What do you think?
Rate this book
Shockaholic
Infused with Carrie Fisher's trademark incisive wit and on the heels of Wishful Drinking's instant New York Times bestselling success, Shockaholic takes readers on another rollicking ride into her crazy life.
There is no shortage of people flocking to hear what Princess Leia has to say. Her previous hardcover, Wishful Drinking, was an instant New York Times bestseller and Carrie was featured everywhere on broadcast media and received rave reviews from coast to coast, including People (4 stars; one of their top 10 books of the year), Entertainment Weekly, New York Times, and scores of others.
Told with the same intimate style, brutal honesty, and uproarious wisdom that placed Wishful Drinking on the New York Times bestseller 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 nineteen 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."
There is no shortage of people flocking to hear what Princess Leia has to say. Her previous hardcover, Wishful Drinking, was an instant New York Times bestseller and Carrie was featured everywhere on broadcast media and received rave reviews from coast to coast, including People (4 stars; one of their top 10 books of the year), Entertainment Weekly, New York Times, and scores of others.
Told with the same intimate style, brutal honesty, and uproarious wisdom that placed Wishful Drinking on the New York Times bestseller 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 nineteen 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."
176 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2011
638 people are currently reading
13520 people want to read
About the author
Carrie Fisher
20 books2,730 followersCarrie Fisher was an American actress, screenwriter and author, most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy. Fisher was the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds. She had one daughter, Billie Lourd (b. 1992).
Her final film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, was released on December 15, 2017 and is dedicated to her.
Her final film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, was released on December 15, 2017 and is dedicated to her.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,546 reviews
January 30, 2014
You either love Carrie Fisher or you're wrong.
That's all. That's the entire review.
That's all. That's the entire review.
April 18, 2019
The trailer for Star Wars Episode IX was released this week and it’s bittersweet for me knowing that Princess Leia won’t be in the film, that is until I found out she would be. It is a hectic week for me- prepping for Passover, not having a refrigerator for the time being, and a few deaths recently in my community. So a quick, humorous book written by none other than Princess Leia herself was just what I needed to pick up my mood. Carrie Fisher’s Shockaholic brought a little laughter and smiles to my life and while it can not cure the craziness, at least I got to take a step back for a few hours. Fisher apart from Leia was an interesting persona herself. She could make light of even the bleakest situations even if she had help from drugs and alcohol. I’d rather remember her as Leia; however, this week with the somber mood in myself, stepping into Carrie Fisher’s whirlwind life for a few hours was exactly what I needed to read at this time.
3 stars
3 stars
February 28, 2017
In the second of her short memoirs, Carrie Fisher returns with more anecdotes and funny stories that come from her life. Again, Fisher opens with the disclaimer that she underwent electro-convulsive therapy (ECT), which erased some of her past memories. She explores ECT a little more for the reader, both its origins in pre-WWII Italy and her own experiences with the treatment. ECT remains, as Fisher describes it, as a last-ditch effort to rid the mind of those looming clouds of depression, where psychotherapy has not worked and medication would only increase the ever-present fog. Fisher considers it a 'blast of the cement walls of the brain', which does a marvellous job while leaving some memory loss as a byproduct. Fisher also explored a number of personal struggles that befell her throughout life, especially those she did not discuss in Wishful Drinking. Due to her depression and the traumatic experience of losing a close friend, Fisher turned back to drugs and became unable to properly raise her daughter, Billie. This strained their relationship to the point that Fisher found herself in that horrible cycle of self-medicating to ease the pain of causing her daughter increased angst. Further chapters explore an extremely frank and acerbic exchange with Senator Edward Kennedy in the mid-80s while on a blind date with another member of Congress. The banter proved highly amusing, though Fisher recounts that she was not sure what to make of this man. Fisher also had a close relationship with Michael Jackson and spends much time defending him and offering a personal plea that Jackson was not the pedophile that many made him out to be, while acknowledging his relationship with children was anything but mainstream. I am not entirely convinced, but that is for another review on a entirely separate day. With Elizabeth Taylor as a close friend to Jackson and also one of Fisher's former step-mothers, the memoir does come full circle to discuss Eddie Fisher and the relationship he had with his daughter. Sometime strained and inevitable quite irregular, Carrie Fisher does open up and speak honesty of the man, adding her own degree of heartfelt sentiment. Another interesting piece that offers more stories outside of the famed Star Wars tales, Fisher entertains readers looking for a little humour and insight without the weighty narrative of a substantial memoir or autobiography.
