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James Frey: A Million Little Pieces
- Thread starter dreamseeker
- Start date
Doug Johnson
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Peder said:
Oprah Winfrey.
Doug Johnson
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Frey's Latest Story
Doubleday has posted James Frey's new author's note on their web site and is now firing up the presses "immediately" to reprint. Selections are below; you can get the full PDF at www.RandomHouse.com:
"During the process of writing the book, I embellished many details about my past experiences, and altered others in order to serve what I felt was the greater purpose of the book. I sincerely apologize to those readers who have been disappointed by my actions...."
"As I wrote, I worked primarily from memory. I also used supporting documents, such as medical records, therapists' notes, and personal journals, when I had them, and when they were relevant...."
"I altered events and details all the way through the book. Some of those include my role in a train accident that killed a girl from my school. While I was not, in real-life, directly involved in the accident, I was profoundly affected by it. Others involved jail time I served, which in the book is three months, but which in reality was only several hours, and certain criminal events, including an arrest in Ohio, which was embellished. There has been much discussion, and dispute, about a scene in the book involving a root-canal procedure that takes place without anesthesia. I wrote that passage from memory, and have medical records that seem to support it. My account has been questioned by the treatment facility, and they believe my memory may be flawed...."
"I made other alterations in my portrayal of myself, most of which portrayed me in ways that made me tougher and more daring and more aggressive than in reality I was, or I am.... My mistake, and it is one I deeply regret, is writing about the person I created in my mind to help me cope, and not the person who went through the experience."
Doubleday has posted James Frey's new author's note on their web site and is now firing up the presses "immediately" to reprint. Selections are below; you can get the full PDF at www.RandomHouse.com:
"During the process of writing the book, I embellished many details about my past experiences, and altered others in order to serve what I felt was the greater purpose of the book. I sincerely apologize to those readers who have been disappointed by my actions...."
"As I wrote, I worked primarily from memory. I also used supporting documents, such as medical records, therapists' notes, and personal journals, when I had them, and when they were relevant...."
"I altered events and details all the way through the book. Some of those include my role in a train accident that killed a girl from my school. While I was not, in real-life, directly involved in the accident, I was profoundly affected by it. Others involved jail time I served, which in the book is three months, but which in reality was only several hours, and certain criminal events, including an arrest in Ohio, which was embellished. There has been much discussion, and dispute, about a scene in the book involving a root-canal procedure that takes place without anesthesia. I wrote that passage from memory, and have medical records that seem to support it. My account has been questioned by the treatment facility, and they believe my memory may be flawed...."
"I made other alterations in my portrayal of myself, most of which portrayed me in ways that made me tougher and more daring and more aggressive than in reality I was, or I am.... My mistake, and it is one I deeply regret, is writing about the person I created in my mind to help me cope, and not the person who went through the experience."
Peder
Well-Known Member
I just saw a movie that described itself as "inspired by real events," which seems fair enough and just goes to show that the English language does permit caption writers to write the truth when they try just a little. In view of Mr. Frey's latest, it looks like he could still try just a little harder. Sheesh!
"Written by Mr. Frey as told to Mr. Frey by Mr. Frey," perhaps.
"Written by Mr. Frey as told to Mr. Frey by Mr. Frey," perhaps.
Motokid
New Member
Amazing that all this could have been avoided by including the simple little phrase:
"Based on a true story"
Had the publisher and/or Frey included that somewhere on the cover, could have been in tiny little letters inside, on the back, anywhere...all this crap could have and would have been avoided.
"Based on a true story"
Had the publisher and/or Frey included that somewhere on the cover, could have been in tiny little letters inside, on the back, anywhere...all this crap could have and would have been avoided.
Doug Johnson
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Motokid said:
But did the publisher and the author what to avoid it all? To me, the incident is a reminder of how incredibly difficult it is to sell books and that authors need to go to extraordinary lengths if they want to make money.
Doug Johnson
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I'm about halfway through it. I have lots of thoughts, which is always a good sign.
If you're a writer, I'd recommend reading the dentist scene. Frey made Oprah believe it, even though it's not true. It's interesting to see how he did that.
The book reminds me a lot of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: some of it is true, some of it is over-the-top and both stories are about drugs. There are lots of similarities in both writers and a lot of differences.
The thing that bugs me the most about Frey's lying, is the same thing that bugged most commentators. He says repeatedly throughout the book that the truth is all that matters. That's an important lesson for addicts and Frey obviously hasn't learned it. To me, hypocrisy is much worse than a simple lie.
All the characters talk like the narrator, something which bugs me a lot more than it used to. I haven't really bonded to the main character, which is interesting, because usually if you don't bond to the character you don't care. But I do care. I'm interested in seeing what happens next and how it ends.
If you're a writer, I'd recommend reading the dentist scene. Frey made Oprah believe it, even though it's not true. It's interesting to see how he did that.
