Wishful Drinking

Wishful Drinking is an autobiographical work by Carrie Fisher, adapted from her one-woman stage show of the same name. The book chronicles Fisher's experiences in Hollywood, her family relationships, and her struggles with mental health and addiction. The narrative stems from Fisher's successful stage production, which ran on Broadway and toured multiple cities before being filmed by HBO in 2010. Fisher presents her life story through a mix of personal anecdotes and observations about fame, incorporating elements from both her stage performance and additional written material. The book examines Fisher's complex family dynamics, career as an actress, and path through the entertainment industry. The text maintains the conversational style of Fisher's stage show while exploring deeper themes about celebrity culture and personal identity. Fisher's memoir stands as a reflection on survival, resilience, and finding humor in life's challenges. The work demonstrates how comedy can serve as both a shield and a lens through which to examine difficult personal truths.

Readers describe this as a quick, conversational memoir that reads like Fisher's stage show in book form. Many note it feels like having an intimate chat with Fisher herself. Readers appreciated: - Raw honesty about mental illness and addiction - Sharp humor about Hollywood life and family drama - Casual, stream-of-consciousness writing style - Short length that can be read in one sitting Common criticisms: - Scattered, disorganized narrative - Too brief/superficial treatment of serious topics - Recycled material from Fisher's previous works - Some jokes fall flat One reader noted: "It's like sitting down with your wittiest friend who happens to be Princess Leia." Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (51,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (1,400+ ratings) Barnes & Noble: 4.1/5 (200+ ratings) Several reviewers mentioned the audiobook version, narrated by Fisher herself, adds significant value through her timing and delivery.

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🌟 The book began as Fisher's successful one-woman show of the same name, which ran on Broadway and toured internationally from 2006-2009. 🌟 Fisher coined the phrase "Celebrity Child" in this book to describe second-generation Hollywood stars like herself, born to famous parents (Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher). 🌟 The memoir includes Fisher's first public discussion of her bipolar disorder diagnosis, which she received at age 24 but didn't accept until age 28. 🌟 The book features Fisher's hand-drawn family tree, which she dubbed her "Hollywood Inbreeding" chart, showing the complex relationships between her parents and their various spouses. 🌟 Many of the stories in "Wishful Drinking" were later expanded in Fisher's subsequent memoir "The Princess Diarist" (2016), which focused more specifically on her Star Wars experiences.