opinion could be judged as arrogant. I trust people in general are capable of making the correct decisions for themselves. One thing we can’t deny was that Queen Elizabeth was an excellent head of state and widely respected.
I've bought it and read a few chapters so far (want to finish my current read The Big Four by Agatha Christie before I allow myself to indulge in this!)
Youve summed it up exactly how I felt initially on hearing he was releasing the book. I can see the situation from both sides. I guess the main issue for me is that we'll only ever get the one side of the story so there is no way to fact check it.
I am intrigued by the book though as Im quite fond of Harry. I'm not a royalist or a republican so I'm going in with an open mind.
Much in the book has been fact checked. The Royal Family are so quoted, calendared, photographed and documented that it's not hard to check out the fact parts.
At the end of the day, this is just his perception of the truth and every other person involved will also have their perceptions. Nobody can move forward, or have any form of reconciliation without respect or trust which have totally gone out the window, in my opinion. Re Diana's death, there was an interesting Guardian article a few days ago that reminded us all that a) Diana did not have her seat belt on and b) the driver had both alcohol and drugs in his bloodstream. Only when he stops blaming everyone else and grows up a bit, may his story be, in my opinion, more authentic
While both of those things are true, the fact still remains that the paparazzi were also surrounding the car from all sides. Not only that but they literally stood by as this woman was dying and took pictures rather than trying to save her life. I’m not surprised Harry hates the tabloid press. The phone hacking and the racism has simply compounded that hatred. His estrangement with his family in my opinion stems from them allowing a culture of leaking to the tabloids from their private offices which I have to agree Charles and William really should not being allowing this to flourish.
Physical hardship?
I’m intrigued by the book but I am not sure if I actually should read it. Some of the things he describes sound so intimate, something I should not know (as somebody who doesn’t know Harry personally or in a (medical) professional manner like his doctor, therapist etc). To my capacity I feel compassion for him though, especially because of all the abuse he suffered. There’s quite a lot to unpack psychologically (which is interesting but also harrowing).
thank you for reading it and 'sparing ' me the read lol....i have zero interest in this book or in Harry or the royal family . I only watched this because it was your video and i watch all your videos :)
Haha, thank you so much!
Is it writing worth reading?
I just got it from the library and will read it soon. I'm curious to see how I feel about the book, but I already know how I feel about the paparazzi: I feel like we need to outlow this barbaric fame-reporting behavior. It's not providing us with information or keeping the privileged in check. It's causing damage, both personal and societal and adds no value to conversations 99.999% of the time. I despise the paparazzi. Regardless of how I feel about the people they hound
So there's nothing revelatory about British government/royal skulduggery or anything political like that? I mean the stuff about his violent military training is interesting but is there much else? I guess it wouldn't be released by a mainstream publisher if there was 😄😸
I'm a 75 year old woman who has endured and survived so much in my life. I wish him all the best, but have no interest in reading this book.
Well all I can say is he has the right to finally give his opinion. The opinion he hasn't been able to give because the firm wouldn't allow it. I don't think the book is being written to fix anything it's just so that he can set the record straight on what he feels and has gone through.
And let’s not forget “make a crap ton of cash” 🤷🏻♀️
@@a_bookish_gemini Why shouldn't he. He's not getting anything from the royals.
@@browngirlreading oh totally. I'm not criticizing the man.
Candid? Or embellished?
Anyone reading this… just go to chapter 10 (audiobook preferable to hear Harry’s snarky inflections and all). Spoiler alert: It’s all about slut-shaming the Spice Girls, who Harry believes wear cheap “plastic” knee boots with “12 inch heels” (erm… either the small village of fact-checkers, ghostwriter, editors, lawyers, publicists, spell checkers, and royal advisors behind this thicc “autobiography” couldn’t bother using a metric conversion app; or the Prince truly meant 12 inches, exaggerating to absurdity, thinking us thirsty bumbling masses are just as ignorant as he - and couldn’t possibly know off-hand that max functional heel height is 6”!), nearly climax whilst “bantering” with the media; basking in the light of the very camera flashes striking poor pre-teen Harry like a “cleaver thrown at [his] head.” Worst of all (according to adult Harry over 20 years later), was this girl group’s delusions about actually having a “mission,” other than to sing & dance like wind-up dolls. Worse yet, according to Harry - that mission was to empower women & fighting back against misogyny! The audacity, right? And, like, woah - how distasteful to throw their “girl problems” (or Girl Power) in Nelson Mandela’s face in post-British-Apartheid South Africa. How bad can being a woman be, when you’re out there strutting around our respectable Colony in a MINI dress, Gerry Spice, made of the same Union Jack that was on [not dead] Mummy’s coffin?!
