Memoir... or Fiction?

There's a fascinating story in the New York Post about a new book entitled "Primates of Park Avenue."  There are incredible stories and entertaining scenes throughout the book.

The book is labeled memoir, but now its author tells the NY Post that she "telescoped certain parts of the narrative."

Telescoping.  Interesting choice of words.  Isn't that what author James Frey did with his book "A Million Little Pieces?"  His book was first marketed as a memoir about drug use and later it was re-labeled as a semi-fictional novel.

The Smoking Gun exposed the fabrications and Frey went on Oprah to explain and apologize.

I wonder if this book will be re-labeled, too?  Simon & Schuster published it.

The book is #2 in book sales on Amazon in specific areas such as parenting, motherhood and satire. There are an equal number of readers who gave the book five stars and one star.  I always go to the one star reviews first.

Ironically, many of those who are labeled as Verified Purchase bought the book after the New York Post published their article bashing the book.

Negative publicity sells these days, more often than positive publicity.

I'm writing a story on it because of the New York Post article, too.  The NY Post exposed this story and so I took an interest in it.  Had they written something nice about the book, I probably would have given it a two second glance and clicked onto another page.

And the author gives herself the title as an "urban Dian Fossey."  My sister who had her doctorate in anthropology would roll over in her grave if she read that.

After reading the reviews, I'm saving my $13.99.  I would rather invest in an authentic memoir or an authentic novel with a fictional tale.  One that straddles the two is only a confusing tale about the privileged Upper East Side.