Britney Spears’ autobiography is coming to Greece – Over 1 million sales in the US

More than a million copies of Britney Spears’ autobiography “The Woman Inside Me” have already been sold in the US market, just a week after the book was released. Publishers, in addition to parties, are reprinting, adding 300,000 copies to bookstore shelves. According to the data, the book broke all records and became a best seller right from its pre-sales. In Greece it will be released on November 13, by the publishing house athensbookstore, which has enabled the public to pre-order the edition.

The Woman Inside Me is a brave and strikingly moving account of freedom, celebrity, motherhood, survival, trust and hope. Written with honesty and humor, Spears’ poignant book illuminates the power of love and music—and how important it is for a woman to finally be able to tell her story, on her own terms.

In June 2021, the whole world listened as Britney Spears spoke in court. The impact of her sharing her voice – her truth – was undeniably positive, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me, as it is originally titled, reveals for the first time her incredible journey – and the soulful strength of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.

She was one of the biggest stars on the planet. Britney Spears was in the middle of the 90s. Every self-respecting kid had a poster of her hanging in their room. She engaged the international media both for her career and for her personal life. The paparazzi followed her everywhere, everyone wanted a document that would sell like crazy. At that time, there probably wasn’t a person who wasn’t sure that the pop princess would take off in the future. Instead, her life story was written differently, but for her, everything is a lesson.

In the book, the star describes everything she experienced from the beginning of her career, her relationships, her darkest periods, guardianship from her father, until she finally broke the shackles and felt free again.

As with other recent bestsellers, the 1.1 million sales included purchases of the audiobook. The memoir was read by actress Michelle Williams, while Spears herself read a brief introduction. “I put my heart and soul into my memoir and I am grateful to my fans and readers around the world for their unwavering support,” she said.

In its 275 pages, “The Woman in Me” includes Spears’ memories of her childhood growing up in the small town of Kentwood, Louisiana, her early years at “The Mickey Mouse Club” and her hard work at recording studio to produce her first album.

The most talked-about revelations center on her relationship with Justin Timberlake — during which, she writes, she had an abortion after saying they were too young to be parents. The book often returns to the challenges of living under intense public scrutiny, particularly when it came to her body, sexuality, relationships and raising her two sons.

It is Spears’ first full account of her 13 years under guardianship, which was granted to her father, James P. Spears, in 2008. A judge ended the legal settlement in 2021. In the memoir, the star describes a coming of age in which security staff administered her medication and put parental controls on her iPhone.

“The Woman in Me” reveals much about her life in the limelight and tempers the bitterness she experienced with a sustained, persistent optimism.

The phrase “speak your truth” has long since turned into a catchy cliché, notes the New York Times. “Spears, however, has a genuine reason for using it: She is still emerging, famously, from the black hole of a strange captivity whose conditions, revealed in recent court hearings, seem outrageous and frankly absurd in the 21st century. For 13 years under a strict guardianship overseen by her father, Jamie Spears, she could not see her two sons without approval or choose her meals. She was not allowed to drive a car or drink coffee or remove her IUD (for contraception). Perhaps most outrageously, she was forced to maintain a rigorous performance schedule – including a string of shows in Las Vegas that brought in tens of millions of dollars, of which she was allowed access to up to $2,000 a week. (Her father and some of his associates, predictably, earned much higher salaries.)

Most fans and even casual news followers know the often infuriating details of these events already or can find them readily available online. What she fills in on is ongoing family dysfunction and fear – her father was an alcoholic who struggled financially and her mother, Lynne Spears, was often distressed by his drinking and frequent disappearances. — This prompted her to seek refuge in the performances.”

She reveals that Lynne began supplying her with alcohol at the age of 13, handing out daiquiris on trips to the beach in Biloxi. By ninth grade, she had become a regular smoker and lost her virginity. . The book also describes a brief relationship with actor Colin Farrell, which she fondly describes as a two-week feud (“we were on top of each other, fighting so passionately it was like we were in a race”). She also talks about those who took advantage of her as an artist or cheated her.

And of course, Spears is constantly under attack for her music, for tracks that landed her in the Top 100. “I was never sure what all these critics thought I should be doing — a Bob Dylan thing?” he writes in frustration. “I was a teenage girl from the South. I signed with my name and a heart. I liked looking cute. Why was everyone treating me, even when I was a teenager, like I was dangerous?”

On the other hand, if her fans are expecting a strong comeback from her, then they will be disappointed. Britney explains that her soul has been crushed, so nothing will ever be the same. He couldn’t even, since the musical firmament is not as he left it.

In many ways, it is impossible to read her book, as reported by the BBC, without feeling sad and indignant about what Britney Spears went through. She tells her story in the same accessible way she became a star. Aside from her family, there are no real villains or scandals to uncover. But neither are there any big revelations about Spears’ music or inner life.

But what remains is that this is a cautionary tale about fame and corruption. And, perhaps, a glimmer of hope for a woman whose adult life has been dictated by others. “Let’s let her live” as the NYT critic emphasizes.

Angeliki Kotti