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Bookclub for Spare

615 replies

BornBlonde · 05/01/2023 20:28

I know there are loads of threads, but thought it may be useful to set up a bookclub thread ahead of the release date fir those interested. I've ordered the audiobook as struggling to find time to read at the moment but love I can listen to an Audiobook while cooking etc

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PreparationPreparationPrep · 14/01/2023 09:39

Charles also used to take him to Stratford - Harry admits he didn't enjoy the plays.
He was in this play because he had to perform in a production before leaving Eaton - but he did enjoy it.
Odd that so many years later Charles when watching would behave just like his own father,

So it's not really a put down when you suggest t Shakespeare and Harry ha ha ha . I think that was your intention m, He is upfront. He is not the first or last teen that feels that way private or state educated.

Coucous · 14/01/2023 09:43

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PreparationPreparationPrep · 14/01/2023 09:52

@Coucous I will be reading Charles after I have finished this.

I have to say I like Harry's tone and pace and find him easy to listen to.

I have another audio I'm listening to at the moment m, narrated by the author, the tone and pace gets to me after a short while. I'm enjoying it though and it's interesting but I do need to take regular breaks for this reason.

MechanicaHound · 14/01/2023 10:45

Novella4 · 13/01/2023 23:01

I don't know why the 'royals' are so worked up about this book

It's vol 2 and the film rights that they really need to panic about

Is there a volume 2? I know he said the book was 800 pages before it was edited down to 400, but how much more is there to reveal? He's used it all up. How much more mileage can you get out of 'Kate grimaced when Meg applied the lip gloss' and 'Willy sent me a text, I replied, and then he ignored me?'

MechanicaHound · 14/01/2023 10:52

It actually bothered me how casually nasty he could be. I think - and hope - he will regret that as he gets older.

There's a very disturbing scene in which he yells abuse at Meghan for no apparent reason. She is cooking for him and he speaks to her in a way that is so shocking and upsetting that she walks out of the room. This is before they are married. She tells him she will not tolerate a man speaking to her like that. He promises to be better in future.

But throughout the book he's exposed that he's fundamentally selfish, and can be nasty to those nearest him. He also has major anger issues, eg again the press. I wouldn't bet on it that he suddenly reformed after this episode, and it's all been sweetness and light since. Meghan was clearly very shaken.

StormzyinaTCup · 14/01/2023 11:04

But throughout the book he's exposed that he's fundamentally selfish, and can be nasty to those nearest him. He also has major anger issues, eg again the press.......

Sounds a bit like Prince Andrew!

Novella4 · 14/01/2023 11:05

@MechanicaHound
Harry's tactic is to be brutally honest about himself in the book.
Part of that is showing how he has grown in recent years -and it's clear he has.
He is showing no doubt that Meghan wouldn't stand for whatever behaviour is normal in 'royal' households - William's violent outbursts , Charles hissy fits and staff hiding from him etc
Harry is layin for all out and is being mocked by the usual suspects but the contrast with with the lies and facade and sneaky leaks of the 'royals' is stark .
The 'royals' can't and won't be equally honest in response - they wouldn't know where to start .

Novella4 · 14/01/2023 11:07

@MechanicaHound
Yes he said they only used half the material.

Volume two and a feeding frenzy for the film rights still to come .
I'm here for it

MechanicaHound · 14/01/2023 11:07

Novella4 · 14/01/2023 11:05

@MechanicaHound
Harry's tactic is to be brutally honest about himself in the book.
Part of that is showing how he has grown in recent years -and it's clear he has.
He is showing no doubt that Meghan wouldn't stand for whatever behaviour is normal in 'royal' households - William's violent outbursts , Charles hissy fits and staff hiding from him etc
Harry is layin for all out and is being mocked by the usual suspects but the contrast with with the lies and facade and sneaky leaks of the 'royals' is stark .
The 'royals' can't and won't be equally honest in response - they wouldn't know where to start .

That's a very sympathetic interpretation and doesn't address the fact that Harry himself seems pretty toxic. Therapy doesn't seem to have dealt with his demons.

As Maya Angelou said, 'If someone tells you who they are, believe them.'

toomuchlaundry · 14/01/2023 11:08

So what about a number of stories about Harry that the RF have (if rumours are to be believed) suppressed. Has he covered all of them in his book? If not, why not?

RegainingTheWill2023 · 14/01/2023 11:10

toomuchlaundry · 14/01/2023 09:18

@JustWhattheDoctorOrdered but isn’t Harry, in that example with the Queen Mother dying, also trying to illustrate how cold his family is, so an unknown person phoning him to tell him she has died when he is alone in his room in Eton. Whereas in fact he was with his family on a ski holiday and Charles passed on the news. Could that not bring into doubt how he describes what happened when Charles told him Diana, his mum, had died.

This is exactly the issue.
Harry himself has stated that he thinks this book "essential for historical fact".
He has also repeatedly asked for his family to take accountability for their actions.
This isn't a simple memoir. It's not part of therapy, where the emotional memory of an event is more important than the facts of the event.
Harry has stated how he wants his story to be viewed and used and given his stated aims the details in the book have to be open to scrutiny.

