Postcards from the Edge

Last updated

Postcards from the Edge
Postcardsfromedgecarriefisher.jpg
Author Carrie Fisher
LanguageEnglish
Genrenovel
Publisher Simon & Schuster
Publication date
1987
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages223 pp
ISBN 0-671-62441-5
OCLC 15316291
813/.54 19
LC Class PS3556.I8115 P6 1987
Followed by The Best Awful There Is  

Postcards from the Edge is a semi-autobiographical novel by Carrie Fisher, first published in 1987. [1] It was later adapted by Fisher herself into a motion picture of the same name, which was directed by Mike Nichols and released by Columbia Pictures in 1990.

Contents

Plot summary

The novel revolves around movie actress Suzanne Vale as she tries to put her life together after a drug overdose. The book is divided into five main sections: The prologue is in epistolary form, with postcards written by Suzanne to her brother, friend, and grandmother. The novel continues the epistolary form, consisting of first-person narrative excerpts from a journal Suzanne kept while coming to terms with her drug addiction and rehab experiences. ("Maybe I shouldn't have given the guy who pumped my stomach my phone number, but who cares? My life is over anyway.") In time Suzanne's entries begin to alternate with the experiences of Alex, another addict in the same clinic. This section ends with Suzanne being discharged after successfully completing treatment. The second section opens with dialogue between Suzanne and film producer Jack Burroughs on their first date. It then changes to alternating monologues from Suzanne (addressed to her therapist) and Jack (addressed to his lawyer, who serves much the same purpose as Suzanne's therapist). Their relationship continues in this vein – all dialogue/monologue.

The last three sections are traditional third-person narrative. The third section describes the initial days of the first movie Suzanne made after her treatment. For convenience, Suzanne stays with her grandparents while the movie is made. She is chided for not relaxing herself on-screen, and notes that if she could relax she wouldn't be in therapy. This becomes a running gag among the actors and crew. The section ends with the crew mooning her on her birthday, and Suzanne asserts that "there isn't enough therapy" to help her with that experience. The fourth section shows a week of Suzanne's "normal" life: working out, business meetings, an industry party, and going with a friend to a television studio for a talk show. She meets an author in the green room and gives him her phone number. The fifth section encapsulates her relationship with the author, bringing the story to the anniversary of her overdose. The epilogue consists of a letter from Suzanne to the doctor who pumped her stomach, who had recently contacted her. She notes that she is still off drugs and doing well. She is flattered that he inquires as to whether she is "available for dating", but she is seeing someone. The book ends on a bittersweet note: she knows she has a good life, but doesn't trust it.

Unlike the movie, most of the conflict in the book is internal, as Suzanne is learning to handle her life without the prop of drugs. Suzanne's mother appears in very few scenes, while Suzanne is in rehab:

My mother is probably sort of disappointed at how I turned out, but she doesn't show it. She came by today and brought me a satin and velvet quilt. I'm surprised I was able to detox without it. I was nervous about seeing her, but it went okay. She thinks I blame her for my being here. I mainly blame my dealer, my doctor, and myself, and not necessarily in that order. [...] She washed my underwear and left.

Later Suzanne talks with her on the phone, but it is not stressful.

Reception

A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote in 2016 that while others before Fisher had written about their struggles with addiction, Postcards from the Edge "bristles with a bravery and candor that still feels groundbreaking. She went there, long before that was a catchphrase, and before that particular there was such a crowded piece of real estate." [2]

According to Carolyn See's review in the Los Angeles Times :

It's intelligent, original, focused, insightful, very interesting to read. ... Postcards From the Edge can be compared to Less than Zero. It almost requires this comparison, because it's about young Southern Californians, drugs, addiction, the good life and death. But Postcards starts from the "hellpit" and cautiously takes the reader back to something resembling normal life. This is not an inspirational novel, but something on the order of a tough look at reality; a "serious" piece of work. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrie Fisher</span> American actress and writer (1956–2016)

