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

Context for the “maybe I’m not your real father” quote

Harry is discussing that his school was near Broadmoor (the psychiatric hospital. Once, a patient had escaped and a killed a child in the local village and so they now have a siren that goes off if anyone manages to escape.

Harry was telling his father about the siren going off (a test) and how loud it was. Charles shared with him an anecdote about a patient in a similar hospital, who was convinced that HE was the Prince of Wales. Then he got philosophical about the matter, stating if this man could be so convinced HE was the Prince of Wales, how do any of us know we are sane. Maybe we’re the deluded mental patient being humoured by family and friends. “Who knows if I’m really the Prince of Wales? Who knows if I’m even your real father? Maybe your real father is in Broadmoor, darling boy”

Harry didn’t find it funny giving the rumours about James Hewitt going around at the time. He also confirmed that Charles never had a heart-to-heart with him about his paternity. He states if he had any thoughts on the matter, he had kept them to himself.

Oops you got in under the radar...

I’m sure there is a quote something along the lines of “the past is a different country”. My Mum was sectioned in the 80s (which is admittedly a little earlier in history than when Diana died) but it was very much the case that no one spoke to the children (my sister and me - we were around 10 & 12 at the time) about the impact of having lived for years with a primary carer who had undiagnosed mental health issues. This included severe psychosis and the abuse that happened to us was significant. Also no discussion on how to cope when she came back home after being sectioned. We were supposed to just get on with it. In fact any hint that the situation left us with emotions was more often than not met (every which way we looked not just within the family) with rage looking back. My Dad didn’t speak to me for a week once because I asked him to help me with something - he addressed instructions through my sister. My children had more support from their schools transitioning to secondary school than we did back. It was truly awful and in a lot of ways we were abused not just by our mentally ill Mum, who is the only one who can be excused her abuse. But my father had his own demons from much worse abuse than I had and he truly loved us too and he never abandoned us or Mum, and he was the glue that held us all together when wider family couldn’t cope with helping at all. No one meant to hurt us but we are of course damaged - could be merely my projections but I see parallels here (not about the abuse but that damage was caused that no one foresaw or meant to cause).

I thought the impression had been given that Charles did get or at least offer professional help for Harry (& likely William too).

I think Harry also looked so much more the child than his brother at the funeral because of the ages they were at. My two boys at similar ages visually looked a lot more than 2 years apart as one had gone through puberty and one hadn’t. Our eldest at 14 was mistaken for an adult at the all sorts of venues who queries us buying an under 18 ticket for him.

Just started reading it is breathless and wonderful we are getting a front row seat right at the heart of the monarchy. Something no pleb has ever had before quite a thrill - will it last though ?

Have you checked the front cover to make sure you have the correct book?

It getting turgid rather quickly one wonders how much is Harry and how much the ghost writer just got to the Grandpa funeral showdown via what comes after we die in an infinite universe of beautiful light that was my mum ....

Willy is the focus of his ire and sounds like the grudge goes back a long way.

Bless he misses his mum terribly and that comes through very , very strongly early in the book and now 'Pa' doing his headstand in his boxer shorts... quite a picture !

Yes I've not got a second. Have contacted Amazon and arranged the return.

I’m upto page 200. I can’t put my finger on it but it feels like the ghost writer and Prince Harry are slightly off in tone. There are parts I think are tongue and check but I’m not totally sure. With the therapy he’s received there seems to be a lacking of him viewing from others perspective.

How will the (graphic) shooting of animals and 'blooding' be received in CA and more widely?

This doesn't conjure for me the cold, distant family some assume it is.

Everybody's human all to human , that comes across- early impressions are that he is quite reverential to the institution and it's history and this is his attempt to maker sense of who he is in this bewildering world - all the more so for his gilded cage of duty and tradition. It would take a hard hearted person to hate him , pity maybe but not hate.

Harry doing a Scottish accent mimicking Sandy in the audio was so cringey 🤣

”Nay, lad, nay”

'Neigh, lad neigh'!

so far so sad... Is there any uplifting part in this book?

Was initially curious but couldn't carry on reading these weepy pages in this weather...

I'm slightly moist from his recollection of being told by Pa about mummy's death and his subsequent disbelief that she had really died. He didn't see the significance of the flag issues either just a British press whipping up hysteria and weaponising the "mob". I sort of want to get onto the Meghan stuff.

Your first line just doesn’t read well

same here
quite emotional reading how he kept thinking she was hiding somewhere and could not have inflicted this pain on him and Aunt Sarah brought back some lumps of hair which confirms she's gone but he still thinks thats could be anybody's hair
so sad

I was going to use welling up but toned it down - bad choice of word in retrospect - I do wish MN woulkd have an edit function...

He’s talking to a fox in one Chapter 32 😬🦊

Big LOL - I love foxes feels like it's along way to climb atm. Bounced out into Uncle Charles's eulogy.

www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a10350548/princess-diana-brother-eulogy/

I didn’t like the passage describing killing the deer 🤢😕

And then 13 year old crushes on the matrons at school and wanting to marry some of them. It's a weird life for sure - no wonder some get so fucked up.

Have you got to the bit where he mocks the disabled matron - such a charmer