While I had little interest in her two novels, veiled memoirs of sorts, I find when Fisher steps out and tells the stories about her own life, they hold more impact for the reader. Less a tell-all than a means to give the reader a better understanding of her life, Fisher uses humour and the bluntness that she was in a drug-addled state for much of these years to recount poignant vignettes that made her the woman she became. Perhaps one to be someone centric and drop names throughout, Fisher does not appear to do this for the sake of fame, but to better explain some of her views on the Hollywood and New York communities. Not hiding behind her famous parents, but also not using them as a crutch to excuse her behaviour, Fisher offers readers a 'behind the curtain' look at the world she lived. Told with honesty and candour, the reader cannot help but appreciate her efforts between laughing at the antics that appear on the printed page.
Kudos, Madam Fisher for not trying to candy-coat things for the reader or those with whom you have crossed paths over the years.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
While I had little interest in her two novels, veiled memoirs of sorts, I find when Fisher steps out and tells the stories about her own life, they hold more impact for the reader. Less a tell-all than a means to give the reader a better understanding of her life, Fisher uses humour and the bluntness that she was in a drug-addled state for much of these years to recount poignant vignettes that made her the woman she became. Perhaps one to be someone centric and drop names throughout, Fisher does not appear to do this for the sake of fame, but to better explain some of her views on the Hollywood and New York communities. Not hiding behind her famous parents, but also not using them as a crutch to excuse her behaviour, Fisher offers readers a 'behind the curtain' look at the world she lived. Told with honesty and candour, the reader cannot help but appreciate her efforts between laughing at the antics that appear on the printed page.
Kudos, Madam Fisher for not trying to candy-coat things for the reader or those with whom you have crossed paths over the years.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
March 19, 2024
Carrie Fisher's irreverent memoirs Shockaholic is filled by funny one-liners and wild anecdotes but instead of quoting them, I will leave you with this recording of her father's rendition of If I loved you, from Carousel. This song represents one of the very few and far between bonding moments between daughter and father. While Fisher had me laughing out loud many times at the antics of her parents and stepsiblings, the last chapters of this book, involving her relationship with her father towards the end of his life, had me choked up. So, without further ado, please enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjEw8...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjEw8...
February 16, 2016
Carrie Fisher, my dears is fucking hysterical!!!
I laughed so many times while reading this, I even read some out loud to my dog.
If that ever happens to you, then you know you have a damn good book in your hands.
ENJOY IT!!!
I laughed so many times while reading this, I even read some out loud to my dog.
If that ever happens to you, then you know you have a damn good book in your hands.
ENJOY IT!!!
August 30, 2017
Didn't I just tell you that anything from Fisher is an automatic five? I stick to my guns.
February 7, 2017
3.5 stars.
More poignant than Wishful Drinking. Narrated by Carrie Fisher, this provides more information on her decision to undergo electro convulsive therapy, and about her relationship with her father.
More poignant than Wishful Drinking. Narrated by Carrie Fisher, this provides more information on her decision to undergo electro convulsive therapy, and about her relationship with her father.
September 25, 2012
This book was good......a fine follow up to WISHFUL DRINKING which made me laugh non-stop. Carrie has a wicked wit in her writing,and her sarcasm over her trials in life. This one didn't make me laugh as often, and at times it made me pensive of memories of my own father, who wasn't always there for me either....in fact, he went out of his way to make things tougher on me,and seemed to relish when I struggled with things in my life....... Carrie made me see that there are some things that I miss concerning my father after his death, that maybe I did need to appreciate him somewhat......
Anyway, if you've read WISHFUL DRINKING, you will need to read this one too....just expect to NOT be laughing uproariously with this one, but you will be pleasantly surprised at just how tender Carrie could be in her life, considering what she went through. I do recommend this one. It's a quick short read...I was able to finish it in one evening. Hard to put down.
Cheers!
Anyway, if you've read WISHFUL DRINKING, you will need to read this one too....just expect to NOT be laughing uproariously with this one, but you will be pleasantly surprised at just how tender Carrie could be in her life, considering what she went through. I do recommend this one. It's a quick short read...I was able to finish it in one evening. Hard to put down.
