James Frey referred to himself as a criminal in his memoir, "A Million Little Pieces." After a six-week investigation by The Smoking Gun Web site, the New York Times Bestselling Author may be just that-a criminal.
The Smoking Gun claims Frey fabricated much of his past as an alcoholic, drug addict and general menace to society. Frey, however, has defended his writing and said that if anything was embellished, it was merely for dramatic effect.
"Let the haters hate, let the doubters doubt," Frey said in response to the allegations from The Smoking Gun.
Some of the animosity towards Frey is understandable, according to Eddie Burton, an employee at Davis-Kidd Booksellers.
"People that have used it as an inspiration have every right to feel betrayed," Burton said.
After reading the book when it was originally released in 2003, Burton said it read more like a novel than a memoir, therefore the allegations against Frey's honesty did not surprise him that much.
Frey has made numerous attempts to save face and keep his integrity intact, including an appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live" last week. On the show Frey revealed that he initially marketed "A Million Little Pieces" as a novel rather than a memoir.
Arguing that memoirs are a relatively new genre in the literary world, Frey said that classic authors like Ernest Hemingway often wrote about their personal experiences within their memorable fiction novels.
Frey also said that the years he spent as an alcoholic and drug addict could have altered his perceptions of his own tortured past.
Frey's book hasn't come up short in positive attention, either. Oprah Winfrey, one of Frey's biggest supporters, chose "A Million Little Pieces" as her book club selection in October, and she continues to stand behind Frey whole-heartedly. "It's like nothing you've ever read before," Winfrey said on her show entitled "The Man Who Kept Oprah Awake at Night," which aired on Oct. 26.
Thanks to Winfrey's endorsement of the book, as well as having Frey on her show, the memoir began to sell out in bookstores across the country, eventually selling more than 3 million copies. Davis-Kidd, for example, has sold out of the book three times.
"Any kind of scandal helps a book sell, and we sell an average of 50 copies per week," Burton said.
Even though there is a new spotlight shining upon "A Million Little Pieces," the book continues to top both The New York Times Bestseller list, while simultaneously holding the No.1 spot on Amazon.com.
The media attention on the book has not only helped increase sales, but has also catapulted the sequel, "My Friend Leonard," into best-seller status as well.
While the sales increase at most bookstores, several customers have attempted to return the book due to the controversy.
No matter how far the scandal stretches, Frey's writing style has clearly affected millions of readers.
"I stand by my book and my life," Frey said.
