Deal Signed for Frey Novel

Yesterday, Galleycat confirmed that HarperCollins signed a deal for a James Frey novel. Today, there are a number of reports with quotes and insights from all the principals involved with the deal.

It will be interesting to see how the novel, Bright Shiny Morning sells when it’s released. The Oprah crowd won’t buy it, but then again, would they have purchased a novel (or at least a non-Oprah-endorsed one) from him anyway? The author clearly has fans. Or at least people who want to see what all the fuss is about. Even after all the controversy, Frey’s debunked memoir, A Million Little Pieces continued to sell 1,000 copies a week.

I really liked A Million Little Pieces when it was first released. Later, when all the exaggerations came to light, my opinion of Frey changed. I don’t believe memoirs have to be factually correct down to the slightest detail. I understand some license is needed in order to tell the story. However, taking a couple of hours in a police conference room in Granville, OH and turning that into three months in the big house is a bit much. But I did enjoy the writing. So I’ll definitely read the novel to see how it stands up.