Review of "Wishful Drinking: A Memoir" by Carrie Fisher

This book is (more or less) the written version of Carrie Fisher's stage production "Wishful Drinking."


Carrie Fisher's stage show 'Wishful Drinking'

Carrie is probably best known for her role as the beautiful, intrepid 'Princess Leia" in the Star Wars movies. Carrie was 19 when the first movie filmed and - perhaps coincidentally - this was when the actress transitioned from habitually smoking pot to using hallucinogens and opiates.


Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia

In time Carrie became a drug-addicted alcoholic with manic-depressive disorder (bipolar disorder 2). In this humorous mini-biography - written when Carrie was 52 - the actress relates her story.

Carrie was born a celebrity, being the child of actress/singer Debbie Reynolds and crooner Eddie Fisher.


Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher

Debbie starred in iconic films like 'Singin' in the Rain' and Eddie has a long list of oldies, but is 'better known for his scandals than his singing.' In a bombshell incident reminiscent of Brad Pitt leaving Jennifer Aniston for Angelina Jolie, Eddie Fisher left Debbie Reynolds for the gorgeous widow, Elizabeth Taylor.


Eddie Fisher with Elizabeth Taylor

As it happens Eddie also largely abandoned Carrie and her younger brother Todd.


Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher with their children Carrie and Todd


Carrie Fisher with her brother Todd

According to Carrie, Debbie raised the kids in Los Angeles and Eddie 'checked in from time to time' while flitting from one woman to another. Eventually, Eddie married a Chinese woman - Betty Lin - and after she died 'he started to date all of Chinatown.' Carrie notes that 'this was fitting because Eddie had gotten so many facelifts that he looked Asian himself.' LOL


Eddie Fisher with Betty Lin

Carrie sang in her mother's nightclub act from the ages of 13 to 17 and - as it happens - also started doing drugs at 13.


Carrie Fisher sang in her mother's nightclub act

Carrie got hold of a bag of pot and 'experimented her brains out' with a friend. Carrie started seeing shrinks at the age of 15.....but was not diagnosed as manic-depressive until years later. By that time Carrie was in her mid-20s, and heavily into alcohol and drugs. She used these 'to turn down the sound [in her head] and smooth her sharp corners.'

Carrie's second shrink diagnosed her with bipolar disorder 1 and gave her prescription medication - but Carrie didn't want to take it. Instead, the actress jumped on a plane, went to New York and married her boyfriend, singer/songwriter Paul Simon. Carrie notes that her first marriage mirrored her mother's first union - both Paul Simon and Eddie Fisher were 'short, Jewish singers.'




Carrie Fisher married her boyfriend Paul Simon

Carrie was in her late 20s when she overdosed and had her stomach pumped. Realizing that her life had become unmanageable, Carrie started attending 12-step programs....thinking alcohol was her big problem. Over the years Carrie had four relapses or 'explosions.' During these she would become sexually promiscuous, spend excessively, and abuse substances.

Finally, Carrie's third and best psychiatrist correctly diagnosed her with bipolar disorder 2, and medicated her. Unfortunately, two of the pharmaceuticals interacted badly and Carrie was taken off her meds. She ended up psychotic. This eventually led to eletroconvulsive therapy which helped Carrie get better - but robbed her of many memories. Luckily, Carrie had enough remembrances left to write this book.


Carrie Fisher was diagnosed with bipolar disorder

Carrie notes: 'After all the rehabs and all the mental hospitals, I thought to myself, if what doesn't kill you makes you stronger I should be able to lift Cedars Sinai Hospital and glow in the dark.'