Cheers!
June 16, 2025
In this second short anecdotal memoir, Carrie focuses a lot more on her decision to undergo electro-convulsive-therapy for her bipolar disorder. It's another attempt, following
Wishful Drinking
, to record some of her memories before they could be erased due to the ECT treatment; she describes the book as "remembrances of things in the process of passing".
While still sporting her trademark dry wit and humor, I didn't laugh-out-loud while reading this memoir—I found it too poignant for that. We heard the anecdote of her friend dying in her bed in the previous book; hilarious, right? But in Shockaholic she continues the story, and tells us about how it threw her back into a depressive period that eventually led to a relapse in her addiction, and how she could no longer care for her child, who went to live with her father, and how that made things worse for Carrie before they ultimately started getting better.
While Wishful Drinking focused more on her upbringing as a child of Hollywood royalty, her sophomore effort grants more glimpses of her life following her own catapultation to stardom (..."rise" doesn't quite begin to cover it). While the first memoir had direction and came full circle by the end, this felt more like lonely anecdotes, quite disjointed and a little rambling - what they do all have in common is that they are about her relationships with some notable people:
• Senator Chris Dodd, whom she briefly dated
• Senator Teddy Kennedy, with whom she went on a double date with and who was a creep
• Michael Jackson, a chapter I found most intriguing, because I never did quite figure out what to make of the pedophile allegations. This quote was some food for thought: "I never thought that Michael's whole thing with kids was sexual. Never. Granted, it was miles from appropriate, but just because it wasn't normal doesn't mean that it had to be perverse."
• Harry Karl, her former step-father and shoe-tycoon who lost all his money and then her mother's
• Elizabeth Taylor, her former step-mother
• Eddie Fisher, her father. This final chapter takes up almost the entire latter half of the book, and it was just... so sad. I'm glad she found closure and managed to have a bit of a relationship with him towards the end of his days, even if it was in a messed-up reversal of familial roles. It seems to me he didn't deserve the kindness she gave, and I hope he was aware of it. I may have regretted it after he passed, but I would've been more like Todd, not Carrie, were I in the situation.
Overall, this book, while still being a light read, is kind of... disarming in its bluntness and vulnerability, especially once you get far enough into it to realize that the underlying theme is father-figures. She doesn't use humor to sugarcoat the ugliness in her life, and it doesn't exactly feel like a coping-mechanism, either. It reads like she's finally come to terms with the ups and downs in her life, and she can see everything in a mostly healthily detached way, cracking the odd joke here and there. Don't expect this to be a laughing riot—it will however make you appreciate how tender, compassionate and humble she could be.
While still sporting her trademark dry wit and humor, I didn't laugh-out-loud while reading this memoir—I found it too poignant for that. We heard the anecdote of her friend dying in her bed in the previous book; hilarious, right? But in Shockaholic she continues the story, and tells us about how it threw her back into a depressive period that eventually led to a relapse in her addiction, and how she could no longer care for her child, who went to live with her father, and how that made things worse for Carrie before they ultimately started getting better.
While Wishful Drinking focused more on her upbringing as a child of Hollywood royalty, her sophomore effort grants more glimpses of her life following her own catapultation to stardom (..."rise" doesn't quite begin to cover it). While the first memoir had direction and came full circle by the end, this felt more like lonely anecdotes, quite disjointed and a little rambling - what they do all have in common is that they are about her relationships with some notable people:
• Senator Chris Dodd, whom she briefly dated
• Senator Teddy Kennedy, with whom she went on a double date with and who was a creep
• Michael Jackson, a chapter I found most intriguing, because I never did quite figure out what to make of the pedophile allegations. This quote was some food for thought: "I never thought that Michael's whole thing with kids was sexual. Never. Granted, it was miles from appropriate, but just because it wasn't normal doesn't mean that it had to be perverse."
• Harry Karl, her former step-father and shoe-tycoon who lost all his money and then her mother's
• Elizabeth Taylor, her former step-mother
• Eddie Fisher, her father. This final chapter takes up almost the entire latter half of the book, and it was just... so sad. I'm glad she found closure and managed to have a bit of a relationship with him towards the end of his days, even if it was in a messed-up reversal of familial roles. It seems to me he didn't deserve the kindness she gave, and I hope he was aware of it. I may have regretted it after he passed, but I would've been more like Todd, not Carrie, were I in the situation.
