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Every book James Frey recommended on podcasts
James Frey discussed several influential works and his own writing on The Rich Roll Podcast. He recommended Charles Baudelaire's Paris Spleen, describing it as poetry published in the style of short stories, and expressed his admiration for Jackie Collins's Hollywood Wives. Frey also reflected on his own debut book, A Million Little Pieces, addressing the controversies surrounding it and explaining that his goal was to create a work of literature that would pierce the soul rather than a self-help guide, noting that it was contracted with the publisher's right to be issued as a memoir. Furthermore, he discussed Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer, recounting how reading it at age twenty-one inspired him to become a writer and instilled a lifelong belief in his career path. Finally, Frey drew parallels between the publication history of his own work and Jack Kerouac's On the Road, noting how Kerouac's original draft also sparked debates over fiction and nonfiction classification.
Books recommended by James Frey
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Hollywood Wives
Hollywood Wives by Jackie Collins is a bestselling dramatic novel that explores the glamorous, scandalous, and cutthroat lives of powerful elites, celebrities, and industry players in Los Angeles.
Recommended“I had read a Jackie Collins book for a Hollywood guy. He's a buddy. He was thinking about adapting it. I loved it. After that, I Hollywood Wives. Hollywood Wives. It's [ __ ] great.”
Where to get it
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Paris Spleen
Paris Spleen by Charles Baudelaire is a collection of lyrical prose poems that capture the frantic, melancholy, and multifaceted atmosphere of nineteenth-century urban life in Paris.
Recommended“Go read Paris Spleen. It was published as [ __ ] poetry even though it's like a novel of short stories.”
Where to get it
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A million little pieces
A million little pieces is a memoir by James Frey that chronicles his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction.
Discussed“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.”
Where to get it
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Bright Shiny Morning
Discussed“It was Bright Shiny Morning, a book about Los Angeles. The very first sentence of the book says, "Nothing in this book should be considered accurate or reliable."”
Where to get it
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On the Road
On the Road by Jack Kerouac is a seminal Beat Generation novel that captures the restless spirit of mid-century American travel, hitchhiking, and self-discovery.
Discussed“There's an interesting parallel with Carowak where the original draft of On the Road had all the characters real names in it and they debated whether to publish it as fiction or non-fiction.”
Where to get it
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Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller is a landmark autobiographical novel renowned for its raw, unfiltered depiction of bohemian life in Paris and its boundary-pushing approach to sexuality and human experience.
Discussed“I mean the larger story is when I was 21 I read a book called Tropic of Cancer, right? And it it was by Henry Miller.”
Where to get it
Books James Frey wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addiction, Celebrity, Public Shaming & Truth: The Performance Art of James Frey, Celebrated Writer of Ill-Repute | The Rich Roll Podcast | 2025-08-18 | 12 |