Synopses & Reviews
andlt;Bandgt;Bad news . . .andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;. . . for anyone who thought Carrie Fisher had finally stopped talking about herself: Sorry, but after all of her seemingly endless blathering on about her nose-bleedhigh- class problems, it appears she has yet another brand-new problem to overshare about (though donand#8217;t expect to relate to it). This time, the electro-convulsive shock therapy sheand#8217;s been regularly undergoing is threatening to wipe out (whatand#8217;s left of) her memory. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;But get ready for a shock of your own. Not only doesnand#8217;t she mind paying the second electric bill, but she loves the high-voltage treatments. In fact, she gets a real charge out of them. She canand#8217;t get enough. In fact, this might even be a brand-new addiction for her. But before she can truly commit herself to it in the long term, sheand#8217;d better get some of those more nagging memories of hers on paper. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Itand#8217;s been a roller coaster of a few years for Carrie since her Tony- and Emmy-nominated, one-woman Broadway show and andlt;Iandgt;New York Times andlt;/Iandgt;bestselling book andlt;Iandgt;Wishful Drinkingandlt;/Iandgt;. She not only lost her beloved father, but also her once-upon-a-very-brief-time stepmother, Elizabeth Taylor. And as if all that werenand#8217;t enough, she also managed to lose over forty pounds of unwanted fleshand#8212;not by sawing off a leg (though that did cross her zapped mind) but by doing what might be termed and#8220;wishful shrinking,and#8221; all the while staying sober and sane-ish. And she wants to tell you, dear reader, all about it . . . and more. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Why? Because she wants you to someday be able to remind her about how Elizabeth Taylor settles a score and the scatological wonders of shoe tycoons. She doesnand#8217;t want to forget about how she and Michael Jackson became friends or how she ended up sparring with none other than Ted Kennedy on a dinner date. And she especially wants to preserve her memories of Eddie Fisherand#8212;what their relationship really was and the beautiful story it turned out to be in the end. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Yes, of course, andlt;Iandgt;Shockaholic andlt;/Iandgt;is laugh-out-loud funny, acerbic, and witty as hell. But it also reveals a new side of Carrie Fisher that may even bring a pleasant shock your way: it is contemplative, vulnerable, and ultimately quite tender.
Review
"Fisher is a writer, an observer, and a keen one at that. Her way with words, even though she claims electroshock treatments have made her forget many of them, is raw and raucous."and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Booklistandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"Fisher is a girl who knows how to tell a story . . . she can make us laugh, she can make us cringe, but she can also teach a great deal about the power of forgiveness."and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Peopleandlt;/iandgt; (4-star review)
Review
"Fisher's memoir
Shockaholic, the follow-up to her successful autobiography and one-woman show,
Wishful Drinking, is similarly witty, ramshackle, and outrageous."--
Washington Post
Review
"Amazing . . . pretty fascinating stuff."--Rosie O'Donnell
Review
[
Shockaholic] stands out beautifully from what has become the madding memoir crowd."--
Buffalo News
Review
"Carrie Fisher goes from pathos to punch line with a flick of her wit." and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Louisville Courier-Journalandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"For those who are partial to Fisher's sharp and acerbic take on things, her sense of the absurd clearly derived from firsthand experience, andlt;iandgt;Shockaholic . . . andlt;/iandgt;doesn't disappoint."and#8212;Blogcritics.org
Review
"Fisher is a storyteller, very happy to make jokes at her own expense . . . Shockaholic will only enhance
Review
"Plenty more weird episodes are packed into [Carrie Fisher's] latest memoir, andlt;iandgt;Shockaholicandlt;/iandgt;. . . . Some of the stories are heartbreakingly sad, yet Fisher makes them laugh-out-loud funny on the page."and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Sunday Sunandlt;/iandgt; (UK)
Review
"Modern American literature has an enviable tradition of wisecracking dames nursing broken hearts or fragile psyches dating back to Dorothy Parker. To that list we can add Carrie Fisher. . . . We are now well used to the kind of celebrity confessional which details the darker aspects of the celebrity lifestyle. It is to Fisher's credit that she has walked the same route with the kind of panache that makes us laugh."and#8212;andlt;iandgt;The Telegraphandlt;/iandgt; (Belfast)
Review