Overall, this book, while still being a light read, is kind of... disarming in its bluntness and vulnerability, especially once you get far enough into it to realize that the underlying theme is father-figures. She doesn't use humor to sugarcoat the ugliness in her life, and it doesn't exactly feel like a coping-mechanism, either. It reads like she's finally come to terms with the ups and downs in her life, and she can see everything in a mostly healthily detached way, cracking the odd joke here and there. Don't expect this to be a laughing riot—it will however make you appreciate how tender, compassionate and humble she could be.
"What you'll have of me after I journey to that great Death Star in the sky is an extremely accomplished daughter, a few books, and a picture of a stern-looking girl wearing some kind of metal bikini lounging on a giant drooling squid, behind a newscaster informing you of the passing of Princess Leia after a long battle with her head."
May 7, 2017
This being another memoir in the rather eclectic life of 'Princess Leia', oops, I of course mean Carrie Francis Fisher...sorry about that but I had too. If Miss Fisher were still with us I am sure she would get a chuckle out of that, of this I have no doubt.
Anyway, not quite as riotously funny as 'Wishful Drinking', still it was definitely full of hilarious tales of a life well lived. A life that like everyone else's had its ups and downs, turns and spins sometimes to the point of ridiculousness, yet only unlike ourselves because these stories involved the 'Hollywood elite' for lack of a better description.
This compilation showed more of the softer side of the woman. The side which to me really summed up Carrie Fisher, a kind compassionate and caring individual that could definitely hold court with, all on her own when challenged,some of the more 'storied' individuals. The Ted Kennedy thing was a real hoot, yet I shall not spoil that for anyone here.
The writing still as sharp and witty, sometimes self-deprecating too, she shines through with the emotions towards her relationships with others such as Elizabeth Taylor, Micheal Jackson, her mother, and most of all her father, which I found very touching being a father myself.
A quite pleasant, funny and enjoyable read.
Anyway, not quite as riotously funny as 'Wishful Drinking', still it was definitely full of hilarious tales of a life well lived. A life that like everyone else's had its ups and downs, turns and spins sometimes to the point of ridiculousness, yet only unlike ourselves because these stories involved the 'Hollywood elite' for lack of a better description.
This compilation showed more of the softer side of the woman. The side which to me really summed up Carrie Fisher, a kind compassionate and caring individual that could definitely hold court with, all on her own when challenged,some of the more 'storied' individuals. The Ted Kennedy thing was a real hoot, yet I shall not spoil that for anyone here.
The writing still as sharp and witty, sometimes self-deprecating too, she shines through with the emotions towards her relationships with others such as Elizabeth Taylor, Micheal Jackson, her mother, and most of all her father, which I found very touching being a father myself.
A quite pleasant, funny and enjoyable read.
October 4, 2013
I didn't know that Carrie Fisher wrote novels, so when I saw that this really was who I thought it was, I decided to give her a read. She has a very conversational style of writing and she's not afraid of a few f-bombs. Neither am I, but if that kind of thing bugs you, don't read this.
Who else could give us the inside scoop on electro-shock therapy, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson, and Eddie Fisher? It's a surreal narration and I enjoyed it. She was also honest about her various addictions and mental disorders. I found it refreshing.
Also, not to be missed, is Carrie's account of a dinner with Ted Kennedy (in the chapter entitled The Senator). Hollywood royalty faced political royalty and I think she did alright.
This book reminded me of Kathy Griffin's memoir. They've both lived honest, raw, profanity laced, unbelievable lives and wrote them down without apology. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Who else could give us the inside scoop on electro-shock therapy, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson, and Eddie Fisher? It's a surreal narration and I enjoyed it. She was also honest about her various addictions and mental disorders. I found it refreshing.
Also, not to be missed, is Carrie's account of a dinner with Ted Kennedy (in the chapter entitled The Senator). Hollywood royalty faced political royalty and I think she did alright.
This book reminded me of Kathy Griffin's memoir. They've both lived honest, raw, profanity laced, unbelievable lives and wrote them down without apology. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
January 8, 2012
I think I'll stop reading Carrie Fisher's books and just enjoy her as Princess Leia/Sally's best friend (When Harry Met Sally). I'm not sure where her editor was on this book. It was so disjointed and rambling. I guess that's the side-effect from her electro-shock therapy? I'm sure that's what she'd say anyway.
