Shockaholic

By: Carrie Fisher

Narrated by: Carrie Fisher

Length: 4 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's Summary

Infused with Carrie Fisher’s trademark incisive wit and perfectly poised on the heels of Wishful Drinking's instant New York Times best-selling success, Shockaholic takes listeners on another rollicking ride into her crazy life.

Told with the same intimate style, brutal honesty, and uproarious wisdom that placed Wishful Drinking on the New York Times best-seller list for months, Shockaholic is the juicy account of Carrie Fisher’s life, focusing more on the Star Wars years and dishing about the various Hollywood relationships she’s formed since she was chosen to play Princess Leia at only 19 years old. Fisher delves into the gritty details that made the movie - and herself - such a phenomenal success, admitting, "It isn’t all sweetness and light sabers."

©2011 Deliquesce. All rights reserved. (P)2011 Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Shockingly Nearly Perfect Book

I take back everything I ever said about the unpleasant changes in Carrie Fisher's voice, tone, and inflections. This perhaps NOT so shockingly gorgeously written midlife autobiography is nearly PERFECTLY read by the author herself, whose writing appears to have only improved and tightened and become -- somehow -- both more hilarious and more serious as the years have gone by. It's probably true that reading the print version of this book aloud to your partner won't be the laugh-out-loud party that her previous memoir Wishful Drinking provides, but as a listening experience, this soars above even Fisher's earlier, sterling novels, the whip-smart Postcards From The Edge included. The only reason the story/organization does not earn 5/5 stars is that unfortunately the previous reviewer who complained that the chapter on Michael Jackson was a little too long was correct; it could have used some editing.

To the previous reviewer who complained that this material is largely a rehash of Fisher's previous work, I can emphatically assure you that you are mistaken. I've spent a lot of the past year reading and re-reading everything Carrie Fisher has ever written (except Delusions of Grandma--please can this be made available on Audible soon??), and I have NEVER before heard ANY of the stories related here. If I had, I would not have waited so long to finally read/listen to Shockaholic! The details regarding her reconciliation with her father alone practically constitute a primer on how to deal with fractured family relationships and aging parents, the jaw-dropping story of her final confrontation with Elizabeth Taylor over having stolen her father away from her mother is worth the cost of the book all by itself, and Oh, My, God, I am replaying that Ted Kennedy story for all my friends and family and we are practically all still gasping for breath. That, unfortunately, is a story I shall NEVER forget, and never stop wondering if I would have been able to stand up to him one-tenth as heroically as young Carrie did at that age.

I'm happy to have had the privilege of living at the same time as Carrie Fisher. She has said before that when two celebrities mate, someone like her is the result. If only that were true! But alas, she is one of a kind. Long may she live--and write!

24 of 26 people found this review helpful

I am getting very attached to Carrie

Carrie Fisher's writing is disturbing and entertaining. I feel kind of protective of her as she is so raw and uncensored. Sometimes she goes too far for me as she can get off on strange tangents but I value her perspective and silliness. When she talks about her father and the way she took care of him when he needed her was surprising and profound to me...
I actually feel attached to her as she is getting to be like an old friend who you want to look out for as she sounds fragile sometimes and I don't want to lose her....

16 of 18 people found this review helpful

Carrie Fisher Grows up, Learns About Real Life

Where does Shockaholic rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's in my top ten books, so far. I enjoyed it.

What did you like best about this story?

I like the way Carrie Fisher tells her own story. She's very honest, forthright, and has very interesting life stories to tell.

What about Carrie Fisher’s performance did you like?

I like the style of her delivery. I appreciate the candor in which she speaks. She tells her own story, as no one else can.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. I did.

Any additional comments?

No.

6 of 8 people found this review helpful

I'd Rather Drink...

Well, I'm a little let-down. Carrie Fisher is definitely funny, and I love her ease at throwing out wit, but parts of this book were a bit too serious, which was not what I was looking for in her book. I still liked it, but I wanted to be crying from laughing too hard like I did with Wishful Drinking, but this one didn't do it for me. I'm still glad I listened to it though.

3 of 4 people found this review helpful

One of the Best Carrie Fisher Books Ever

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I've always liked Fisher's caustic wit and candid honesty about her life, Shockaholic has to be one of her most candid and funny books ever. I'd reccomend it for someone who needed their spirits lifted.

What did you like best about this story?

Insights into Ted Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, and Michael Jackson.

Have you listened to any of Carrie Fisher’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

One of the best.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Fisher and Elizabeth Taylor reconsiled.

Any additional comments?

This is a good book for people suffering depression, it shows that one can over come their mental illnesses if one is willing to take risks and take control of their lives.

4 of 6 people found this review helpful

Disappointing after Wishful Drinking

What would have made Shockaholic better?

Stronger storyline, more to share. This story was very thin, dull and at times defensive.

Would you ever listen to anything by Carrie Fisher again?

Maybe. She's obviously funny and a good writer.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The author/narrator is very low key. Not energetic about anything. Felt like she wasn't enthusiastic about this book at all.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Carrie Fisher is very funny, and honest. I will give her that. There just wasn't much of interest here. Most of her story was told in Wishful Drinking. I almost feel like she put out this book just to make a buck.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed Wishful Drinking and was looking forward to more. This wasn't it. Very little story. Also Fisher has become very mushy. It actually made me gag a few times, how she tried to tie everything up with a bow. Very disappointing, especially the defense of Michael Jackson, and the long second half of the book, mostly about her father's death. Dull.

