A certain book

From many of the posts here, I gather most people don't actually read books. They are not interested in non-fiction, they rather enjoy picking up the juicy tabloids, such as The Sun & Mirror and gossipy magazines reading all the sensational stuff. So I can understand why many are not interested in reading this memoir. Rupert Murdoch & his Media empire (by the way, do you all remember the dreadful News of the World? the awful telephone hacking scandals, the arrests, and prison sentences of some of the editors? ). No doubt he has helped to destroy what used to be a credible & honourable British Press. He and his flunkeys have caused such harm, divided the nation, causing dissent just to make money. He is not a Royalist and he is intent on destroying any of them he sees as vulnerable.

Although I was 15th on the list at the library, I have been informed that ‘Spare’ is ready for collection by me!

I can only assume that a) the previous 14 borrowers have read it in double quick time, b) after all the hype they have cancelled their request or c) for some reason I have been elevated to the head of the queue!

Whatever, I shall be picking it up tomorrow.

📕

JdotJ

I'm waiting for the free download on Amazon Prime

How does that work?
I’ve got Prime, Kindle Unlimited and Audible.

Oh, well done CG!
Perhaps they could order more copies than they anticipated

Calendargirl
😂😂😂
Happy reading
We await your review

Yes, a review is expected!

Waiting for it to arrive from Amazon atm. I've always thought Kate and Wills are nowhere near as perfect as they were painted so will be interested in what Harry says. Also prejudice against Megan was obvious with lovely comments about Kates pregnancy and awful comments about Megan's in the press. Feel sorry for Harry as his father and stepmother are disgusting people that used their lovely mum as a brood mare.

"Germanshepherdsmum", of course, I am aware that Prince Harry did not actually write the book, It was written by his ghostwriter & Pulitzer Prize winner, the brilliant J.R Moehringer, but all of the material came from the mouth of Prince Harry. I should imagine someone with the calibre of Mr. Moehringer, the publishers, Penguin Random House, & the lawyers, would have checked that all is correct before publication.

I don’t need to read it as I’ve read John Crack’s précis.

www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jan/12/i-was-alone-abandoned-with-only-a-hundred-million-in-the-bank-spare-digested-by-john-crace?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

I’m afraid it hasn’t been checked for accuracy Jenn. A number of untruths have come to light and the ghost writer has distanced himself by writing a disclaimer saying that the lines between fact and memory are blurred. It may be written by a skilled author, but it is definitely not entirely factual. It has been suggested that some of it came from the mouth of Megan, not Harry. Frankly so many discrepancies (I don’t like to say lies) have come to light that I wouldn’t trust anything coming from the mouth of either of them.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Norah

Germanshepherdsmum

I don’t suppose posters are looking at the niceties of accounting practices. H has received income amounting to millions of dollars by way of an advance and H has paid out of that income a relatively pitiful sum to charity. Accounting practices are irrelevant to the principle that has been the subject of comment.

Perhaps.

With the tax collections and rules for the 2 countries, maybe not. I asked that yesterday, the answer was a bit confusing.

Later I asked brother, he told me "it depends, I pay both - you know my taxes (I help with his books), Harry's tax situation is not available. I've not noted, precisely, how the charity is paid and if it is tax advantaged."

Thank you brother, still unclear.

Perhaps H is donating a large percentage to what he ultimately pocketed? I doubt his accountants will divulge to us.

and maybe he's doing bare minimum which he can offset against.....unbelievable!

Actually Jenn53 I do like non-fiction, I’m just not sure that this book fits that brief.
We can’t prove what exactly what H did say except where we’ve heard it straight from his own mouth on the TV.
Written accounts, even his, are always subject to the writer’s viewpoint and version of “his truth”. Although we can read what he wrote, we can’t know what did or didn’t happen in his life, because evidence has already appeared that his “recollections may vary”.

Since Harry claims that the press have twisted things about him, is he now saying press reporting is perfectly accurate?

Whatever else, we have learnt from his ghost writing, that he is a very bitter and resentful person who, whilst accusing others, truthfully or not, of being unkind, is desperate to act in the same manner that he decries in others.
So be it.
2 more books? And he wants his family to welcome him back (to provide him with more material)?
If they don’t, do we expect another diatribe about how badly he has been treated in the past? If they do, undoubtedly another version if “his truth”.

Aussiegran 59….no thinking person in England cares either !! Too many excellent thinking persons books to read .

Calendargirl

Although I was 15th on the list at the library, I have been informed that ‘Spare’ is ready for collection by me!

I can only assume that a) the previous 14 borrowers have read it in double quick time, b) after all the hype they have cancelled their request or c) for some reason I have been elevated to the head of the queue!

Whatever, I shall be picking it up tomorrow.

📕

The waiting list usually covers all the libraries within your council. Due to the demand for this book I wouldn’t be surprised if quite a number were bought county wide (more than 15) and the books sent whizzing around by whatever means your reservations travel. That would make you first in the queue.

Saggi

Aussiegran 59….no thinking person in England cares either !! Too many excellent thinking persons books to read .

Hmmm, well my post-grad studies were in Literature and I'm still going to read this book.

I'm pretty sure I qualify as a thinking person. Maybe don't enforce your definition of what constitutes 'worthwhile' onto others?

I might actually be of the opinion that a "thinking person" would be exactly who is needed because the writing appears to be on so many different levels.
I wonder if it is one of those books that leaves the reader totally knackered exhausted by the end, as the emotional stuff drains you totally and the references are pretty haphazard? Or maybe it just sends you to sleep?
DD is taking her time reading it and passing it on, but then she does have covid which may be affecting her ability to think.

I've read enough books for thinking people.

I like a nice mystery now.
So - who said what to whom to upset them enough to write a book about it?

I don’t need to read it as I’ve read John Crack’s précis. grin

www.theguardian.com/books/2023/jan/12/i-was-alone-abandoned-with-only-a-hundred-million-in-the-bank-spare-digested-by-john-crace?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Thanks so much for that Sue Donim. I laughed out loud. Brilliant piece. 😂

Joseanne

I might actually be of the opinion that a "thinking person" would be exactly who is needed because the writing appears to be on so many different levels.
I wonder if it is one of those books that leaves the reader totally knackered exhausted by the end, as the emotional stuff drains you totally and the references are pretty haphazard? Or maybe it just sends you to sleep?
DD is taking her time reading it and passing it on, but then she does have covid which may be affecting her ability to think.

Good point. I started reading the 50 Shades book years ago. It was getting handed rund the staff room. It was so badly written I never got to the sex. I couldn't bear the poor use of language. Shockingly, I gave up on the first Harry Potter I tried too, for the same reason.

I think that is particularly true GagaJo if you have a degree in literature where you were expected to analyse every adjective, adverb, the syntax etc for nuances. It actually put me off reading for pleasure for years.
Hopefully Harry's style will be around GCSE level.

Non-fiction lover here. I follow what the Royals are up to, and have read many books/biographies on them.
If I think it’s going to be a juicy read I am one of the first to pre-order for my Kindle! Strangely, I have not ordered this book! Yet. I’m still scratching my head over this action. There has been so much already dissected in our media over the contents, I feel all of the headline-grabbing parts have been exposed.
I adore Harry, will always go for the underdog. They are just like any other family, although under a microscope. It ain’t easy living like that.
Cheers!
USA Gundy

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?

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?

LauraNorderr

My daughter-in-law has sent me the whole copy via WhatsApp. So freebies are out there.
Lots of ruthless people making good money out of a tragic situation. He’s being used and abused by the very people he detests, journalists. Poor damaged and naive young man running out of control.

Does this mean people are selling pirated versions?