Just like us
Oprah gets duped. The headlines are screaming about how she feels "betrayed" by author Frey and his book A Million Little Pieces. I have to say to Oprah "Welcome to the club!" Here is your name tag, mingle, and make sure to grab a drink at the bar. Feel like a fool do ya? I have to say this is the way I felt after finding out that The Blair Witch Project was fake. I watched that Sci-Fi channel special they were running, buying in because it was on T.V. it HAD to be real. Now, I am not so easily swayed, at least I hope I am not. I always check e-mail forwards for accuracy via Snopes to assure accuracy. If the e-mail seems to contain valuable info I will pass it along, I believe in keeping myself informed.
I guess what gets me in this whole duped thing is such earth shattering news. I guess I am not doing much better myself blogging about it, keeping it alive and well. I guess no one ever told Oprah "buyer beware." And my real question here is "why the fuck does it matter?" Has anyone been harmed because Frey expounded on his drug addiction. So his "moral" character has now been put into question? Pardon me but aren't most drug addicts moral character question from time to time, even recovering addicts? I happened to be watching Oprah months ago when she announced that her book club was back and A Million Little Pieces was her new text of choice. I like so many million other women put it on my list of reads. I have yet to get to read this book, I have it on reserve at the library and I want to listen to the audio version, I think I am 9th in line and I have had it reserved since December. I do still plan on listening to this book, no matter if it is truth or not. I guess for Frey he should have promoted his book as fiction but as we all have been taught in creative writing there is always some "truth" in all fiction. Then the roles might be reversed. Oprah could be touting this person as a great fiction writer who has taken portion of his own life and placed them in his work.
Welcome to the club Oprah, I like to call it, the "Buyer Beware" club. This month we will be discussing The Blair Witch Project, hope you enjoy your time with us.
posted by TL @ 27.1.06
5 Comments
5 Comments:
that was an amazing book. i dont' give a fat rat's ass how much is made up. a.maz.ing. i'll send you my copy if you want to borrow it. i finished 'my friend leonard' in a day! i will read whatever he writes and refuse to rush to judgement until he's had his say. i know the book was passed on until it got juiced up. great read :)
So now Oprah's one of us.
I haven't read the book--but I don't really see the big deal in a little embellishment for literary merit's sake. My feeling is a lot more memoirists do it than don't, but most of them fly under the radar.
I heart snopes!
Embellishment for literacy sake? i guess i understand. It's just that when you deal with addiction, the only people who can truly understand are those who have gone through it themselves. So I think I have more of an issue with the topic of this book, not so much the idea of making crap up. Make any sense?
I should clarify the embellishment remark--I think it's probably done more for the sake of readability (and salability) than to deliberately mislead anyone. I do wish there were more of a distinction made between strict fact and memoir, which has more to do with the memories of an individual.
Nita-
I am glad to hear that the book is good. I thought it would be, I have to say each book Oprah has suggested I have loved.
I wonder though how many books out there are embellished that we are not aware of. I bet it is not as uncommon if someone was to investigate it.
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