The Book, "A Million Little Peices"?

Question

Hwo has read it?
What do you think?
Is it a true story? What was the whole Oprah story?

Answer 1

The author wrote it as fiction - but based on many of his own experiences and things he had seen, friends experiences, etc.

The publisher thought it would sell better as a biography; the author went along with that.

In the various publicity, the author and the publisher kept saying it was all real, it all happened, just as written, to the author.

Being on Oprah's show helped sell probably millions of books- at least hundreds of thousands of extra books. She had felt great sorrow for this person, and was very warm and praised him for being able to persevere through such experiences. She thought his experiences taught us about the strength of the human spirit, which is something she really cares about ( in my opinion.)

When it came out that it was not ALL personal experiences of the author, Oprah felt that she ( and her show) had been used ( true) and lied to. She wanted to know WHY the author lied to her, her audience, the readers. So he came back on the show and pretty much explained that he had to, that the publisher insisted, that it wasn't his fault.

i thought that her asking him back on the show to explain his side of the story was really interesting. it gave HIM more publicity ( more books sold, probably) but apparently Oprah really wanted him to answer "Why did you lie to us?"

Part of what is fascinating here is that if he HADN'T presented this as personal truth, as biography, the book wouldn't have sold as fast, as much, but it would have sold, and would have continued to sell for years ( i believe). The way he and the publisher did it, it sold fast and furious, but the expose about it being lies (fiction, fictionalized) caused the sales to plummet. And it will affect his ability to publish other books, because no matter what he says, people will remember "he lied to us before."

Answer 2

Almost the entire story is embellished or fabricated. James Frey tried about a dozen places, but no one would publish it as a novel. Then he supposedly changed the parts that were made up, and then tried selling it as a memoir, only he didn't change much.

As for the book itself, I thought it was really good until about half way through. After a certain point, it turns into some kind of a geek fantasy.

Some minor spoilers

There's one very obvious clue that this was made up. Everytime Frey has an altercation with another patient, he comes off looking like the tough guy. He says over and over again how he's a coward when it comes to addiction, but everytime there's a fight, he's the one provoked, he's the one that's right, and he always holds his own. A man would never admit that he backed down or even lost a fight, and if he did, there would be an excuse. He stays true to this. Also, his friendship with the gangster makes sense at the beginning, but gets more and more rediculous as the story progresses. A lot of those "geek fantasies" involve a friendship with a powerful person, a person that protects them and becomes the most loyal friend they've ever had. Although I'm not sure in this case if Leonard is real or not, or if they were even friends, but this is just an outcast's shameful desire to be liked by the popular kids. He also exaggerates his crimes, and makes a subplot about his friends in rehab pulling some strings to get his sentence reduced, and it seems incredibly unrealistic.

The book does have its moments though. He has a meeting with his parents where he has to tell them everything he's done. It's definately the most emotional, honest part of the story. And his backstory, what led him to his problems with addiction, also makes sense.

end of spoilers

As for Oprah, at first she stood behind him, then did a 180 and attacked him on live television. It's likely her ego came first, and she decided to back this author at all costs so she could save face. Then she actually looked into the subject more, or too many people were telling her the story was BS, and changed her mind, conveniently before frey came on the show.

I can see why it's a big deal that he made a lot of it up, despite a lot of people using this as a source of inspiration. There's a big difference reading that story and assuming everything happened, and seeing it as a fictional novel from the start. The author loses a ton of credibility when its revealed he didn't go through the experience, especially when something like addiction is involved where most of the conflict is internal.

After all this, its probably still worth reading.

Answer 3

I thought it was somewhat true. In as much that addicts do lie about anything and everything. I thought it was quite ironic that people were offended that a drug addict claiming to have cured himself was lying. If that's not realistic I don't know what is.

As for Oprah, she believed the book at first (which was frankly a big leap). Then because she believes she's the most important person on the planet took an hour out of her day to hammer and humiliate him. Why that man sat there and took it is beyond me. She HAD to have paid him. The Oprah bookclub often has fiction and whether on not this story is true, doesn't change the story. She did it for her own reasons.

Answer 4

I read the book and i think it was good but i also feel cheated.It's embarrassing really -- not as embarrassing probably as it is for Oprah Winfrey, who more fervently embraced James Frey's A Little Million Pieces than any mere reviewer possibly could have, but embarrassing nonetheless. Duped? Shammed? Scammed like a tourist at a New York three-card monte table? Hesitantly, the book is inspirational though not in a saccharine Chicken Soup way. The inspiration is derived from the ability of some humans to survive and their willingness to do so in the face of animal urges. The animal and the human live in an uneasy balance -- more uneasy than most of us would want to admit. The realization that a simple genetic quark can throw the balance in favor of the animal for want of a chemical is difficult to accept. Frey brings us through his journey from animal to human. The animal desire and fury are always claiming, screaming, clamoring to get out. He finds the earliest extensions of this in therapy but never uses this as an excuse, a reason for his addiction. He finds the twelve steps, especially the submission to a higher power disingenuous because of an encounter with an amorous priest. Instead, he searches to find the balance in himself, to right the impurities and chaos he has let his animal self do to him. i just praise oprah for makeing him feel quity for his million little lies .

Answer 5

Read it. Loved it. It is supposedly partly true. He embellished and added some details. Oprah found out and was not impressed. How many other memoirs have done this? So what I say. It was great story anyway. I also highly recommend "A Piece of Cake" by Cupcake Brown. Similar memoir, but it will leave you changed.

Answer 6

The guy claimed it was an account of his life, but then after Oprah did some fact checking, she found that he made it all up. She was mad, because she praised the book on the airwaves and it made her look bad, to support a book that was a fake. She has to maintain the reputation of the Oprah Book Club.

I bought the book before this "scandal," but haven't read it yet.

Answer 7

The story was exaggerated off of facts from his life. I still recommend reading it though. The story is a great look at what drug addicts go thorough when trying to recover. The characters are interesting and even if it is not all true, its is still a worthwhile read. The part he was supposed to have embellished was his actual arrest but the rehab part is true and the way his life took a turn for the worse.

Answer 8

well Oprah wanted a bit drama to her show
bcz it was loosing watching rate
so she made a deal with some guy (james frey)
to humiliate him in national T.V and to show the public how she is devoted to her book club
anyway the whole Oprah thing is a scam
the book helped a lot of people through inspiration and holding up in life

Answer 9

FYI-- Oprah did not discover him...thesmokinggun.com did, with very little effort. Oprah only found out after the whole thing leaked.

And it was never proven, just alleged, that his publisher had the idea of changing it to Non-fiction. Everyone else thinks Frey did it himself.

Answer 10

It was made up and embellished by the author in hopes that he might make more money off of it. He touted it as true and autobiographical but he got caught.