*Prince Harry’s unfiltered be like* …
“How dare those Spice Girls be about *Girl Power* on tour in one of the MY FAMILY’s *many* African Colonies we alone carved into existence, in front of the same Nelson Mandela MY FAMILY imprisoned for leading the most successful uprising against Apartheid (and whom Pa ORDERED to “say you’ll be there”)! The nerve of those Spices! To stand-up against misogyny in the hyper-sexualized late-90s/early 2000s, and on land MY FAMILY did said Aparathying! The audacity of the biggest global sensation out of Britain since The Beatles to play their #1 hit song “Wannabe,” remotely seducing my toe-tapping Pa with lyrics like “if you wanna get with me, better make it fast;” desecrating my totally “not dead” Mummy’s grave by wearing the same Union Jack that was on Mummy’s coffin as a “MINI dress!!!
And how rich of Baby Spice, of all people, to pinch my chubby pre-teen cheeks like I’M the baby (and clearly still am) - instead of “getting with me”? My God, someone tell my advisor to call the plumber, ‘cause this river’s overflowing with hypocrisy! And to add insult to cleaver-to-head flash bulb injury, nobody really meant it when they asked me a million times if I was okay after Mummy [did or didn’t] die. Someone, should give this brilliant author (ME… not my ghostwriter) a Nobel Peace Prize for not laying in bed at the Castle in my deep sorrow for eternity! If there was a cross to nail me to in-between the Spices & Mandela, I’d be able to write 7 chapters about how I almost died for your sins… that you made my family commit whilst they rightfully crusaded against millions of barbaric heretics to get everyone on the right religion: the Anglican state church that anoints us Royals to power on behalf of our God(s) goddamnit! You’re welcome, you ungratefuls!!!”
Anyways, I recommend y’all read (or listen) to that chapter for yourself tho. Tried to lighten this with some dark humor… but I did not exaggerate the loaded (IMO, sexually frustrated) chapter-long rantings about “the Spices” (because they’re not human enough to dignify with names), whilst sitting on his high (CAVALRY, not traitorous ROUNDHEAD) horse, as-if his own goddamn family didn’t literally do the entire invading, colonizing, and Aparathying of South Africa themselves! Lazily cloaking his misogyny under the most extreme example of performative “social justice” humanly possible (given the reality that HIS beloved blood-thirsty recent ancestors created the entire regime he’s oh so very sensitive to all the sudden) - distracting from his blatant hypocrisy as he paints himself as the ultimate victim while on the least spontaneous boy’s trip with Pa, *the Widower publicity tour* chasing down a Spice Girl’s concert, that happens to be in one of the many Colonies they alone carved into existence, brutalized, tried to start populating with Whites by forcibly deported “undesirables” to a real-life game of “Survivor,” until enough Royal Army grunts were freed-up from their other genocidal projects to get the South African one started.
He even invokes the word “Apartheid,” but offers absolutely no acknowledgement - nothing. Just a useful whataboutism to tell women 20 years later they need to “shut up” about their problems. Meanwhile, he sees nothing off about his father “ordering” Mandela to participate in the most awkward staged photo op by the successor who was suspected of being involved in his wife’s death at the time (and, IMO, reasonably still is).
