I read the article on the so-called ‘fake memoirs’ and then I read a synopsis of the five books to get up to speed. I know personally, when I read a book that I know to be real rather than fictitious, the storyline has more meaning for me. Anyone with imagination or the capability of being creative can dream up situations and come up with a story and a solution. All they have to do is research the subject matter. For example, even though I thoroughly enjoyed the book, Yiddish Yoga by Lisa Grunberger I was really miffed when I found out that it was a work of fiction. It read like a true story and it made me sad that it was not true. There was such a bond between the two characters, grandmother and granddaughter and I kind of felt cheated, but It was a great story and it had a wonderful message.
But, like A Million Little Pieces, even though it is fiction, it does have a powerful message showing the horrors of addiction just like the book Go Ask Alice. These kinds of books even though they are fiction, they do mimic peoples’ lives and I bet some people can relate to their situations. They can be useful as an ‘antidrug’ message.
A book like Papillon even though it is fiction it is a great adventure story and it was made into a very successful movie. People probably found it hard to believe that it was a true story because it was over the top.
All in all, whether a story is true or not, it is the creativity and telling of the story which makes it a good read or not for the reader. And the take away for each reader is what he or she needs at that point in time.
I agree that when you believe what you're reading is true, it gives the work more meaning. Anyone can write fiction if they set their mind to it, but with memoirs you have that added respect for the author because they actually lived through it! When you find out the memoir is a hoax, it is understandable to feel cheated.
ReplyDeleteGreat insight, a great story is a great story, it just stinks that authors aren't always upfront with how "true" their story is. Readers love memoirs just as much as fiction! Full points!
ReplyDeleteI agree that fake memoirs can have powerful messages even if it isn't strictly facts. I think in some instances, reading a fake memoir might be easier for some people because they worry that the nonfiction account will be too dry or boring to read.
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