A Million Little Pieces
learning
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Where I need to be
Posts: 310
Originally Posted by FriendofBill
He never once mentioned attending a 12 step group in treatment, tho stated that the therpists there only believed in 12 step recovery.
Seems odd?
Huh?
Didn't the bald guy tell his story at a group meeting? Didn't he first encounter the guy who smelled like death at a group meeting?
NOT EVEN 1 CLUB!!
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: When I find myself, I'll let you know!
Posts: 1,835
Still not sure if I'm going to read the book. Nobody would have wanted to read it if it was fiction. I'm sure it would have been to far fetched for most readers. That's why he changed it and made it "nonfiction".
Like I said in my first post. We have all gone through our own hell with this disease. No need to embellish it to make money. I'm happy he is sober, whatever works for him. I'm also happy for AA's traditions, controversies like this make people look down their nose even more at us drunks. IMO.
But, to each his own.
Like I said in my first post. We have all gone through our own hell with this disease. No need to embellish it to make money. I'm happy he is sober, whatever works for him. I'm also happy for AA's traditions, controversies like this make people look down their nose even more at us drunks. IMO.
But, to each his own.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: canada
Posts: 170
I enjoyed reading this book very much. I loved his writing style and found that it pulled me right in. But I read it with the same open mind that I would read any book with. I did not elevate him to some kind of self help guru status and I don't recall him ever professing to be.
If he fabricated parts of his story, so be it. It is called creative license. This was a book of non-fiction by his account, but it is still a memoir. It was not written to be intended for use as part of some kind of "program". I found certain aspects of his experience helpful to my personal sobriety. Does it matter to me that he may have embellished parts of it? No, it does not.
Does it offend me that he is making profit through sharing his story. No, this also does not bother me, he is the one that has to balance that in his mind and it is really none of my business how he earns his living.
If you are in AA and this book bothers you because you do not relate to his way of getting sober, all I can say is that you should just not read it then. However, if you are not going to read it, I fail to understand how you can make an educated opinion about it. I don't see how some are making the argument that this man does not have "real" sobriety because he is staying sober without embracing the 12 step route.
What difference does it make why he had his teeth done without pain killers? What difference does it make if his recall of rehab is different than your own. I went to rehab with 12 other women and I'm sure we all experienced it in our own ways.
Who are any of us to validate someone elses sobriety, are any of us able to judge who has the "real" sobriety? Or is this a judgement that should be left to the individual. I judge my sobriety as pretty real, AA or not.
If he fabricated parts of his story, so be it. It is called creative license. This was a book of non-fiction by his account, but it is still a memoir. It was not written to be intended for use as part of some kind of "program". I found certain aspects of his experience helpful to my personal sobriety. Does it matter to me that he may have embellished parts of it? No, it does not.
Does it offend me that he is making profit through sharing his story. No, this also does not bother me, he is the one that has to balance that in his mind and it is really none of my business how he earns his living.
If you are in AA and this book bothers you because you do not relate to his way of getting sober, all I can say is that you should just not read it then. However, if you are not going to read it, I fail to understand how you can make an educated opinion about it. I don't see how some are making the argument that this man does not have "real" sobriety because he is staying sober without embracing the 12 step route.
What difference does it make why he had his teeth done without pain killers? What difference does it make if his recall of rehab is different than your own. I went to rehab with 12 other women and I'm sure we all experienced it in our own ways.
Who are any of us to validate someone elses sobriety, are any of us able to judge who has the "real" sobriety? Or is this a judgement that should be left to the individual. I judge my sobriety as pretty real, AA or not.
1000 Post Club
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Recoveryville, USA
Posts: 1,297
Originally Posted by bartender129
Huh?
Didn't the bald guy tell his story at a group meeting? Didn't he first encounter the guy who smelled like death at a group meeting?
Didn't the bald guy tell his story at a group meeting? Didn't he first encounter the guy who smelled like death at a group meeting?
Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: los angeles, ca
Posts: 62
Originally Posted by j'ade d'arcy
I enjoyed reading this book very much. I loved his writing style and found that it pulled me right in. But I read it with the same open mind that I would read any book with. I did not elevate him to some kind of self help guru status and I don't recall him ever professing to be.
