Review: The Princess Diarist

The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have always been a fan of Carrie Fisher. I appreciate her dry and witty sense of humor. I was saddened to learn of her passing and that of her mother's only a few days later. I had this book on my to-read list for awhile and when the audiobook became available through my local library, I snatched it up.

The Princess Diarist came about when Fisher discovered some long-lost diaries that she had kept while filming the first Star Wars movie. The first part of the book chronicles Fisher's experiences with auditioning for the part and getting cast. She also reveals that she and her co-star, Harrison Ford, had a brief affair while filming the first film. I was glad that Fisher was the narrator for the audiobook. It made it that much more special to hear the stories in her voice. Her unique personality shines through beautifully.

The middle of the book consists of the journal pages, read by Billie Lourd, presumably because she sounds younger and Fisher wanted the journal pages to sound like the voice of a nineteen-year-old, which is when she wrote them. The journal pages consist mostly of entries written in poetic form and reveal the inner dialogue of a young, naive, and vulnerable teen. I found them to be quite good and was impressed with Fisher's writings. I found them to be rather sophisticated, especially for someone who never graduated from high school. Fisher was a very talented writer.

The end of the book explores Fisher's love-hate relationship with her role of Princess Leia. I found this part of the narrative to be particularly entertaining, especially Fisher's description of what she calls a "lap dance" or when celebrities participate in events where they sell their autographs for cash.

Overall, I found the book to be entertaining, funny, witty, and engaging. It made me sad to think that we have lost one of our biggest icons and brighest stars. Fisher's approach to this book makes you feel like you are out to coffee, listening to her tell stories and trying not to cry with laughter. It is a thoroughly enjoyable read.

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