| Monday, January 16, 2006 |
| My thoughts on...The James Frey controversy |
 James Frey, author of the best-selling book "A Million Little Pieces" has recently come under fire for reported exaggerations, embellishments and outright lies in his memoir, chronicling his harrowing tale of drug addiction, alcoholism and crime.
It all started when Oprah, every middle aged housewife's friend, recommended his book for her book club, saying it was "like nothing you've ever read before." Its use of graphic details and coarse language made it an unusual selection for her book club, but she loved it nonetheless. With this blessing from the queen of talk, sales shot through the roof. In fact, it has sold 3.5 million copies worldwide, and is second only to the latest Harry Potter book. Impressive to say the least.
But The Smoking Gun has published a six-page report, exposing several fictional events in his book, such as a brawl with police officers and a deadly train accident. This has caused quite the scandal, putting Frey's credibility and Oprah's taste in books on the line. So much so that Frey had to appear on Larry King Live to defend himself and his book. Oprah later called in to support him. Proponents of Frey claim that he couldn't have remembered everything clearly while on drugs, that the difference between fiction and non-fiction really doesn't matter, and that his novel was an inspiration to them (Sure, to hell with the truth! As long as it makes us feel good). Opponents say his book is a mockery of literature, that he's just some punk who got rich off a lie, and that Oprah was had.
For now, I won't take sides, but there's overwhelming proof against him, mainly The Smoking Gun's comprehensive investigation, and the rejection of his original manuscript by 17 publishers. If this matter is not investigated thoroughly however, it will be a major blow the credibility of non-fiction writers, and literature on a whole. Anyway, I've got to finish up my memoir. It's about a troubled Jamaican teen involved in drugs and guns that finds an outlet for his anger by blogging. Hoping to pitch it to Random House.
|
Posted by Leon
@ 11:07 AM
Permalink | Audiolink
|  |  |
|
 |
|
|
|