April 15, 2017
How is she SO GOOD at writing. Honestly. There will be familiar parts if you've read her other memoirs, but there are some really great stories that I hadn't heard or read before. Elizabeth Taylor's pool party. Just read it!
July 18, 2018
I enjoyed this even more than Wishful Drinking. Once again it was funny and insightful. The final chapter/essay about her father was wonderfully written and a brilliant conclusion to the book.
December 13, 2016
Trying way too hard. I've always loved Carrie Fisher and thought she was smart and funny. This time around, "the humor" just fell flat. Here, see for yourself: You know when people pass away they leave instructions as to what to do with the remains ? I believe they're referred to as "wills"- but then so is one of those two princes in Great Britain. No, go ahead read it a few times. I'll wait right here. Okay, am I missing something? Not funny,right ? No matter how hard you try to give her the benefit of the doubt, not funny.
March 16, 2022
Four stars... mainly because Carrie Fisher had me literally laughing out loud. Fisher puts witty sentences together like no other. It's no surprise she had a successful career punching up dialogue for films.
March 10, 2017
She is witty although intergalactic in a narcissistic manner. I think I read this because she does have some rocking prose.
December 26, 2015
I will never tire of reading things that Carrie Fisher writes. Whatever you may think of her life choices, she is completely honest; she doesn't make excuses, simply gives explanations. I truly appreciate her willingness to share her struggles and successes in a very real way.
February 13, 2024
Carrie Fisher is a National Treasure who was way too hard on herself. Crying already and the book hasn’t even started. JUST KIDDING I AM NOT READY TO READ THIS. Ok. Take 2. The beginning is tough but after that it’s just memories. You should read Wishful Drinking before starting this. It was alright but not as good as wishful drinking. 3.6 stars
June 8, 2017
Another reread. Thanks again, Carrie.
January 17, 2018
I have to say that I was looking forward to reading these three memoirs by Carrie Fisher as they are given very good reviews and are said to be very funny. I must admit that I was actually disappointed in what I read in this book.
The book starts with an honest discussion of her electric shock treatment to treat her mental health issues. To be honest, I knew she had issues connected to drink and drugs through the years but I didn't know that she actually has mental health disorders or how bad things had got for her. She leads into discussion of how she went into a downward spiral after the death of close friend Greg Stevens, She talks frankly about the ECT treatment, what she recalls of how they administer it and the effects afterwards. I was surprised to hear that ECT made her depression better for a period of time, but it did cause her to lose some short term memory and have struggles with her vocabulary. That was interesting and a bit scary.
The worst section deals in depth with a date she had with Democratic Senator Chris Dodd while having dinner with Ted Kennedy and his date. The topics at dinner seemed to be all sex related with Kennedy quizzing Carrie on her sexual practices and quite frankly being an obnoxious git as far as I was concerned. Carrie answers all his questions frankly rather than choosing to ignore him which is what he deserved. This whole section was not interesting or amusing to me in any way and I failed to see the point in including it in the book. I didn't care what the answers to these questions were or that she was proving that Kennedy couldn't embarrass her.
There was an interesting part where Carrie talks about her dentist being Evan Chandler, father of Jordy, accusers of Michael Jackson. She was disturbed by Evan bragging about how attractive his boy was and how much time he spent with Michael at his ranch. Carrie talks about Michael and makes it very clear that she believed he was innocent of the charges. I did find this small part interesting. The other topic she covers is her contempt for stepfather Harry Karl and she goes into gross detail of all of his revolting habits. She talks briefly about her relationship with Elizabeth Taylor who broke up her parents and how she was reconciled with her father Eddie Fisher.
Basically the book just covers a few topics in depth and is not the full memoir I was expecting. There is no cohesion either in subject matter or in establishing a timeline, and massive chunks of her life are not really covered. It jumps about all over the place and is somewhat rambling in nature. I don't really like the way it is presented and the lack of structure. It is certainly frank and honest, but I didn't really find the humour in the material that I was waiting for. It wasn't what I was expecting and I didn't really enjoy it the way I had hoped I would. I completed it because it was short. I have already read the other memoirs.
