NEWS: Publisher Says It Doesn't Care If Frey Made It Up

CULTURE: Publisher Says It Doesn't Care If Frey Made It Up

Earlier this week, The Smoking Gun website published an article detailing the apparent lies that permeate the "non-fiction" best seller "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey. According to TSG, Frey's graphic and often wrenching memoir of drug addiction and criminal exploits "wholly fabricated or wildly embellished details."

Frey responded to the claims that he has really spent no more than a few hours in jail and has never been charged with any serious crimes by saying:

And today, Doubleday, the publisher of A Million Little Pieces, has essentially said it doesn't care whether the allegations, or the books, are true or not.

There have been differing responses throughout the rest of the publishing industry, with some concerned about integrity, and others agreeing that "memoirs" are often a blend of fact and fiction. Readers, too (and there are 3.5 million of them, according to book sales) are reacting with mixed emotions - some are outraged that they believed this gritty tale, others are fiercely defending Frey, and some have shrugged: fact or fiction, it's a damn good story.

UPDATE: Random House is now offering a refund to any consumer who bought "A Million Little Pieces" directly from them. It is also suggesting that those who bought it from book stores should attempt to return to the stores for a refund.

I agree, leave journalism to people who know how not to get caught making shit up.

The thing is, he did write fiction. He originally submitted nearly the same story as a work of fiction, but it was rejected everywhere (one look at his writing, and you'll see why). So he took out some bits, claimed the rest was all true, and what do you know? Instant celebrity.

This is crazy.

Who gives a fuck? What, you're going to feel betrayed because you believed the story? Grow up.

The guy's not reporting the news, he's writing a story.

Ths Smoking Gun should be embarrased to be making such a big deal about it. Their motivation is highly questionable. It seems to be more about making a name (and free advertising) for themselves than any 'concern' for the public.

Uhh...they're reporting the news, not writing a story.

is this true? has he said this somewhere?

From the article:

ok - wow. it seems that alone should be enough to keep him from protesting too much. funny stuff, i think. i wonder how Oprah has reacted?

Fray wrote a story. It's not news.

And incidentally, I don't think anyone could confuse what the smoking gun produces as news.

[Edited on Jan 11, 2006 11:45AM]

Wait, are you trying to say that someone is immature if they value honesty?

I wouldn't be surprised if Frey's next step is to capitalize on his fake non-fiction/fictionalized truth ala "Shattered Glass" (great movie btw). He could write the screenplay about a troubled moderately talented writer prone to overstatement with an addictions history who just could not crack the world of competitve fiction, so he calls it memoir and BINGO! hits the jackpot. Academy awards all around.

who would play Frey?


[Edited on Jan 11, 2006 by skooter]

No I'm saying they're immature if the feel betrayed.

I am curious to know if book sales have gone up in the past few days just becuase of the headlines.

Ummm....you don't know what you're talking about. Frey's story was sold as nonfiction, was a number one bestseller because he claimed it was nonfiction, made the author very rich because it was nonfiction. Finding out that it was made up is certainly news. By any definition.

I don't think that's a very fair assessment - if you are handed something that is portrayed as true and you approach it as such (and, as Oprah so vividly illustrated, get attached to it because of that), it's a natural reaction to feel angered if it is later disclosed that, sorry, I lied to you! A good friend of mine read this book while coping with a relatively serious drug addiction and it touched him, as it did many of the others in his recovery group. To find out that something he put some faith in and that he drew some strength from was made up is, understandably, a blow. No, the book wasn't responsible for his recovery, but it did touch something within him and I think he's fully justified in feeling betrayed.

howzabout Glenn Frey?


maybe it could even get "Smuggler's Blues" in the charts again...

My issue with this is that the novel has been so obviously contextualised and marketed so that its value is based - if not depedent - on the supposed honesty of the author. If the book was marketed as just a good story, that'd be one thing, but when you start claiming that a novel is a guide to life - as the author did when he appeared on Oprah 'helping' other addicts - you better be able to back up the facts contained within.

Firstly they're not saying he made the whole thing up, just that it may have been embellished. Those are two different things. Secondly, that may be 'entertainment news', but I would hardly call it actual news.

Read the article. It's not "embellishment", it's outright bullshit. It's claiming to be friends with someone who died when the parents of that person who died don't know who the fuck you are. It's talking about spending 3 months in prison when the most that can be found in the records about your actual jail time was a few hours in lock-up.

As noted above, the selling point of this book was its "brutal honesty." It was the draw of seeing Frey open himself up and reveal all. But it's not true.

I think the people who are defending this guy and his book really haven't read the book (and don't know the message it contains--one that is entirely dependent on the author's story being true) or the way this book was marketed.

You know, you could actually read the article before you start bullshitting here.

I had never heard of this book until this story broke, and even though I'm disgusted, I almost want to read it now. I won't out of general principle, but I'm tempted.