Spare

Product Information

For the first time, Prince Harry tells his own story, chronicling his journey with raw, unflinching honesty. A landmark publication, Spare is full of insight, revelation, self-examination, and hard-won wisdom about the eternal power of love over grief. Read more Details Harry’s experience as a young child/person show the struggles he had with sharing his feelings and that as he matured and started that self-work, he was able to change how he showed up in relationships, how he showed up in his work. I saw a recent headline that was something to the effect of “Harry caught in cult of psychotherapy.” Harry obviously believes in therapy, believe in improving oneself and learning (as I believe there is evidence of), and if other members of their families do not or do on a surface level, then it is easy to see/understand how the rifts have continued to grow. Richard Fitzwilliams is a royal author that has spoken to the Daily Mail and said that "The consequences of this will be far-reaching and may be highly destructive, and that there will undoubtedly be interviews, serialization and endless speculation about this memoir," There are moments when your heart breaks for Harry, like when as boy, he was convinced his mother hadn’t been killed, but that it was a public hoax so that she could start her life over somewhere. Or, when as a young man, he felt the need to go repeatedly through the tunnel in Paris at the same speed that killed Princess Diana.

I didn't expect anything less, and that's truthfully why I pirated this book. The Royals are OG colonists. I'm never willingly giving them money. Then he met Meghan. The world was swept away by the couple's cinematic romance and rejoiced in their fairy-tale wedding. But from the beginning, Harry and Meghan were preyed upon by the press, subjected to waves of abuse, racism, and lies. Watching his wife suffer, their safety and mental health at risk, Harry saw no other way to prevent the tragedy of history repeating itself but to flee his mother country. Over the centuries, leaving the Royal Family was an act few had dared. The last to try, in fact, had been his mother. . . . The familial dysfunction that Harry writes about is something many can relate to. And, often it takes self-work and therapy to improve how you show up in relationships and the boundaries you are able to set as a result. The expert also mentioned that the book has the family "very concerned, especially since these are the early months of King Charles' reign." That weird story in the press about Harry inheriting his mom's engagement ring and Wills having to ask for it to pop the question to Kate are all lies.Despite this missed opportunity to reflect, my main issue with the book is one of length and overarching message. It’s ghost-written very well, in such a way that style or flair is sacrificed for ease of consumption. All in all, there is too much to write. This book is nothing special, nor is it terrible. It is simply dull. For me, his memories of Diana were undermined by petty point-scoring in William and Harry's sibling rivalry. In several startling confessions of their physical rifts, it proved that this picture perfect family was crumbling behind the scenes. But as "Willy and I would turn on each other", I couldn't stop thinking about how William was constantly being presented as the arch nemesis, whilst Harry is the victim. Even when Harry discusses his brother's appearance in the prologue - the "alarming baldness... His famous resemblance to Mummy, which was fading with time" - it felt quite childish and petty, given that Harry mentioned in his recent interview with Tom Bradby that he hoped for reconciliation (not sure that will happen now though, Harry). I’m in a minority here on GR, by rating this a ‘1’ because most people I know who have a problem with Harry’s behaviour, integrity, and motives for writing this book have chosen not to waste their money or time on it. Which potentially provides a distorted view of UK public opinion, in particular. The characters involved in this again the big blurb today was saying This is Prince Harry’s first opportunity to really tell his story. So, if you are also interested in getting this book copy then follow the below link so that you will get the copy soon after the book is released.