The book reminds me a lot of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: some of it is true, some of it is over-the-top and both stories are about drugs. There are lots of similarities in both writers and a lot of differences.
The thing that bugs me the most about Frey's lying, is the same thing that bugged most commentators. He says repeatedly throughout the book that the truth is all that matters. That's an important lesson for addicts and Frey obviously hasn't learned it. To me, hypocrisy is much worse than a simple lie.
All the characters talk like the narrator, something which bugs me a lot more than it used to. I haven't really bonded to the main character, which is interesting, because usually if you don't bond to the character you don't care. But I do care. I'm interested in seeing what happens next and how it ends.
Motokid
New Member
Feb. 5th, 2006 New York Times Best Sellers list
PAPERBACK NONFICTION
Top 5 at a Glance
1. NIGHT (New Translation), by Elie Wiesel
2. A MILLION LITTLE PIECES, by James Frey
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
Top 5 at a Glance
1. MARLEY & ME, by John Grogan
2. THE WORLD IS FLAT, by Thomas L. Friedman
3. FOR LACI, by Sharon Rocha
4. MY FRIEND LEONARD, by James Frey
PAPERBACK NONFICTION
Top 5 at a Glance
1. NIGHT (New Translation), by Elie Wiesel
2. A MILLION LITTLE PIECES, by James Frey
HARDCOVER NONFICTION
Top 5 at a Glance
1. MARLEY & ME, by John Grogan
2. THE WORLD IS FLAT, by Thomas L. Friedman
3. FOR LACI, by Sharon Rocha
4. MY FRIEND LEONARD, by James Frey
curiouswonder
New Member
venusunfolding said:
I wanted to read the book by the guy that made Oprah look foolish. Apparently the only thing that will sell more books than an Oprah recommendation is to be shredded by the Oprah.
I haven't finished it yet, but contrary to some I like the style. The lask of quotes and "he saids" causes things to feel more rushed and the dialogue to come off as more (irony) realistic.
As to the capitalization weirdness, I think we tend to view a lot of things in our worlds as being worthy of assignment as proper nouns. I think of my spouse as Wife instead of wife, my siblings as Brothers instead of brothers. It's may be a small distiction, but I think an interesting one to explore.
I'm not much for Frey as a character, but I'm not sure I'm supposed to be. I'm looking forward to finishing it.
novella
Active Member
This item from Friday's New York Times ought to dispell this myth that Frey's book is doing better post-scandal. His sales have slowed (for both books) and his two-book deal is off the table. Doesn't sound so great to me.:
Riverhead Books Pulls Out of James Frey Deal
James Frey's publisher apparently has gotten cold feet. Riverhead Books, which published Mr. Frey's second memoir, "My Friend Leonard," has pulled out of an agreement to publish his next two books, including his first novel, said Lisa Kussell, a spokeswoman for the author. Riverhead announced on Jan. 5 that it had signed Mr. Frey, the author of "A Million Little Pieces," to a two-book deal, with the first book, a novel set in Los Angeles, expected to be published in the fall of 2007. Three days after the announcement, the Smoking Gun Web site published evidence that Mr. Frey made up many of the circumstances of his life as depicted in "A Million Little Pieces" and "My Friend Leonard." "A Million Little Pieces" has sold more than three million copies since its selection by Oprah Winfrey for her book club in September, but sales slowed considerably after Ms. Winfrey withdrew her support last month. Geoffrey Kloske, publisher of Riverhead Books, declined to comment on the withdrawal, which was first reported Thursday in The New York Post.
--EDWARD WYATT
Riverhead Books Pulls Out of James Frey Deal
James Frey's publisher apparently has gotten cold feet. Riverhead Books, which published Mr. Frey's second memoir, "My Friend Leonard," has pulled out of an agreement to publish his next two books, including his first novel, said Lisa Kussell, a spokeswoman for the author. Riverhead announced on Jan. 5 that it had signed Mr. Frey, the author of "A Million Little Pieces," to a two-book deal, with the first book, a novel set in Los Angeles, expected to be published in the fall of 2007. Three days after the announcement, the Smoking Gun Web site published evidence that Mr. Frey made up many of the circumstances of his life as depicted in "A Million Little Pieces" and "My Friend Leonard." "A Million Little Pieces" has sold more than three million copies since its selection by Oprah Winfrey for her book club in September, but sales slowed considerably after Ms. Winfrey withdrew her support last month. Geoffrey Kloske, publisher of Riverhead Books, declined to comment on the withdrawal, which was first reported Thursday in The New York Post.
--EDWARD WYATT
Doug Johnson
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I finished it. I'm not exact sure what to say. It was all right. To me, the controversy surrounding the book was more interesting than the book itself.
