Looks like author James Frey has some sobering questions to answer.
Frey, as you all know, is the author of “A Million Little Pieces” and his follow-up, “My Friend Leonard,” two pieces of work billed as a no-nonsense, straight-up honest look at his vomit-covered life as a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. But the Smoking Gun website says that, after a six-week investigation in court and criminal records, many parts of Frey’s story don’t add up. The news shocked me, a fan of Frey’s writing.
Frey’s gut-wrenching tale (he intimately describes having teeth yanked out of his head with absolutely no pain-killers because he was in rehab, for example) caught the nation’s attention in October after Oprah picked Frey’s book as part of her book club and had him as a guest on her show. Frey has sold millions of copies of his book since.
I got onto Frey two years ago, well before Oprah noticed. Esquire gave “A Million Little Pieces” a nod when it was first published, naming it one of its “big important books of the month.” I loved the book – it’s gritty detail and outrageous story, including jail time served in North Carolina – had me hooked.
I’ve never been a fan of the memoir, a form that has exploded in the publishing industry. I’m not sure why. Maybe because of cases like Frey’s. It seems that, to get published, you have to have one helluva personal tale to tell. How do readers know it’s true? Does the publisher independently check the facts, or just rely on the author’s word? How much checking did Frey’s publisher do?
With Frey, I’ll reserve final judgment until I see more, but the Smoking Gun casts serious doubt on Frey’s version of events in his own life. The Gun notes that Frey’s books contain no disclaimer about the fact that some events may have been embellished, something that Frey now seems to admit.
And I’d sure like to see Oprah come forward and demand answers from Frey. Oprah’s word carries weight, and if anyone can get some answers, Oprah can. Oprah, what say you?
Now I’m just frustrated. I started this year by beginning to read “My Friend Leonard,” Frey’s follow-up story about his friendship with a would-be mobster. Now I’m not sure I’ll even finish the book.
2 Comments
Okay, now that I’ve reading about Frey all frickin’ day, I’m starting to hate the guy. Why is he "standing by his life" when the facts don’t support his version of his life. Where’s his integrity?
Just admit that you fictionalized parts of your tale, James. It’s still a good one–still unique. You’ve still been through hell. No one’s trying to take that away from you. Come on, man.
Have you read Augusten Burroughs’ book "Running with Scissors"? It’s a similarly wild over-the-top story, touted as a memoir, but it’s been tarnished by differing tales from others who were there (despite the tarnish, the book is being made into a film).
There’s a lot of controversy in the literary world over whether memoir is ever totally true–it’s always colored by memory, of course–and the lines are blurred when non-fiction writers use writing techniques that once were solely used in the realm of fiction (Tom Wolfe, Hunter Thompson). I certainly exaggerate and embellish on Edgy Mama, though I admit to it.
I have yet to check out the other on-line stories. Yes, I’d like to hear from Oprah–she was a total sucker for Frey and way overdramatized his life and experiences. Hell, regardless, he’s a rich bastard now. This kind of controversy will probably help him more than it will hurt.
O, and you have a subject-verb agreement discrepancy in your third sentence.