Carrie Fisher learned to live with her mental illness

Interspersed with the tale of Carrie's addiction and mental illness are interesting snippets about her life. Here are a few examples:

Carrie's stepfather Harry Karl (Debbie's second husband) was not a handsome man, but was wealthy and well-groomed, said to be distinguished looking. Carrie notes, 'That's ugly with money.' To Carrie's amusement, the very handsome Alec Baldwin played Harry in a movie. LOL


Carrie Fisher's stepfather Harry Karl


Alec Baldwin played Harry Karl in the movie 'The Marrying Man'

Harry had a 'barber' (pimp) who showed up every day with a 'manicurist' (wink wink). When Debbie caught on to Harry's shenanigans she high-tailed it to New York with the children - to do a musical. The couple soon divorced.....but not before Harry squandered all of Debbie's money.

When Todd (Carrie's brother) accidently shot himself in the leg with a gun, Debbie called Carrie from the hospital with the following instructions: 'Rush home and hide all the guns and bullets and flush Todd's marijuana down the toilet. Carrie notes, 'More like a mafia family than a show business one.'


Todd Fisher accidentally shot himself

Carrie adored her mother. She describes Debbie as 'the prettiest, funniest, kindest mother; quick and witty; a consummate performer; and an insanely strong life force.....but a little bit eccentric.' Debbie thought Carrie should have a baby with her (Debbie's) third husband, Richard Hamlett, because he had 'nice eyes.' Carrie declined.


Debbie Reynolds was a kind, pretty mother


Debbie Reynolds with her third husband Richard Hamlett

Carrie had a beautiful daughter, Billie, with her second husband Brian Lourd. When Billie was one, Brian left Carrie for a man named Scott. This devastated the actress.....and perhaps exacerbated her mental illness.


Carrie Fisher with her second husband Brian Lourd


Carrie Fisher with her daughter Billie

After Star Wars became a megahit, Carrie was 'merchandised' into a little doll, a shampoo bottle, a soap, a watch, a Mrs. Potato Head, a Lego figure, a stamp, and a Pez dispenser. Much to Carrie's dismay, she's even a sex doll. Carrie notes, 'If someone tells me to go fuck myself, I can give it a whirl.' Ha ha ha.


Princess Leia doll


Princess Leia Mrs. Potato Head


Princess Leia Pez dispenser

Towards the end of the book Carrie acknowledges, 'The place I've arrived at in my life isn't everyone's idea of heavenly....but I'm in a good place.'



Both Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds died in December, 2016 and they're missed. Fortunately, we'll always have their stories and films.

The book is entertaining and amusing - and provides an instructive and uplifting story about coping with addiction and mental illness. If you're interested in the subject, it's well worth reading. 

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review of "Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World's Most Dangerous Weapon" by Steve Sheinkin

In this book, Steve Sheinkin describes the development of the atomic bomb during World War II.


Author Steve Sheinkin

Once scientists learned that uranium atoms could be split, leading to a chain reaction that would cause an enormous explosion, the race for an atomic bomb was on.


Splitting uranium atoms releases huge amounts of energy


The U.S. assembled a team of physicists, chemists, and other specialists which secretly worked night and day to build a bomb from radioactive uranium and plutonium.


American scientists worked on 'The Manhattan Project' to produce the atomic bomb

At the same time Germany was producing and shipping large quantities of heavy water out of Norway, to facilitate their own bomb development.


Vermork Heavy Water Plant in Norway

And the Soviet Union, lacking the know-how to make an atom bomb, planted spies to steal the plans from the U.S.



Sheinkin's book presents a fascinating picture of how the first atomic bombs were built. Needing a large number of top physicists to accomplish the task, the U.S recruited people from universities across the country. Overnight, scientists would 'disappear' from their jobs, secretly making their way to Los Alamos, New Mexico where a bomb-making research facility was assembled.


Entrance to Los Alamos


Los Alamos Tech Area


Los Alamos National Historic Park

The book mentions many scientists/support staff at Los Alamos, especially Dr. Robert Oppenheimer, who was in charge of the facility. Oppenheimer oversaw every aspect of the work, working himself to the bone to accomplish the goal. At the same time a few scientists sympathetic to the Soviet cause stole plans to send to Russia.


