~Million Little Pieces~

[Bethany]

Did you hear about the book "A Million Little Pieces" and how they are reporting that a lot of it was made up? What do you think about that?

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0104061jamesfrey1.html

 

[Teach 5]

Smoking Gun

I heard that and then I read the Smoking Gun article.
I feel cheated because when I read Million Little Pieces & My Friend, Leonard I thought they were all true. Although, at the time I kept thinking it was all a little surreal, like it couldn't all have really happened the way it was presented.
The facts presented by the Smoking Gun certainly do seem to support their position. It's also suspicious that he had his police records expunged before publishing the book.

 

[Chicago Teacher]

Fake facts?

I did hear about that. Haven't read the Smoking Gun article, but read an article on MSNBC.com about it. The MSNBC article said that James Frey is suing The Smoking Gun now because of it. Interesting.

 

[A.]

Million Little Pieces

The article certainly sheds doubt on his credibility. I'm not surprised that Frey is suddenly not talking and that he's claiming he'll sue. I am disappointed that Oprah has declined comment...I'm hoping she's simply taking a bit of time to look into it herself and to formulate a statement. She SHOULD speak about this, since she's the one who made him rich and famous.

Embellishing is one thing, but this seems to go far, far beyond that. It makes me wish, that if he lied in order to sell books, that the money and fame and best-seller rankings could all be stripped, like Olympic medals are stripped when athletes are found to have used illegal performance-enhancing drugs. That's how it would be in my little dream world.

I have had no desire to read the book and now I definitely won't!

 

[me]

He seems very egotistical. I read the article and to make up stuff about the train deaths so that he looks like the victim when he didn't even know the girl was sorta sick.

 

[me]

He seems very egotistical. I read the article and to make up stuff about the train deaths so that he looks like the victim when he didn't even know the girl was sorta sick.

Unfortunately his books will probably sell more now. Even bad publicity is publicity.

 

[Suezie]

Larry King

He is supposed to be on Larry King Live tonight (but not for the whole hour). I wonder what he'll say or if Larry will be allowed to ask him certain questions?!?!?!

 

[RAD]

Million Pieces

I read the book and I did question how someone as strung out on drugs as he was could remember everything in such detail - clothing, dates, quotes of what people said to him, time, etc.
I really had a hard time believing all I was reading. I am disappointed though that someone would make this up and then sell it as nonfiction.

 

[Dawn]

Hmmm

This is the first I've heard, and I just read through the article. Thanks for posting it! I wondered how he could have graduated from college while he was such an addict...and the whole dentist chair scene is really unbelievable. I have a friend who is a nurse anesthetist and he said they definitely can, and do, give anesthesia even to addicted patients for painful procedures.

I figured he had exaggerated in the book, but the article makes him look really bad. I'm dying to hear what Oprah's gonna say. She really put herself on the line to promote him as the real deal. Hmmm.

 

[Teach 5]

refund

I can't believe that Oprah has not yet commented.

Did you read that Random House is giving refunds to people that purchased the book?

 

[me2]

Frey is full of crap

I am so pissed I spent money on that book. I was actually 1/2 way through it when the story broke and now have no desire to finish it.
Actually while reading it I thought it was an OK book. I did think it seemed rather outlandish but I thought it was interesting how someone who was such an addict overcame his addiction and so many tragedies that happened in his life.

I now think Frey is full of crap and he should be exposed for the fraud he is. I wish I could get my money back.

 

[Chicago Teacher]

Dentist Visit Part

I have no idea whether the stuff in the book is made up or not, but I just wanted to say that I teach life skills to kids coming out of youth correctional facilities and the kids who have drug histories sometimes do not get painkillers, etc. like they would normally be prescribed - vicodin, percoset, etc. The hospital, dentists, and their parole officers are really careful about what they use with those kids who are working on recovery from addictions.

 

[cangirl]

a million little lies

I just finished the book too. I really liked the book, but I was reading some interviews with him on line and he said that when he was initially going to publish the book he didn't know if he was going to publish it as fiction or nonfiction.

 

[Lo]

Arrogant

He came across as such an arrogant spoiled brat on Larry King. Guess he used all his niceness up on Oprah getting us all to buy the book.

 

[Bethany]

Larry King

I missed him on Larry King thanks to my husband's love of the show "Lost"!!! What happened?? I flipped the station over late and I think I heard Oprah on the phone saying goodbye to Larry King. Was she on? What did she say about everything?!

 

[ogteacher]

Hi,

I didn't read the book, partly because I've spent so much time around addicts in my life - I really don't want to spend my time reading yet someone else's story. But I have a slightly different and more forgiving take on the situation.

An addict? Lying? Sure! Addicts are skilled liars... so why be surprised that addict embellishes the truth in a book?

Also, in many ways, we all invent our pasts because our truths are warped by memory or protective mechanisms. Was his book good? Did you enjoy it? Was strict adherence to the truth necessary for the book to have relevence?

Chris

 

[Newbie]

Fiction/Nonfiction

He may have lied about his story, but I think I agree with OgTeacher...Was it good? If so, then it's worth reading, even if it's fiction. In fact, this kind of makes me want to read it because I want to know what the fuss is all about.

 

[Shahenda]

Npr

I heard Oprah's comment on NPR this morning. She said, "If it says memoir I know that maybe the names and dates have been compressed and that is what a memoir is. I feel although some of the facts have been questioned that the underlying message of redemtion still resonates with me." If you want to hear go to this link http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5155897