MrsMaxDeWinter · 14/01/2023 11:13

Novella4 · 14/01/2023 11:05

@MechanicaHound
Harry's tactic is to be brutally honest about himself in the book.
Part of that is showing how he has grown in recent years -and it's clear he has.
He is showing no doubt that Meghan wouldn't stand for whatever behaviour is normal in 'royal' households - William's violent outbursts , Charles hissy fits and staff hiding from him etc
Harry is layin for all out and is being mocked by the usual suspects but the contrast with with the lies and facade and sneaky leaks of the 'royals' is stark .
The 'royals' can't and won't be equally honest in response - they wouldn't know where to start .

This is what people don't get @Novella4

This is Harry, warts and all. The ugly thoughts, and the noble ones.

He wants us to see who he was, is, wants to be.

The Meghan fight took my breath, but it was necessary for him to tel it as that is what led him to full time therapy. And I love that she said no, this is my boundary, I won't tolerate this.

I am glad he went into detail on the drugs, making it impossible for him t be blackmailed in the future.

@Aspiringmatriarch there is a very nasty thing that goes on here about Harry being thick. It's clearly one of the burdens he grew up with, teachers, his own dad, etc, reminding him that he is not academic.

But if you compare him with his mother, who failed her O levels twice, and was also considered thick too, you will understand that his talents may not be academic, but talents he has in spades, charisma, charm, athleticism, good with his hands, e.g. learning to fly and fire from an Apache.

Inkanta · 14/01/2023 11:19

Novella4 · 14/01/2023 11:05

@MechanicaHound
Harry's tactic is to be brutally honest about himself in the book.
Part of that is showing how he has grown in recent years -and it's clear he has.
He is showing no doubt that Meghan wouldn't stand for whatever behaviour is normal in 'royal' households - William's violent outbursts , Charles hissy fits and staff hiding from him etc
Harry is layin for all out and is being mocked by the usual suspects but the contrast with with the lies and facade and sneaky leaks of the 'royals' is stark .
The 'royals' can't and won't be equally honest in response - they wouldn't know where to start .

Yes to this. Harry is being brutally honest warts and all. This is what authentic looks like and I believe 'royals' are indoctrinated to project an image and not be honest. Their growth is stunted and it's an opportunity to catch up. It's not healthy to be this false self and worry so much about keeping up appearances.

MechanicaHound · 14/01/2023 11:23

Actually, I think Charles and William come out of it rather well. Especially Charles.

Coucous · 14/01/2023 11:24

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Novella4 · 14/01/2023 11:28

Harry will be saying more about Charles, Camilla and William in the next book
What has that got to do with Charles' book - which was mainly about trying to repair his unpopularity?

Boulshired · 14/01/2023 11:31

I have a family members go through extensive therapy and whilst they have benefited we do as a family have to bite our tongues as whilst some accounts are pretty much correct there are some that could never have possibly happened. Memories of interacting with grand parents who had moved away, one actually died and had never met them. Incidents when numerous people were in the room. It’s difficult as we don’t contradict as the memories help them no matter how false. If they wrote a memoir I dread to think what would be in it

MechanicaHound · 14/01/2023 11:31

Harry's account of BridesmaidGate has been roundly debunked by the tailor Ajay. Far from 'there's a tailor waiting all morning at Windsor, just bring Charlotte round', in fact Ajay and his team of three were working round the clock to fix ALL the bridesmaid dresses which were extremely badly fitting. No wonder Kate was stressed.

TicketMasterMind · 14/01/2023 11:36

MrsMaxDeWinter · 14/01/2023 11:13

This is what people don't get @Novella4

This is Harry, warts and all. The ugly thoughts, and the noble ones.

He wants us to see who he was, is, wants to be.

The Meghan fight took my breath, but it was necessary for him to tel it as that is what led him to full time therapy. And I love that she said no, this is my boundary, I won't tolerate this.

I am glad he went into detail on the drugs, making it impossible for him t be blackmailed in the future.

@Aspiringmatriarch there is a very nasty thing that goes on here about Harry being thick. It's clearly one of the burdens he grew up with, teachers, his own dad, etc, reminding him that he is not academic.

But if you compare him with his mother, who failed her O levels twice, and was also considered thick too, you will understand that his talents may not be academic, but talents he has in spades, charisma, charm, athleticism, good with his hands, e.g. learning to fly and fire from an Apache.

Show quote history

If my role is to stand up for my wife and other women, and to encourage other men to do the same, without them thinking that maybe that’s vulnerable or whatever, then I will continue the good fight and stand up for what I believe in, even more so now I have kids, because if you don’t lead by example, what is the point in living?

This is what he said in the recent Telegraph article.

His “role” - seems a new acquisition.

Rhondaa · 14/01/2023 11:48

'I am glad he went into detail on the drugs, making it impossible for him t be blackmailed in the future'

Yes it must be truly awful to have some blabbermouth in the wings waiting to reveal all. Oh, wait..

Novella4 · 14/01/2023 11:49

Nothing stopping the 'royals' from coming clean about their drugs , affairs , lies

Oh wait ...

Coucous · 14/01/2023 11:55

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Blossomtoes · 14/01/2023 11:55

toomuchlaundry · 14/01/2023 11:08

So what about a number of stories about Harry that the RF have (if rumours are to be believed) suppressed. Has he covered all of them in his book? If not, why not?

I very much doubt it. There’s probably a plethora of material there. He’s relying on continued silence. I bet Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, who was employed to clear up after him, could blow our minds.

MrsMaxDeWinter · 14/01/2023 11:56

@Novella4

😁😁

Coucous · 14/01/2023 11:56

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