Reviews for Alcoholic by Choice: A Self-Inflicted Sickness

The average rating for Alcoholic by Choice: A Self-Inflicted Sickness based on 2 reviews is 2 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2019-09-14 00:00:00 Terrance Kerrigan Had mixed feelings about this memoir. And gave it 3.5 stars. Pat Kennedy, considered gifted when it came to financial issues, wed English actor Peter Lawford, an only child. Both had drinking problems. Pat was the favorite of 9 kids of millionare Patrick Kennedy, also the father of future US President, Jack Kennedy. Pat and Peter had 1 son, Christopher, the author, and 2 daughters. Chris (herafter CKL) spoke of the public perception of the Kennedys: entitled, advocates for social justice, risk takers IE mountain climbers, white water rafters, Amazon explorers, faux matadors. But also withholders of real feelings and preservers of a good public image (not always accurate). CKL began drug experimentaion at age 13 & his drug of choice became heroin. He knew 'smack' was addictive, but he tried it anyway. He nearly died at one point. Twice he impersonated a MD on the phone to order narcotics for a bogus person (himself). An average person would've landed in prison for this. Addicts are selfish + he supplied many examples of his negative behaviors. I wanted some- one IE parent, teacher, friend to grab CKL & tell him he was wasting his life with drug abuse. Someone who gave him hope. If only CKL would have channeled his devious- ness in obtaining street drugs and methadone into good works! CKL at times glossed over illegal behavior by fam. members : he and fav cousin David who panhandled in Grand Central Station, Chris+ 2 friends who knocked down/ stole from a woman for drug $, drug arrests for Chris (and cousins). And Uncle Ted had no consequences for Chappequiddick, ditto for cousin Michael whose statutory rape case dis- appeared. Did Pat or Peter ever have real-deal convos w/ their offspring? But that would have cut down on their traveling/ partying. Chris had been accepted by Boston College law school around the time of one of his drug arrests. Did CKL need a reminder that a licensed atty was an officer of the court? He knew lawyering was not for him. Why did he graduate from law school? I know that wealthy parents may elect to have the nanny raise their children. But it bothered me that Pat sent Chris away, especially in the summer. When Chris & cous David were both age 14, Pat & SIL Ethel allowed them to travel alone to Austria to attend tennis camp! Half or more of the 3rd gen Kennedys had no adult guidance as youth & young adults. Duh! The 3rd gen seemed easily bored, so trouble found them? Or their choices exposed them to temptations? Chris tended to admire superficial people IE movie stars, rock stars. Then he saw the underlying Hollywood politics & agendas. Beautiful women were CKL's obsession. Would he shun a woman who developed wrinkles or laugh lines or a few extra pounds? What about the woman within? After the death of David and then Peter, CKL dedicated him- self to leading a clean/sober lifestyle. I laughed when his cous Joe (described in this + 2 other bks as an ill-tempered "bully") lectured Chris on character as it related to tree maintenance. Where was Joe's character? A bully is devoid of character. Revised.

Review # 2 was written on 2009-08-25 00:00:00 Barry Doyle Oiy! This guy is such a *rick! I admit he's been through a lot of really gruesome stuff--namely the murder of his two Uncles. It was also hard that his parents' boozing was more important to them than their kids and that their marriage fell apart. It's very difficult being in the limelight as part of one of America's most famous families. It IS very, very hard on kids to be ignored by their parents and to have to beg them to notice. HOWEVER, what kind of a jerk brags for hundreds of pages about all the "naughty" stuff he did to SCREAM his pain to people who didn't care (i.e. his parents)? What kind of a man brags page after page about about his sexual antics, drug taking, and generally obnoxious behavior in the name of "coming clean" and "helping others?" NO one but a Kennedy male. Chris, I really DO think it stinks that your parents didn't care about you. I think it was unspeakable that your Uncles were killed--they were ICONS in my home growing up. But, poor you on having to go to an elite boarding school! Poor you that Uncle Steve had to arrange once-in-a-lifetime internships! Poor you that Harvard only wanted the "real" Kennedys and you had to settle for Community Colleges called Tufts and Georgetown. I think it is 100% sick that your Dad shared drugs with you and that he bedded your girlfriend, but isn't that the Kennedy way? Or is that some of the "untruths" that have been written about your family?? I'm so happy you've written this crap so your own poor kids will "know who you are"?? What kind of an ego drives a man to write about his sex life for his KIDS??? Oh, yeah, I forgot....you're a .......JERK! Glad I only paid 25 cents for this turkey.....