The book starts with an honest discussion of her electric shock treatment to treat her mental health issues. To be honest, I knew she had issues connected to drink and drugs through the years but I didn't know that she actually has mental health disorders or how bad things had got for her. She leads into discussion of how she went into a downward spiral after the death of close friend Greg Stevens, She talks frankly about the ECT treatment, what she recalls of how they administer it and the effects afterwards. I was surprised to hear that ECT made her depression better for a period of time, but it did cause her to lose some short term memory and have struggles with her vocabulary. That was interesting and a bit scary.
The worst section deals in depth with a date she had with Democratic Senator Chris Dodd while having dinner with Ted Kennedy and his date. The topics at dinner seemed to be all sex related with Kennedy quizzing Carrie on her sexual practices and quite frankly being an obnoxious git as far as I was concerned. Carrie answers all his questions frankly rather than choosing to ignore him which is what he deserved. This whole section was not interesting or amusing to me in any way and I failed to see the point in including it in the book. I didn't care what the answers to these questions were or that she was proving that Kennedy couldn't embarrass her.
There was an interesting part where Carrie talks about her dentist being Evan Chandler, father of Jordy, accusers of Michael Jackson. She was disturbed by Evan bragging about how attractive his boy was and how much time he spent with Michael at his ranch. Carrie talks about Michael and makes it very clear that she believed he was innocent of the charges. I did find this small part interesting. The other topic she covers is her contempt for stepfather Harry Karl and she goes into gross detail of all of his revolting habits. She talks briefly about her relationship with Elizabeth Taylor who broke up her parents and how she was reconciled with her father Eddie Fisher.
Basically the book just covers a few topics in depth and is not the full memoir I was expecting. There is no cohesion either in subject matter or in establishing a timeline, and massive chunks of her life are not really covered. It jumps about all over the place and is somewhat rambling in nature. I don't really like the way it is presented and the lack of structure. It is certainly frank and honest, but I didn't really find the humour in the material that I was waiting for. It wasn't what I was expecting and I didn't really enjoy it the way I had hoped I would. I completed it because it was short. I have already read the other memoirs.
December 31, 2019
Having loved the first book I read by Carrie Fisher, Wishful Drinking, I was far from surprised to say that I loved Shockaholic as well. Carrie makes no secret of the crazy life she's lived, growing up as the daughter of Hollywood royalty, and becoming Alderaanian royalty in George Lucas's blockbuster Star Wars films. She doesn't hide the rest of her crazy life either... the drugs, the mental illness, the ECT... The woman loves ECT... The name of the book? It's there for a reason.
Drugs and ECT were hard on her memory, and you get the feeling sometimes that she's keeping these things in written form so that she can remember them as much as anyone else. But Fisher, while an accomplished writer in her own right, is also, in many ways, just a woman telling her story. And what a story it is. With the added bonus of listening to the audiobook read by -- you guessed it! -- Carrie Fisher, Shockaholic becomes a meeting over coffee with an old friend to tell you all the crazy shit you missed out on. Some of her stories shocked me to the point of my jaw dropping open, and others literally moved me to tears, but there wasn't any of this conversation with Carrie Fisher that didn't effect me in some way, on some deep emotional level.
I certainly recommend this for anyone who's struggled with mental illness or substance abuse, because Carrie does an amazing job of helping us to both look at it honestly, and have a few good laughs at her (and sometimes our own) expense.
All in all, an excellent piece of work... if a bit twisty and turny. Give her a break... It's the ECT, don't you know.
Drugs and ECT were hard on her memory, and you get the feeling sometimes that she's keeping these things in written form so that she can remember them as much as anyone else. But Fisher, while an accomplished writer in her own right, is also, in many ways, just a woman telling her story. And what a story it is. With the added bonus of listening to the audiobook read by -- you guessed it! -- Carrie Fisher, Shockaholic becomes a meeting over coffee with an old friend to tell you all the crazy shit you missed out on. Some of her stories shocked me to the point of my jaw dropping open, and others literally moved me to tears, but there wasn't any of this conversation with Carrie Fisher that didn't effect me in some way, on some deep emotional level.
I certainly recommend this for anyone who's struggled with mental illness or substance abuse, because Carrie does an amazing job of helping us to both look at it honestly, and have a few good laughs at her (and sometimes our own) expense.
