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Summary
Summary
A remarkably candid biography of the remarkably candid--and brilliant--Carrie Fisher
In her 2008 bestseller, Girls Like Us , Sheila Weller--with heart and a profound feeling for the times--gave us a surprisingly intimate portrait of three icons: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon. Now she turns her focus to one of the most loved, brilliant, and iconoclastic women of our time: the actress, writer, daughter, and mother Carrie Fisher.
Weller traces Fisher's life from her Hollywood royalty roots to her untimely and shattering death after Christmas 2016. Her mother was the spunky and adorable Debbie Reynolds; her father, the heartthrob crooner Eddie Fisher. When Eddie ran off with Elizabeth Taylor, the scandal thrust little Carrie Frances into a bizarre spotlight, gifting her with an irony and an aplomb that would resonate throughout her life.
We follow Fisher's acting career, from her debut in Shampoo , the hit movie that defined mid-1970s Hollywood, to her seizing of the plum female role in Star Wars , which catapulted her to instant fame. We explore her long, complex relationship with Paul Simon and her relatively peaceful years with the talent agent Bryan Lourd. We witness her startling leap--on the heels of a near-fatal overdose--from actress to highly praised, bestselling author, the Dorothy Parker of her place and time.
Weller sympathetically reveals the conditions that Fisher lived with: serious bipolar disorder and an inherited drug addiction. Still, despite crises and overdoses, her life's work--as an actor, a novelist and memoirist, a script doctor, a hostess, and a friend--was prodigious and unique. As one of her best friends said, "I almost wish the expression 'one of a kind' didn't exist, because it applies to Carrie in a deeper way than it applies to others."
Sourced by friends, colleagues, and witnesses to all stages of Fisher's life, Carrie Fisher: A Life on the Edge is an empathic and even-handed portrayal of a woman who--as Princess Leia, but mostly as herself--was a feminist heroine, one who died at a time when we need her blazing, healing honesty more than ever.
Author Notes
Sheila Weller is the author of the acclaimed family memoir Dancing at Ciro's ; the New York Times bestseller Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon--and the Journey of a Generation ; and The News Sorority: Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, Christiane Amanpour--and the Triumph of Women in TV News . Her investigative, human interest, and cultural history journalism has won multiple major magazine awards. She has contributed to Vanity Fair , was a senior contributing editor of Glamour and a contributing editor of New York , and has written for The New York Times Book Review , Elle , Marie Claire , Rolling Stone , The Village Voice , and The Washington Post .
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Actress and author Carrie Fisher (1956--2016) is celebrated for her wit and strength in this comprehensive biography by journalist Weller (The News Sorority). Fisher--daughter of actors Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher--got her break at 19 when she was cast as Princess Leia in Star Wars, a role that Weller says turned Fisher into a "feminist action hero." The author does a fine job charting the light and dark aspects of Fisher's story, which includes a career as a bestselling author and battles with drug addiction and bipolar disorder. Weller discusses Fisher's cocaine use and her attempts to get sober; her marriage to singer Paul Simon; her codependent bond with her mother; and her creative process ("all of her books would be written by her sketching the words on a notepad while flopped on her bed, with editors often on the premises"). Along the way, Weller shares snippets of her interviews with Fisher's friends, including Richard Dreyfuss and Salman Rushdie, who lament Fisher's passing, and praises Fisher for her bold tongue, adding: "She died just before her brand of raunchily self-styled feminism, a candor she possessed all her life, swept over her town, her industry, America." Weller insightfully illuminates the life of a powerful performer and wordsmith who was unafraid to share her struggles with the world. (Nov.)
