Book Review: "The Princess Diarist" by Carrie Fisher ~ The Dorky Writer

"I wish I could go away somewhere, but the only problem with that is that I'd have to go too."

How difficult can it be to portray a character, not only for one movie but five, and impact not only one generation but several? Carrie Fisher is very clear about this in The Princess Diarist. And if I think about it, I think she could be showing her middle finger right at me for attempting to write this weak review, I mean, the whole question sounds like a euphemism. Should I rephrase? How fucking difficult can it be to portray a fictional character in one of the most important sagas of all time while inspiring all generations while losing control of life, privacy, and sanity?

Movie stars sell their body and souls to media the moment they sign their first contract. Lap dancing. The thing with Carrie Fisher's life was that hers was already sold since she first came into the world. Being the daughter of Debbie Reynolds wasn't something small. What could she do? Go with the flow. What she didn't know was that such flow was actually a hyperspace jump!

In this book, Carrie shared some of her memories while filming the first Star Wars movie, but she did it with dialogues integrated, which seemed a little weird because no people can remember that much... well, there are some, but this wasn't the case.

She remembered the moment when she made her audition for Leia's role, when she was picked for it, how uncomfortable she felt with hair and costumes, but mostly, she talked about her forbidden and sad romance with Harrison Ford... a part that she advised to skip. I'd recommend that too, but that particular part was necessary to understand the following two chapters.

Now, the writing part. Hers didn't grab my attention at first, but after that Carrison chapter, I felt she started to show her true colors. Some of her poems were raw, incredibly intense for a young woman, but still understandable because of her lifestyle and with the things she previously lived with Ford. In this part, another Carrie Fisher is talking. The text feels more free and sincere. She expressed what she felt at fan conventions, at seeing her old photographs, and how this whole experience made her feel she lived as two persons in some moments of her life, because of fans, because of herself.

In simple words, I see this book as her way to say "I'm Carrie, not Leia. Please look at me as Carrie."

CARRIE FISHER was an American actress, screenwriter, and author, most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy. Fisher was the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds. She had one daughter, Billie Lourd. Her final film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, was released on December 15, 2017 and is dedicated to her.