I jumped at the opportunity to read more about Carrie Fisher, who we lost entirely too soon, and who has been emblazoned on my mind since seeing her last appearance in the new STAR WARS film. This bio does an okay job. I find it hard to hear about Fisher from anyone but Fisher herself, and wish we could magically find more autobiographical works in her archives.

“Carrie Fisher: A Life On The Edge” (2019) written by NYT bestselling biographer Shelia Weller, covers the remarkable and extraordinary life of this actress, author and activist. Carrie Fisher received world -wide acclaim for her starring role as Princess Leia Organa in the Star Wars epic (1977), she is the only actress ever to kill a king sized slug while wearing a sparkling mental bikini and to have that likeness molded into a Pez Dispenser.

Carrie Fisher (1956-2016) was born a year after the marriage of her celebrity parents—Eddie Fisher (1928-2010) and Debbie Reynolds (1932-2016). This famous couple found themselves in the scandalous spotlight when Eddie left his beautiful glamorous wife and young children to marry Elizabeth Taylor. Ms. Fisher never hesitated to use her family history and dysfunction as topics in her bestselling award winning comedy routines, plays and memoirs. Her parent’s lack of parenting skills bordered on child neglect and Ms. Fisher referred to her father as a “Sperm Donor” Despite this, Ms. Fisher cared deeply for her parents and provided financial support following several of their divorces and poor financial choices.

According to Weller, Ms. Fisher was likely generous to a fault, she had several close friends that included Penny Marshall and Richard Dreyfus. As a popular hostess, she covered restaurant and bar tabs when dining out with friends. To celebrate her marriage to Paul Simon (m.1983-84), Fisher traveled with her closest friends to the Middle East, the newlyweds floated down the Nile River with their guests on a rented barge. Ms. Fisher remained friends with Simon following their divorce. Eventually Ms. Fisher became a single parent of her infant daughter Billie Lourd (1992-), and spoke candidly in her shows about being left for a man.

Decades ago, popular media slowly began to cover addiction, recovery and mental illness. In addition to Betty Ford, Carrie Fisher was among the first celebrities to speak openly and gave numerous interviews about these sensitive issues, including her struggle with Bipolar Disorder: she received a diagnosis when she was 24. In the mid-1980’s Fisher decided to try her hand at writing: her first book, “Postcards From The Edge” (1990) was made into a Hollywood movie. Several successful memoirs and novels followed, including her frequently sold-out one woman comedy show.

Throughout the book, Weller portrays Fisher in a lighter easy going manner that seems to avoid more serious darker subject matter. In some instances, I couldn’t help but wonder if readers were getting the entire story. Fans greatly saddened when Fisher suddenly passed away and Debbie Reynolds death immediately followed. Fisher, such an exuberant and grand funny lady will be remembered by fans in her finest Princess Leia roles. ** With thanks to Sarah Crichton Books via NetGalley for the DDC for the purpose of review.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion. I wanted to love this book but I was disappointed. I love Carrie Fisher's own writing and I'm very interested in her life and her mother's life. This was the first biography I've read on her and I'm afraid I couldn't finish it. The author went on and on about how each person in Carrie's life (and there were dozens) was her very best personal friend. It got very tedious quite quickly. I look forward to reading a different Carrie Fisher biography. 2.5 out of 5 stars, but I'll round up.

Carrie Fisher will forever be known as Princess Leia to Star Wars fans, but she was so much more and this book captures it all. Carrie lived a life of extreme highs and lows and it is all captured in this amazing biography. Despite all of our fame, Carrie seemed like she was someone that could go into any room and make people laugh and enjoy her company. This is a fitting tribute to a truly one of a kind woman.

This biography paints a warm, affectionate and very realistic portrait of a flawed genius. Carrie Fisher had so much to offer as a writer, singer and actor. She was just ridiculously talented, and spoke her truth. Carrie embraced her mental illness and often made it work for her, but it was always going to get her in the end. I learnt a lot that I didn't know: for example how her perfect man turned out to be gay. Four stars.

This is a book for Carrie Fisher fans or for those like me who are really wanting to know more about her since her passing. I remember how huge her death was, on a return flight from London, just a bit before Christmas in 2016. It really was kind of a shock, as she wasn’t that old and seemed pretty healthy. Sheila Weller covers Carrie’s life here, going back before she was even born to show the makeup of her parents’ Hollywood celebrity marriage. It’s a good bio of a life that had quite a trajectory, I’m trying to imagine having the parents she had, then being in Star Wars, among other movies, AND being married to singer Paul Simon. Sure, that happens every day.

Carrie really must have been quite something as a friend and a person to have such an amazing list of people as friends. Real friends, not just acquaintances. Oh, and let’s not forget to throw in becoming an author too, of multiple best selling books, not to be sneezed at either. And all of this done in spite of dealing with some serious bipolar problems that were more than a challenge, and a lifelong problem with drug addiction. She later began speaking out on being bipolar and being open about mental illness. This was a really good book, almost perfect, for learning about Ms. Fisher as the author seems to have done some great research with many of the people who knew and loved her best. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Sheila Weller, and the publisher.

Read if you: Want an engaging and empathetic look at a Hollywood legend.

From Carrie Fisher's remarkable Beverly Hills childhood, to her iconic role as Princess Leia, her struggles with addiction and mental illness, her writing career, her triumphs, setbacks, and untimely death, Sheila Weller paints a picture of an eccentric, sometimes difficult, endearing, generous, and gifted woman who died much too soon. Whether you're a fan of Fisher because of Star Wars, her writing, or her outspokenness about mental illness, you will enjoy this chatty and moving biography.

Many thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Netgalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love Carrie Fisher and this biography, generously annotated and well written, reinforces that feeling. This book shows how Carrie Fisher morphed into an iconic free-wheeling feminist from the spoiled 19 year old Princess Leila in Star Wars. A bi-polar addict, her life is layer out warts and all. Well done, interesting and highly recommended.