If he fabricated parts of his story, so be it. It is called creative license. This was a book of non-fiction by his account, but it is still a memoir. It was not written to be intended for use as part of some kind of "program". I found certain aspects of his experience helpful to my personal sobriety. Does it matter to me that he may have embellished parts of it? No, it does not.
Does it offend me that he is making profit through sharing his story. No, this also does not bother me, he is the one that has to balance that in his mind and it is really none of my business how he earns his living.
If you are in AA and this book bothers you because you do not relate to his way of getting sober, all I can say is that you should just not read it then. However, if you are not going to read it, I fail to understand how you can make an educated opinion about it. I don't see how some are making the argument that this man does not have "real" sobriety because he is staying sober without embracing the 12 step route.
What difference does it make why he had his teeth done without pain killers? What difference does it make if his recall of rehab is different than your own. I went to rehab with 12 other women and I'm sure we all experienced it in our own ways.
Who are any of us to validate someone elses sobriety, are any of us able to judge who has the "real" sobriety? Or is this a judgement that should be left to the individual. I judge my sobriety as pretty real, AA or not.
If he fabricated parts of his story, so be it. It is called creative license. This was a book of non-fiction by his account, but it is still a memoir. It was not written to be intended for use as part of some kind of "program". I found certain aspects of his experience helpful to my personal sobriety. Does it matter to me that he may have embellished parts of it? No, it does not.
Does it offend me that he is making profit through sharing his story. No, this also does not bother me, he is the one that has to balance that in his mind and it is really none of my business how he earns his living.
If you are in AA and this book bothers you because you do not relate to his way of getting sober, all I can say is that you should just not read it then. However, if you are not going to read it, I fail to understand how you can make an educated opinion about it. I don't see how some are making the argument that this man does not have "real" sobriety because he is staying sober without embracing the 12 step route.
What difference does it make why he had his teeth done without pain killers? What difference does it make if his recall of rehab is different than your own. I went to rehab with 12 other women and I'm sure we all experienced it in our own ways.
Who are any of us to validate someone elses sobriety, are any of us able to judge who has the "real" sobriety? Or is this a judgement that should be left to the individual. I judge my sobriety as pretty real, AA or not.
...and that about sums it up.
alconaut
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Motor City
Posts: 729
LK says he will be on tomorrow night.... 9p EST (& again @ 12a & 3a). Sorry folks. I was listening to James. Didn't think NG would get this one....
Ice, ice, baby.
ETA: Lol.... my bad. Thought it was Wednesday the 11th, tonight (today) and not tomorrow night (which is tonight).
If no one cared to read the Smoking Gun article (it's long), check out his website for a shorter version of the CTV (Smoking Gun) version forwarded to James in letter form:
http://www.bigjimindustries.com/news.html
Should be interesting to see how this all pans out. If he can't substantiate SG's findings (or lack thereof) his credibility is shot. Hopefully his "story" did save some lives. Supposedly, Go Ask Alice was a fabrication, too.
I wonder if his movie will continue production.
Ice, ice, baby.
ETA: Lol.... my bad. Thought it was Wednesday the 11th, tonight (today) and not tomorrow night (which is tonight).
If no one cared to read the Smoking Gun article (it's long), check out his website for a shorter version of the CTV (Smoking Gun) version forwarded to James in letter form:
http://www.bigjimindustries.com/news.html
Should be interesting to see how this all pans out. If he can't substantiate SG's findings (or lack thereof) his credibility is shot. Hopefully his "story" did save some lives. Supposedly, Go Ask Alice was a fabrication, too.
I wonder if his movie will continue production.
Cruelty-Free
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Body: South Florida Heart: Yosemite National Park
Posts: 914
Since I have not (and prob'ly will not) read his book or seen his interviews, etc., can someone who has tell me their impression as to whether he wrote the book to help other struggling alcoholics find a way out of their personal hell or simply to make a million little dollars?
I find that motives reveal integrity, or the lack thereof.
