Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey

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  • AmentsChick
    AmentsChick Posts: 6,969
    _Crazy_Mary_ wrote:
    Dozens of characters pass across the reader's sight lines—some never to be seen again—but James Frey lingers on a handful of LA's lost souls and captures the dramatic narrative of their lives: a bright, ambitious young Mexican-American woman who allows her future to be undone by a moment of searing humiliation; a supremely narcissistic action-movie star whose passion for the unattainable object of his affection nearly destroys him; a couple, both nineteen years old, who flee their suffocating hometown and struggle to survive on the fringes of the great city; and an aging Venice Beach alcoholic whose life is turned upside down when a meth-addled teenage girl shows up half-dead outside the restroom he calls home.

    Throughout this strikingly powerful novel there is the relentless drumbeat of the millions of other stories that, taken as a whole, describe a city, a culture, and an age. A dazzling tour de force, Bright Shiny Morning illuminates the joys, horrors, and unexpected fortunes of life and death in Los Angeles
    HAHAHAH...Sorry!!! I didn't even know what the synopsis was...just know I want to read it no matter what.
    This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper

  • TrixieCat
    TrixieCat Posts: 5,756
    _Crazy_Mary_ wrote:
    Dozens of characters pass across the reader's sight lines—some never to be seen again—but James Frey lingers on a handful of LA's lost souls and captures the dramatic narrative of their lives: a bright, ambitious young Mexican-American woman who allows her future to be undone by a moment of searing humiliation; a supremely narcissistic action-movie star whose passion for the unattainable object of his affection nearly destroys him; a couple, both nineteen years old, who flee their suffocating hometown and struggle to survive on the fringes of the great city; and an aging Venice Beach alcoholic whose life is turned upside down when a meth-addled teenage girl shows up half-dead outside the restroom he calls home.

    Throughout this strikingly powerful novel there is the relentless drumbeat of the millions of other stories that, taken as a whole, describe a city, a culture, and an age. A dazzling tour de force, Bright Shiny Morning illuminates the joys, horrors, and unexpected fortunes of life and death in Los Angeles
    :p
    Thanks Crazy.
    Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
    And I don't feel right when you're gone away
  • AmentsChick
    AmentsChick Posts: 6,969
    Anyone read it? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
    This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper

  • libragirl
    libragirl Posts: 4,632
    I plan on reading it..eventually..I have a lot of books lined up right now. :) I need to finish "New earth" then I will be on a Tolstoy kick.
    These cuts are leaving creases. Trace the scars to fit the pieces, to tell the story, you don't need to say a word.
  • AmentsChick
    AmentsChick Posts: 6,969
    libragirl wrote:
    I plan on reading it..eventually..I have a lot of books lined up right now. :) I need to finish "New earth" then I will be on a Tolstoy kick.

    I finished it yesterday. GREAT freaking book (I LOOOOOOOOOVE JF)...but being that it's 501 pages, it took awhile.
    This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper

  • kcherub
    kcherub Posts: 961
    I loved MLP and MFL. I didn't care either if MLP wasn't a total non-fiction. I think the majority of people didn't care either. Isn't is usually the pissed off that are most vocal anyway?

    I can't wait to pick up the new one. I just might treat myself this week!

    BTW...when I start caring what Oprah does or says, I'll let ya' know. ;)

    Take care,
    I still want you all to "take care"--I am just damn tired of typing it.

    http://www.youtube.com/user/kcherub#p/a/u/0/N-UQprRqSwo
  • libragirl
    libragirl Posts: 4,632
    AmentsChick wrote:
    I finished it yesterday. GREAT freaking book (I LOOOOOOOOOVE JF)...but being that it's 501 pages, it took awhile.

    awesome...yeah it's definitely on reading list. I do enjoy his writing. :)
    These cuts are leaving creases. Trace the scars to fit the pieces, to tell the story, you don't need to say a word.
  • AmentsChick
    AmentsChick Posts: 6,969
    kcherub wrote:
    I loved MLP and MFL. I didn't care either if MLP wasn't a total non-fiction. I think the majority of people didn't care either. Isn't is usually the pissed off that are most vocal anyway?