7 of 11 people found this review helpful

Carrie Fisher: Truthaholic

What did you love best about Shockaholic?

What's not to love?

Carrie Fisher, addicted to brutal truth, delivered the fascinating details of her life with her classic self-effacing humor.

What other book might you compare Shockaholic to and why?

Well... 'Wishful Drinking' -- Ms. Fisher's memoir that also let's her fans know what her Wonder Bread years were like

What does Carrie Fisher bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Everyone has a 'readervoice' in their head that turns on when reading a book. You have your own style, and it works; besides, what else are you gonna do for a narrator?

When an author, who is also an actor, reads you their work, you know you're getting it exactly the way they wrote and meant it to be heard.

So you get the added novelty of filling in a sort of emotional gap between the author and audience.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

You could... in my case we did listen to it from beginning to end while driving (skidding) through a torrential downpour while looking for an open restaurant on the backroads of Virginia one Sunday.

Any additional comments?

I loved it.

3 of 5 people found this review helpful

Funny and light

Would you listen to Shockaholic again? Why?

I would listen to this again. It is a fun book with engaging narration.

Which scene was your favorite?

I love it when Carrie talks about her Mother.

Any additional comments?

This is a fun, light book. It gives a light look into the lives of the rich and famous. I laughed outloud many times. Carrie Fisher doesn't take herself too seriously and is able to tease out the absurdity in her life circumstances.

3 of 5 people found this review helpful

Engaging!

I've read all Carrie's books and this was up at the top with her best. I really enjoyed it.

One of Carrie’s best

Have read quite a few of Carrie’s books. In one way or another each touch on some of the same events and people, of whom she struggled her entire life to understand, framing them in both an honest and loving light of acceptance. Obviously she had personal self-acceptance issues. All her books I’ve read so far: Postcards from the Edge, Wishful Drinking, The Princess Diarist, are insightful, funny, incredibly honest, often redundant chapters of one wild, mixed up and in my opinion, beautifully-flawed, valuable life. Occasionally her writing lapses into too sentimental territory, but I think she was aware of that, and also it seems to me, a little embarrassed by her tendency to gush since she often follows her sentimentality with a joke or witty remark. More often than not she had the ability to know exactly what her readers were probably thinking, following descriptions of shocking events with sentences which begin with, “I know what you’re thinking...” and an uncanny track record of being absolutely correct. I think that’s a sort of sixth sense byproduct of telling the truth. Very entertaining read. No one could’ve narrated her work better.

Sublime!

Loved it. Laugh out loud. Warm, funny and surprisingly frank without being full of misery and woe.

brilliant again

I love listening to Carrie Fisher talk. I giggled a lot to myself listening to this one but it is also much more touching and sad than wishful drinking, I wasn't quite prepared for that. Looking forward to listening to another of her books.

💖💖💖

luved carrie 💖 . she had me laughing and had me in tears with yet another great book.

Brutally honest

Couldn't help but be dumb struck by this book. Open, honest and humble, well performed and something that will affect me for years to come. Incredible woman

Classicly Carrie

An outrageous romp through the life of a Hollywood star - you don't know whether to feel envious or sorry for her half of the time.

Always great to hear from Carrie

What does Carrie Fisher bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

I am quite certain that it is best to hear autobiographies from the actual person, and Carrie has a big personality to share with the listener

Any additional comments?

A few more stories from her life, but not that much different to what you may have already heard (especially repeated jokes..) from Wishful Drinking and Postcards from the Edge.

I preferred Wishful Drinking because it was the first Carrie Fisher book I listened to, ever since I feel I have been hearing the same story in vaguely different ways... but I enjoy it anyway, she feels like a friend and there is something comforting in her strength.

1 of 2 people found this review helpful

Preferred Wishful Drinking

Carrie delivers with her vocal performance but I feel her previous book was better and at times this repeats from that book too.

Another great and extremly honest book by Carrie

A good book that is a lot more serious than the last. While talking about herself and her illnesses she could have a laugh and make jokes. But when broaching the more serious subject of the death of her farther and Michael Jackson the jokes are harder to find. Which makes sense.

Personally I still throughly enjoyed hearing about her crazy life. And hope that she will eventually do one that finally talks about her Star Wars days. Which she at times seems to avoid. As she she skirts around the edges of but doesn't really get into any depth about.

Disappointing. I feel a little cheated.

I picked this up since it was pitched as being "about the Star Wars years" and talking about her relationships with other celebrities. I was then disappointed that it wasn't really anything to do with Star Wars or really anything that the blurb seemed to promise.

Instead it's the story of characters I'm not particularly interested in (Eddie Fisher, Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor and her stepfather), which is unfortunate of course but not the author's fault. But the style then is the issue. I didn't find the wit and humour as engaging as her fans apparently are.

There's not a clear story that I could identify, which means that the result is a number of stories and character portrayals (and frequently assassinations) which too often start in viciously before I had any idea who the person was and why they deserved her vitriol.

The book is, I think, brutally honest which recommends it. But I think it relies too much on her assessments of people which often comes without enough evidence, and relies heavily on the idea that we should trust her judgment, which the first chapters alone have given us cause to doubt.

I really wanted to like this and while it hasn't harmed my opinion of Carrie Fisher, it has turned me off her writing I'm afraid.

2 of 6 people found this review helpful