and#8220;[Fisher] never lets herself veer into woe-is-me-ism. With charming shamelessness, she conducts a brisk and witty tour of her life, delivering up her tragedies as a nonstop laugh riot.and#8221;and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Elleandlt;/iandgt;
Review
“Hilarious.”—Marie Claire
Review
"There's no such thing as TMI in Carrie Fisher's world, and that's why we're hooked on her new memoir, Shockaholic."--Ladies' Home Journal
Review
and#8220;Hollywood's new poor little rich girl . . . continues her tour down the rabbit hole of Crazy Town, sparking us through brightly lit secret corridors while twisting self-deprecation into an art form. Fisher's wordplay is wicked, relentless, and playful as a bouncy house full of polar bear cubs.and#8221;and#8212;andlt;iandgt;San Francisco Chronicleandlt;/iandgt;
Review
and#8220;Carrie Fisher is able to deliver a sage, self-deprecating tour of addiction, bipolar disorder, and her experiences with ECT (Electro-Convulsive Therapy) in a way that leaves readers feeling like she's your funny, cynical, down-to-earth BFF.and#8221; and#8212;andlt;iandgt;BUSTandlt;/iandgt;
Review
and#8220;Fisher is, at her core, a very good writer who's able to keep us entertained. Fisher deserves praise for being up front about the [electroshock] therapyand#8230;If she wants to keep talking, we'll keep listening.and#8221;and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Los Angeles Timesandlt;/iandgt;
Review
and#8220;Fisher's word choices and comedic rhythm echo such literary comic masters as S.J. Perelman and Woody Allen . . . she proves the ripe adage that comedy really is tragedy plus time.
Review
"Hilarious."--Marie Claire
Review
and#8220;[A] funny and sad memoir . . . tremendous wit, ample self-deprecation, and a thinly veiled and deep-seated anguish.and#8221;and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Publishers Weeklyandlt;/iandgt;
Review
and#8220;Fisher writes with razor-sharp wit that is acerbic, insightful, and contemplative, all laced with a tenderness that will disarm even the most cynic reader.and#8221;and#8212;TucsonCitizen.com
Review
and#8220;Princess Leia Amidala Skywalker Solo strikes again . . . The one-liners keep coming and the temptation is to conclude that all this andlt;iandgt;Gemutlichkeitandlt;/iandgt; is distancing behavior, but leave that to her army of shrinks and Dr. Feelgoods and just enjoy the ride.and#8221;and#8212;ShelfAwareness.com
Review
and#8220;andlt;iandgt;Shockaholicandlt;/iandgt; is shocking, but it's the emotional depths that are charged under the therapy's push that really makes this an interesting read.and#8221; and#8212;BookReporter.com
Review
and#8220;andlt;iandgt;Shockaholicandlt;/iandgt; is a breeze to read: fast-paced and clever, funny enough to make you laugh aloud, and short enough to be read in one sitting. But the moments of insight, of clarity, of vulnerability that Fisher shares with the reader in her characteristically straightforward manner remain long after the last lovely andlt;iandgt;bon motandlt;/iandgt;.and#8221;and#8212;LitReactor.com
Review
"Even if you're not a Star Wars fan, [Carrie Fisher] will have you laughing as she reveals her amazing experiences in Hollywood and beyond."and#8212;andlt;iandgt;The Journalandlt;/iandgt; (UK)
Review
and#8220;Fisherand#8217;s life certainly provides a wealth of colorful anecdotes. . . . But the real gold of the book comes in Fisherand#8217;s ruthlessly self-abnegating sense of humor.and#8221;and#8212;AVClub.com
Review
andlt;divandgt;"Hilarious."--andlt;iandgt;Marie Claireandlt;/iandgt;andlt;/divandgt;
Review
and#8220;There's no such thing as TMI in Carrie Fisher's world, and that's why we're hooked on her new memoir, andlt;iandgt;Shockaholicandlt;/iandgt;.and#8221;and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Ladies' Home Journalandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"Fisher's memoir andlt;Iandgt;Shockaholicandlt;/Iandgt;, the follow-up to her successful autobiography and one-woman show, andlt;Iandgt;Wishful Drinkingandlt;/Iandgt;, is similarly witty, ramshackle, and outrageous."and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Washington Postandlt;BRandgt; andlt;/iandgt;
Review
and#8220;Hilarious.and#8221;and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Marie Claireandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"Amazing . . . pretty fascinating stuff."and#8212;Rosie O'Donnell (andlt;iandgt;Windy City Timesandlt;/iandgt; interview)
Review
[andlt;Iandgt;Shockaholicandlt;/Iandgt;] stands out beautifully from what has become the madding memoir crowd."and#8212;andlt;iandgt;Buffalo Newsandlt;BRandgt; andlt;/iandgt;
Review
"Fisher is a storyteller, very happy to make jokes at her own expense . . . andlt;iandgt;Shockaholicandlt;/iandgt; will only enhance her reputation as Hollywood's unofficial amateur therapist."and#8212;andlt;iandgt;The Guardian andlt;/iandgt;(London)
Synopsis
Infused with her trademark incisive wit, Carrie Fisher's Untitled takes readers on a rollicking, behind the scenes tour of the Star Wars phenomenon.