Kirkus Review
An intimate and effusive tribute to Carrie Fisher (1956-2016).Between traditional biography and commemorative journalism lies a place where facts meet fandom, where both casual observers and devotees alike can bear witness to an extraordinary life. Weller (The News Sorority: Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, Christiane Amanpourand the (Ongoing, Imperfect, Complicated) Triumph of Women in TV News, 2014, etc.) could find those coordinates in her sleep. That's not to say she didn't work incredibly hard to pull together this endearing collection of stories about the late actor. The author is a seasoned veteran of panoramic storytelling; as a result, her narrative is occasionally almost as difficult to keep up with as Fisher herself. The book begins and ends with the fateful trans-Atlantic flight that signaled her impending death, but in between, readers have more than 300 pages to fall in love with the quirky, brilliant, outrageously witty woman who graced the silver screen as Princess Leia, among other roles. Weller interviewed scores of Fisher's friends, former lovers, colleagues, and family members to shape a mostly chronological, highly detailed rendering of her life. The author dives deep into her subject's childhood, films, books, marriages, friendships, and highly publicized battles with addiction and mental illness. The latter two elements provide some of the most poignant moments of the book, as readers get a revealing look at Fisher's eventual acceptance ofand fierce honesty aboutliving with drug addiction and bipolar disorder. Occasionally, the dizzying array of quotes and voluminous backstories of Fisher's friends and family get a bit taxing, and the book is brimming with gossipy tidbits. Regardless, Weller connects the dots in ways that create a vividly hued portrait. There is no monochrome here but rather an expansive look at a woman who lived large, loved deeply, and did a lot to destigmatize mental illness.Whether you were well-acquainted with Fisher or not, this book will make you miss her. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
This in-depth, insightful, and profoundly sympathetic biography is built around the premise that Carrie Fisher was simply ""famous just for being herself."" Readers might already be familiar with her legacy as a child of Hollywood icons who spent her Beverly Hills school days with fellow offspring of the rich and famous; as an actor, screenwriter, and best-selling author; and, perhaps less well known, as a person who struggled with bipolar disorder throughout her entire life. Journalist and author Weller (The News Sorority, 2014) spins an engaging chronological tale peppered with insider details, anecdotes, quotes, quips, and other liberal references taken from Fisher's own autobiographical musings. Weller explores Fisher's complicated relationship with her mother, Debbie Reynolds, cites multiple instances of Fisher's generosity and efforts on behalf of mental health initiatives, and plumbs the depths of Fisher's bleakest episodes: missed performances, losses of friendships and relationships, drug addiction and overdoses, legal troubles, a psychotic break, and hospitalizations. Above all, the thoroughly documented text reveals Fisher's willingness to examine and share the truth about every part of her life. This is a worthy tribute to a strong, intelligent woman, and readers will appreciate Weller's honest portrayal and thoughtful analysis.--Kathleen McBroom Copyright 2019 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Carrie Fisher (1956--2016) was forever identified with her heroic role as Princess Leia in Star Wars, but her career encompassed much more--appearances on television and in numerous films, recognition as a best-selling author, and advocacy for mental health awareness. Behind the public image, however, was an often troubled personal one, and here Weller (Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon-and the Journey of a Generation) presents an in-depth look at this talented and charismatic individual who also grappled with drug addiction and bipolar disorder. Fisher's world was filled with an extensive cast of celebrities--friends, romantic partners (singer Paul Simon, agent Bryan Lourd), and famed parents actors Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher--many of whom complicated her already unsettled life. Drawing from exhaustive research and interviews, Weller closely analyzes all of these interrelated facets of Fisher's story, from her countless accomplishments and vast social network to the disturbing side of her disorders. What emerges is a vivid and honest portrait of a brave, complex woman who had an impact on all who knew her. Extensive notes and a thoughtful introduction complement the absorbing narrative. VERDICT Well written and poignant, this is a must for Fisher's fans. [See Prepub Alert, 5/5/19.]--Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, NJ
Table of Contents
| Introduction: Famous for Simply Being Herself | p. 3 |
| 1 Hollywood Baby | p. 15 |
| 2 A Complicated Childhood | p. 37 |
| 3 From Broadway to Beatty to Britain | p. 65 |
| 4 Princess Leia Becomes the Toast of Young New York | p. 89 |
| 5 The Fabulous Life of the Girl in the Metal Bikini | p. 129 |
| 6 "She Burned Like a Bride" | p. 157 |
| 7 A Writer Who Acts | p. 183 |
| 8 "When I Love, I Love For Miles" | p. 221 |
| 9 "I Am Mentally Ill. I Can Say That" | p. 243 |
| 10 The Warrior in the War Zone | p. 271 |
| 11 Working Through Anything | p. 307 |
| 12 A Year from Hell, A Year of Final Kindness | p. 327 |
| Notes | p. 359 |
| Acknowledgments | p. 383 |
| Index | p. 387 |