📖 Overview
The Princess Diarist presents Carrie Fisher's personal diaries from 1976, written while filming the original Star Wars movie at age 19. The memoir incorporates both her contemporary journal entries and reflections from her perspective forty years later.
The book focuses on Fisher's experience as a young actress thrust into worldwide fame through her role as Princess Leia. Her raw diary entries capture her mindset during this transformative period, including her relationship with co-star Harrison Ford.
Fisher details the impact of instant celebrity status and her evolution into a cultural icon. The narrative moves between her memories of the Star Wars phenomenon and broader observations about Hollywood, fame, and growing up in the public eye.
The memoir stands as a candid exploration of youth, identity, and the price of sudden stardom. Released just weeks before Fisher's death in 2016, it serves as a final testament to her characteristic wit and unflinching honesty.
👀 Reviews
Readers emphasize Fisher's raw honesty and wit in discussing her affair with Harrison Ford during Star Wars filming. Her diary entries from age 19 reveal vulnerability that contrasts with her current sharp commentary.
Positives:
- Fisher's trademark humor and self-deprecation
- Behind-the-scenes Star Wars insights
- Quality of the original diary poetry
- Audio version read by Fisher herself
Negatives:
- Too much focus on the Ford affair
- Repetitive content and meandering structure
- Limited discussion of other Star Wars experiences
- Many found the actual diary portions too short
As one Amazon reviewer noted: "The diary entries are beautiful but brief. The rest feels like filler."
Ratings:
Goodreads: 3.8/5 (47,000+ ratings)
Amazon: 4.1/5 (2,800+ ratings)
Barnes & Noble: 3.9/5 (500+ ratings)
Several readers mention the book carries extra weight as Fisher's final work before her death in December 2016.
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🤔 Interesting facts
🌟 Fisher discovered her forgotten Star Wars-era diaries in a forgotten box while renovating her Beverly Hills home, decades after writing them.
✨ During the filming of Star Wars, Fisher attended the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London between shoots, balancing her education with her acting career.
💫 The book reveals details about Fisher's secret three-month affair with co-star Harrison Ford, who was married and 15 years her senior at the time of filming.
⭐ This was Fisher's final memoir, published just weeks before her unexpected death in December 2016, making it her last published work during her lifetime.
🌠 The book won the 2017 GRAMMY Award for Best Spoken Word Album, with Fisher posthumously receiving the honor for her audiobook narration.