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Katerina
Katerina | James Frey
From the New York Times bestselling author of A Million Little Pieces and Bright Shiny Morning comes Katerina, James Freys highly anticipated new novel set in 1992 Paris and contemporary Los Angeles. A kiss, a touch. A smile and a beating heart. Love and sex and dreams, art and drugs and the madness of youth. Betrayal and heartbreak, regret and pain, the melancholy of age. Katerina, the explosive new novel by Americas most controversial writer, is a sweeping love story alternating between 1992 Paris and Los Angeles in 2018. At its center are a young writer and a young model on the verge of fame, both reckless, impulsive, addicted, and deeply in love. Twenty-five years later, the writer is rich, famous, and numb, and he wants to drive his car into a tree, when he receives an anonymous message that draws him back to the life, and possibly the love, he abandoned years prior. Written in the same percussive, propulsive, dazzling, breathtaking style as A Million Little Pieces, Katerina echoes and complements that most controversial of memoirs, and plays with the same issues of fiction and reality that created, nearly destroyed, and then recreated James Frey in the American imagination.
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review
Eva_B
Katerina | James Frey
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Pickpick

I realise I am probably in the minority on this one, but I really enjoyed this book. I like the way he blurs fact with fiction (again!). I love the way he writes. Yes it‘s unconventional but not so far out of left field that you can‘t engage with it. Swearing, lack of punctuation and the odd bit of stream of consciousness doesn‘t bother me as it does some readers. If you feel the same way, give this book a try. Dare to be different! 😀

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Eva_B
Katerina | James Frey
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Well, it‘s that time of year again ....and once again my current read matches my Christmas tree decorations😂 I know this author has been the subject of controversy, however, I really love his writing and will continue to read his work.

5 likes1 stack add
review
Freespirit
Katerina | James Frey
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Bailedbailed

I can't find anything to recommend this book. I didn't like the writing, the story or the main character! I think it's a memoir.....about a shallow, sex obsessed young would-be writer.....I did however very much enjoy the comments from my other postal markup team members @thegreensofa @LapReader @CarolynM and I feel like we need to get together for coffee/wine to complete our literary review in person😂❤️ #LMPBC #GroupZ #ozgroup

LapReader I was thinking an Australian Litsy meet up would be fun. 5y
Freespirit A trip to Melbourne would be fun😍 @LapReader (edited) 5y
LapReader I‘ve always wanted to go to the Writer‘s Festival there. 5y
See All 7 Comments
CarolynM I would love to catch up with you @Freespirit @lapreader let me know if you're coming to Melbourne. 😘😘 5y
Freespirit I will definitely do that @CarolynM 🤗 5y
thegreensofa I agree, this book was nuts! I hated it too, but I am really looking forward to getting it back and reading everyone‘s comments in it ☺️. Much wine 🍷 will be needed @Freespirit if we talk about it at a meetup! 😂. So embarrassed that I picked it! But yes count me in too :) 🙋🏼‍♀️💚💚 5y
Freespirit Hi @thegreensofa I have picked some horrors over the years..it‘s good to read the occasional dud just so the others shine. We should plan a get together some day😍 5y
33 likes7 comments
review
CarolynM
Katerina | James Frey
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Panpan

At first I felt this was a car crash kind of book - ugly but difficult to look away from - and I was interested in where it was going. My major problem with it was its shallowness, I never felt I had any sense of the MC other than as a pretentious drunk so I had no emotional investment in him. Then came the insta-love and the appalling series of clichés which would have embarrassed most romance novelists. ? #LMPBC #GroupZ