    I can't wait to pick up the new one. I just might treat myself this week!

    BTW...when I start caring what Oprah does or says, I'll let ya' know. ;)

    Take care,

    WOW! Well said!! And, I know I've said it more than once on here...but JF got a bad rap on the whole Oprah thing. I think many people don't realize that the majority of 'memoirs' have various things added for creative purposes. And, let's be honest, it's not like he made up the entire book...

    BSM is alot different than AMLP and MFL. It's about the city of Los Angeles...and various people who live there.
    This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper

  • kcherub
    kcherub Posts: 961
    [quote BSM is alot different than AMLP and MFL. It's about the city of Los Angeles...and various people who live there.[/quote]

    Yes, I think I read a summary of it somewhere. Maybe in the VF article? I know I have read a summary, and I know I read the VF article, just having a hard time remembering if they were one in the same!

    Will let you know when I am done with it. I pretty much sit down to read a book and only come up for air to feed my child or shower. LOL

    Take care,
    I still want you all to "take care"--I am just damn tired of typing it.

    http://www.youtube.com/user/kcherub#p/a/u/0/N-UQprRqSwo
  • AmentsChick
    AmentsChick Posts: 6,969
    kcherub wrote:
    Yes, I think I read a summary of it somewhere. Maybe in the VF article? I know I have read a summary, and I know I read the VF article, just having a hard time remembering if they were one in the same!

    Will let you know when I am done with it. I pretty much sit down to read a book and only come up for air to feed my child or shower. LOL

    Take care,

    Sounds like me...and I don't even have kids.
    This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper

  • Collin
    Collin Posts: 4,931
    AmentsChick wrote:
    No, you'll love it. Seriously. It's awesome. He has a way with words. And be sure to pick up MFL straight away when you're done.

    So, I finally read it and I must say I really enjoyed it. It's a great story... but I don't like his language. It's a bit too simple or repetitive. Some passages were really tedious, for example when he repeats certain words, like 'tell'.

    He tells me this. I tell him that. He tells me this. I tell him that. Then he tells me something else and I tell him whatever...

    Anyway, I loved the story and it was a great book, despite the minor issues I had with it.

    Oh yeah, what's with the capitalisation of some Words in his Book? German blood?
    THANK YOU, LOSTDAWG!


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  • PureandEasy
    PureandEasy Posts: 5,818
    I was about 3/4 of the way through Million Little Pieces when the whole Oprah thing broke and it soured me on it and I never finished it.
    Don't come closer or I'll have to go
  • TrixieCat
    TrixieCat Posts: 5,756
    PureandEasy wrote:
    I was about 3/4 of the way through Million Little Pieces when the whole Oprah thing broke and it soured me on it and I never finished it.
    Aw..that is too bad. It really is a great read. It actually really bonded my book club even more when that happened. We were all going to each other's houses and watching Larry King and yelling at the tv and writing to Oprah to tell her off after she had him on and pretty much almost drove the poor guy to suicide.
    I was so mad at her and lost a lot of respect for her. She tries so hard to be a good person and do great things...I would think she would be a little less of a queen bitch sometimes. She was all like "Who dare lie to the Big O????"
    :rolleyes:
    Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
    And I don't feel right when you're gone away
  • PureandEasy
    PureandEasy Posts: 5,818
    TrixieCat wrote:
    Aw..that is too bad. It really is a great read. It actually really bonded my book club even more when that happened. We were all going to each other's houses and watching Larry King and yelling at the tv and writing to Oprah to tell her off after she had him on and pretty much almost drove the poor guy to suicide.
    I was so mad at her and lost a lot of respect for her. She tries so hard to be a good person and do great things...I would think she would be a little less of a queen bitch sometimes. She was all like "Who dare lie to the Big O????"
    :rolleyes:

