Chat corner 90: The Princess Diarist

[annathecrow]

Welcome to the Monday chat corner!

It occurs to me that we haven’t done meta/behind-the-scenes material in a while. So, this week the topic is The Princess Diarist, Carrie Fisher’s last memoir, based on the diaries she kept around the time she filmed Star Wars in 1977.

Have you read the book? Do you have any thoughts?

(Also, if you have meta/behind-the-scenes books, documents, or other media you’d like to talk about, please share!)

Comments

[atamascolily]

I have not read this particular book, but I have read Wishful Drinking and a recording of the stage show it was based on, which covers some but not all of the same territory. There was a hell of lot more going on backstage and behind the scenes than I was aware of as a kid!

[colls]

Thank you for the reminder that I should try and hunt up a recording of the stage show! I read the book, knew it was based on a show, but never saw the performance.

[atamascolily]

Don't know if it's still up, but the version I saw was streaming on HBO Max for a while.

[annathecrow]

I've read Wishful Drinking and I'm really glad I did. The writing and story is pretty raw, but it has so much personality.

(I find myself avoiding the words "I liked the book", but tbh it really doesn't apply to my experience. I feel like I have been punched in the face by it, but in a good way. *shrugs* Carrie!)

[colls]

Oh!! ♥

It wasn't just a book. It was a conversation with a fascinating woman about her youth. I hold so much love for this book because I read it not long after she died. The world was richer for having Carrie Fisher in it.

I think some details about what was going on behind the scenes were interesting. I never knew about the affair, for example.

[annathecrow]

I've read Wishful Drinking, and if The Princess Diarist is anything like that, I'm really looking forward to reading it!

[fred_mouse]

I haven't read it, or the other one that is mentioned above. Went and poked through Fisher's publications, and the one I remember reading is Postcards from the Edge, which I hadn't realised was book one of a series. I would have read it thirty years ago, and have zero memories of it, other than I learnt a bit about mental illness from it.

What I now have is about six more books on my to read list!

[annathecrow]

Oh, hey, I didn't know Fisher wrote fiction as well! Thanks for mentioning it.

[fred_mouse]

No problems. I used to have a copy, looks like I gave it away :(