CarolynM I was also super annoyed by the blame shifting he indulged in over the A Million Little Pieces fiasco. If there's an apology version of the humble brag, this was it. I've never read that book and I'm not an Oprah fan so I have no particular views about what happened, but the way he talked about it here was really, really obnoxious. 5y
CarolynM And don't get me started on the sex scenes! Ugh!! 5y
Graywacke Points for bravery for trying this one, Carolyn. 5y
See All 26 Comments
Alfoster Sooo agree! I got tired of his constant need for pastries and sex!🤣🤣🤣 5y
Freespirit Wow....not sure what's ahead 😬 5y
Reggie Lolololol I knew you wouldn‘t like it. 5y
Reggie Truth be told, I really liked this one. 5y
CarolynM @Reggie I get what you said about "prick lit" and it wasn't the drinking and vomiting I had a problem with. For me the worst bit was the "romance" which I found unconvincing and shockingly clichéd. If you're writing a formulaic romance that's got some amusement value I'll forgive you. If you're making a claim for literature I need more substance in the characters and more originality in the story if I'm going to care. 5y
Reggie @CarolynM how can one not fall in love with the person who saves them from themselves. He would have frozen to death in the snow if it weren‘t for her. And she saw through him to the good person he was. She even said it. “You act like an asshole but you aren‘t, there are guys who don‘t act like it but they are.” And then she broke his heart....😭. Lol can I ask you to do an exercise. Would you feel the same if the genders were switched? 5y
CarolynM @Graywacke I don't know about that. Ultimately I just didn't think it was very good. 5y
CarolynM @Reggie I think so. Both characters were superficially drawn. I didn't feel like there was enough in the text to show any real connection between them. We were told there was but not shown it. That's a killer for me, even in the trashy romance novels I like to read at bedtime🙂 Same with the idea he was a good person really - where was the evidence for that? He didn't do anything that made me think he was good. I don't think she did save him👇 5y
CarolynM @Reggie He'd apparently slept off a drunken stupor in similar conditions before. The whole breaking up over infidelity thing, the pregnancy, the terminal illness - it's all been done a million times. If she'd been the addict, he'd been the unfaithful one, he was the one dying - it wouldn't make a difference, it's still old hat. If you're going to use those tropes you need to write a lot better than this. 5y
CarolynM @Freespirit Don't worry too much, I'm just hard to please 😉😬 5y
CarolynM @Alfoster Indeed! 5y
GlassAsDiamonds Having not (and never likely to) read the book... I‘m totally here for the “formulaic romance with amusement values” comment 😂😂😂😂👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻😂😂😂😂 5y
CarolynM @GlassAsDiamonds You know exactly what I mean🙂 5y
CarolynM @Reggie I'm sorry. I didn't mean to harangue you and I don't mean to criticise you for liking the book. I am convinced by things others find questionable. We all bring our own understandings to our reading and often I think they are what determine our connection with the material. I enjoy other people's opinions even if I disagree and I forget sometimes that I express myself in stronger terms than others might be comfortable with. 5y
Reggie Oh no, chica, I totally appreciate your view. I didn‘t take anything you said personal. I don‘t think of you any differently for not liking this book. We‘re cool. 😊 5y
CarolynM @Reggie That's good. Thanks🙂 5y
Jeg Maybe not one I‘ll buy. 5y
CarolynM @Jeg I'm glad I didn't spend my money on it🙂 5y
CarolynM @Freespirit I put this in the post for you today🙂 5y
Freespirit Thanks @CarolynM . I am posting Euphoria off to you @thegreensofa tomorrow. Sorry for the delay. 5y
thegreensofa @Freespirit thank you :), no worries about being late, was following your holiday posts looked great! 😊 5y
thegreensofa @CarolynM I so agree about Katerina! 🙄😳 5y
Freespirit Thanks @CarolynM I received the book...50 pages in...not a fan so far! 5y
63 likes26 comments
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CarolynM
Katerina | James Frey
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Yay, it has arrived! Thanks Alissa😘
#LMPBC #GroupZ

LapReader Sorry @CarolynM I‘m in Samoa. 5y
CarolynM @LapReader No problem, I was only concerned in case it had gone missing in the post (it wouldn't be the first time something sent to me disappeared). Enjoy Samoa! 5y
Reggie I‘m curious to hear what you think about this.... 5y
CarolynM @Reggie I'll be reading it over the next few days because I need to get I on tot he next person in line, so you should see a review soon🙂 5y
47 likes4 comments
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LapReader
Katerina | James Frey
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Pickpick

I‘m away for my partner‘s 47th b‘day at The Anchorage. Service is excellent. Margaritas in the spa? No prob. Candle on the balcony? No worries. Breakfast comes with bottomless champagne as does arvo high tea. I‘m enjoying this book despite the fact that the main character is acting like an adolescent brat. It‘s taking me ages to absorb a pg as despite this he is making me think & everyone can remember what it feels like to be a passionate teen.