    I know I've picked it up a few times and just can't get back into it, it's a shame really.
    Don't come closer or I'll have to go
  • TrixieCat
    TrixieCat Posts: 5,756
    PureandEasy wrote:
    I know I've picked it up a few times and just can't get back into it, it's a shame really.
    I can totally relate. I understand.
    I guess it is like me not turning on Oprah or caring what she is up too these years. Not that I was a huge fan, but I respected her and was so proud of her for getting people to READ again.
    But I just canNOT support her.
    Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
    And I don't feel right when you're gone away
  • angie76
    angie76 Posts: 646
    I have yet to read this one. I need to get through all my other books.
    Dig a ditch deep enough
    To keep you clear of the sun
    You've been burned more than once
    You don't think much of trust
  • AmentsChick
    AmentsChick Posts: 6,969
    TrixieCat wrote:
    I can totally relate. I understand.
    I guess it is like me not turning on Oprah or caring what she is up too these years. Not that I was a huge fan, but I respected her and was so proud of her for getting people to READ again.
    But I just canNOT support her.

    <applauds> Well said. I lost an enormous amount of respect for her. Like you said, she claims to be a good person and help others...but she nearly sent Jimbo back to the bar. What good would that have done??

    And...

    Collin, he uses capitalization to emphasize feelings etc. For example, in AMLP he referred to his anger as The Fury.
    This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper

  • Collin
    Collin Posts: 4,931
    AmentsChick wrote:
    And...

    Collin, he uses capitalization to emphasize feelings etc. For example, in AMLP he referred to his anger as The Fury.

    I can understand that, but still..

    "Cannon on a Field of War." Room is often capitalised as well. And other words like Gym, Bathroom, Dinner, Hall...

    I just don't get it. Maybe, I do... but I don't think it adds to the book. He doesn't use punctuation correctly, yet he bothers to capitalise a few words...

    I don't know. I guess I don't really like his writing style, it becomes tedious too fast. Too bad, because I really loved the story and I couldn't put the book down.
    THANK YOU, LOSTDAWG!


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  • chime
    chime Posts: 7,839
    Collin wrote:
    I can understand that, but still..

    "Cannon on a Field of War." Room is often capitalised as well. And other words like Gym, Bathroom, Dinner, Hall...

    I just don't get it. Maybe, I do... but I don't think it adds to the book. He doesn't use punctuation correctly, yet he bothers to capitalise a few words...

    I don't know. I guess I don't really like his writing style, it becomes tedious too fast. Too bad, because I really loved the story and I couldn't put the book down.

    I think he is writing to emphasise how his mind was working at the time and that is where the punctuation comes in. I think the capitalising of the rooms is to show that these rooms had a personality to him so like you would capitalise a name :confused: ... I don't know may be I'm making it up :p ... It's been a few years since I read it

    I read that while he was writing he would listen to different types of music to help get him into the frame of mind for that particular part of the story.

    I really liked AMLP and MFL so will need to get this one at some point.

    ... and have to agree that what Oprah did to him really put me off her (although over here we only read about it)
    So are we strangers now? Like rock and roll and the radio?
  • Collin
    Collin Posts: 4,931
    Chime wrote:
    I think he is writing to emphasise how his mind was working at the time and that is where the punctuation comes in. I think the capitalising of the rooms is to show that these rooms had a personality to him so like you would capitalise a name :confused: ... I don't know may be I'm making it up :p ... It's been a few years since I read it

    I read that while he was writing he would listen to different types of music to help get him into the frame of mind for that particular part of the story.

    I really liked AMLP and MFL so will need to get this one at some point.

    ... and have to agree that what Oprah did to him really put me off her (although over here we only read about it)

    That's what I think as well. That his writing style reflects the mind of a drug addict or a recovering addict. His style was sort of direct, honest, fast... I liked that, but even so... I don't think there are any quotation marks in the whole book and I don't see how neglecting to use quotation marks adds to that feeling of ... his state of mind. A drug addict probably wouldn't bother to use them... But I don't know...

    It's not that important really. I liked the book a lot. It's a great story. It's just that I've been ruined by my English teachers :D
    THANK YOU, LOSTDAWG!


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