It’s here, Harry really highlights exactly how much he genuinely cares about what was done to his wife, Meghan, (thanks to marrying him) and how it REALLY feels like he used her suffering (at the hands of his own family - the same one doing all slavery worldwide for millennia, wars, tomb raiding, ethnic genocide, happily makes multi-generational British-born citizens stateless to this very day, and proudly death-grips its 37 remaining Colonies around the world… I mean “Commonwealths”) to justify *starting a war on the media* (without sounding like Trump, that is). The same tabloid media HIS family made a deal with (and mostly owns), trading “public access” to what they want you to see in exchange for the public’s continued unconscionable tax-funding of their archaically lavish lifestyle (and closed-door access to the PMs y’all can’t even democratically elect).
This book’s made me question how the hell someone like Meghan ended-up with a dude like Harry. Sad when you realize that whether he’s evicted from the shed behind the palace or not, she’ll be at his mercy on the custody front if she ever gets the courage to leave him. Like father, like son. It was the custody battle with Diana, and her looking hot AF on TV & magazines and knowing it - that broke the Pa’s back…
History only repeats if you let it
Thank you Eric....spearing me the yellow pade almanac
He's certainly a curiosity of contradictions and perhaps his own worst enemy, well intentioned though he might be. I do feel bad for him, but I also like to think I'd have done things completely differently.
Will you be checking out Alan Bennett's 'Uncommon Reader'?
I peeked at your review of Spare on your blog. I just finished listening to this book about an hour ago. We can agree to disagree. I found it a pretty spectacular memoir (yes, I realize a ghost writer was involved) and recommend it wholeheartedly, particularly the audiobook. By this point, I think most people would come into this book on one side or the other and would be pretty unlikely to revise their initial opinion. So, I was on their side before and remain there. 🤷♀️
Fair enough! And yeah, it's true I'm sure a lot of people go into it with preconceived notions which won't be changed no matter the content. I don't have very strong feelings about the Royals either way but just feel overall it's a sad state of affairs.
@@EricKarlAnderson Definitely agree it’s a sad state of affairs mostly driven by vile rich white men and their tabloid trash.
I had the same take away as you - there is no right side or wrong side. Both have valid perspectives and both have done wrong. Harry needs to realise that his brother and father as heirs to the throne simply CANNOT push back against the tabloid press as much as they would like them to. For the sake of the self-preservation of the monarchy there needs to be an element of courting the press as unsavoury as that is. However, this toxic culture of ‘sources close to the royals’ briefing against Harry and Meghan is disgusting and Charles and William have allowed that toxic culture to flourish. They really need to stamp that out - the family as it stands seems to be ruled by private secretaries who are more bound to the institution rather than the private individuals who make up the family and that makes them fairly ruthless in my opinion.
The problem is that Harry (and wife) told so many lies in the book and interviews that I do not believe anything anymore that he (and she) claims, including the scenes you desribed.
I'm half way through it....I love it so far,I find it an interesting read.
Every story has two sides...and he has the right to tell his side.
Jenny McEvoy. But not the right to tell lies or hurt other people . Go do some fact checking ….
Thanks for reading the book and making this video. I was really interested to hear your take.
I've been curious about Harry, and after seeing the Netflix series and watching a few interviews with him, my curiosity has been satisfied (at least for now). Lately, I've seen a few articles about how he and Meghan have become overexposed, but given how they've been hounded by the press, maybe that was the plan: overshare until they stop asking. People are mostly curious about the royal family because they're so secretive. They want us to believe there's something worth knowing behind all the mystique.
I know the British press has been vicious toward Harry and Meghan, but I'm curious about what regular British people actually think. It doesn't make any sense to me that they'd be so critical to the few senior royals who actually aren't taking British tax money. They aren't paying for them, anymore, so why the interest? Why the sense of entitlement to judge who they are or what they do?
To be fair to Harry, what makes a great memoirist is knowing what to include and what to cut. He was probably completely dependent on editors to make those choices for him. I agree with you that he probably wanted to look righteous and the rest of the family to look wrong. I'm sure he believes he's right because that's what most people believe when they're in a fight. He may not have been speaking the objective truth (who can?), but he's speaking his truth. While it may not be perfect, it's a starting point. Sometimes things have to get ugly before they can heal.