Carrie Frances Fisher was an American actress and writer. She played Princess Leia in the original Star Wars films (1977–1983) and reprised the role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), a posthumous release that was dedicated to her,and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019), through the use of unreleased footage from The Force Awakens. Her other film credits include Shampoo (1975), The Blues Brothers (1980), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), The 'Burbs (1989), When Harry Met Sally... (1989), Soapdish (1991), and The Women (2008). She was nominated twice for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her performances in the NBC sitcom 30 Rock (2007) and the Channel 4 series Catastrophe (2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Fisher</span> American entertainer and singer (1928–2010)

Edwin Jack Fisher was an American singer and actor. He was one of the most popular artists during the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show, The Eddie Fisher Show. Actress Elizabeth Taylor was best friends with Fisher's first wife, actress Debbie Reynolds. The couple divorced in 1959 when it was revealed shortly after Taylor's third husband, Mike Todd, was killed in a plane crash, that Fisher had been having an affair with her. The affair was a great public scandal, which led to the cancellation of Eddie Fisher's television show. Fisher and Taylor married that same year. The scandalous affair that Fisher and Taylor had been having while each was already married was widely reported and brought unfavorable publicity to both Fisher and Taylor. Approximately five years later, he and Taylor divorced and he later married Connie Stevens. Fisher is the father of Carrie Fisher and Todd Fisher, whose mother is Reynolds, and the father of Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher, whose mother is Stevens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mackenzie Phillips</span> American actress

Mackenzie Phillips is an American actress. Her best-known roles include Carol Morrison in the film American Graffiti, Julie Cooper Horvath on the sitcom One Day at a Time, Molly Phillips on Disney Channel’s supernatural series So Weird, and Barbara "Barb" Denning in Orange Is the New Black.

<i>The Purpose Driven Life</i> 2002 bible study book by Rick Warren

The Purpose Driven Life is a bible study book written by Christian pastor Rick Warren and published by Zondervan in 2002. The book offers readers a 40-day personal spiritual journey and presents what Warren says are God's five purposes for human life on Earth.

<i>Ray</i> (film) 2004 biographical film about Ray Charles

Ray is a 2004 American biographical musical drama film focusing on 30 years in the life of soul musician Ray Charles. The independently produced film was co-produced and directed by Taylor Hackford; it was written by James L. White from a story by Hackford and White. It stars Jamie Foxx in the title role, along with Kerry Washington, Clifton Powell, Harry Lennix, Terrence Howard, Larenz Tate, Richard Schiff, and Regina King in supporting roles. Along with Hackford, the film was also produced by Stuart Benjamin, Howard Baldwin, and Karen Baldwin.

<i>The Best Awful There Is</i> 2004 novel by Carrie Fisher

The Best Awful There Is, is a 2004 novel by actress and author Carrie Fisher. It is a sequel to her debut novel Postcards from the Edge.

<i>Christiane F.</i> (film) 1981 film by Uli Edel

Christiane F. is a 1981 West German biographical drama film directed by Uli Edel. It depicts the descent of Christiane Felscherinow, a bored and depressed 13-year-old coming of age in mid-1970s West Berlin, to a 14-year-old heroin addict. Based on the 1978 non-fiction book Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo, transcribed and edited from tape recordings by Kai Hermann and Horst Rieck, the film immediately acquired cult status and features David Bowie as both composer and as himself. In 2013, Felscherinow published her autobiography Christiane F. – My Second Life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catya Sassoon</span> American model and actress (1968–2002)

Catya "Cat" Sassoon was an American actress, singer and model. She was the eldest daughter of Vidal Sassoon and Beverly Adams.

<i>Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew</i> American television series

Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, later called simply Rehab with Dr. Drew, is a reality television show that aired on the cable network VH1 in which many of the episodes chronicle a group of celebrities as they are treated for alcohol and drug addiction by Dr. Drew Pinsky and his staff at the Pasadena Recovery Center in Pasadena, California. The first five seasons of the series, on which Pinsky also serves as executive producer, cast celebrities struggling with addiction, with the first season premiering on January 10, 2008, and the fifth airing in 2011.

