''The Best Awful There Is'' (retitled ''The Best Awful'' as a paperback), is a 2004 novel by actress and author

Carrie Fisher Carrie Frances Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016) was an American actress and writer. She played Princess Leia in the ''Star Wars'' films (1977–1983). She reprised the role in'' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015), ''The Last ...

. It is a sequel to her

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...

Postcards from the Edge ''Postcards from the Edge'' is a semi-autobiographical novel by Carrie Fisher, first published in 1987. It was later adapted by Fisher herself into a motion picture Postcards from the Edge (film), of the same name, which was directed by Mike Ni ...

''. Like most of Fisher's books, this novel is semi-autobiographical and fictionalizes events from her

real life Real life is a phrase used originally in literature to distinguish between the real world and fictional, virtual or idealized worlds, and in acting to distinguish between actors and the characters they portray. It has become a popular term on the ...

. The book features the protagonist character Suzanne Vale that first appeared in ''Postcards from the Edge''. The book fictionalizes the author's relationship with

Bryan Lourd Bryan William Lourd (born November 5, 1960) is an American talent agent. He is a partner, managing director and co-chairman of Creative Artists Agency (CAA) since October 1995. Early life Bryan William Lourd was born on November 5, 1960, in New ...

, the father of her daughter

Billie Lourd Billie Catherine Lourd (born July 17, 1992) is an American actress. She is known for starring as Chanel #3 in the Fox horror comedy series '' Scream Queens'' (2015–2016) and for her roles in the FX horror anthology series ''American Horror S ...

. ''The Best Awful There Is'' was later published with the shorter title ''The Best Awful'' and is now largely known by this title.

Plot summary

Suzanne Vale, an actress with

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...

, married Leland Franklin, a

studio A studio is an artist or worker's workroom. This can be for the purpose of acting, architecture, painting, pottery (ceramics), sculpture, origami, woodworking, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, industrial design ...

executive who helped her find her "far-flung best self." He then left her for a man, when their daughter, Honey, was three. Three years later, Vale is a successful TV talk show host with a six-year-old daughter, a gay ex-husband, and an aging starlet mother. It is her love for Honey that keeps her going. When Vale, a recovering drug addict, stops taking her medication, she is plunged into a manic episode. She goes on a search for

OxyContin Oxycodone, sold under various brand names such as Roxicodone and OxyContin (which is the extended release form), is a strong, semi-synthetic opioid used medically for treatment of moderate to severe pain. It is highly addictive and a commonly ...

Tijuana Tijuana ( ,"Tijuana"
(US) and < ...

with a tattoo artist friend and a new house guest, a clinically depressed patient she met at her psycho-pharmacologist's office. A psychotic break lands Vale at Shady Lanes, where she is the "latest loony to hit the bin." Despite her

mental illness A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...

, Vale still has her wit and ability to find irony in every situation as she struggles back from the brink of

insanity Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or to ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Best Awful There Is, The 2004 American novels American autobiographical novels Novels about bipolar disorder Novels by Carrie Fisher Simon & Schuster books Sequel novels