Symptoms of Withdrawal

A Memoir of Snapshots and Redemption

De: Christopher Kennedy Lawford

Narrado por: Christopher Kennedy Lawford

At last, the first memoir from a Kennedy family member—an inspirational, candid, and explosive personal story sure to be one of the most sensational bestsellers of the year

Christopher Kennedy Lawson was born to enormous privilege. But with fame, money, and power came tragedy and heartbreak. In this clear-eyed, sensitive, and compulsively readable autobiography, he breaks his family’s long-held silence to a rare glimpse into the exclusive worlds of both Washington politicos and the Hollywood elite during the socially turbulent 1960s and 1970s.

As the first born child of famed Rat Pack actor, Peter Lawford, and John F. Kennedy’s sister, Patricia, Christopher Lawford was raised in Malibu and Martha’s Vineyard with movie stars and presidents as close family members and friends. But this little boy who learned the twist thanks to private lessons from Marilyn Monroe would grow up to become a spoiled adolescent with a near-fatal jones for heroin and alcohol. With deep sincerity, Kennedy sets the record straight, sharing many never-before-told stories about the good, the bad, and the ugly in his life, including the deaths of his uncles, his parents’ divorce and its effect, his hard-fought struggle to overcome addiction, his long-lasting sobriety, his acting career, and his relationships with his famous cousins and his own children. Surprisingly frank, Kennedy pulls no punches as he tells us what it’s really like to be a member of America’s first family.

©2005 Christopher Kennedy Lawford; (P)2005 HarperCollins Publishers

THIS BOOK IS A GREAT LISTEN!!

I really loved this autobiography!! I liked that the author narrated his story, Christopher Lawford does a wonderful job bringing across his emotion to the listener! Very well done!!

A Courageous History of a Flawed Person

Nicely written and well-narrated. Conveyed well the perils of being whom he was doomed to be. I was sympathetic to him until the last chapter when he talked about leaving his wife for the flimsiest of reasons. While I respected and admired his struggles and the difficulties of being in the Kennedy sphere, I found him in the end to be an insensitive and selfish person. At the same time I admire his courage in baring himself to an audience of unknown people.

Wonderfully told.

An amazing life, lived from an extraordinary vantage point, told beautifully.
Thoroughly enjoyable and much appreciated.
I plan to read again.

Would have liked an unabridged version

I bought the hardcover and read it some time ago. This was a good abridgment, but I still think you miss a lot this way.

So as a narrator, Christopher Lawford has a pleasant voice and (one of my pet peeves) is good with pronunciations.

It's an autobiographical account of his life so one tends to take some things with a grain of salt. Still, he covered things that I remembered from the hardcover edition and seems to be fairly honest with his shortcomings. Definitely worth a repeat listen.

What a great voice and what a book!

I'm writing from my son's account. My name is Elizabeth. I loved Chris's dad, Peter, I'm a huge fan. I heard about this book long time ago and was really looking forward to reading it, but my eyes are so bad these days, so I decided to pick-up an audio book. I'm so sad it's abridged. But Chris sounds so wonderful, he should be doing voice over work! I have to say, Chris has much sexier voice than his father. It's much deeper. It is a wonderful book. I'm still looking for someone to read me the whole book...may be I'll get lucky.

Born with the silver spoon

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Chris Kennedy Lawford's got it all: fame, money, fortune and family. He's honest about his addiction to alcohol and drugs. He pins it on his family and himself. It is refreshing at least. Too bad he squanders it all and divorces his wife and kids in the end just after you think he's got his act together. Spoiled rich kid. Boo hoo.

What did I learn from it? My life's not so bad after all. Chris could have offered more learning concepts about how to make better life choices, especially if you have an addictive personality. This is a tell-all autobiography to air out his dirty laundry and try to redeem himself. I'd say he's still messed up.

If you’ve listened to books by Christopher Kennedy Lawford before, how does this one compare?

average

Did Christopher Kennedy Lawford do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

He fawns over the males: the Kennedys, his cousins, his father, movie stars. Very little about the predominate females: mother, aunts, grandmother, sisters, his wife. Lots tabloid tales about bimbos and escapades. What's more important, Chris? Feels a bit empty and out of balance. But then, I'm a female so why should I have expected more from Chris on this side of the table?

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

no

Basic recovery read

Too much about the famous family in this one for me. Not that I didn't think the Kennedy's were interesting, I do. I guess I have a hard time when it reads like someone with immense priveledge doesn't seem to get it.

A good read totally ruined by the ending

This was an excellent book until the very end; which, for me, dissapointingly ruined the entirety of the tale. Narration was excellent and the author was able to connect me with the personal and national emotional impact of the deaths of JFK and RFK like no author or narrative I'd ever heard before (these events occurred when I was a toddler). Author also provided some very interesting insights regarding the effects of being born into wealth, privilege and fame. However, I was bothered that in recounting the Ted Kennedy Chappaquiddick incident and the death of JFK Jr. the author failed to include even the merest mention that innocent, non-Kennedy deaths occurred in both of these incidents. Based solely on this recounting, you would think the incidents involved solely and only T. Kennedy and JFK Jr. This, then, leaves one to suspect that the only lives that count in the author's mind were those named "Kennedy". Indeed, this was confirmed at the very end when it appears that the authors only noble achievement was in overcoming addiction; but never his narcissism.

Whiny rich kid

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

CKL taking ownership of his shortcomings, not casting blame everywhere possible.

Would you ever listen to anything by Christopher Kennedy Lawford again?

Nope

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Christopher Kennedy Lawford?

His therapist since I felt I was present for his sessions during this book.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Symptoms of Withdrawal?

Just about all of them.

Any additional comments?

Not impressed. The Kennedy name is the only selling point of this book. Sorry.

Rather dull

I admit, I'm not the greatest historian or autobiographer, but I didn't buy the whole "poor me, I'm a Kennedy, I'm so different than all humankind". His existential experience was not something remarkable. I thought it was astonishing that he admitted his narcissism-way to go! Maybe treatment helped him come to that conclusion. The way that he read his autobiography was robotic- like and monotone. I believe that he was bored of it too. Gave this book a two because I did learn a few cool things about the Kennedies. Other than that, nothing special. Wouldn't get another book.