Prince Harry's memoir *Spare*, which caused a media frenzy when it was released last year, has now earned the unenviable title of being the most traded-in biography of 2024—and it's not just a one-time occurrence, but for two years running. Despite its initial success as the fastest-selling book of all time, *Spare* has found itself in a very different category: the most unwanted book of the year.
When *Spare* hit the shelves in January 2023, it launched with an explosion of hype. Penguin Random House, the book’s publisher, likely envisioned it becoming a modern classic—a thrilling tell-all from a disgruntled royal. They even proudly boasted about its record-breaking sales on the first day, claiming 1.4 million copies were sold across the UK, US, and Canada alone. If you believed the headlines at the time, you might have thought *Spare* was the literary equivalent of the moon landing.
Fast forward to today, and it’s clear that the only thing being broken now is the book’s credibility—and, apparently, its market value. While *Spare* may have raced off the starting line, it’s now backpedaling. The hardcover edition, priced at £28, is currently fetching a meager £3.38 on We Buy Books, a website that specializes in unwanted secondhand books. In fact, for those who are still holding onto hope, the book is no longer even accepted by the site. The paperback edition, once retailing at $10.99, has now been relegated to the 75p bargain bin.
But it gets even juicier. After the initial hype, the book’s sales trajectory took a sharp dive. The paperback edition only sold 1,890 copies in its first week in the UK—a figure that’s less than what a self-published cookbook by a local chef might expect to sell. Still, it manages to outsell many other royal memoirs—those that didn’t come with constant scandal and public backlash, that is.
The book was originally marketed as a non-fiction account of Harry’s life and his struggles within the royal family. But as the dust settles, it’s looking more and more like *Spare* could be reclassified as fiction, especially considering the number of unverified and downright bizarre claims. For instance, Harry’s alleged use of laughing gas while Meghan was giving birth has been debunked by medical experts. But, of course, who’s keeping track of that?
The real kicker in this disaster is that stores were reportedly pressured into purchasing copies, ensuring that *Spare* flooded the market—and then quickly flooded the return bins. It’s the book equivalent of a Netflix show being cancelled after just one season: big splash at the start, but then quickly discarded and relegated to the bargain bin.
With all the evidence pointing to the fact that *Spare*’s fastest-selling status was more of a marketing gimmick than a genuine achievement, one has to wonder why Penguin Random House is still pretending it’s the book everyone is clamoring for. Despite all the glossy press releases, it seems *Spare* has earned its place as the most traded-in book of the year—not the most sold.
While Harry may have once hoped to prove his worth beyond the royal family, it’s becoming abundantly clear that his literary career is looking as bleak as his time in the royal spotlight. It seems that everything Harry and Meghan touch turns to dust, and *Spare* is the perfect lesson in how quickly public affection can turn sour. The "reverse Midas touch" is real, and it’s alive and well in the world of the royals.
