A Million Little Pieces
3 journalers for this copy...
A freind gave me a copy of thislast week, and then just yesterday another fireind gave me a copy...hmmm...
Billed as a memoir, then dramaticly revealed to be a semi autobiographical novel-- I have listed it as "other" so as to appease both teams. Given to me by a friend who loved it as a memoir and then hated it when she found it to be untrue in many areas.
I may read this, or I may go ahead and release it. Not sure yet.
The Barnes & Noble Review
James Frey's memoir of drug addition and recovery was a bestseller even before Oprah Winfrey picked it for her book club in 2005, but the subsequent revelations about discrepancies between the story and the author’s real life touched off a national debate about the line between fact and fiction.
Filled with graphic scenes of epic substance abuse and the torments of withdrawal, A Million Little Pieces was widely heralded upon its publication as a harrowing, self-lacerating, and courageously confessional autobiography. It received many admiring critical reviews, carried cover endorsements from noted literati, and was selected by Barnes & Noble as a 2003 Discover pick. (Our reviewer called Frey “prodigiously talented,” “poetic,” and “unflinchingly honest”).
In January 2006, the author acknowledged the truth of charges that many details in the book were embellished or fabricated. In a note to readers that was prepared for subsequent printings, he apologized to those who felt they had been misled and explained why he wrote the book the way he did. Reactions to these revelations included soul-searching by publishers about their responsibilities for ensuring accuracy, ruminations by critics on the line between fact and fiction in modern culture, and spirited defenses of the author by readers who maintained that the book's inspirational message was of primary importance. One thing seems certain: A Million Little Pieces is a book that promises to have a long-lasting impact.
Billed as a memoir, then dramaticly revealed to be a semi autobiographical novel-- I have listed it as "other" so as to appease both teams. Given to me by a friend who loved it as a memoir and then hated it when she found it to be untrue in many areas.
I may read this, or I may go ahead and release it. Not sure yet.
The Barnes & Noble Review
James Frey's memoir of drug addition and recovery was a bestseller even before Oprah Winfrey picked it for her book club in 2005, but the subsequent revelations about discrepancies between the story and the author’s real life touched off a national debate about the line between fact and fiction.
Filled with graphic scenes of epic substance abuse and the torments of withdrawal, A Million Little Pieces was widely heralded upon its publication as a harrowing, self-lacerating, and courageously confessional autobiography. It received many admiring critical reviews, carried cover endorsements from noted literati, and was selected by Barnes & Noble as a 2003 Discover pick. (Our reviewer called Frey “prodigiously talented,” “poetic,” and “unflinchingly honest”).
In January 2006, the author acknowledged the truth of charges that many details in the book were embellished or fabricated. In a note to readers that was prepared for subsequent printings, he apologized to those who felt they had been misled and explained why he wrote the book the way he did. Reactions to these revelations included soul-searching by publishers about their responsibilities for ensuring accuracy, ruminations by critics on the line between fact and fiction in modern culture, and spirited defenses of the author by readers who maintained that the book's inspirational message was of primary importance. One thing seems certain: A Million Little Pieces is a book that promises to have a long-lasting impact.
To be released at Kudu Coffee at our meetup tomorrow.
Journal Entry 3 by 
bookczuk
at Kudu Coffee And Craft Beer - 4 Vanderhorst St in Charleston, South Carolina USA on Saturday, April 8, 2006
bookczuk at Kudu Coffee And Craft Beer - 4 Vanderhorst St in Charleston, South Carolina USA on Saturday, April 8, 2006
Released 18 yrs ago (4/8/2006 UTC) at Kudu Coffee And Craft Beer - 4 Vanderhorst St in Charleston, South Carolina USA
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
To the finder of this book:
Hello and congratulations! You have not only found yourself a good book, but a whole community of booklovers dedicated to sharing books with each other and the world at large. I hope you'll stick around a bit and get to know bookcrossing --maybe even make a journal entry on this book. You may choose to remain anonymous or to join (its free!) And if you do choose to join, I hope you'll consider using me, bookczuk, as your referring member. Feel free to read and keep this book, or to pass it on to a friend or even set it out "in the wild" for someone else to find like you did. If you do choose to join and journal, then you can watch the book as it travels- You'll be alerted by email each time someone makes another journal entry. It's all confidential (you're known only by your screen name and no one is ever given your e-mail address), free, and spam-free. Happy reading!
