Comments on: A Million Little Lies http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2006/01/15/a-million-little-lies/ Web site and blog for Maria Langer, freelance writer, commercial helicopter pilot, and serious amateur photographer. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 19:33:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Maria Langer http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2006/01/15/a-million-little-lies/#comment-225 Maria Langer Mon, 16 Jan 2006 03:04:19 +0000 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/?p=175#comment-225 Oh, and here's a pretty funny <a href="http://www.exile.ru/2003-May-29/book_review.html" rel="nofollow">book review</a> written when the book first came out. Oh, and here’s a pretty funny book review written when the book first came out.

]]> By: Maria Langer http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2006/01/15/a-million-little-lies/#comment-224 Maria Langer Mon, 16 Jan 2006 02:32:42 +0000 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/?p=175#comment-224 Whether it's a "beautifully crafted piece of art" (which I doubt, having read excerpts) is not the question here. It's whether this book is marketed as fact -- which it is -- when it is full of not just exaggerations, but full-blown lies. People who are suffering from addictions are turning to Frey as a hero role model they can follow instead of turning to traditional treatments for help. Is that a good thing? I wouldn't have any problem with the book if it were fiction marketed as fiction. But fiction marketed as fact -- and then endorsed by someone as powerful as Oprah as something that can "change their lives" -- is one step short of a crime. Ironically, probably the worst of the crimes this author claims to have committed. Whether it’s a “beautifully crafted piece of art” (which I doubt, having read excerpts) is not the question here. It’s whether this book is marketed as fact — which it is — when it is full of not just exaggerations, but full-blown lies. People who are suffering from addictions are turning to Frey as a hero role model they can follow instead of turning to traditional treatments for help. Is that a good thing?

I wouldn’t have any problem with the book if it were fiction marketed as fiction. But fiction marketed as fact — and then endorsed by someone as powerful as Oprah as something that can “change their lives” — is one step short of a crime.

Ironically, probably the worst of the crimes this author claims to have committed.

]]> By: Sean http://www.aneclecticmind.com/2006/01/15/a-million-little-lies/#comment-223 Sean Mon, 16 Jan 2006 00:54:59 +0000 http://www.aneclecticmind.com/?p=175#comment-223 AMLP is a wonderful book, fact or fiction it doesn't matter, I read the book and will re-read it one day and I still expect to be moved to tears. Bridget Jones' Diary is well known to be based in massive chunks if not just in parts on Helen Fieldings' own life. Fictionalised fact or factualised fiction doesn't take away from the power of the message in AMLP - so the guy made some money and said it was *all* true when some of it may have been exaggerrated. If you know it's fiction, read it as fiction - it is a beautifully crafted piece of art, if it *is* fiction then even more praise should be heaped upon Frey for such an original and inspired story. AMLP is a wonderful book, fact or fiction it doesn’t matter, I read the book and will re-read it one day and I still expect to be moved to tears.

Bridget Jones’ Diary is well known to be based in massive chunks if not just in parts on Helen Fieldings’ own life. Fictionalised fact or factualised fiction doesn’t take away from the power of the message in AMLP – so the guy made some money and said it was *all* true when some of it may have been exaggerrated.

If you know it’s fiction, read it as fiction – it is a beautifully crafted piece of art, if it *is* fiction then even more praise should be heaped upon Frey for such an original and inspired story.

]]>