Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Book Controversy

Whoops!

I changed up my "Recent Experiences" section (over in the left sidebar, if you've never scrolled all the way down) over the holidays to highlight a book I recently read and greatly enjoyed (and, by the way, the only time in my life thus far that I've ever read, let alone recommended, a book that was part of Oprah's Book Club). That book, which is still linked, is James Frey's memoir of rehab and recovery from alcohol and drug abuse, A Million Little Pieces.

But is it really a memoir? Earlier this week, Frey's credibility regarding a number of the events in his books was called into question by The Smoking Gun, specifically the severity of his criminal past. (Warning, spoilers in preceding links.)

Two problems, though:
1. TSG is trying to prove a negative--"because we can't find proof of Frey's accounts, therefore they're most likely faulty". (And my inference from the tone of their article is that the only reason they couched their accusations in tones with a hint of doubt is to avoid legal action from Frey and his publishers.) It's a simple fact...you can't absolutely prove a negative. (That said, I do find it highly unlikely that all of Frey's records would be supressed if he was as much of a badass criminal as he claimed in his book.)

2. More importantly, why does anyone care whether this story is complete truth, complete fiction, or some amalgamation of his actual experiences blended with exaggeration or outright invention. This is a great book, and if anything, the controversy only makes it more interesting to read and decide for yourself whether it's truth, fiction, or somewhere in between. The book stays, with my own recommendation, at least until I read something else that moves me to change my sidebar.

No comments:

Post a Comment