Princess Leia-ed to Death (Sort Of)

I've always liked Princess Leia.  Despite all that nonsense with gold bikinis and Chelsea bun hair styles, she still kicks ass.  A leader, a hero and no-nonsense defier of intergalactic dictators - and all in a terribly impractical white dress.  Hurrah!

I thought it might be interesting to find out more about the lady that brought the nearly queen to the screen, so I got myself a copy of 'Wishful Drinking', the autobiography of Leia-player Carrie Fisher.

'Wishful Drinking' by
Carrie Fisher
(Pocket Books, 2009)

Based on her one-woman stage show, 'Wishful Drinking' is a swift scamper through the life of actress and author Carrie Fisher (Duh!).  Born to Hollywood nobility Debbie Reynolds (best known for 'Singin' in the Rain') and Eddie Fisher ('50s crooner), Carrie Fisher's life was never going to be ordinary.  Getting her big break at 19 in 'Star Wars', possibly the biggest film (then franchise) of all time just made it even less so.  Alongside entertaining stories of sci fi strangeness, the complex connections between the celebrity classes and the highs and lows of her relationships with family, friends and lovers, Fisher also talks about her manic depression and drink and drug issues.  Following electroconvulsio therapy (ECT) to treat her illness, Fisher has forgotten much of her incredible past.  'Wishful Thinking' is how she's reacquainting herself with it, in her own funny, cheeky and irreverent way, and we're all invited along for the ride.

This is a book that feels like exactly what it is - a novelisation of a stand up show.  It's fast, loose and slap dash, but instead of leaving me disappointed, it left me wanting to know more.  (It also left me wanting to see the stage show, but since it's not available in a non-US format, I'll have to make do with wanting more and few clips on YouTube.)

It's a book with energy that sparks off every page, but aside from the great anecdotes, I felt that the most interesting bits were where Fisher talked candidly about what it feels like to be bipolar, including dealing with diagnosis and how it linked with her addictions.  On the one hand, I wanted more than just a few glimpses of this sort of insight into being a human being, but equally I knew it would take away from the overall bump and go of the narrative.

This is a short and highly readable book (though I'm not sure that the prim Princess would always approve), a woman's view of what often feels like a man's galaxy far, far away.  I definitely want to read more by Ms Fisher in the future.