Synopsis
This memoir from the bestselling author of Postcards from the Edge and Wishful Drinking gives you an intimate, gossip-filled look at what it's like to be the daughter of Hollywood royalty.
Told with the same intimate style, brutal honesty, and uproarious wisdom that locked Wishful Drinking on the New York Times bestseller list for months, Shockaholic is the juicy account of Carrie Fisher's life. Covering a broad range of topics--from never-before-heard tales of Hollywood gossip to outrageous moments of celebrity desperation; from alcoholism to illegal drug use; from the familial relationships of Hollywood royalty to scandalous run-ins with noteworthy politicians; from shock therapy to talk therapy--Carrie Fisher gives an intimate portrait of herself, and she's one of the most indelible and powerful forces in culture at large today. Just as she has said of playing Princess Leia--"It isn't all sweetness and light sabers"--Fisher takes readers on a no-holds-barred narrative adventure, both laugh-out-loud funny and poignant.
Synopsis
Infused with her trademark incisive wit, Carrie Fisher's Untitled takes readers on a rollicking, behind the scenes tour of the Star Wars phenomenon.
Synopsis
Infused with Carrie Fisher’s trademark incisive wit and on the heels of
Wishful Drinking ’s instant
New York Times bestselling success,
Shockaholic takes readers on another rollicking ride into her crazy life.
There is no shortage of people flocking to hear what Princess Leia has to say. Her previous hardcover, Wishful Drinking, was an instant New York Times bestseller and Carrie was featured everywhere on broadcast media and received rave reviews from coast to coast, including People (4 stars; one of their top 10 books of the year), Entertainment Weekly, New York Times, and scores of others.
Told with the same intimate style, brutal honesty, and uproarious wisdom that placed Wishful Drinking on the New York Times bestseller list for months, Shockaholic is the juicy account of Carrie Fisher’s life, focusing more on the Star Wars years and dishing about the various Hollywood relationships she’s formed since she was chosen to play Princess Leia at only nineteen years old. Fisher delves into the gritty details that made the movie—and herself—such a phenomenal success, admitting, “It isn’t all sweetness and light sabers.”
Synopsis
This memoir from the bestselling author of andlt;I andgt;Postcards from the Edgeandlt;/Iandgt; and andlt;Iandgt;Wishful Drinkingandlt;/Iandgt; gives you an intimate, gossip-filled look at what itand#8217;s like to be the daughter of Hollywood royalty.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Told with the same intimate style, brutal honesty, and uproarious wisdom that locked andlt;Iandgt;Wishful Drinkingandlt;/Iandgt; on the andlt;Iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/Iandgt; bestseller list for months, andlt;Iandgt;Shockaholicandlt;/Iandgt; is the juicy account of Carrie Fisherand#8217;s life. Covering a broad range of topicsand#8212;from never-before-heard tales of Hollywood gossip to outrageous moments of celebrity desperation; from alcoholism to illegal drug use; from the familial relationships of Hollywood royalty to scandalous run-ins with noteworthy politicians; from shock therapy to talk therapyand#8212;Carrie Fisher gives an intimate portrait of herself, and sheand#8217;s one of the most indelible and powerful forces in culture at large today. Just as she has said of playing Princess Leiaand#8212;and#8220;It isnand#8217;t all sweetness and light sabersand#8221;and#8212;Fisher takes readers on a no-holds-barred narrative adventure, both laugh-out-loud funny and poignant.
About the Author
Carrie Fisher, the daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, became an icon when she starred as Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy. Her star-studded career includes roles in numerous films such as The Blues Brothers and When Harry Met Sally. She is the author of five bestselling books: Wishful Drinking—which lead to a hit Broadway production of the same name—Surrender the Pink, Delusions of Grandma, The Best Awful, and Postcards from the Edge, the basis for the popular film starring Shirley MacLaine and Meryl Streep. In 2009, she was nominated for a Grammy award in Best Spoken Word Performance for the audio edition of Wishful Drinking. Fisher's experience with addiction and mental illness—and her willingness to speak honestly about them—have made her a sought-after speaker and respected advocate.