I find that motives reveal integrity, or the lack thereof.
alconaut
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Motor City
Posts: 729
So far, NCP, I haven't noted what his motives were/are. Read the Smoking Gun article if you haven't. It's long, but worth reading. Little Missy and Quer both posted a link. The article does state that he originally wanted the book published as fiction, however, the publisher didn't want to go that route. Still, JF continued to confabulate and embellish integral portions of his story after publication in countless interviews.
alconaut
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Motor City
Posts: 729
JF donates/participates in the following organizations:
The Hazelden Foundation - residential treatment center
Odyssey House - residential treatment center
Out of the Pits - dedicated to the rescue/rehabilitation of abused/abandoned Pit Bulls
Big Brothers/Big Sisters - youth mentoring
The Retreat - residential treatment center
The Hazelden Foundation - residential treatment center
Odyssey House - residential treatment center
Out of the Pits - dedicated to the rescue/rehabilitation of abused/abandoned Pit Bulls
Big Brothers/Big Sisters - youth mentoring
The Retreat - residential treatment center
*~10 YEARS BABY~*
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Hollywood
Posts: 9,369
I find it very funny how NOW that this book and James Frey himself have risen to the top, people want to tear him down, call him a liar, say he's not really in sobriety, etc. etc., etc. Why do all this NOW that the book is so sucessful and HAS helped so many people. If the powers that be were so worried about all the facts, the truth, what's wrong with him etc. Why didn't they do all this when it first came out? What's the goal of the smoking gun and anyone else who is trying to tear him down?
Has he hurt anyone by writing this book? Not so much. Has he helped?
A TON........
So now that the book is on the top 10, NOW that he's helping people every day let's tear him down, Prove him wrong, Prove he's a liar, Prove he's scum of the earth.
Again did he hurt anyone by writing the book, did he blame anyone but himself, did he get a message across?
When he was an addict and using, Did he hurt anyone? Yes, every single day he did just that.
There is a reason that Oprah is "Oprah", and the smoking gun, is "the smoking gun".....
Has he hurt anyone by writing this book? Not so much. Has he helped?
A TON........
So now that the book is on the top 10, NOW that he's helping people every day let's tear him down, Prove him wrong, Prove he's a liar, Prove he's scum of the earth.
Again did he hurt anyone by writing the book, did he blame anyone but himself, did he get a message across?
When he was an addict and using, Did he hurt anyone? Yes, every single day he did just that.
There is a reason that Oprah is "Oprah", and the smoking gun, is "the smoking gun".....
alconaut
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Motor City
Posts: 729
Since I haven't read it, I suppose it bothers me somewhat that if I had, I might have felt hoodwinked afterward. I was so looking forward to reading it as a work of non-fiction.
When I was about 12, I read Go Ask Alice. I might have been younger than 12, because that's when I started using, and don't recall having started when I read it. It never stopped me from using, but I have read that book maybe a couple of dozen times since then, and still own a copy. I always identified with her as a real person all these years, until about a month ago when I decided to do a web search to find out more. I was sort of disappointed to discover that there's pretty good circumstantial evidence she never existed. I guess in the end, it doesn't really matter, because she's one of countless girls (fictitious or not) who died, in similar or differing circumstances.
I suppose the same could be said for JF's book, and I imagine there are tons of recovering addicts who experienced a similar hell as the one James depicted, and recovered without AA. I just wish it had been one of them who wrote the book.
What's most bothersome, is that the story he wrote was potentially inspirational to me in the essence that I believed that what he endured was worse than what I went through - while the opposite is true - and that he recovered.
I'm afraid that the seed has been planted in the minds of numerous addicts that with these latest revelations, they won't be able to identify due to a constant nagging truth that his story was a hoax.
It can be argued he was still an addict who recovered, despite reputed falsehoods in his story.
JMO.
Which is always subject to change.
When I was about 12, I read Go Ask Alice. I might have been younger than 12, because that's when I started using, and don't recall having started when I read it. It never stopped me from using, but I have read that book maybe a couple of dozen times since then, and still own a copy. I always identified with her as a real person all these years, until about a month ago when I decided to do a web search to find out more. I was sort of disappointed to discover that there's pretty good circumstantial evidence she never existed. I guess in the end, it doesn't really matter, because she's one of countless girls (fictitious or not) who died, in similar or differing circumstances.
I suppose the same could be said for JF's book, and I imagine there are tons of recovering addicts who experienced a similar hell as the one James depicted, and recovered without AA. I just wish it had been one of them who wrote the book.
