Thank you to Libro FM for providing me with an audio arc of Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare.
At the risk of sounding ridiculous, I’ve married a Brit ( who always likes to make it clear that he now has dual-citizenship) and it has made me quite interested in all things English, including the royal family. I’m the one begging to visit all of the castles on our trips to England and I’ve been reading all of the royal bios, so of course, I had to read Spare. To be transparent, I also love a bit of scandal!
After listening to the audio book, narrated by Prince Harry, I was just left feeling sad for his entire situation. I watched the Harry and Meghan Netflix documentary and the book didn’t seem to provide new information on the situation, or what was new, was revealed in spoilers pre-publication. So I guess, I didn’t feel that I heard anything so shocking that hadn’t already been shared.
However, as with the Netflix documentary, I felt empathy for Harry and Meghan’s situation. I also felt empathy for the other members of the royal family, who seem caught up in this system that impacts their interpersonal relationships. I kept thinking that this book isn’t going to help the strained family dynamics and it seems that this is true, as the book was published months ago, and it doesn’t seem like things have improved. I don’t think Harry was actually trying to resolve things with his father and brother.
Beyond all of the really sad family problems, Harry does share some interesting aspects of his life, especially his charity work in Africa. I read that this was the first in a four book deal and I really have no idea how he will manage to continue to have content to keep readers engaged, but perhaps he will focus one of the books on his time in Africa.
My delay in writing this review ( I listened to the audio book in the first week it was published) has brought another issue to light. Harry’s reveals of drug usage, particularly on US soil, might impact his ability to remain in the United States. From a writing perspective this is both intriguing and problematic. In memoir, we expect people to be candid, especially in a celebrity tell-all, however, now he may face consequences for sharing these details. As a writer, I’m not sure how I feel about this. I’m interested to see how it will play out.
Overall, I enjoyed Spare and I thought Prince Harry did a solid job with the narration on the audio book. This is a memoir for people who already have an interest in the royal family, specifically in hearing Harry’s side of the story. I found his side to be quite compelling, however, I always bore in mind that there are two sides to every story.