This is one book I will not be reading. Thank you for you review.
What to do when you're sick of the media? I know...sell your soul to interviewers, get a book out there, and participate in a Netflix documentary. That should do it.
Exactly! Well said. 😠
Wow, Eric, you’re brave. I definitely will not be reading that particular tome. Harry … STOP WHINING !! And my sincerest advice young man is to cease washing your dirty laundry in public … it’s amazing what some people will do for money … in my opinion, all Harry reveals is his mind boggling immaturity. Try living on a nurses salary for a year young man, and then get back to me … on second thoughts, don’t bother.
Or a store clerk for that matter!!
The official inquiry into Diana's death found that the press was a kilometer behind her car when it crashed. They had nothing to do with the crash but turned up at the scene afterwards.
He claims in the book that the official enquiry was inaccurate
@@EricKarlAnderson Thanks for letting me know. I don't trust Harry's claims. He could be right but I don't see any benefit to the coroner to misinterpret something so relevant to the determination. And, it seems that Harry has a habit of forcing everything into his narrative, no matter how far fetched. I'd like a second or third opinion on the enquiry if I was invested in finding the truth. But, I'm not that interested. My only interest, really, is in the Monarchy and how it fares under Harry's provocations.
I don't know you've seen it but there's an amusing TH-cam post of a young girl eating the Prince's popcorn at a Laker's game while he pretends not to notice.
Can you just put the bloody book down we know what it looks like
I don't think that he and Megan trying to tell "their side" or "their truth" does them any good. The whole idea of wanting out and having privacy is just Bull crap. He could have had that but he's royal and has been very rich and privileged. He will never be normal. Not when he was born to be extraordinary. The fact is that he sold his soul for money and I do not feel sorry for him. I will not read the book.
Dear me! Haven't all of us suffer/suffered/will suffer in our lives so we can Learn? Spoiled man born,live and will die walking on Gold without working hard one single day? He bites the hand who fed him! So ungrateful, he seriously need psychiatry treatment.
I am almost done with the book and here is my point: It's time to abolish the monarchy!!
these comments are YIKES !!!!!!!!
I appreciate your reading it, but I will not spend my hard earned income on a man whose life-privilege gives him a platform to whine about his life circumstances.
So much saltiness in the comments.
Oh so he likes Mice and Men but is disloyal to his family 🙄
Harry is still stuck with the guilt and magical thinking of a 12 year old little boy…who cut short the last phone call he had with Diana because he was having too much fun playing with his cousins.
Instead of, as an adult man, continuing with therapy to process, reframe and release this deeply crippling and undeserved blame he assigned himself long ago…Harry’s ego defenses resist wading in any further… so instead he projects his self-loathing onto anyone and everyone else who he knows can’t fight back…He’s become a pathetic little coward, enabled by a narcissistic, raging wife who exploits his dependency on her as the mother he can finally redeem himself by rescuing!
Can he be said to be an abuser?
Ugh, Harold, go away already
(Eric you’re too kind to this wimp)
This is for the most part a work of fiction.
What on earth has his bevy of therapists over the years been doing? I don’t find anything thing Harry says amusing. All of what he says has a little bite or cynical twist to it. Thank you for an interesting review, but I definitely won’t be reading this - manipulation of the audience and lies throughout. New subscriber here☺️…
I find it very discouraging that you would spend you time and money on this book. Harry is a whiny self absorbed person with a true sense of entitlement. I have no patience for this man who acts like a spoiled boy. I never believe one thing he says.
Imagine how many fabulous stories he could share. But no. We get this rubbish.
All his travels and privileges. But we get such drivel.
He has traded on his mother. Pitiful.
HARRY WANT A FAMILY NOT AN INSTITUTION BUT HE FAIL TO REALISE HE HAVE HIS FAMILY MAGGOT DOG_ RIA ARCHIE AND LILY HARRY BOI MAKE WHAT YOU HAVE DO AND LEAVE YOUR RELATIVES ALONE YOU ARE FIGHTING A LOOSING BATTLE