What's most bothersome, is that the story he wrote was potentially inspirational to me in the essence that I believed that what he endured was worse than what I went through - while the opposite is true - and that he recovered.
I'm afraid that the seed has been planted in the minds of numerous addicts that with these latest revelations, they won't be able to identify due to a constant nagging truth that his story was a hoax.
It can be argued he was still an addict who recovered, despite reputed falsehoods in his story.
JMO.
Which is always subject to change.
*~10 YEARS BABY~*
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Hollywood
Posts: 9,369
I don't know. For me if he came out tomorow and said it was all lies, it just wouldn't matter. The book was the push that got me here that got me clean. I wouldn't have 8 weeks today if he hadn't written it. That I know. I was strongly considering suicide instead because I didn't think I could do it. Lies or no lies, at this point I don't care.
And boy do I feel dumb! I didn't know Go Ask Alice wasn't true until it was brought up in all these threads..... I loved that book. Learn something new every day. lol
And boy do I feel dumb! I didn't know Go Ask Alice wasn't true until it was brought up in all these threads..... I loved that book. Learn something new every day. lol
alconaut
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Motor City
Posts: 729
Originally Posted by Done-With-It
I don't know. For me if he came out tomorow and said it was all lies, it just wouldn't matter. The book was the push that got me here that got me clean.
And boy do I feel dumb! I didn't know Go Ask Alice wasn't true until it was brought up in all these threads..... I loved that book. Learn something new every day. lol
*~10 YEARS BABY~*
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Hollywood
Posts: 9,369
No need to feel dumb.... you couldn't know something you didn't learn before.
I didn't realize that was actually his site. I went to it and read it but I'm going back to it. Wonder why he didn't call it something more like JamesFrey.com? Too easy I guess, lol....
Thank you for the info! ;-)
alconaut
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Motor City
Posts: 729
Originally Posted by Done-With-It
Oh that is such a good saying Autumn! You should copyright that! I like that one, I'm going to write it down in my little book of favorite sayings. :-)
I didn't realize that was actually his site. I went to it and read it but I'm going back to it. Wonder why he didn't call it something more like JamesFrey.com? Too easy I guess, lol....
Thank you for the info! ;-)
I didn't realize that was actually his site. I went to it and read it but I'm going back to it. Wonder why he didn't call it something more like JamesFrey.com? Too easy I guess, lol....
Thank you for the info! ;-)
The saying wasn't mine, btw, but I'm glad you found it useful. You always will; I know I have, and it's been many years since I first read it.
alconaut
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Motor City
Posts: 729
One thing I cannot do, in all fairness, is compare his bottom or actual experiences to mine. Because I don't know what his truth is now, I'm not in a position to say he had a high bottom anyway.
What I might perceive for someone else as a high bottom could be the lowest for their level of tolerance. So, in that light, his bottom was no worse or better than mine.
I guess at this point, he doesn't feel that he owes anyone answers.
The media is gonna drive him nuts.
Guess I'm done jabbering for now.
What I might perceive for someone else as a high bottom could be the lowest for their level of tolerance. So, in that light, his bottom was no worse or better than mine.
I guess at this point, he doesn't feel that he owes anyone answers.
The media is gonna drive him nuts.
Guess I'm done jabbering for now.
Life is what you make it!
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: The boonies, Wisconsin
Posts: 43
Who decides what "REAL" sobriety is anyways? I have been sober since November 7, 2005, and haven't been to an AA meeting....and don't plan on it. Does that mean that my soriety isn't REAL? Come on....grow up! I've never heard such an idiotic idea.James Frey also said that he kept a journal everyday in rehab, and got all of his records from the rehab center. That's how he "remembered" so well.
He also wrote about some very embarrassing situations that I don't think he could even come up with if they weren't true.
Unfortunately, most people who are successful have to go through this crap at some point or other. I believe this negative stuff about Frey, about as much as I would believe something I read in the "National Enquirer!" Sorry to burst anybody's bubble but those are all lies!
The stuff being written about him, especially by people who haven't even bothered picking up the book, is really starting to **** me off. What did this poor guy ever do to you?
Bottom line is he could've very well saved my life....and for that I am thankful, and THAT IS THE TRUTH!
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