Book Club

[LizzieInSRQ]

I have had time on Twitter reading all the discrepencies so i feel that i have when reading the comparisons lol

[mac116]

NOT INTERESTED AT ALL. 

[sugar plum]

And you believe what's said on Twitter to be true but won't read the book? Interesting...

[KKJ]

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@ThinkingOutLoud wrote:

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@lil sophie wrote:

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

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

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"...or something you'd want to know."

Exactly!  Do we need to know all about his frostbitten todger?  Or him bragging about what he did in the military which put others' lives at risk?  Or him making fun of and calling a disabled woman ugly?  Not a nice guy imo.

[grandma r]

DD has the audio edition.  Harry is the person narrating.  She said he sounds whiny.

I refuse to spend the money on it.

[World Traveler]

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@moonandthestars wrote:

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

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@moonandthestars According to the copyright page, this is the list of charities proceeds go to for sure. He may have money to others, but this was as of the date of publication:

"Prince Harry wishes to support British charities with donations from his proceeds from SPARE. The Duke of Sussex has donated $1,500,000 to Sentebale, an organization he founded with Prince Seeiso in their mothers' legacies, which supports vulnerable children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana affected by HIV/AIDS. Prince Harry will also donate to the nonprofit organization WellChild in the amount of 300,000 pounds. WellChild, which he has been Royal patron for 15 years, makes it possible for children and young people with complex health needs to be cared for at home instead of the hospital, wherever possible."

I understand he will be giving more, but I don't know which charities have been added to the list above; these were designated before the book was up for sale.

[moonandthestars]

@World Traveler   Good information - thanks!

[skatting44]

 Spare me the pain . No , won't buy  .

I could care less abt him and his immediate family  who say they want their privacy , except when they want to roll in the bucks  by trashing  his  brother and Father .......

[moonandthestars]

@Pook Thanks for the reply.  Of course I could read the book and answer my own question, but seeing as I hadn't read it, I thought I'd ask.  I was trying to understand what you were talking about.  I appreciate the examples.  I have seen a number of his interviews about his book and looked at older published interviews from him.  I personally think it's quite a slanted tho to say that the royal children were indoctrinated from when they were young.  What I think you mean to say is were taught what was considered traditional and proper, how to behave in public, how to have manners, how to behave appropriately in their role as royals / public figures.  The royals play an important ceramonial role in the UK and need to maintain a certain appearance. Certainly they were not the only children who were expected to act a certain way - most children are guided as to how they are expected to act in public, in social settings, how to be appropriate.  And many non-royal children have been expected to act more 'adult' in very difficult public situations.  I don't find it particularly weird or oppressive that they were given told not to respond or speak to the press without royal permission. There are many people who have had emotionally distant fathers (and mothers) and some are also raised by nannies and some are sent to boarding schools, and some have neither but are also not treated well emotionally or otherwise by their parents, maybe they live in very poor households with additional worries.   

There is good and bad I believe in being a royal, being famous.  There are tradeoffs.  Make a list.  Pro and con.  He's had opportunities and weath and connections that most people just dream of.  Why isn't he living in gratitude for that?  Other children have lost a parent, suddenly or otherwise, from sickness, from divorce, from abandonment, from murder, from accident and somehow they try to get on and make a life.  He laments about his father's lack of affection, but I don't even know how emotionally distant charles was - I saw Harry's interview and they played his narration of the book about how his father told him about his mother.  It was quite moving.  His father was patient and oh so kind.  However, it wasn't enough for Harry.  Harry wanted a hug.  He didn't get one.  I'm not going to judge charles, the interlude alone that harry described was so sweet and kind that I'm just going to say that sometimes people do the best they can - charles may have been raised with distance too. He may not be the kind that can physically show family affection.  Harry should be able to look at how his father handled that conversation and see love in it.  He is collecting grievances, when he should collecting things to be grateful for.  Many people were raised with emotionally distant or closed fathers (parents).  Plus I think traditionally historicaly people were just more that way - more closed, more strict, more distant.  "spare the rod, spoil the child'.  And more.  People didn't self analyze themselvs this much or didn't "coddle" their children.  There were expectations, of course.  People I believe are much more open and emotional nowadays, but not it's right to judge the past with how people are in the present.  Keep things in context.  Harry was always my favorite royal.  emphasis on was.  If he decided he resented being a royal and what control that would mean to his life,  he should have left 100%, dropped the titles, refused the money and the connections and just lived the life he wanted as a regular man.  Also, let me add, I think many of us could tell stories of our childhood, and even our adult years, when someone or some people didn't give us the emotional support and response we needed.  Should we all write and book and call them out publicly?  Does Harry even realize what being a royal has done to open doors in his life.  Say, thank you and move on.

Just some of my thoughts!   Glad many of you are enjoying the book

@Pook wrote:

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@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?

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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!!  

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[Pook]

@moonandthestars Most children would want comforting hugs upon the death of their mother!!  Not everyone sees that Harry - the spare - was raised with such great opportunities!  Criticize Harry all you want but nearly daily in the news are stories about regular children (and not those living in poverty or being abused either)  having severe mental issues and the need for them to be heard and treated!!!  Many are just really spoiled and raised to think that life is all about them so using your thoughts, those children should just be thankful they have the privileges they have!!  The royal life is hard and everyone should have  the right to actually choose how they want to live as adults without such harsh criticism.  That is like saying that all children who are raised/expected  to follow in their parents footsteps relative to education, jobs in same field as their parents or go into the family business  need to comply instead of having their own lives!!