Don't know who James Frey is? Well by the time this post is finished you sure will.
Writing this post at this minute is probably not my brightest idea to date because;
1. I am still struggling to comprehend what I have just learnt.
2. I am frustrated as hell.
3. I feel my inner bitch weighing hard on my shoulders (Although I will try my best to hold her back)
4. I'm so confused as to how I feel and that mixed with anger in my case, is never good.
Then again if I was someone who thought things through before everything I did and let second thoughts get the better of me and affect me, then there would not be one single discussion post on the blog nor any negative reviews most likely, and I have a feeling you wouldn’t be very happy about that J
Let's get to it. James Frey is the author who has hired new writers to join his new publishing company *James Frey’s Fiction Factory* (talk about self-centred) and behind the supposed autobiography of "A Million Little Pieces" only it didn't turn out to be one at all *A autobiography that is* He claimed the women he loved (Lilly) Hanged herself, when he admitted to Oprah later on that she in fact slit her wrists. A man who can lie about the death of the women he loves is capable of lying about anything in my opinion, and can go to all kinds of level of low as you will see throughout this post.
He lied about the length of time he had been in jail. Even Lily being an actual person was questioned. As reports dug deeper it turned out this man had done a lot of lying and in doing so had lied and deceived a great fan base who had grown to sympathise and support this man. Oprah felt deceived after having him previously on the show where he lied to her and her audience when he told her that it was in fact a full on full autobiography and contained nothing but the truth. She was fooled and so were his fans.
Boy am I glad that I have not read any of his work to date.
The thing is everyone messes up, from what I have seen; the man seemed to have realised what he did was wrong. Or so I thought anyway.
You may be aware of a book called I Am Number Four By Pittacus Lore, well think again. How long he thought he was going to continue to make money under that fake name and think no one would ever know he was behind it is beyond me, but I do know it has angered a lot of people, many love that novel, many looked forward to watching the movie, now not does the author only not exist but it is in fact this man who has betrayed his readers for a second time.
Looks like someone fucked up huh?
Turns out James Frey wrote it alongside Jobie Hughes and a few other particular people who have like many, a dream of becoming a writer and duped us all.The only thing is that he has exploited these people. The contract includes that he can pay them as much as he wants, he has decided to use pseudonym and so if any of the writers do wish to leave he will continue to use the chosen name. Turning on the verge of cruel, should any of them reveal their identity they will be sued for god knows how much. The whole thing is just a mess.
The thing is I would have thought this man would have learnt from his past mistakes.
Guess not.
Worse yet he's not bothered about originality nor does his work have real meaning due to the fact that all he cares about is the money and fame, his main focus as explained was to write along the lines of something that would give him the success of Harry Potter and Twilight.
He forgot something though; JK Rowling wasn’t trying to create a phenomenon, nor was Stephanie Meyer, the awe and magic itself is behind the realisation that they received the success they did simply because readers fell in love with their work. The fact that the authors had no ulterior motives just made them all the more appreciated.
I guess he chose to forget that part though.
He must have taken us for such idiots. I guess he has really, I mean I Am Number Four has become quite the successful novel with a movie to back it up. He knew what he was doing, he knew what our readers seemed to be going for and just wrote a book according to that. Of course it worked and that just pisses me of even more.
You know what I think he needs?
I think he needs to pay a visit to Oprah because he obviously didn’t learn from the first.
Now, here’s where the discussion begins.
Should we read I Am Number Four or any book for that matter, simply because it is supposed to be a good book or does the fact that the author is ripping these writers of and cheating his readers not count for anything? Why are we putting the man who sees us as fools in business? Why are we catering to his needs when he abused ours?
I have read many comments where people mention that a good book is a good book and yes I understand that, but you know what. I can let small things slide, I mean personally an author’s life story is not my main priority when I am reading a book. It is however a different story when you are using the book that I bought and then possibly enjoyed to cheat me and all those other readers who bought and read your book. The fact that he is obviously horrible and unfair and couldn’t care less about the other writers who put an effort into this book who should have the right to take credit for it only worsens things.
Then I take a step back and think, but are they not just as worse as him and his partner Jobie, for succumbing into something that they know goes against everything that represents a writer.
You know why I think this has hit so many of us hard? Probably because we are so used to the lovely authors and publishers we converse with on a daily basis, what this darker situation forces us to realise is that not everything is lovely and sweet in the writing world. If anything I find this whole thing quite disturbing. There are these writers who are obviously being corrupted and used by this man who continues to writes books and represent theirs, us readers who continue to fall for it and buy his work. If you’re not a fan it doesn’t matter either just like In this case, because he’ll just use a completely different name so that you will not even know that he is the one behind it the book.
I am disgusted and appalled yet amused by the fact that this man obviously became so arrogant and cocky to the extent where he must have genuinely believed that he would not be found out for the second time. *sigh*
Now there is a movie on this lie. I have to stand by it when I say I will not watch the movie or buy the book. You can be the most amazing book ever written but I can't deny that the creator has a lot to say for you, the creator is the voice which is the heart of a book.
I can't ignore that.
So I genuinely ask, because I am curious, what are your thoughts on this? I absolutely respect whatever your opinion is. Like my previous discussion post, I only wish to discuss and hear things from your perspective as you have heard from mine.
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