All in all, an excellent piece of work... if a bit twisty and turny. Give her a break... It's the ECT, don't you know.
January 4, 2016
I am a big fan of Star Wars and the feisty and confident Princess Leia Organa but this book is all about Carrie Fisher and her awesome self!
I really enjoyed this little memoir. Carrie Fisher is funny, crazy, open-hearted and has a potty mouth, all at the sime time.
How can you possible not love her?
Carrie Fisher had a rough life and she doesn't hiding behind her finger but she using her memoirs (Wishful Drinking and in this case Shockaholic) for catharsis.
P.S= I love how she uses in her cover pictures about her Leia character but in a Carrie Fisher way, if that make sense to you. Highly recommended if you want to read about her real life problems with alcohol, drugs, shock treatments, Hollywood star parents and famous friendships.
I really enjoyed this little memoir. Carrie Fisher is funny, crazy, open-hearted and has a potty mouth, all at the sime time.
How can you possible not love her?
Carrie Fisher had a rough life and she doesn't hiding behind her finger but she using her memoirs (Wishful Drinking and in this case Shockaholic) for catharsis.
P.S= I love how she uses in her cover pictures about her Leia character but in a Carrie Fisher way, if that make sense to you. Highly recommended if you want to read about her real life problems with alcohol, drugs, shock treatments, Hollywood star parents and famous friendships.
September 30, 2017
Just as the other two biographical books I read by Carrie Fisher (The Princess Diarist and Wishful Drinking), a very funny look into Carrie’s interesting yet sometimes sad life. Stories about her addiction and depression, her start of fame with her role as Princess Leia, a conversational conversation with then senator Ted Kennedy, her relationship with her father and even a monologue in which she defends Micheal Jackson. Some interesting pieces snatched from her interesting life, told by an interesting and hilarious voice; her own.
November 20, 2017
Wow, I've never read anything by Carrie Fisher before. She's extremely funny. (Also intelligent and poignant.) I loved the illustrations and old gossip magazine covers.
She jumps around a bit, here. Different chapters talk about shock therapy, Michael Jackson, and her dad. I wish this book was longer.
I think I'll find something else of hers to read.
She jumps around a bit, here. Different chapters talk about shock therapy, Michael Jackson, and her dad. I wish this book was longer.
I think I'll find something else of hers to read.
January 6, 2020
Just like a convo with one of my foul mouthed self deprecating friends!
Second listen to this awesome audio and I still love it! How I miss you Carrie❤️
Second listen to this awesome audio and I still love it! How I miss you Carrie❤️
August 28, 2018
Just OK. It was all over the place for half of it (I get why...) and then became a love letter to her dad, basically.
August 18, 2020
I've been meaning to read Carrie Fisher's work for quite some time, and while the writing in this one was hilarious and her stories were truly batshit, I think Shockaholic was a difficult starting place in terms of diving in Fisher's life, and I felt like some context was missing. (And that's not necessarily her fault!)
That said, her essays on ECT, her (very inappropriate) evening with two U.S. Senators, and her complicated relationship with her father were particularly smart and fascinating.
I think the problem is, I won't really remember much of what she wrote a day or two from now.
Content warning: Substance abuse, alcoholism, child neglect
That said, her essays on ECT, her (very inappropriate) evening with two U.S. Senators, and her complicated relationship with her father were particularly smart and fascinating.
I think the problem is, I won't really remember much of what she wrote a day or two from now.
Content warning: Substance abuse, alcoholism, child neglect
June 9, 2023
Maybe 2.5 stars? Two feels uncharitably low, yet this was undeniably a rough read for the first two thirds or so. Fisher's response to cracks about her weight and looks seemed to have been to sneer even more unsparingly at herself, which as someone who didn't care about how she looked but does have a fondness for her, I found painful. She acknowledges the hurt that online comments can cause, and then triples down on the meanness to herself, perhaps as a way to undercut them. It's a double-edged sword, since I can also imagine someone struggling with their own body image or mental health finding her words a blow to themselves.
An outdated epithet or two also hit very unpleasantly (hidden here but ). Don't think the section on Michael Jackson aged well either.
But she could certainly turn a phrase. The steeliness with which she handled herself in the senator chapter painted a picture for me of what she probably dealt with on a regular basis throughout her life, but especially as a young woman. And I found the sections about Elizabeth Taylor and her father engaging, the frankness with which she assessed them and her parents’ marriage clearly interwoven with a great deal of love.