To the finder of this book:
Hello and congratulations! You have not only found yourself a good book, but a whole community of booklovers dedicated to sharing books with each other and the world at large. I hope you'll stick around a bit and get to know bookcrossing --maybe even make a journal entry on this book. You may choose to remain anonymous or to join (its free!) And if you do choose to join, I hope you'll consider using me, bookczuk, as your referring member. Feel free to read and keep this book, or to pass it on to a friend or even set it out "in the wild" for someone else to find like you did. If you do choose to join and journal, then you can watch the book as it travels- You'll be alerted by email each time someone makes another journal entry. It's all confidential (you're known only by your screen name and no one is ever given your e-mail address), free, and spam-free. Happy reading!
I finished this a while ago, but haven't been able to journal until now.
Having read several memoirs, seeing the "release" of this book on Oprah and then seeing the "confrontation" later on Oprah; I was eager to read this book, but did not want to contribute financially to the author. Thank goodness for bookcrossing.
I have personally witnessed the devistation drug and alcohol abuse causes in the lives of the user and the families of the user. It seems obvious to me that James Frey wants to take out some passive/agressive revenge on his parents. He insists on not blaming them for his problem, but makes it obvious he felt abandoned by them and their travels for his father's work. He gives credit to his recovery to no one but himself. The rehab center in his description did absolutly nothing. I call BS! Without the rehab center's rules, guidance, and support staff he would have never made it. Thanks to the financial support of his family, he graduated from college (!!!an imopssible feat in the life of a drug addict and alcoholic without strong financial support!!!) and never truly lived on the street.(no sleeping under bridges, eating in homeless shelters etc) His descriptions of his rehab friends sound like an over exaggeration in an effort to make himself and them sound "cooler". This book reads like an exaggerated brag.
Having read several memoirs, seeing the "release" of this book on Oprah and then seeing the "confrontation" later on Oprah; I was eager to read this book, but did not want to contribute financially to the author. Thank goodness for bookcrossing.
I have personally witnessed the devistation drug and alcohol abuse causes in the lives of the user and the families of the user. It seems obvious to me that James Frey wants to take out some passive/agressive revenge on his parents. He insists on not blaming them for his problem, but makes it obvious he felt abandoned by them and their travels for his father's work. He gives credit to his recovery to no one but himself. The rehab center in his description did absolutly nothing. I call BS! Without the rehab center's rules, guidance, and support staff he would have never made it. Thanks to the financial support of his family, he graduated from college (!!!an imopssible feat in the life of a drug addict and alcoholic without strong financial support!!!) and never truly lived on the street.(no sleeping under bridges, eating in homeless shelters etc) His descriptions of his rehab friends sound like an over exaggeration in an effort to make himself and them sound "cooler". This book reads like an exaggerated brag.
Thanks gra8eyessmile for the RABACK! Can't wait to start reading
I finished this book a little while ago, but haven't journaled because I'm not sure how I feel about it. If it were a work of fiction I have to say I really enjoyed it. I liked Frey's writing style, especially the lack of punctuaion. I thought it somehow added to my understanding of what he was going through. BUT knowing that this book was originally released as a autobiography/memoir....then Frey came out an admitted that parts of the book were "embellished" really seemed to diminish the book for me. I understand the need to "embellish" (i.e. "lie") to make the book more interesting, but I wish he would have been up front about it from the beginning. Then again, it probably would not have sold as many copies. I am glad that I read this book so that I now understand what all the hype was about. Thanks for sharing.
