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James Frey, true fake?
January 9, 2006

Yesterday, The Smoking Gun posted a brutal exposé of James Frey's A Million Little Pieces that has no doubt reduced the author to a tangle of nerves. Chief among the article's claims is that Frey invented or embellished large parts of his criminal record, which didn't shock me at all. When I plucked the galley from my piles three years ago, I remember rolling my eyes at the press release: here was the uber-recovery memoir, the tell-all to end all tell-alls, complete with sex, drugs, arrests, and a hole in the cheek. If only it had been the last, but in Frey's wake have come plenty of other seedy-sational memoirs, all of which probably contain a fair share of fallacy. Frey will have to face up to his critics sooner or later, but so, too, will his publisher, Nan. A. Talese. I fear what I have for many years: that publishers, under increasing pressure to generate bigger sales, are slacking off in the fact-checking department when it comes to memoirs. Too much is not enough in the genre, and while that philosophy goes down easy with tabloid-bloated Americans, the media has an obligation to print the truth.—Heather McCormack


Posted by on January 9, 2006 | Comments (25)


January 11, 2006
In response to: James Frey, true fake?
LK commented:

I am not sure what the bigdeal is and I cannot believe that they are now offering refunds for the book. This was one of the best books that I have read in a long time. I could hardly put it down. I am happy with the book and I think that people are really blowing out of proportion. If he went through 50% of what was in that book then I would say that he is a lucky man and hopefully he has scared atleast one person from ever going down that road. Get off his back and stop complaining. It was a great book and it was a couple of hours of entertainment to say the least.




January 11, 2006
In response to: James Frey, true fake?
reader commented:

A book is a consumer product. It's fraudulent to present fiction as nonfiction. Whether a reader enjoyed the book or not has nothing to do with publisher misrepresentation. A book buyer who purchases a nonfiction book has a legal right to a refund if the book is promoted as a memoir but has fabrications or substantial exaggerations. It's false advertising. Even if they liked the story, they have a right to a refund.




January 11, 2006
In response to: James Frey, true fake?
HEATHER MCCORMACK commented:

LK, I don't dispute the entertainment value of the book, not for a second. If TSG's claims are true, I dispute the book's being called a memoir. I think the reason why Frey mesmerized so many readers was because he was presenting every gory detail as fact. You were blown away because as unbelievably hellish as his young life was, you went along for the ride and survived it with him. Now imagine if much of what he went through was fabricated or crazy embellished. That wouldn't piss you off in the slightest? My point is, there's a difference between fiction and nonfiction, and writers and publishers should respect it. Artistic license is one thing, but manipulation for the sake of personal gain is another.




January 11, 2006
In response to: James Frey, true fake?
Amy Bowllan commented:

Fortunately or unfortunate, just today, I had a high school student state how much she loved the book and couldn't understand the hoopla. She too enjoyed it. But my only comment (since I hadn't read the book) was surrounding the fact that, reports stated there were fabrications/exaggerations in the book. And in today's world that's just simply unacceptable. She got the meaning and still said, "the book was great." So Frey will probably have an even larger readership after this is all said and done. And after he appears on Larry King tonight.




January 11, 2006
In response to: James Frey, true fake?
Michael commented:

Why can't we have this much attention paid to our leaders on Capitol Hill? I find their embellishments far more disturbing than a recovering crack addict's tale.




January 11, 2006
In response to: James Frey, true fake?
Doug S. commented:

I think this discussion reflects a basic misunderstanding and/or lack of definition of the "memoir" genre. Because it's about a sticky issue like drug addiction, it's worse. Nobody questioned how Frank McCourt recalled, word for word, conversations which took place on the night he was conceived by his parents, or how he knew what was going through his teachers' heads. I'll stick to my belief that A Million Little Pieces is one of the most important books to come along in years.




January 11, 2006
In response to: James Frey, true fake?
Angie(Senior Citizen) commented:

I read this true story A Million Little Pieces, by the courages James Frey. I watched him On Larry King, and the truth was in his eyes. Even when his Mother sat beside him, you could see how he still had to contain the fury he felt, as he wrote in his book. This book is NOT a lie, the base of this book, is the truth. I did not buy this book because it was from Opera's book club. In fact I didn't know this till I recieved it from Amazon.com. My opinion of this book and James Frey, are my own. James Frey is owed a apology, instead of damnation.




January 11, 2006
In response to: James Frey, true fake?
MF commented:

Good God, just because Frey makes doe eyes at Larry King and brings his mommy on the show means we should believe everything he says??? And if he made stuff up, then that's okay, too??? Good lord, we've all been brainwashed...




January 12, 2006
In response to: James Frey, true fake?
HEATHER MCCORMACK commented:

I'm with you all the way, Cathryn. I think part of the reason why the Frey fracas is hitting so many nerves is because it's happening in the context of so much political double-talking. A lot of people are angry as hell. Frey may be a bit of a scapegoat, but not for nothing: Americans are debating crucial ethical questions.




January 16, 2006
In response to: James Frey, true fake?
ANNAKAY commented:

who cares whether or not the story is true. it was a great book and it made people read. we should just be thankful for that.




January 18, 2006
In response to: James Frey, true fake?
Frey the Fraud commented:

Many readers like me DO care that the book was called a "memoir" when it should have been called fiction. I cringed at the "truth" of some of the more gory details (root canal surgery) and now I feel like I've been duped. ALL the characters, ALL the events, EVERYTHING about the book has lost credibility, including the MANTRA about not needing AA and using sheer willpower to get out of addiction. This imposter should be ashamed of how much he has personally gained out of lying to his readership. I think he should donate all the proceeds from the book to treatment programs across the country.




January 18, 2006
In response to: James Frey, true fake?
Disjointed Reader commented:

Frey- you were probably a normal, troubled kid who experimented a little too far and had to have mommy and daddy bail you out by taking you to your country club treatment facility. Some REAL Alcoholics, Criminals, and Addicts with REAL problems are likely very angry that you impersonated them for your own fame and fortune. The only real crime you committed was conning millions of readers into buying your twisted, fabricated world. This book is interesting fiction- it certainly won't help recovering addicts and alcoholics on any level.




March 26, 2006
In response to: James Frey, true fake?
Drug Addict & Sex Addict commented:

I am an addict. I've been to rehab. I've read A Million Little Pieces. I have a degree in English and Law and am a practising lawyer. I have rejected 12-Step for the same reasons set out by Frey in his book. Frey's thinking and feeling ring true to me. Yes, there is a lot of bullsit in the book, but it represents no more than 10% of it. What matters is the other 90% of it: the truths of how he thinks and feels, how other addicts think and feel, and the statements and attitudes of 12-Step and its advocates. All of that is dead on. The book is a compelling read and is very effective and is very well-written. There can be no argument about that. Only one revision is needed: to add the phrase "Based on a true story" to the title and the cover.




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August 27, 2007
In response to: James Frey, true fake?
BK commented:

So should Orson Welles have been forced to give back money to the listeners of War of the Worlds? That was presented as complete fact, totally enthralled the American Public, and turned out to be a work of fiction. It is now recognized as a unique and valid work of art and we laugh at those who actually believed it was credible to begin with and side with Welles. Is this not the same to some degree?




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