Robert Oppenheimer

As they built their own bomb the Allies were desperate to prevent Germany from doing the same. Thus they trained a skilled team to parachute into Norway, sneak into the heavy water plant, and sabotage the facility - which would greatly slow down Germany's research. This is a fascinating section of the book, suspenseful and exciting.



Though the outcome of the bomb research is not a mystery, the reader inevitably gets caught up in the excitement of the tale. The story covers building, testing, and eventually using atomic bombs - and the ambivalence of the scientists who created this devastating weapon.

Testing the first atomic bomb

A well-written interesting book.

Rating: 4 stars

Review of "The Pact: A Love Story" by Jodi Picoult

Melanie and Michael Gold,



and Gus and James Harte.....



.....have been neighbors and friends from the time Melanie and Gus were pregnant with their first children. The kids, Emily Gold and Chris Harte, grew up together, became a couple, and are now high school seniors preparing for college.



As the story opens Emily and Chris are on a date at a local carousel when a shot is fired. Cut to the hospital: Emily, shot in the head, is dead; Chris is disoriented with 70 stitches for a scalp laceration. When the police arrive Chris says that he and Emily had a suicide pact but that he fainted and fell before he could shoot himself. Before long Chris is arrested for murdering Emily.



The book moves back and forth between the past and present, going all the way back to the time the Golds and Hartes first met as two young married couples. They soon became close friends, dining out together, vacationing together, confiding in each other, and so on. The two sets of parents were prosperous, happy, and well-adjusted and - before the tragedy - thrilled that Chris and Emily were sweethearts. We also come to know a great deal about both Emily and Chris, and see how their bond developed.

In the present, the Golds are devastated by Emily's death, bewildered by the notion that she was suicidal and they had no inkling.



Their daughter was a talented artist with applications on her desk to the finest art schools, including the Sorbonne.



What would make her want to kill herself? When Chris is arrested the Golds at least have someone to blame.

During the course of the story we see how each person in the Gold and Harte family deals with the tragedy, separately and together. We observe Chris as he waits in jail for his trial, a difficult and harrowing experience.

The last part of the book is a well-wrought courtroom drama, including a fierce rivalry between the zealous prosecutor and Chris's capable defense attorney.

I know many readers gave this book rave reviews but for me it was just average. For one thing I didn't buy the book's basic premise.

                                                                SPOILER ALERT!


Though Emily had legitimate concerns I couldn't believe they would make her suicidal. Moreover, I couldn't accept that - once Chris knew Emily wanted to kill herself - he didn't get help. After all, he had plenty of time.
                                                             END SPOILER ALERT!


Thus, though the book addresses an important issue - teen angst that's invisible to the parents - it didn't ring true to me. I also thought the book was about twice as long as it needed to be. It seemed to go on and on and I got impatient reading it.

Rating: 3 stars

Review of "Mission to Paris: An Espionage Novel" by Alan Furst

In this 12th book in the 'Night Soldiers' series, a popular Hollywood actor is asked to spy on Germany in the days leading up to WWII. The book can be read as a standalone.

*****

It's the late 1930s and Warner Brothers sends Austrian-born Hollywood actor Frederic Stahl to Paris to star in a movie.



During this time Hitler is waging a propaganda and intimidation campaign across Europe, meant to expand Germany's power without war.



To this end Hitler's minions plan to rope in the popular, well-known Stahl - have him hobnob and be photographed with Nazis and so on - to make it seem that Stahl agrees with Hitler's philosophy.



Stahl resists these tactics and wants to just make his movie, eat some good meals, and have some romances.



It's not to be, however, and Stahl soon finds that he's spied on, followed, pressured, and threatened.

Meanwhile, an American diplomat suggests that Stahl play along with the Nazis so that he can help with a spot of espionage.



It's all quietly exciting and makes for a good story.

Rating: 4 stars