thegreensofa Jealous!!!😍 Sounds so nice there! I'm so happy too that you are enjoying the book, I couldn't take to it and I was so scared it was too offensive for everyone!😳 5y
Freespirit Wow looks fantastic. Looking forward to reading it. 5y
See All 10 Comments
CarolynM Just wondering if you have sent this to me yet? No pressure, but I'm starting to get a bit worried that it's gone astray. 5y
LapReader Whoops @CarolynM I will pop it in the post tomorrow. Sorry. 5y
CarolynM No problem. Thank you.🙂 5y
CarolynM Sorry to be a nag, but did you get around to mailing the book? I haven't received it yet. 5y
LapReader I did @CarolynM. I will check the tracking when I get home from work for you. 5y
CarolynM Thank you. 5y
CarolynM Nagging again😬 Did you check the tracking? There's still no sign of it at my end.🙁 5y
39 likes10 comments
review
amyf0x
Katerina | James Frey
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Mehso-so

A depressed, middle-aged writer‘s online conversation with someone from his past sparks reflections on his wild, alcohol-fuelled romps in Paris in the 90s as a wannabe Henry Miller and other male authors he idolized.

Read August 9-15
Book 43/55

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Reggie
Katerina | James Frey
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The MC, in the present, is depressed, preventing him from #fixingahole in his life. Then he gets a phone call from someone that takes him back to the 90‘s in his 20‘s when he left school to go to Paris where he got #hookedonafeeling about a girl. I thought about this book a lot when I read Milkman because of the repetitive sentences just switched around. But Middle Sister was no cocaine addicted alcoholic. #BeatleMaynia #MayMovieMagic

Cinfhen Nice mash up!!! Is this the same author as 5y
RohitSawant Awesome post! 🙌🏼 5y
Eggs Great job and I 💗 the pic collage 5y
See All 12 Comments
gradcat I didn‘t even know about this book by Frey...is it fairly new? 5y
Reggie @Cinfhen yes it is. @rohit-sawant @Eggs Thanks!!! @gradcat it came out last year. 5y
gradcat Sounds kind of interesting...thanks for the info! 5y
Cinfhen Now I see it mentions A Million Little Pieces on the book cover 🤦‍♀️ 5y
Cinfhen Stacking 5y
merelybookish The reviews of this were dismal. But you disagree? 5y
Reggie I do but I think it may be that I‘m a dude and this would go under that crass title of “prick” lit. Where it‘s written in a guy way, by a guy who is drunk and throwing up, but if you can manage to look beyond that there is a crushing love story. I did, I did like it. @merelybookish 5y
jillannjohn Thanks for this. You just made up my mind about that $1.99 kindle deal. 😃 5y
Reggie @jillannjohn I hope you like it!!!😊 5y
72 likes12 comments
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nikirtehsuxlol
Katerina | James Frey
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Kitty is like - hey, not so fast with this reading bullshit, I need a place to prop my paws.

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nikirtehsuxlol
Katerina | James Frey
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I‘ve heard terrible things about this book but here goes nothing. See also: I‘ll make the decision on what I hate or not.

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MelAnn
Katerina | James Frey
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Mel Robbins recommended this book in her newsletter - I got the sample and I literally couldn‘t purchase the book fast enough to keep reading! I may keep reading til the end with this one! Love it!

83 likes2 stack adds
review
Jason7
Katerina | James Frey
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Pickpick

James Frey is controversial figure in the literary world. He tells lies in memoirs and tells truth in fiction, blurring the lines between genres and catching hell for it. His writing style is different. He repeats phrases often and uses excessive profanity. All that being said, Katerina is a damn good audiobook, baring the good, the bad, and the ugly. Frey isn‘t the best narrator, but he‘s the best narrator for this audiobook. Overall rating: 4.69

MelAnn I have the kindle book but wondered if it would be any good on audio! I‘m loving it! 5y
Jason7 It‘s really good on audio because James Frey narrates it himself. I think it adds something to a novel when an author reads their own work (if they are a good narrator) Katerina is one of my favorite audiobooks of 2018. 5y
15 likes2 stack adds2 comments
review
Reggie
Katerina | James Frey
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Pickpick

This is not what I was expecting. The book covers 2 periods in Jay‘s life. His 2017, self-hating, empty, yet successful existence and his 1992, went to Paris to live life, get drunk, get coked up, appreciate art and become a writer who burns the world down life. He meets Katerina in Paris and they reconnect on the internet in the present. Despite his vomiting, and the vulgar language, the run on sentences with no punctuation that made me 👇🏼

