topic Re: has anyone read Spare yet? in Book Club

has anyone read Spare yet?

lil sophie — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:20:02 GMT

is it worth reading? will I learn anything new or different about Harry?

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

Stelladorable — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:28:15 GMT

I read it and liked it. It was an eye opener and I learned a lot of backstory and humerous details. I have a newfound respect for his time in Iraq and Afghanistan. Are you a Kindle user? Can you download a sample to see if you like the style?

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

Ainhisg — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:29:50 GMT

I enjoyed it and could hardly put it down. His ghost writer is excellent...

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

cody2 — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:30:15 GMT

I won't be buying the book. Everything in it is already all over the internet and television. I think that after the Oprah interview, netflix series, numerous interviews and articles they have written, law suits and podcasts they have definitely over-exposed themselves. People have grown weary of them.

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

Kachina624 — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:30:39 GMT

After the storm of presale publicity, I haven't heard much about it. Wonder if it's fizzling? I'm not interested enough to bother with it.

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

Travone — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:31:04 GMT

No, but I'm number 555 on my library's wait list.....I started at 880.

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

Puppy Lips — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:37:59 GMT

@cody2 wrote:
I won't be buying the book. Everything in it is already all over the internet and television. I think that after the Oprah interview, netflix series, numerous interviews and articles they have written, law suits and podcasts they have definitely over-exposed themselves. People have grown weary of them.

@cody2 I know I have!

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

QVCkitty1 — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:42:44 GMT

@lil sophie wrote:
is it worth reading? will I learn anything new or different about Harry?

@lil sophie If you have any interest in the situation, You should give it a try. I enjoyed it.

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

chrystaltree — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:50:00 GMT

I haven't read it and I probably won't.

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

ThinkingOutLoud — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:56:34 GMT

@lil sophie wrote:
is it worth reading? will I learn anything new or different about Harry?

Maybe but that doesn't mean it's true or something you'd want to know.

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

moonandthestars — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 18:57:24 GMT

Have they announced yet what charity or charities the proceeds are going to? And at what percent?

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

Pook — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 19:44:00 GMT

I'm nearly halfway through it and the ridiculousness of what the royals subject the children to is even more awful than I thought!! I know I would have not been able to accept it as a child and I would have probably spoken up for my self at a very young age!! Harry has a lot to be proud of and the ones always judging him cannot even compare to all he has accomplished so so far!!!

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

moonandthestars — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 19:47:12 GMT

@Pook Would you give an example or two of the ridiculousness? I'm just trying to picture what sort of things you are referring to?

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

sugar plum — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 19:55:44 GMT

I'm enjoying reading it and am about halfway through. What strikes me is the depths of PTSD he's suffered since his mum's death.

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

Love to Run — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 20:08:25 GMT

I'm on the waiting list. It's still at #1.

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

icezeus — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 21:22:13 GMT

I have not, although I am leaning towards requesting the book from my library. I need to catch up on some of my current books before placing my request.

Out of curiosity I checked out where I would be on the list for my library. There are 25 books that they have purchased for the system, and I would be number 228.

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

haddon9 — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 21:25:08 GMT

I haven't read the other answers yet but so far it's a bit boring to me. I'm not finished and I'm up to the part where he's learning how to become a helicopter pilot in the army.

Spare is basically about his life starting as a young child and going through school, after school (he didn't go to university) and after.

The book emphasizes his mother's death which affected him deeply and the awful paparazzi & press which was a torture for his mother, Princess Diana and continues to be so for him.

As I mentioned it's a bit boring and certainly not a page turner for me. I can easily put it down for days at a time.

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

Pook — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 21:52:42 GMT

@moonandthestars wrote:
@Pook Would you give an example or two of the ridiculousness? I'm just trying to picture what sort of things you are referring to?

If you read the book it would be quite obvious!!

The children were indoctrinated from when they were young to never show emotion in public and they were often paraded around in public - that is a huge one!!! When you were the ages of William and Harry would you have been able to not show any emotion during the death parade they were subjected to at their mother's funeral!!!!???? They also were instructed to never speak to the press without royal permission no matter how they were trashed!! His dad was emotionally not there much and they were around nannies or a handler more than their dad or other relatives after their mother's death!!! And I am only about halfway through!! While William has bought into the royal thing, I truly believe Harry was severely emotionally affected by all that nonsense!!! He has accomplished so much already in his life - way more than any of the other royals who strictly follow the silly protocols!! I cannot imagine anyone existing like that!!

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

Janey2 — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 22:29:54 GMT

I would not read it as I would believe a word.

Re: has anyone read Spare yet?

Free2be — Wed, 25 Jan 2023 22:37:48 GMT

@lil sophie The book is very much worth the time and either the wait for the library or the cost. I was not the least bored, in fact, I was very taken at "seeing" the various lifetime events through his boyhood eyes and on through his years of adjusting to what being the Spare caused for him, being Royal, being virtually parentless yet often needing famiial comfort and affirmation. He had nice nannies, and a family that loved him at a distance, not the ideal way to grow up but he has managed to become his best person, best husband and father.

It isn't unusual for people to separate themselves from their family of origin in order to find happiness, his circumstances though, were, and that is what makes his story fascinating.

People who refuse to read him because they believe they know everything about his story or don't care to know more don't know what they don't know and that's a fair choice. We each have one. He covers his lifetime from his earliest memories, I can only share my experience having read the book that it was very interesting and I learned quite a lot about him and what living in that family was like for him.