Paris
The Memoir
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4.5 • 332 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
***An Instant New York Times Bestseller***
From the woman who is credited for launching what we know as the celebrity focused, “brand” driven, social media obsessed popular culture of today, comes an honest and surprising memoir that reckons with that truth, and shows that there is so much more to Paris Hilton than you might believe. This extended edition includes a bonus chapter detailing her motherhood journey.
I was born in New York City on February 17, 1981, three days after Valentine’s Day.
From the time I was a toddler, my brain skipped and flickered with the chemical imbalance of ADHD. Sometimes it was too much.
I’m not bragging or complaining about it, just telling you: This is my brain. It has a lot to do with how this whole book thing is going to play out, because I love run-on sentences—and dashes. And sentence fragments. I’m probably going to jump around a lot while I tell the story.
I came of age during the most turbulent pop culture period ever.
The character I played—part Lucy, part Marilyn—was my steel-plated armor.
People loved her. Or they loved to hate her, which was just as marketable. I leaned into that character, my ticket to financial freedom and a safe place to hide. I made sure I never had a quiet moment to figure out who I was without her. I was afraid of that moment because I didn’t know what I’d find.
I wrote this book in an effort to understand my place in a watershed moment: the technology renaissance, the age of influencers. I also wrote this book so that the world could know who I am today. I focused on key aspects of my life that led to what I am most proud of--how my power was taken away from me and how I took it back, how I built a thriving business, a marriage and a family.
There are so many young women who need to hear this story. I don’t want them to learn from my mistakes; I want them to stop hating themselves for their own mistakes. I want them to laugh and cry and embrace every aspect of who they are with fearlessness and pride. We all have our own brand of intelligence, and, girl, f**k fitting in.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In this deeply personal memoir, pop-culture icon Paris Hilton opens up about her life’s most personal and dramatic moments, from the traumatizing abuse she endured at a youth psychiatric facility to the mistreatment and hate that the entertainment industry had to offer. It’s not all dark, though. We loved reading about some of Hilton’s more fun and mischievous youthful adventures—ones that ultimately imparted vital life lessons that have stuck with her. Reflecting on her journey from renowned party girl to business mogul and advocate in the “troubled teen” space, Hilton celebrates her hard-earned successes and pays tribute to the power of perseverance. Paris: The Memoir will make you think very differently about the person behind the paparazzi shots.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this revealing memoir, Hilton (Confessions of an Heiress) pulls double duty, doling out obligatory TMZ bait while also opening up about the abuse she endured in what she dubs the "troubled-teen industry." Detailing her horrific treatment—including cavity searches and staff-sanctioned sleep deprivation—at so-called "emotional growth boarding schools," which targeted distraught parents in the aughts, the billionaire heiress pulls back the curtain on a little-discussed source of psychic damage for so-called "wayward teens." On a lighter note, she provides running wardrobe commentary: "This dress is going to end up in a museum someday," Hilton muses about the Julien Macdonald silver chain-mail dress she famously donned for her 21st birthday. Dishier topics include Hilton's complicated relationship with her mother, lifelong friendship with Nicole Richie, and marriage to Carter Reum. She also dives into her ADHD diagnosis, which she deems a "superpower" she's wielded to her advantage, though stories of managing the disorder with the help of organizational staff may fail to connect with less privileged readers challenged by the diagnosis. Even so, those unimpressed by the author's occasional solipsism are likely to appreciate her advocacy for survivors of cultish care centers. Affecting and triumphant, this is a must-read for Little Hiltons.
Customer Reviews
Vulnerability
She was so vulnerable and real. She’s been through a lot. Enjoyed reading
A different view
Like many others, I judged based on what I saw portrayed in the media. This memoir was very well written and just goes to show that we are quick to judge without knowing the back story. Thank you Paris for being so honest and vulnerable in this book.
I’m not a reader, but I read this so quickly
Loved the writing style and I am so captivated by Paris, and so taken aback by what she has endured.