Bookclub for Spare

[BornBlonde]

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

Isn't it most like that all versions are true? I think most people, if not everyone, I've worked directly with would say I'm a fun person who pulls my weight. But I'm sure there are negative things about my character too. 😳 (I'm NOT bossy!). Isn't that true of all of us. I'm sure some people who worked for her enjoyed their dynamic and there will be the odd one who didn't.
To me, it would seem very false and contrived if the narrative is everyone loves Meghan and she does nothing wrong. I mean, and I can't believe I'm saying this, even the Queen wasn't perfect.

Of course you are bossy. Just own it, like the girl boss you are😁

That's precisely my point. Not every one is just one thing, I am a defender of Meghan because while I roll my eyes at some of the stuff she and Harry say and do, I do not accept the black and white portrait of them in the media, and here on Mumsnet.

I see them as broken, flawed people with major issues from childhood who are trying to navigate their lives in the glare of the media, while also trying to control how that very media sees them, making many mistakes along the way, but essentially they are not malicious or harmful people. They are often misguided, often self-absorbed, but are actually well intentioned within their bubble of privilege, and sincere in an admittedly saccharine way.

but essentially they are not malicious or harmful people.

Thats not your call to make. That’s the decision of the individuals - parents, siblings, family, friends, colleagues that they have impacted by their negative words and behaviours:

Thomas Markle
King Charles,
Camilla,
William,
Kate,
Staff at BP

…. the long list of x friends who have been ghosted.

These are the people who get to decide if their behaviour is malicious or harmed them.

By the same token, it is up to Meghan and Harry to decide whether the following individuals have maliciously harmed them:

Thomas Markle who blackmailed his daughter with interviews with, among others, Piers Morgan and Dan Wotton who have a declared vendetta against her.

King Charles, who failed his 12 year old boy after his mother died, and failed his son and daughter in law as his staff briefed against them to protect his wife.

Camilla who was the admitted third person in Harry's parents' marriage and caused hurt to Diana, and whose many friends in the media including Piers Morgan and Jeremy Clarkson caused Meghan harm, and the many staff she and Charles employed from the Daily Mail who caused them harm.

William who assaulted his brother on at least two occasions, and whose man Jason Knauf caused Meghan malicious harm, not to mention another staff member who was sleeping with a friend of Dan Wotton's and leaked to them the "Megxit" scoop, for payment, when DW was at the Sun.

Kate who made a wedding that was not hers all about her while Meghan was suffering from the public humiliation and fall out of her father's antics

Staff at BP who sabotaged both H and M

The British press .... too much to say here, but who essentially have a corrupt relationships with the Royal family that has been attested to even by "royal correspondents" themselves.

These are the people who get to decide if their behaviour is malicious or harmed them.

I think it's obvious their behaviour has harmed many, not just Charles and William.

But none more than themselves. They are their own worst enemy. They will end up very lonely.

So you agree with me then @MrsMaxDeWinter that YOU don’t get to declare and decide that anyones behaviours - including H&M are not malicious and harmful - to others - but it is the recipients of those words and behaviours that get to call out the impact on them

@MrsMaxDeWinter I haven’t meant to give that impression. I am honestly open minded, it’s a very interesting & unprecedented situation. No source is perfect but I am looking at those, weighing up my own ideas as I go & gradually forming an opinion that may change in light of more evidence.

As I said before, judge them by their actions I feel, it’s frustrating as both have so much to offer & could be such a powerful, positive force.

On the plus side, re: Meghan, I actually think, from what I saw briefly in Suits, she’s a much better actress than others give her credit for.

She also incredibly stylish, in the way someone like Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was & extremely attractive with flawless luminous skin & a lovely smile.

She has a melodious voice, flair & bucket loads of charisma & star power.

From what I have read up on her, she was certainly very kind in the past, championing the underdog very genuinely. The recent story on Twitter, mentioned in my pp lends credence to that.

I think some of what she says & does is misjudged & there is a contrived theatricality (at times) for me that jars & yes I feel evidence shows she might (putting it politely) bend truth to suit at times.

Like many successful women I think the evidence may show she can be ruthless & I greatly admire her drive & ambition. This might be misconstrued as arrogance at times or she might actually be arrogant. Re: alleged bullying of staff, who knows? but maybe she expected the same very high standards of them as she does herself.

Yes, again, evidence would show she wanted a man with lots of money and status. She had money & status too.

Does she also genuinely adore Harry as much as he does her, as a PP said, is she mirroring him then in imperious treatment of the staff?

Thomas is flawed for all reasons & evidence given & there is ample evidence to that end. He did lots for her too & she says herself, was a great father.

Meghan could be seen as the embodiment of the American Dream, she’s seemingly deliberately pursued fame & power & there are lots of Gatsby parallels for me, I hope the ‘foul dust’ doesn’t get her in the end & it’s true that being in hock for $$ can cause problems, they don’t say ‘money is the root of all evil’ for nothing.

To sum up, I respect her work ethic & ambition, let’s see what book brings & which causes they particularly choose to champion going forward.

I believe that I have done something commonly done here on MN, including by you, which is to state my opinion? Are you also going to bite off @MechanicaHound's head for stating her opinion, which chimes with yours, or do you save it only for when you don't like the opinion?

It’s interesting that ‘Spared’ has really vindicated Tom Bowers’ narrative, it was totally dismissed out of hand by some.

they don’t say ‘money is the root of all evil’ for nothing.

The complete saying is that the love of money is the root of all evil.

@Blossomtoes indeed, you are correct, and in fact ‘on the money’ (ho ho) :)

😁

All it says is is that it's very telling if these hugs didn't also happen in private. I can see why he would crave them.

I listened to the book on audible and I must confess I like Harry, wish him and his family all the best.

You don't think discussing his brother's penis, calling a lady a 'not hot woman with a crooked spine' and revealing his 'kills' in Afghanistan is all a bit tawdry and unnecessary?

How can he breach everyone's else's privacy but he has a massive hissy fit when it is done to him?