Book · 2003 · Drug addicts
A million little pieces
- mentions
- 12
- people
- 6
- podcasts
- 5
- episodes
- 5
- critical mentions
- 0
I read that book, and it was great with a capital G!
What they say about it
- Discusses the controversy“controversy involving a book”5
- Read and praised the book“read that book”2
The best things said about it
I actually think you'll like that one, it's about drug addiction.
Noah Kagan My First Million · Dec 2021 The goal was at the beginning to create a work of art with words that would pierce the soul of any human being that read it.
I was a little surprised it was so focused on self-help things because I i always have said and I said it to her on the show, A Million Little Pieces and isn't a self-help book. It's a it's a work of literature.
Where and when it comes up
Mentions per year
How it comes up
Most mentions, by podcast
6 people who brought it up
Why people recommend it
A Million Little Pieces by James Frey is a controversial autobiographical work that chronicles addiction, rehabilitation, and recovery. Noah Kagan recommended the book to Shaan Puri on My First Million as a compelling read about substance abuse. Tina Jordan brought up the title on The Book Review to reflect on the major literary controversy that erupted in 2006 regarding the book's fabricated elements, a sentiment echoed by Maureen Callahan on The Megyn Kelly Show while comparing high-profile publishing scandals. Rich Roll dedicated an episode of his podcast to discussing truth, public shaming, and addiction with James Frey himself. During the interview, Frey noted that he read the book in 2003 during early sobriety and reflected on the artistic intentions behind his writing. Frey explained that his original goal was to create a piece of literature that would pierce the human soul, describing how the book was initially sold as a novel before contractually being published as a memoir. He expressed surprise that the public viewed it strictly as a self-help manual rather than a pure work of art, while also acknowledging its massive, sustained bestseller status both before and after the intense media scrutiny and public debates surrounding its factual accuracy.
Every mention
Noah Kagan did you read million little pieces no what's that one i actually think you'll like that one it's about drug… 1
“did you read million little pieces no what's that one i actually think you'll like that one it's about drug addiction”
James Frey And for whatever all the controversies around a million little pieces were, the goal was at the beginning t… 6
“And for whatever all the controversies around a million little pieces were, the goal was at the beginning to create a work of art with words that would pierce the soul of any human being that read it.”
“And when a million little piece when I wrote it, we sold it as a novel, but there was a thing in the in the contract where they had the right to publish it as a memoir.”
“I was a little surprised it was so focused on self-help things because I i always have said and I said it to her on the show, A Million Little Pieces and isn't a self-help book. It's a it's a work of literature.”
“But A Million Little Pieces was number one on the bestseller list for like 40 weeks before the controversy and for 50 more after, right?”
“part of what happens with my books is and why I say I just write a book and they publish it as a novel, right? Everybody tears it apart to find out what it in it is true.”
“And so for me, it's been really joyous. One of the ways I started getting ready to do this is I hadn't ever I hadn't appeared in public in in America in a long long time either. So I did a couple practice readings, right? The first one was the New York Times wrote about a little bit.”
Josh Clark I think the sad thing is that apparently it's sort of like the uh a million little pieces book yeah uh that… 1
“I think the sad thing is that apparently it's sort of like the uh a million little pieces book yeah uh that that guy wrote like I read that book and it was great with a capital G M”
Maureen Callahan Do you remember when Oprah took James Frey to the woodshed over A Million Little Pieces A Million Little Pi… 1
“Do you remember when Oprah took James Frey to the woodshed over A Million Little Pieces A Million Little Pieces, and all he did was like exaggerate his drug addiction?”
Rich Roll I just want to say at the start that, you know, I read A Million Little Pieces when it came out, 2003. 1
“I just want to say at the start that, you know, I read A Million Little Pieces when it came out, 2003.”
Tina Jordan In January of 2006, there was a controversy involving a book called A Million Little Pieces. 1
“In January of 2006, there was a controversy involving a book called A Million Little Pieces.”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker1
“I think the sad thing is that apparently it's sort of like a million little pieces book that that guy wrote. I read that book, and it was great with a capital G! In my mind, I always thought, 'Dude, why didn’t you just call it a novel?'”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“Yes, it's that James Fry. the one of a million little pieces, fame, infamy, whatever.”
“remember there was that one guy wrote a book it turns out he yeah yeah made up everything that was in the book and dr. oz is he they brought him before Congress”