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lizbethandthelifeinbetween 's review for:
Spare
by Prince Harry
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Not going to act like I have any knowledge of the content of this book, but as someone who's been getting into memoirs of people I have no clue about, I have some thoughts.
I think going with a ghostwriter was a terrible idea. Yes, this was well written, however, it felt very meander-y and disjointed at times. There were chapters covering events that seemed to come out of nowhere, only to be mentioned again a few hundred pages later. If I hadn't been reading this quickly due to having a one-week express copy, I might not have caught onto those. Secondly, I have heard a few stories about people reporting on the quotes from this book, and it's surprising to see how out of context and in bad faith some of those reports were, which should have not been surprising reading this book. Harry details how the media stalking, hacking into phones, and placing TRACKERS onto the cars of his girlfriends drove them away. In no world is putting a tracker on someone's car acceptable. Reading this book, whenever it felt like Harry was starting to sort himself out and find his place in the world, the media would come out with something and ruin his chances.
The framing could have been much better. This book is chronological, like most memoirs, however, it did not have the framing. We weren't shown where we were going, or, what the point of the book is. We're taken along on his journey, sort of like life, following as things happen with no context and minimal reflection, which makes you wonder: what's the point? There were also moments where there was a clear lack of common sense on Harry's part that wasn't acknowledged.
One thing I did find interesting was how the Institutions he was around exaggerated a lot of familiar roles. It was no longer the eldest brother getting the largest room like it is in many families, Harry was always told that his brother had the largest room because he would be King. Sibling rivalry is normal, but the monarchy turns this to an extreme that's not good for anyone involved. It also felt like his role in the monarchy was holding him back, even without the press's involvement. When he did find areas where he was passionate, he could not go about engaging in them in the way other people might foster their interests. I do think Harry might have benefitted from going to university and having that time away from the institution, as it always felt like he was finding himself when he was away from the monarchy. But then he would always come back and he would go back to the way things were. I went through a lot of self-discovery after moving out for university and exploring my interests by myself, and I think that's how most people do it. Harry never got that chance, and you can see the effects and his frustration. While it might not be the fault of his family members individually, it is the fault of the entire institution.
I think going with a ghostwriter was a terrible idea. Yes, this was well written, however, it felt very meander-y and disjointed at times. There were chapters covering events that seemed to come out of nowhere, only to be mentioned again a few hundred pages later. If I hadn't been reading this quickly due to having a one-week express copy, I might not have caught onto those. Secondly, I have heard a few stories about people reporting on the quotes from this book, and it's surprising to see how out of context and in bad faith some of those reports were, which should have not been surprising reading this book. Harry details how the media stalking, hacking into phones, and placing TRACKERS onto the cars of his girlfriends drove them away. In no world is putting a tracker on someone's car acceptable. Reading this book, whenever it felt like Harry was starting to sort himself out and find his place in the world, the media would come out with something and ruin his chances.
The framing could have been much better. This book is chronological, like most memoirs, however, it did not have the framing. We weren't shown where we were going, or, what the point of the book is. We're taken along on his journey, sort of like life, following as things happen with no context and minimal reflection, which makes you wonder: what's the point? There were also moments where there was a clear lack of common sense on Harry's part that wasn't acknowledged.
One thing I did find interesting was how the Institutions he was around exaggerated a lot of familiar roles. It was no longer the eldest brother getting the largest room like it is in many families, Harry was always told that his brother had the largest room because he would be King. Sibling rivalry is normal, but the monarchy turns this to an extreme that's not good for anyone involved. It also felt like his role in the monarchy was holding him back, even without the press's involvement. When he did find areas where he was passionate, he could not go about engaging in them in the way other people might foster their interests. I do think Harry might have benefitted from going to university and having that time away from the institution, as it always felt like he was finding himself when he was away from the monarchy. But then he would always come back and he would go back to the way things were. I went through a lot of self-discovery after moving out for university and exploring my interests by myself, and I think that's how most people do it. Harry never got that chance, and you can see the effects and his frustration. While it might not be the fault of his family members individually, it is the fault of the entire institution.