Spare

 Book 12 of my 2023 Reading Challenge

read from 1/19 - 1/31

Spare

by Prince Harry

My Opinion

4 stars

This isn't a review of fact-checking or deep diving into the details of the book because that's not my interest and there is a lot of content out there already for readers looking for that information. I will say that it's human nature, especially with trauma, to lose some accuracy about timing or details and it's frustrating to see people use inconsistencies as a reason to dismiss the entire book and/or invalidate his feelings.

I'm an avid watcher of the Royal Family but as an American, I don't have any exposure to U.K. tabloids and don't really seek it out.  My interest is more in the history of past generations, how different individuals handled their roles, and how the institution has remained a viable thing (and if that will continue in the future).  I'm interested in the current generation and events - I watched all the footage of the weddings, funerals, interviews, etc. - but don't have a "side" I'm on.  I'm really sad that William and Harry don't have each other for support but I'm happy for the progress they each appear to have made individually in their engagement with their wives and children.

Now that I've made that general statement, on to how I felt about the book...

 The short chapters that jump in and out both make a long book pass by very quickly and also adds to the feelings of memory gaps or hazes he mentions experiencing multiple times.  I could feel his pain and while I bet the audiobook is good, I think it would be too much for me to hear his voice read these words.

Sometimes I forget just how long the history is until a reference like the carriage the Queen rode in for her Jubilee was built before the American Revolution; not only is it still around but has been maintained well enough to continue to be used.

The line about flashes from photographers being the last thing his mother saw hit me hard.  I sat and reflected on that for awhile.

He told his story as he felt it but he also maintained a level of respect.  He didn't name many people and even though he said he didn't believe it, he did give his brother credit for saying he just wanted him to be happy in one of their last meetings.