Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking

Carrie Fisher has always had a great sense of humor, including the Princess Leia-as-alcoholic t-shirts she sold at performances of her one-woman show, and now available online. The book jacket of Fisher's new memoir, Wishful Drinking, keeps the spirit alive. They say not to judge a book by its cover, but this one looks really fun.
Wishful Drinking (Amazon)

• [MarkHB]

  Aww. That cover just makes me want to give her a hug and tell her it’ll be alright.

  Big softie I guess.

• [Ugly Canuck]

  Lucas has always been generous with his actors; that’s why Sir Alec always picked up the tab if dining out.

• [IndigoVapour]

  My favorite name-dropping in this book was where she talks about a Senator totally macking on her in the Star Wars years, and how he had an affair with her, etc… then after being discreet for a page or so, she’s like, ‘oh, so anyway, yeah that was Chris Dodd, who is a doofus’. Bwah-hah, Senator owned.

• [indigoskye]

  Btw, if you’re a Carrie Fisher fan and you’re not reading her blog then you’re missing out on some lovely insight and great writing there too.

• [slithybrilig]

  I have not read the book but recently I saw her in her one woman show of the same name. She was fabulous. The show was both hilarious and tragic.

• [Anonymous]

  The book reads a bit oddly until one realizes that it is essentially a companion/overview of her spoken-word piece she performed recently.

  It is also a /very/ short read. Big typeface, lots of negative space. It’s a beautiful hardcover artefact, but is actually just an evening’s easy read.

  As for the content, well, it meanders all over the place, but the general theme is dealing with being a fucked-up person in a fucked-up business where all your fucking up is completely transparent to everyone.

  The lengths she went to feel normal might surprise you. The name-dropping, of course, is delicious.

  And there’s my lame review.

  – clvrmnky

• [Cochituate]

  I gave this to my wife for Christmas, and she said it was pretty light reading, and yet not quite snarky enough in the name dropping. Someday I’ll read it, but it’s low on my list now. Too bad.

• [davedorr9]

  I enjoyed her guest appearance on 30 rock.

  It sounds like that brief glimpse may have been >= the book.

• [slamorte]

  i read “surrender the pink,” and thought it was awesome. good to see that some folks in hollowood have a brain, and a sense of humor.

• [Nesbitt]

  Ahem, that’s “wishful drinking”…

• [barnaby]

  Wishful Drinking

• [jennylens]

  “Wishful Drinking” promised more fun than delivered. A quick read, slim book. Sorry, but not as witty as “Postcards,” the book nor the movie. Her life has been stranger than a movie, full of truly tragic events. But she’s known for her wit. Or did I misunderstand the promos I caught on a few TV show interviews?

  Glad I borrowed from library. How did she get permission to use her image from “Star Wars” on the t-shirt? Guess Lucas was generous. Good for him.

  Good for Carrie for hanging in there. Can’t imagine what goes on in her brain that she states electroshock therapy was a good thing. My prayers go out to her.

• [mamayama]

  Haven’t read it yet, but she spoke of one amusing anecdote on NPR: apparently once on the set Sir Alec gave an excessively star-struck Mark Hammill a 20 pound note to leave him alone. I can just see it…

• [Itsumishi]

  Can’t imagine what goes on in her brain that she states electroshock therapy was a good thing.

  I don’t know much about her and even less about this book. However I’ve known a few people that EST has helped dramatically.

  I also know about an equal amount that said it was horrible beyond belief and had no positive effect on. I think it is simply something that has to be looked at in a case by case basis.

• [Johnny Cat]

  Yes, but there’s also Critical Drinking, which benefits the mind in so many ways. I love how one reviewer lauded the book’s large print.

• [hiroken]

  @ #3

  I have to agree with poster #4. EST (or ECT as it is sometimes called, for electro-convulsive therapy) probably saved my brother’s life.

• [Roy Trumbull]

  Welcome to the show-biz roller coaster echo of Judy Garland. I admire the entertainers who make it to a ripe old age. They are few in number.