[lit-ideas] Re: fiction or non
- From: JimKandJulieB@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 01:59:57 EST
So, is it 14-year old reading material?
Julie Krueger
still wondering and probably needing to read the thing herself
========Original Message======== Subj: [lit-ideas] fiction or non Date:
1/12/06 1:11:11 PM Central Standard Time From: _pas@xxxxxxxxx
(mailto:pas@xxxxxxxx) To: _lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(mailto:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx) Sent
on:
My apologies to Carol if my initial response to this thread seemed a little
pissy. It's just that I had just begun the Frey book and all of a sudden it
was obvious that there was some contention brewing.
In just two days, he's all over the news and talkshows. I gather he did
Larry King last night. So... it's unavoidable now to learn something about
the controversy. A friend sent me a link to www.thesmokinggun.com who have
apparently been investigating Mr. Frey for the past three months. They were
the ones to "uncover" him. The interesting thing is that, as of now, I'm on
page 94 out of 432 and EVERYTHING that the smoking gun refers to in their
write-up is ALREADY known by me. That is, I'm wondering if any of these
strenuous objectors have even read the whole book.
With that, let me take a stab at resuming a very interesting discussion
initiated by Carol and sort of quashed by my response.
CK: Offered up for discussion, in light of our recent experience with a
fictional character participating in this list, and members' planned
reading.
1. Who's who, and does it matter as long as the book is entertaining?
Not if all the names are changed. Anyone who comes out of the woodwork and
says "that's me" is implicating themselves not being 'impugned' by the
author. This book is not remotely 'entertaining' and that's probably why,
if it is fiction, it wouldn't sell as fiction. As a true story, it's
certainly interesting and a real page-turner. If I had unlimited time (you
know, away from work and sleep and stuff) I would probably read it in a
single sitting. Does it matter to me whether it's true? Not really.
2. What's what, and does it matter as long as the book is entertaining?
Has anyone ever read Philip Roth's "Operation: Shylock"? Which
classification is that? How do you know?
3. Is disguising autobiography as fiction less irritating (or wrong) than
telling a fiction and calling it autobiography?
Is it wrong for someone to write "the funniest book of the year" on the
cover of [Margaret Atwood's Robber Bride] a novel which I read without so
much as smiling?
The first quote on my copy of Frey's book says "James Frey's staggering
recovery memoir could well be seen as the final word on the topic"... the
second says "the most lacerating tale of drug addiction since William S.
Burroughs' Junky." And even from the feel-good magazine (People) they say
"Anyone who has ever felt broken and wished for a better life will find
inspiration in Frey's Story".
I cannot even remotely disagree with ANY of these cut quotes.
Perhaps the best one is "ripping, gripping... It's a staggeringly sober
book whose stylistic tics are well-suited to its subject matter, and a
finger in the eye of the culture of complaint... engrossing"
This last one, coupled with Frey's purported denial of AA's 12 Step Program
and his constant denial of GOD is PROBABLY what is, at the bottom, so
contentious about this book. It IS a finger in the eye of the culture of
complaint. The way the James of the novel deals with is situation is very,
very admirable. For someone so obviously weak to be so uncommonly strong is
THE selling point. Whether it's true or not, it's a compelling story. For
me, I'm reading story. It simply doesn't occur to me to think repeatedly
"oh, he survived?" Of course he did, he wrote the book 10 years later. It's
like watching "Titanic" and being amazed at the final outcome.
On a very personal note, I'll tell you, reading this book, as someone who
wavers daily about whether I may be an abuser of alcohol, I have to say
that reading this, if even 1/10 of it IS true, I can honestly say "hmm... I
guess I'm really not that bad."
not that bad, really, no really
Paul
##########
Paul Stone
pas@xxxxxxxx
Kingsville, ON, Canada
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