tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343337.post113680863040606932..comments2023-10-18T08:37:12.704-06:00Comments on Massive Missives: A Literary DilemmaMichaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03121299372911531389noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343337.post-1137151895341844912006-01-13T04:31:00.000-07:002006-01-13T04:31:00.000-07:00It's a fucking interesting story if you ask me. I...It's a fucking interesting story if you ask me. I'm really glad this happened because it's good to start some intellectual dialogues. I can sympathize with Frey because while it's true that many, many writers lie about themselves when it comes to memoirs and such he was rather unfortunate to get called on it and when it turns out that the lies were big. On the other hand, he did kind of have Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03121299372911531389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343337.post-1137045318026164862006-01-11T22:55:00.000-07:002006-01-11T22:55:00.000-07:00Wow. Did you hear that the publisher is offering ...Wow. Did you hear that the publisher is offering refunds to those who bought the book? Holy shit...I've never heard of that before...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343337.post-1136998535867557482006-01-11T09:55:00.000-07:002006-01-11T09:55:00.000-07:00The one thing about this book if it's fiction or n...The one thing about this book if it's fiction or not. It is helping people who have drug problems to realize they need help. The people are actually realizing they aren't the only ones out there going through what they are and getting help. It's nice to read something and know someone else has felt the same way that I have and gone and gotten the help they needed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343337.post-1136907347873572932006-01-10T08:35:00.000-07:002006-01-10T08:35:00.000-07:00Point taken, but this guy has touted his book as 1...Point taken, but this guy has touted his book as 100% true. He's pimped it on TV, radio, and on the net. He's gone out of his way to pump up the veracity of his work. If it weren't for Oprah putting her stamp of approval on the thing, the guy would be nowhere. Now he's a semi-famous author (soon to be forgotten, i suspect) largely <I>because of</I> the purported accuracy of the book. <BR/><Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343337.post-1136855674166190542006-01-09T18:14:00.000-07:002006-01-09T18:14:00.000-07:00From a literary standpoint I think the book is wel...From a literary standpoint I think the book is well-written. Certainly I have read better books, but this one is pretty good. The narrative is pretty gripping and he does a good job of building up his setting with his language. <BR/><BR/>I do have to say, though, that if most of what's in the book is fabricated and he did, in fact, con Oprah, it's pretty cool because I love to see celebrities Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03121299372911531389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343337.post-1136843485940488842006-01-09T14:51:00.000-07:002006-01-09T14:51:00.000-07:00He does seem to have pushed the envelope a fair am...He does seem to have pushed the envelope a fair amount - beyond the boundary of what most writers would consider an appropriate amount of bullshit. <BR/><BR/>TSG's expose is well documented and backed up. They have done their homework. <BR/><BR/>I guess the most troubling thing is his insistence that the book is true when, as it looks right now, it might not be. <BR/><BR/>I don't know. Its aAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343337.post-1136839780896091662006-01-09T13:49:00.000-07:002006-01-09T13:49:00.000-07:00I understand the bit about embellishments, but som...I understand the bit about embellishments, but some of the embellishments that Frey makes are huge. The next book I'm planning on reading is largely autobiographical, "A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius", and it's author, Dave Eggers, goes so far as to include a preface which explains which parts he fictionalizes and which parts may be slightly different from how they actually occurred Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03121299372911531389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343337.post-1136820565672859122006-01-09T08:29:00.000-07:002006-01-09T08:29:00.000-07:00I think that there is an unspoken caveat with rega...I think that there is an unspoken caveat with regards to any piece of writing that is deemed "autobiographical". That is, a bit of fictionalization/embellishment is, to a degree, "standard practice". The lines between fiction/non-fiction can get blurred quite easily.<BR/><BR/>Besides that, what makes "The Smoking Gun" an authoritative source?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com