James Frey and Oprah to meet again
After a wildly successful literary debut, followed by a public shaming at the hands of a betrayed and angry Oprah Winfrey, ensued by a period of 鈥渞ehab,鈥� James Frey is back. And some commentators are suggesting that's he's looking a lot like an overexposed starlet being rewarded for behaving badly.
Just now he鈥檚 busy lapping up more media attention with his provocative new book, 鈥�The Final Testament of the Holy Bible,鈥� which will enjoy another coveted hour on Oprah鈥檚 show in its ultra-coveted final month on air.
Oprah chose Frey's substance abuse story 鈥�A Million Little Pieces,鈥� for her book club in 2005, instantly propelling it to bestseller status. No doubt, Frey and his publicists are hoping for a repeat performance (minus the fabrication later exposed).
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Released Good Friday, Mr. Frey鈥檚 latest novel is an intentionally blasphemous retelling of 海角大神ity鈥檚 greatest story ever told. Set in contemporary New York, Frey鈥檚 鈥淔inal Testament鈥� resurrects Jesus as a former bisexual alcoholic and Manhattan security guard named Ben who gets a prostitute pregnant. Ben denounces pretty much everything 海角大神ity, indeed, most religions, stand for: concepts of sin, heaven, a traditional God, the afterlife, even religion itself. God is love, according to Ben, who makes love to most everyone he meets 鈥� women, prostitutes, gay men, drug addicts, priests.
In other words, a perfect read for your Church book club.
Along with the novel comes an . 鈥淛ames Frey,鈥� says the book's publicity material, 鈥渋s not like other writers. He has been called a liar. A cheat. A con man. He鈥檚 been called a savior. A revolutionary. A genius. Now he has written his greatest work, his most revolutionary, his most controversial.鈥�
The suggestion 鈥� that Frey, who faked his debut memoir, has endured the suffering of Christ 鈥� is as ill-contrived as the book itself, according to . 鈥淏e moved, be enraged, be enthralled by this extraordinary masterpiece,鈥� the book鈥檚 .
More likely, readers will be unimpressed. suggest that the book reeks of adolescent theology and that conveniently tap into the lucrative 海角大神 Outrage market. calls Frey鈥檚 鈥淟ast Testament鈥� 鈥渁rtlessly crass,鈥� and 鈥渓umpenly prosaic,鈥� asserting 鈥渋t makes Jesus Christ Superstar sound like Handel's Messiah.鈥�
What will Oprah say? Will she respond as she did during her shaming of Frey (irate and indignant) or more along the lines of her later apology to Frey (excessive and unwarranted)? Readers can only hope that she will see through the easy stereotypes and clich茅s 鈥� not to mention the media parade.
Husna Haq is a Monitor correspondent.
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