For better, for worse, I think this encapsulates her persona/personality fairly well: sometimes funny, sometimes frustrating, clearly smart, obviously imperfect, but above all unapologetic.
CW fatphobia, dismissal of CSA, death (parent's + a friend's), AIDS, substance abuse
An outdated epithet or two also hit very unpleasantly (hidden here but ). Don't think the section on Michael Jackson aged well either.
But she could certainly turn a phrase. The steeliness with which she handled herself in the senator chapter painted a picture for me of what she probably dealt with on a regular basis throughout her life, but especially as a young woman. And I found the sections about Elizabeth Taylor and her father engaging, the frankness with which she assessed them and her parents’ marriage clearly interwoven with a great deal of love.
For better, for worse, I think this encapsulates her persona/personality fairly well: sometimes funny, sometimes frustrating, clearly smart, obviously imperfect, but above all unapologetic.
CW fatphobia, dismissal of CSA, death (parent's + a friend's), AIDS, substance abuse
July 28, 2015
I'm not sure why I read this after having lukewarm feelings about "Wishful Drinking" - possibly because I am a fan of Fisher's fiction and am always curious to read a good sarcastic memoir. And if there is insider information about Elizabeth Taylor as well, then why not? But not surprisingly, this book fell short for me. I suppose I should have expected disappointment considering that Fisher mentions (in the very first chapter) losing her memory after treatments. Yet I read on.
To be fair, this was a quick read - short and breezy chapters with observations and opinions but without clear substance (aside, I suppose, from the many recollections of substance abuse). It was almost insultingly short for the list price and scattered chronologically, making it tough to fully understand her life. It's more like a collection of anecdotes than a clear narrative. Although the joking captions on the included photos probably indicate that Fisher is not taking anything about this writing process too seriously.
The weirdest part for me was the editing. There would be parts where almost the same phrase would be used twice in one paragraph, or an unusual word would pop up constantly. At first I thought this was intentional, repetitive for effect or something. But at times it seemed like Fisher jotted down both versions with the intention of cutting one out and never did. Also, the relationship (or lack thereof) with her father starts out troubled, but by the end, she is singing (sometimes literally) his praises. I guess this was supposed to bookend the story or show character growth or relationship development? But it rushes from one extreme to the other and I didn't feel engaged at any point.
There were funny moments, and I even found her Michael Jackson theories insightful. But mostly her stories were amusing because she told the reader they were supposed to be, not because the events actually warranted it. And that is the beauty and the beast of Fisher's writing. She lives a surreal life, and she is the first to tell you this. Her self-effacing humor is refreshing and her spotty wit and confidence make this book interesting at times. It's hard to fault her for something she takes charge of from the first page. But her "candor" often felt disingenuous and "hilarity" forced. I just expected more.
To be fair, this was a quick read - short and breezy chapters with observations and opinions but without clear substance (aside, I suppose, from the many recollections of substance abuse). It was almost insultingly short for the list price and scattered chronologically, making it tough to fully understand her life. It's more like a collection of anecdotes than a clear narrative. Although the joking captions on the included photos probably indicate that Fisher is not taking anything about this writing process too seriously.
The weirdest part for me was the editing. There would be parts where almost the same phrase would be used twice in one paragraph, or an unusual word would pop up constantly. At first I thought this was intentional, repetitive for effect or something. But at times it seemed like Fisher jotted down both versions with the intention of cutting one out and never did. Also, the relationship (or lack thereof) with her father starts out troubled, but by the end, she is singing (sometimes literally) his praises. I guess this was supposed to bookend the story or show character growth or relationship development? But it rushes from one extreme to the other and I didn't feel engaged at any point.
There were funny moments, and I even found her Michael Jackson theories insightful. But mostly her stories were amusing because she told the reader they were supposed to be, not because the events actually warranted it. And that is the beauty and the beast of Fisher's writing. She lives a surreal life, and she is the first to tell you this. Her self-effacing humor is refreshing and her spotty wit and confidence make this book interesting at times. It's hard to fault her for something she takes charge of from the first page. But her "candor" often felt disingenuous and "hilarity" forced. I just expected more.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,546 reviews