Editorial: Dozens of unanswered questions

Saturday, Jan. 14, 2006 | 9:50 a.m.

James Frey's best-selling memoir, "A Million Little Pieces," has attracted not-so-little book sales and paints some not-so-pretty images about the value of honesty and truth in American pop culture.

The book, published by Doubleday Books, is billed as Frey's autobiographical account of how he lifted himself from drug addiction and alcoholism. It was first published in 2003, but became a national sensation last year after Oprah Winfrey chose it for her book club. It has sold more than 3 million copies.

However, critics say portions of this nonfictional account aren't true. Most recently , The Smoking Gun, an investigative Web site, said Frey made up parts about his criminal record and other details of his life.

Frey has acknowledged that his truth isn't entirely true. But he stands by the book's nonfiction status, claiming that an author has a right to embellish the facts in a memoir, and typical nonfiction standards don't apply. Doubleday has echoed that sentiment.

Factual challenges often emerge in the wake of a memoir's success, but typically they come from an author's relatives, whose recollections differ. But such critiques don't typically involve the lack of official records to document the commission of crimes or jail time. That's where a foggy memory fades to clear fiction.

Memoirs usually carry a disclaimer stating that names or events have been changed. "A Million Little Pieces" did not, although Frey's newly released sequel to it does. And therein lies one of the most troubling little pieces of this literary squabble. Doubleday rewarded Frey's fabrication with another contract.

Evidently, a lack of honesty is good business. Both of Frey's books are at the top of the New York Times Bestsellers List. Whether they will remain there is up to American readers who must decide what -- or whom -- to believe.