A Million Little Pieces is a rather large lie
Filed under: Action, Drama, Warner Brothers, RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy, Newsstand
A
Million Little Pieces, James Frey's scandalous, outrageous
memoir of life as a Criminal (his capitalization) has been all over the place since it was published a few years ago.
The hardback edition didn't sell much, but when Oprah made it the first non-fiction work featured by her book club,
millions of Midwestern women (and, you know, others) started reading and raving about prison, vomit, and drug-free root
canals. He was interviewed countless times, and everyone marveled at the badass-turned-writer. The movie rights were
snatched up by Warner Brothers and the picture, which will be directed by The
Libertine's Laurence Dunmore, is currently in development.Unfortunately, the "memoir" is a work of fiction. Oh, and Frey's never been in prison. Ever. Extensive investigation by The Smoking Gun has revealed that Frey's book (his debut work) was rejected 17 times when it was presented as a fictional story so he just changed himself into an ass-kicking criminal and turned the book into a "memoir." So, basically, he's (based on reviews) not a very good writer and a liar with giant balls.
No word on if this little revelation will have any effect on how Warner approaches and/or sells the film.
[via MeFi]












Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-09-2006 @ 11:13PM
Peter Nellhaus said...
Over at huffingtonpost.com is an article by Susie Bright. It turns out that the writer known at JT Leroy does not really exist. I have to wonder how this may affect the U.S. release of Asia Argento's film of "The Heart is Deceitful above all Things". Certainly there is truth to the title in this case.
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1-10-2006 @ 12:55AM
bgdc said...
god bless him. sure he just wanted to make some coin but bless him for exposing something I despise: based on a true story. Add those words to anything and people get all bleary eyed and drone on about the human spirit. I see those words appear on a movie screen and I laugh my ass off because what i'm about to see is whitewashed, warmed over crap designed to sell to the midwest and oscar-voter types. People immediately embrace "based on a true story". The only thing more obnoxious: the f**kwits who watch documentaries and think they're seeing something objective. Documentaries, just like "based on a true story" flicks, are about manipulating the truth to fit an agenda - the director and the producers' agenda to make money.
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1-10-2006 @ 9:04PM
Carolina said...
A little comment on Mr. Frey's work:
The catch here is whether or not the story is true, false or partially true, it is still one of the most compelling, mind gripping pieces I've read. So in my view, either way the guy is a complete genius: 1. if true, for pouring his heart onto paper and allowing the world to see the face of addiction and 2. If not true, for creatively constructing thoughts that are so real, it keeps you turning the page, no matter how many buried thoughts and memories are resurrected. I honestly believe that anyone who has lived a full life- meaning anyone who has experienced times of turmoil or perhaps even dealt with an addict in their life, will in some shape or form connect with this book.
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1-11-2006 @ 9:40AM
Roberta said...
Another little comment on Mr. Frey's work:
I lost my son to addiction. I read the book and honestly couldn't put it down and have recommended it to others. I realize that one can write compelling fiction from the point of view of someone else and even about experience that the author has not had, but I do think it is a betrayal to represent personal experience as nonfiction when it is all made up. So many of us are just attempting to understand what was going on in the minds our our children that kept them from being able to dominate/survive their demons. I thought I understood a little more and now I feel betrayed once again. Thank you, Mr. Frey.
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1-11-2006 @ 10:45AM
Ben said...
What's with all the animocity toward the midwest? What did we do? Aside from oprah, I mean.
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1-11-2006 @ 2:10PM
Helen Killorn said...
Any Recovering Alcoholic can easily pick this out as a
work of fiction. Too bad Hazeldon Treatment Centre can't
comment and Mr. Frey, being well aware of that, knew
they woud not comment on a former patient. He has done a great dis-service to any struggling Alcoholic who might
read the book and imagine it was a way to get sober. This is a work of fiction, and a poor one at
that, written by a pathological liar.
rea
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1-12-2006 @ 11:29AM
Andrea Gaffney said...
This book was seriously one of the best books ive ever picked up,there was so much emotion and feeling in it but only because i thought it was all true. Now that i noe that this is a non-fiction ........all the feeling is so fake and the emotion gone......
What once were tears and laughs,are now just shrugs and smiles.
A.G
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1-12-2006 @ 12:20PM
Black Jack said...
This whole ordeal could be seen as an endorsement for drug use. This is a story of redemption, but because it is not a true story, the redemption never actually occured--what did occur was, a man pretended that he was a drug addict, wrote a book about, and got rich in the process. The lesson to be learned? Look kids, if you lie about being a drug accict and write about it you can get rich, but you might get caught. However, if you devote yourself to a legitimate drug addiction and write about it, you can get rich, a free trip to Chicago and Harpo Studios, and fame as a genuine junky turned author. And if you are so inclined, you can take your new found wealth, buy some good drugs, and begin 'research' for your second book. Besides, running out of money is probably the reason you would have quit the first time! In any case, Fry is a horrible artist and essentially offers nothing to a genre that has already been taken to its greatest heights by William Burroughs. When Fry was a nonwriter who simply decided to put the story of his life to paper in order to help others we could forgive his ineptitude in light of his good intentions. The fact that the book isn't actually written by a junky leaves Fry with no excuse for being a talentless hack. Oh, and one more thing, drugs should be legal but be careful. Thank you.
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10-10-2006 @ 11:09PM
TEDSTR said...
I read this book for a class after all the controversy was said and done. I know that parts of it would be false and some would be true. But yet, I found that it was a magnetic book. Motivating in it's own little way. Such a petty controversy should've been thrown away. Couldn't we all just celebrate another day of living instead of thinking it's such an insult that a random author embellished in a book he wrote. Don't most authors do that anyway? If you choose to be critical with James Frey then equally you have to be critical with everything you read. And I'll be laughing as you critically read a stop sign and get a ticket. Enjoy! I recommend this book! Tis' not the time to do the Safety Dance!
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11-21-2006 @ 1:14AM
kyle said...
truly people who cares if the book is fiction pretty much most of it was true anyway. but i cant get how every one pretty much loved the guy when the book came out and he was seen as a hero for doing what he did and then it turns out something as little as not going to prison turns him into a big evil lier and i don"t see why because every one lies and why should we hate on him for it? and also some other little things like the teeth but truly who cares if u look at it its amazing he quit drugs in the first place because his woman dies and he did drugs since he was 15 that is amazing and if u think you can do be our guest
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11-09-2007 @ 1:19AM
Tom said...
Just finished the book. Whether or not it is true it is still an excellent read. I do not know what the hell this site is talking about or getting their information. I read on TSG's site that they did look into his criminal record and he had been to jail but only minor misdemeanors. This site is claiming they said he has never been. They also say he is a bad writer? I'm wondering if anyone that writes for this site has read the book or read any reviews on the book. Sure it's possible it's not true but even so who cares it still near impossible to put down. Bad writer? Are you fucked? All the reviews I have read said that it was near impossible to put the book down meaning he must have wrote something good if people can't stop reading it. What I am basically saying is all those people, who are whining and crying about how it's not true and how he lied to us,should get a life. If you are caring about whether the book is true or not that much then you have some problems and need to get a fucking life. Again as I have already said and as I have seen other people say, whether or not the book is true it is still a good fucking read. Try reading and enjoying the story and stop giving a shit whether or not it is true.
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