I was first introduced to this book through The Smoking Gun, oddly enough. As I read the synopsis on their page, I was particularly interested in a portion from the novel about his wild escape from law enforcement in a little town called Granville, Ohio. All I had to see was the name of that town--I thought to myself, "uh-oh. This guy graduated from Denison University. And he's a HUGE liar." Turns out, he DID attend Denison (my own alma mater, as luck would have it). The Smoking Gun filled in any gaps I had as to the true details (real "arrest" and so on). From then on, I was convinced that this man, whatever anyone was saying about him, was a ridiculous and pathetic little man.
Denison, while a good school, is chock-full of ridiculous people. Sometimes I wonder what some of his former professors, some of whom I'm sure taught me a few years later, think of this infamous alum.
I am not surprised to hear that he lied in his memoir, but even memoirs have to have SOME nuggets of truth in them. If we assume that everyone lies in their autobiographies/memoirs, why isn't EVERYTHING considered fiction?
I'm a big fan of authors like Hunter S. Thompson, who, despite having gone to Vegas and very probably had an insanely drug-addled weekend, had the fortitude to publish his story under fiction.
Denison, while a good school, is chock-full of ridiculous people. Sometimes I wonder what some of his former professors, some of whom I'm sure taught me a few years later, think of this infamous alum.
I am not surprised to hear that he lied in his memoir, but even memoirs have to have SOME nuggets of truth in them. If we assume that everyone lies in their autobiographies/memoirs, why isn't EVERYTHING considered fiction?
I'm a big fan of authors like Hunter S. Thompson, who, despite having gone to Vegas and very probably had an insanely drug-addled weekend, had the fortitude to publish his story under fiction.
ValkyrieRaven88
New Member
After researching all the lies in the book, I have made up my mind I will not read this book. I've seen recovering addicts/convicts while I was doing community service for my church, and I think it's unfair of him to publish something like this as his memoir or autobiography or whatever you want to call it. If he had taken the story and published it as if it were fiction, as Heidizzle said, I might have a different tone, but he needs to actually research things. Like the scene where he supposedly wasn't allowed pain medicine during dental work. Apparently the medication they use there is not addictive.
Pearl
New Member
I am a bit late on this (feels like I'm the only who hasn't read the book so far) but I just started reading it. I'm only fifty pages into it and already ready to give up. I hate the style of writing, it gets a bit confusing at times. And on top of it, I just don't find it interesting.
Pearl
New Member
Just finished, here's what I have to say:
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME ON IT!
If it is possible to hate someone through their writing, this would be it. The man marketed this book as non-fiction at first. And everyone believed the babble he wrote. He was too cocky, made himself into the loveable drug addict who everyone looked up to. Basically he made himself out to be a God while he was 'supposidly' in rehab. And in the end, it was so surprise that he made himself out to be the ONLY one to stay sober.
Thankfully they exposed this piece of garbage for what it really was: Fiction. I'm glad Oprah tore him a new one when she found it out. I greatly dislike this guy from what he wrote about himself and how he acts in his intervivews.
DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME ON IT!
If it is possible to hate someone through their writing, this would be it. The man marketed this book as non-fiction at first. And everyone believed the babble he wrote. He was too cocky, made himself into the loveable drug addict who everyone looked up to. Basically he made himself out to be a God while he was 'supposidly' in rehab. And in the end, it was so surprise that he made himself out to be the ONLY one to stay sober.
Thankfully they exposed this piece of garbage for what it really was: Fiction. I'm glad Oprah tore him a new one when she found it out. I greatly dislike this guy from what he wrote about himself and how he acts in his intervivews.
beer good
Well-Known Member
I guess I'm in the minority (nowadays); I read it - after the whole Oprah thing - and I quite liked it. No matter if every single word is true or not (AFAIK, no one has tried to claim that it's ALL made up - he was in rehab, no "supposedly" about it, just that he's exaggerated some of what happened to him, changed most names and dates around etc) the guy can wield a pen, IMO. It pulled me in.
I actually watched the Oprah thing and felt sick about it. Jesus Christ, is there anyone with a bigger ego than her? Frey deserves a lot of crap for the way the book was marketed (then again, it wouldn't have been marketed like that if the book-buying public wasn't so pathologically horny for books "Based On A True Story!"), but as a... call it "novel", I think it stands up. Not a masterpiece, but not a book I want unread, either.
I actually watched the Oprah thing and felt sick about it. Jesus Christ, is there anyone with a bigger ego than her? Frey deserves a lot of crap for the way the book was marketed (then again, it wouldn't have been marketed like that if the book-buying public wasn't so pathologically horny for books "Based On A True Story!"), but as a... call it "novel", I think it stands up. Not a masterpiece, but not a book I want unread, either.
Libra
Active Member
I think if he had given all proceeds to people who have really suffered, I might have given the book a chance. He took advantage of everyone by playing on their feelings. People embraced and supported him because they cared.
Oprah or no Oprah, the fact remains , he fibbed big time.
He might be able to weild a pen but he should not have claimed it to be a true story.
Oprah or no Oprah, the fact remains , he fibbed big time.
He might be able to weild a pen but he should not have claimed it to be a true story.