<i>Dirty Blonde: The Diaries of Courtney Love</i> 2006 memoir by Courtney Love

Dirty Blonde: The Diaries of Courtney Love is a memoir by the rock musician and actress Courtney Love, published by Faber & Faber in October 2006. It contains journal entries, letters, poetry, handwritten song lyrics, artwork, collages, school and juvenile hall entries, show fliers, photographs and notes.

The Secret Life of Zoey is a 2002 Lifetime TV drama starring Mia Farrow, Julia Whelan, and Cliff De Young. The film follows the struggles of divorced parents, played by Farrow and De Young, as they attempt to save their seemingly perfect daughter (Whelan) from a secret addiction to prescription drugs.

<i>Skagboys</i> 2012 novel by Irvine Welsh

Skagboys is a 2012 novel by Scottish writer Irvine Welsh. It is a prequel to his 1993 novel Trainspotting, and its 2002 sequel Porno. It follows the earlier lives of characters Renton and Sick Boy as they first descend into heroin addiction.

<i>Postcards from the Edge</i> (film) 1990 film by Mike Nichols

Postcards from the Edge is a 1990 American comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols. The screenplay by Carrie Fisher is based on her 1987 autobiographical novel of the same title. The film stars Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, and Dennis Quaid.

<i>Nurse Jackie</i> 2009 American medical comedy-drama television series

Nurse Jackie is an American medical comedy-drama television series that aired on Showtime from June 8, 2009, to June 28, 2015. Set in New York City, the series follows Jackie Peyton, a drug-addicted emergency department nurse at the fictional All Saints' Hospital.

<i>Requiem for a Dream</i> 2000 American psychological drama film by Darren Aronofsky

Requiem for a Dream is a 2000 American psychological drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher McDonald, and Marlon Wayans. It is based on the 1978 novel of the same name by Hubert Selby Jr., with whom Aronofsky wrote the screenplay. The film depicts four characters affected by drug addiction and how it alters their physical and emotional states. Their addictions cause them to become imprisoned in a world of delusion and desperation. As the film progresses, each character deteriorates, and their delusions are shattered by the harsh reality of their situations, resulting in catastrophe.

<i>Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew</i> 2009 American TV series or program

Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew is a VH1 reality television show that documents people being treated for sexual addiction by Dr. Drew Pinsky and his staff at the Pasadena Recovery Center in Pasadena, California. Premiering on November 1, 2009, Sex Rehab was a spin-off of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, in which Pinsky treats celebrities for substance abuse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harris Wittels</span> American actor, comedian, writer, and musician (1984-2015)

Harris Lee Wittels was an American comedian. He was a writer for The Sarah Silverman Program, a writer and executive producer for Parks and Recreation, and a recurring guest on Comedy Bang! Bang! He coined the word humblebrag in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carolyn Cowan</span> British artist and therapist (born 1960)

Carolyn Cowan is a London-based yoga and breathwork teacher and psychosexual and relationship therapist. Prior to her career as a therapist, she was a fashion designer and photographer. During the 1980s, she earned acclaim as a makeup artist in the pop music video industry. She taught body painting at the University of the Arts London for over 20 years. Most recently (2019) Carolyn founded and launched a new form of yoga, Kundalini Global, in answer to the rapidly growing and profound need for yoga to become more inclusive and serve a wider demographic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cat Marnell</span> American writer

Caitlin Elizabeth Marnell is an American writer and media commentator based in New York City. She was a beauty editor at Lucky and XoJane, wrote a column for Vice, and has also written for Self, Nylon, and Glamour. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir How to Murder Your Life, which was published in 2017.

<i>Carrie Pilby</i> (film) 2016 film by Susan Johnson

Carrie Pilby is a 2016 American comedy-drama film directed by Susan Johnson and written by Kara Holden and Dean Craig, based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Caren Lissner. The film stars Bel Powley, Nathan Lane, Gabriel Byrne, Jason Ritter, William Moseley, Vanessa Bayer, and Colin O'Donoghue. Principal photography began on December 14, 2015, in New York City.

References