Oprah says it isn't so: No false memoir

Here's the latest in the controvery over the Oprah-endorsed non-fiction best-seller of last year, "A Million Little Pieces":

NEW YORK -- Oprah Winfrey broke her silence about James Frey's disputed memoir of addiction, "A Million Little Pieces," dismissing allegations of falsehoods as "much ado about nothing" and urging readers who have been inspired by the book to "Keep holding on."

AP story in the WashPost
Original story

Comments

[James Taylor]

The guy is obviously lying. And he continues to profit from it. Good job on believing anything Oprah!

[Micah]

I have read the facts that thesmokinggun.com has put up on there web site and I have to say that they have some pretty convincing evidence. I,like James, have come to the conclusion that he was less than honest.

[Jim]

So the guy has embellished HIS LIFE STORY for dramatic effect. Did you guys walk out of Titanic believing that Leo died on the ship? Cut the guy a break he has helped people through a crisis with his semi true story. That is all that should matter. When was the last time anyone that has judged him helped a single person?

[Judge_Judy]

Just today. I only humiliated two people instead of everyone that came before me.

[jv]

I don't think it really matters if he embellished or made up events in the book. It still is a really good book, regardless of whether it's non-fiction or fiction. I still plan on reading the sequel, regardless of how this whole thing turns out. The people who actually care about this supposed scandal really need to get a life.

[mjrc]

I'm no expert, but from the point of view of historians, journals are considered more accurate than memoirs, because memoirs are written later about what the author remembers rather than being written while they are experiencing events. My point being that James Frey isn't any different than most people if he took liberties writing a memoir.
I haven't read the complete Oprah quote, but "much ado about nothing" seems appopriate.