I read A Million Little Pieces by James Frey in 2005, the same year that it was published. Before the "lies." I think I read this book within 24 hours. I stayed up into the wee hours of the night, until it felt like my eyes were bleeding because I was just so transfixed. The topic was a curiosity to me. We watch movies and TV shows that portray the life of a junkie and the final outcome (death), but there is hardly ever the I'm-going-down-the-path-of-total-descruction-and-I-need-to-change-things-otherwise-I-will-not-wake-to-see-another-day story. When they do show it, it’s more of a comedic relief (28 days). Or maybe I'm just naive and there is more out there then what I've seen. Anyway, I was drawn into the story. I was captivated on how ruthless those withdrawals were. I grew fond of the characters and wished them all a full healthy recovery. I read this story and thought it needed to become a movie.
Then, I was told it was all a lie.
I thought about it (for 2 seconds) and said, so what? Whether it’s true story or a fictional story, it’s still a story. It didn't change my opinion of Frey. I just removed the former junkie thoughts. Frey is still a very good novelist and obviously I wasn’t the only one who thought that since Oprah added him to her booklist (before removing him because he lied. Get over it Oprah, it’s still a good book).
Was it a publicity stunt to get more readers? I don't care. Would I have read it, even if I knew the "True" story, wasn't true? Probably.
I say give it a chance. Don't let your biased opinions of it no longer being a true story; prevent you from reading A Million Little Pieces. Read it because it is a good book. Read it for the same reasons, people enjoyed it before they found out it was a lie. Just wait till Frey writes a book that he announces is "fictional" at least I know it'll be good, since A Million Little Pieces was good.
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