Remove the lies and the book might loose some of its surface zeal, but the human emotion still remains.

James Frey’s memoir, “A Million Little Pieces,” was heavily scrutinized over the winter break. It turns out that Frey embellished elements of his life that did not seem all that important to the overall theme of the book.

Which raises the question: what else is a lie? The answer is simple: it does not matter.

I am not happy with Frey for taking liberties with his life story and passing them off as the truth. I am not happy with The Smoking Gun for making a big deal with no apparent reason, other than to make a big deal. If The Smoking Gun was trying to reveal Frey as a liar and perhaps stunt book sales, it succeeded and failed.

Frey may now be viewed as a liar, but the book has reached even more people as a result of this revelation, something that is remarkable given the fact that Oprah made his memoir part of her book club. It is a good thing though that more people were able to gain exposure to “A Million Little Pieces.” It is good because the book is a positive force for anyone who has ever feared the future.

I do not believe Frey wrote the lies to further the inspirational ideals of his recovery, but probably to make it more dynamic and thus more marketable. Remove the lies and the book might loose some of its surface zeal, but the human emotion still remains.

No matter how many lies are involved with constructing Frey’s story, there are underlying themes that unite all people. Self-control and fear are important issues people struggle with. A story documenting the emergence of a new found confidence to manage life should be spread to many readers.

Uncertainty and confidence, addiction and sobriety. It is appropriate that Frey had to deal with the lies he perpetuated in his true story. It illustrates the balance on which we can wobble, from one extreme to the other, and when you think you are out of the clear, you roll back into ambiguity. It reminds me of the million little pieces that make up life.

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