The language volleys between eloquent and juvenile. Referring to his penis multiple times (euphemistically), this book can at times be reminiscent of a love scene from 50 Shades of Grey (see: "holy cow!") in its immaturity, but then, immaturity radiates the majority of this book. I wish Harry & Meghan and their little family the best. Meghan's the best thing that ever happened to Harry. They're a great couple and a happy family. But, the majority of the book covers his impressive public work and his military career, both aspects of his life endangered by being hounded by the press. It is a pattern in his life that those close to him have their lives threatened either by or because of paparazzi presence—once endangering a whole unit in Iran—meaning that few are willing to get too close or stay that way. It’s understandable that he would want to tell his story himself. Only, maybe we could do with less of his “todger.” I would assume Meghan could get tons of work, but Harry is uncomfortable with her romantic scenes. I also think it is a class issue with their current titles and roles.The so-called 'Sandringham Summitt' was a joke. Before the meeting started the Queen's office had already drafted a press release saying Harry & Meghan were leaving. William is an incredible bully. He never ever defends Harry but does call on him for help when he's being bullied by mutual friends of theirs. I think we do hear from the family in the press, especially his Dad (Pa) & Camilla, indirectly, which is cowardly.

Original review (1/11/2023): I felt as though I was reading a long letter from a friend. Harry shares his life, experiences, thoughts and feelings openly and compassionately. He tells it like it is—doesn’t sugarcoat and yet consistently expresses his wish for things to be different than they are. He calls out familial poor behavior as kindly and compassionately as possible while being firm and extending more grace than what is likely deserved.Wills struggles to control his temper in much of this narrative. He's petty, mean, bullying and fragile as spun glass. The ludicrous disagreements between Kate & Meghan are very high school mean girl- esque. I don't understand why Kate can't speak up if she's upset about the hormone cooment? It's weird on multiple levels to call a meeting and demand an apology months later. Just weird. Harry seeks compassion and understanding from everyone, but did he (or will he) show any to the people whose lives he destroyed? Of course not; they are, after all, just "bad people" doing "bad things". Even their suffering is written as a misfortune to Harry. The detail of what those women have lost, what cost they have paid, and their (potentially? the book is unclear) continued harassment is lost to the reader, as it simply has not been included beyond what serves the author. Every reader will have an opinion about Harry and the Royals after reading this book. The Press was constantly following him as lazy, a drug addict, single with no prospects and actually comparing him to Bridget Jones…really? They talked about his ratty shoes and mismatched outfits.

He even used a tank of laughing gas when Meghan was in labor with Archie which I felt was a bit unacceptable. The 2nd largest surprise was the sheer level of animosity William appears to have harbored for Harry, which is suggested to have begun in their childhood. Maybe sibling rivalry exacerbated by trauma? It comes off as incredibly petty given how much more money and power William has. It was one of the most searing images of the twentieth century: two young boys, two princes, walking behind their mother's coffin as the world watched in sorrow - and horror. As Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest, billions wondered what the princes must be thinking and feeling - and how their lives would play out from that point on. Harry longs for a deeper connection to his big brother, but Will honestly wants nothing to do with him. I was surprised that Meghan's TV show had to have her scenes and dialogue approved by the palace before filming.Wills gets confrontational with Meghan and she tells him politely to get his finger out of her face; suddenly Will hates Meg. Here is my deep concern. By publishing a kill count of 25 Taliban fighter’s aka chess pieces (in his own words) he has increased the risk to himself, his family, and many others in military service. I find this abhorrent and immoral, because every death is someone’s child, father, brother, or friend, and even in war we should respect that. What prudent person publishes a tally? My GR friends may recall, I recently read Diamond Eye, where the MC was a female sniper and whilst a heroine in the eyes of many, she actually kept a body count of her kills which did not sit well with me, for the same reason. Respect. Who does that? Yet once again Harry takes no responsibility and has since tried to change the narrative by blaming the press for manipulating his words despite the fact that this sordid comment is written by him in his own memoir. The book has had everyone in the royal family very nervous as nobody knows how many secrets from the most famous family in the world he will disclose. The little insights were truly interesting and just written as if everyone is bathed by other people, we all walk by our father's room as he's being dressed by his valet, or bagpipes are played at the request of our grandmother. Such a different life! Notice how he uses the words "take" and "remove" instead of "kill" or "murder" when describing his own actions. Contrastingly, he has no problem referring to the people he shot as "killers".