A certain book

merlotgran

I downloaded the free sample on to my kindle and was immediately drawn in by the feeling that I was about to enjoy a spine chilling murder mystery. Shades of Daphne du Maurier and Susan Hill set the scene.

Then I reminded myself it was an autobiography, expertly ghosted although, even in a short extract, facts had not been as thoroughly checked as they should have been.

I can understand why some might find it a page turner and believe every word but I won’t be buying it.

Neither of those Merlotgran, but a fascinating insight into the impact of bereavement and a dysfunctional childhood on a vulnerable boy growing up in an extraordinary environment. The factual errors are annoying, the lack of thought about the impact on others distressing, but if you are interested in the human condition then it makes a fascinating read.

Oh what did Harry say?

If Harry thinks it's unkind for people to make fun of his book, can he not see that he's been rather unkind to his family?

I suspect that H lacks the emotional maturity to even consider how his book, the Oprah interview, Netflix series and numerous interviews have impacted on his family, and the negative impact they've had on him.

but if you are interested in the human condition then it makes a fascinating read.
That's the sort of thing that is interesting in this discussion, that you, Mamie, having read it, give a balanced view.
(I remember once wanting to discuss Meghan's book The Bench on GN and got told it was another nasty mean spirited excuse to carry on kicking Meghan. I'm glad we have all moved on from those sort of insults here).

I think that is interesting varian. He clearly has talents, I don't think you get to fly Apache helicopters in the front line if you are incompetent. He does seem to be totally uninterested in literature and even history (😮) so I suspect that gives him little insight into the way other people think, behave and feel. You do get a feeling of arrested development when his mother died, including the fact that he thought for a long time that she had just disappeared to get away for a bit.

varian

If Harry thinks it's unkind for people to make fun of his book, can he not see that he's been rather unkind to his family?

I think that is his problem. Too blinkered, too self centered, too thick.

Yes Joseanne, it isn't about what he says or does in the book, it is the between and beyond the lines bit that is fascinating.

Mamie it also gives you an insight into the effects of taking drugs over a long period l

Yes GSM I got the impression that the confusion about events was partly trauma and partly substances.
I am not defending Harry btw, there are times when I felt sorry for him and times when I certainly didn't. I just think that if you read the book you understand a bit more of the why.

Having noticed that most of us GNetters were, almost unanimously rather unsympathetic towards Prince Harry, I thought this might be an age thing. Us old ladies having been around a long time and seen a lot.

So today when I happened to speak to one of my daughters on the phone I asked her what she and her friends thought about poor Prince Harry.

Much the same.

Mollygo

SueDonim

I don’t need to read it as I’ve read John Crack’s précis.
Thanks for the link.
Have you seen Harry’s comment about the unkindness of people making fun of his book?

No, not seen anything from Harry. I get most of my news about him and his book from Gransnet. Really, though, what did he expect? Does he want the Nobel Prize for Literature? You put something in the public domain, people are going to comment. As they say, you can’t control other people, you can only control your own reaction.

I’m also now wondering if Mr Crace is upset because Autocorrect changed his name in my earlier post!

I do wonder what sort of discussions go on in GNers families. Have you never had one of those where someone remembers an event, and another family member immediately contradicts them and says it didn't happen the way they said it did? Sometimes it will even expand to include more members who will each give their own version of events, some of these may match in some parts but they will all differ slightly. Or do some of you have families with identical memories of everything. If so I think that is much more creepy than any discrepancies, and if anything it sounds a bit robotic. Human minds differ, memories differ, experiences are remembered differently. It's part of being human.

Mr Grace has given us an account which seems to be just as realistic, just as valid, just as "truthful"

I expect so, Glorianny and we have discussed this either on this thread or one of the very many others.

However, my DC don't tend to write one-sided books with misremembered anecdotes which can be easily disproved or give interviews on national TV, Netflix etc.

Well, not yet, anyway!

I used to have a nightmare where Harry and one of my DD met and fell in love 😲

What I find weird is that, although his book has sold a lot of copies, the majority of people won't be reading it in its entirety for whatever reason. Most of them will be reading snippets from newspapers and on social media. So how can he get cross that this will be the way people perceive him? Or will he just be arrogant and blame that on journalists too?
I'd like to know his take Mollygo.

I'm beginning to rethink my opinion of Meghan
If Harry is a quarter as miserable and grumpy in private as he appears in public, he must be hell to live with.
She deserves a medal!

Joseanne

varian

If Harry thinks it's unkind for people to make fun of his book, can he not see that he's been rather unkind to his family?

I think that is his problem. Too blinkered, too self centered, too thick.

I suppose it's all about him

How dare anyone have an opinion after he's told them what to believe? Good thing he's not going to be King as he's obviously not tolerant of anyone who doesn't think what he wants them to believe.

But was he that miserable and grumpy before they met?

MawtheMerrier

I'm beginning to rethink my opinion of Meghan
If Harry is a quarter as miserable and grumpy in private as he appears in public, he must be hell to live with.
She deserves a medal!

I think before Meghan came on the scene, Cressida Bonas pretty much said that, something along the lines of she was always running along trying to keep up with him whilst he was striding several paces ahead moaning and groaning

Is this for real?
Writing in his memoir, Harry alleged that it was made "abundantly clear" while he had been growing up that he had been born in case something happened to William and this idea was "regularly reinforced" throughout his life
Harry said: "I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy. "
He described his life as a "mission to offer a source of distraction, entertainment and, in case of need, a spare part", such as an organ donation, blood transfusion or bone marrow

I know he’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer but surely even Harry knows this is just a turn of phrase - “An heir and a spare” going back to the days when infant mortality was more common, everyday illnesses could prove fatal and young men often met violent ends.
It does not literally mean a spare! If it did, that would have applied equally to anybody with younger siblings!

Actually when you think about it, it was not infrequently number 2 son who succeeded - Henry VIII , George V and George VI among others

Glorianny

I do wonder what sort of discussions go on in GNers families. Have you never had one of those where someone remembers an event, and another family member immediately contradicts them and says it didn't happen the way they said it did? Sometimes it will even expand to include more members who will each give their own version of events, some of these may match in some parts but they will all differ slightly. Or do some of you have families with identical memories of everything. If so I think that is much more creepy than any discrepancies, and if anything it sounds a bit robotic. Human minds differ, memories differ, experiences are remembered differently. It's part of being human.

I think that's the whole point it's typical family dynamics of members viewing inevitable gripes from a different perspective. Who in their right mind would want all of that put under public scrutiny.

Why do you wonder that Glorianny. The number of posts on GN querying whether his recollections are actually true or his truth, his whole truth and nothing but (except where he’s suddenly noticed a discrepancy) his truth, because they know that memories are exactly what you posted?

MawtheMerrier

I'm beginning to rethink my opinion of Meghan
If Harry is a quarter as miserable and grumpy in private as he appears in public, he must be hell to live with.
She deserves a medal!

😁
She seems happy so he must be doing something right.

Mind you, the children seem a delight 🙂

I think the inference that Harry was born not only as a "spare" but in case anything went wrong with William sounded all a bit like Jodi Picoult's book "My Sister's Keeper". Anyone who has read that will know what I mean.