Shockaholic - Carrie Fisher

Shockaholic

Title: Shockaholic

Author: Carrie Fisher

Publication Date: 11/1/2011

Pages: 176

Genre: Memoir / Nonfiction

How I Found It: I've been reading Fisher's writings since her death.

Date Completed: 5/29/17

Summary: Fisher returns with another memoir, a look at her joys and tragedies through her unique comedic lens. 

What I Thought: I really enjoyed Wishful Drinking, the memoir Fisher wrote before this one. It was the first thing of Fisher's I had read and it certainly whet my appetite for more. Her untimely passing at the end of last year was so tragic and I think made many of us want to know her more as a person, beyond the fictional persona of Princess Leia. Isn't is sad that we often don't recognize people for their talents until they are gone?

Fisher actually references her inevitable death several times in this book, which was a bit disconcerting considering her recent passing. She certainly had no qualms about discussing the eventuality, but it makes it sadder in many ways to have seen which of her predictions came true and which did not.

In this book, Fisher talks about her friendship with Michael Jackson and her thoughts on his unique personality, more about her decision to treat her depression with ECT, and extensively about her relationship with her father. Her father, Eddie Fisher, did not play much of a role in Wishful Drinking. In that memoir, Fisher focused much more on her relationship with her mother, the amazing Debbie Reynolds. Here, though, Fisher explores her mostly estranged relationship with her father and how they came to reconcile in the last years of his life. I really liked how open she was about her regrets with him, but also how thankful she was for the time they did have together. She recognizes the complexities of their relationship in what I think is a healthy way.

While I did not enjoy Shockaholic as much as Wishful Drinking, I do want to keep reading Fisher's work. She makes me laugh even while tackling tough issues. Her frankness about mental health, addiction, fame, and their consequences is so needed and appreciated. 

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Will I Re-Read: No, but I want to read more of Fisher's work.

If You Liked This, Try: Furiously Happy / Talking As Fast As I Can / Yes Please

Other Books By Carrie Fisher: Wishful Drinking

A Reduced Review: Fisher returns with her unique comedic lens to share stories about ECT, Michael Jackson, and her father, Eddie Fisher.