Spare By Prince Harry: A Royal Review Gone Wrong

For absolutely no reason, I decided to read Prince Harry’s book, “Spare”, out of curiosity; however, it turned out to be completely different from what I expected. After an on-and-off read of the book for almost a month, I thought I could share my opinion on this mediocre self-indulgent storytelling, through which Prince Harry himself let me and many others invade his privacy.

Before we dive into the deep end of this review, let's take a moment to acknowledge Prince Harry is a royal; a member of one of the most powerful and privileged families in the world. So, when he decides to write a book about his life, it's bound to attract attention.

"Spare" is Prince Harry's attempt to tell his story in his own words. It covers his childhood, his military service, his marriage to Meghan Markle, and his decision to step back from his royal duties. It's a lot of ground to cover, and unfortunately, Prince Harry's memoir doesn't quite measure up to the task.

What is Prince Harry's book about?

To put it bluntly, "Spare" is about Prince Harry. And only Prince Harry. The book reads like a self-indulgent memoir, with little regard for the people and events that shaped his life. Lady Diana, of course, is mentioned a number of times throughout the book, but it was mostly limited to the trauma of her tragic death, and I have to admit that part of me believes that he’s using her name for sympathy.

The real meat of the book is Harry's relationship with Meghan Markle. He goes into excruciating details about their courtship, their wedding, and their decision to leave the UK for the US. He talks about the racist attacks Meghan faced from the media and the royal family, and he uses the book as a platform to call out the "white privilege" that he says is rampant in the royal institution.

The controversial "Spare"

Unsurprisingly, "Spare" has definitely sparked a lot of controversy with Prince Harry literally airing his dirty laundry in public. Whilst reading, I found him whiny, entitled, and out of touch with reality. His attempts to position himself as a rebel and a renegade have fallen flat, and he's only succeeded in making himself look more like a spoiled prince than a modern-day hero.

Not to mention his childish act toward his brother and the fact he reminds us every now and then that he’s the “Spare”, while Willy is the “Heir”. The way he portrays Prince William as the jealous brother is hard to believe. Harry constantly plays the victim and blames others for his foolish actions. 20-year-old Harry was already old enough to know that a Nazi uniform is a big no-no, yet he rented it, blaming his offensive act on his brother and Kate, as if he didn't have a brain to decide for himself in the first place.

But wait, it gets worse. Harry calls one of his fellow soldiers "our little Paki friend." Excuse me, what? Did he really just use a racial slur? A 21-year-old native English speaker who didn't know that the P word is a slur! Should I believe he’s not a racist? Probably nah...

And don't even get me started on the time when Harry compared his life in the army to playing video games and said that killing Taliban fighters was like a videogame as well as “chess pieces removed from the board”. Eventually, he tells us blatantly, “I missed the war.” What's wrong with him? Seriously?!

Let’s not forget when Harry admits to smoking weed and doing cocaine when he was just a teenager, and even to taking part in underage drinking. And yet, he was mad at the media for exposing the truth, pretending all were rumors back then. “I was a deeply unhappy seventeen-year-old boy willing to try almost anything that would alter the status quo,” he says. The audacity!

Lastly, we need to talk about Harry's obsession with his penis. From his infamous Vegas trip to his constant references to his manhood, it's clear that Harry has some serious issues. It's almost as if he's trying to prove something to us, and it's not working.

Is "Spare" worth reading?

In my opinion, "Spare" is not worth reading. It's a memoir of a whiny self-centered prince who’s obsessed with self-victimization. The book seems more like a tabloid than a serious work of literature. And if you're looking for a good book about the royal family, there are plenty of better options out there. But if you're desperate to read about Prince Harry's penis or his encounters with a leopard and a fox and him receiving his one-of-a-kind Xbox in 1997, then by all means, give "Spare" a try.

As for me, I'll be sparing myself the agony of reading any future books by Prince Harry (If he ever writes another).