Reggie me feel as if I was the drunk one with my eyes rolling back barely trying to keep awake, I bought into Jay and became smitten with him and Katerina and allowed them to crush me😭. Thanks @Candority for the pan review that hooked me. (edited) 6y
candority Bahaha thanks for the shout out! I‘m glad you enjoyed it. Even though I didn‘t like most of the book, that ending crushed me too! 😢 6y
SandyW And Reggie, I'm not Sie if this review makes me want to read the book, or avoid it at all costs! Stacked (I'll see how I feel later.) 6y
See All 6 Comments
Reggie Lol, I don‘t know what to tell you @SandyW. If you read all the reviews, they‘re all over the place. It does get pretty rough in Paris with his alcoholism, and that‘s putting it as politely as I can say. But there is a love story in here that made it all worth for me. Who knows what anyone will feel about a book. If you choose to read it, I hope you like it. 6y
kamoorephoto I want to read this one!! 5y
kamoorephoto PS. This is the name I chose for my character in the new book by Sarah Glenn Marsh (just a small one): 5y
52 likes5 stack adds6 comments
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Reggie
Katerina | James Frey
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Reviewsbylola I love the gloominess in this picture. 🖤 6y
emilyhaldi This is good 🖤 6y
Cathythoughts Fantastic quote 💫💫💫 6y
46 likes3 comments
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LauraBeth
Katerina | James Frey
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Devil‘s Triangle

vivastory No Amazon box/throne today? 😂 6y
LauraBeth @vivastory 😂 I threw them all away. Which means I need to order some new books! 6y
vivastory Sounds like a good plan to me! 6y
See All 21 Comments
DGRachel 😍😍 6y
Karkar Now I feel like I needed a picture of this throne of Amazon boxes. 🤣🤣🤣 6y
Christine 😂😂😂! Let me just go add this to the Wikipedia entry... 6y
Reecaspieces Hey Bitsy! 6y
LauraBeth @DGRachel how goes the training with my girl Bailey? 6y
LauraBeth @Karkar 🤣🤣🤣 6y
LauraBeth @Christine just be sure to do it from a library IP address and not from Capitol Hill! 🤣 6y
LauraBeth @Reecaspieces you KNOW that Bitsy waves 👋 to your crew! 😀 6y
DGRachel @LauraBeth Second class is tomorrow at Lowe‘s. She stays off the furniture during the day, but I invite her up on my bed at bedtime and when I was home sick with a migraine. The trainer can KMA about that. 😂 Other than a couple of scary incidents on Saturday, Bailey hasn‘t tried to sit on or eat Scooter, so that‘s a plus. But I‘m still constantly stressed. Mom is more relaxed. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Give Bitsy kisses from me! 😘 6y
Reecaspieces @LauraBeth we have a new member of the crew. Her name is Chloe. When you have a husband as a small town lawyer. They pay you in cows chickens and dogs...this is Lulus sister. She is a black maltipoo. What‘s one more 🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ 6y
UwannaPublishme Awww. Alway love seeing Bitsy! 💕 6y
Suet624 Fantastic post. 6y
LauraBeth @Reecaspieces oh my gosh - how did I miss this?! That reminds me of Doc Hollywood 😹 6y
Reecaspieces @LauraBeth 😂😂😂 the pig!! I forgot about that 6y
Reecaspieces @LauraBeth hahahahaha! This just made my terrible horrible no good day so much better!!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😂😂😂 6y
109 likes21 comments
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Reggie
Katerina | James Frey
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Jesus!!!! James Frey!!! I‘m just trying to have lunch at work. Not mid, 20‘s, crazy flashbacks. @LauraBeth I just started, and am digging it so far.

LauraBeth That‘s the best love 6y
Suet624 @LauraBeth yup. 💕💕 6y
MelAnn When I read this part I was screaming out loud. “Yes yes yes!” 5y
55 likes3 comments
review
Bookalong
Katerina | James Frey
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Pickpick

Written like a memoir that is indeed fiction. Taking place between 1992 Paris where two young people, a writer and a model are both on the verge of becoming famous end up falling madly and recklessly in love. Flash forward to 2018 in LA where the writer is now married, famous and rich but very unhappy. He receives an anonymous message that may lead him back to the abandoned love of his youth.
#bookreview #bookreviewer #bookblogger #bookblog

Alfoster Didn‘t love it but the ending redeemed it for me! 6y
Bookalong @Alfoster Yay! Have you read his other books? 6y
Alfoster Yes, only the first one though. 6y
18 likes1 stack add3 comments
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merelybookish
Katerina | James Frey
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"The only thing you really need to know about Katerina is that it's ridiculous." ?
I always enjoy a good pan and "worst novel of the year" is pretty bad!
I guess I don't need to add this to the TBR pile.

GingerAntics Ouch!!! 6y
MelissaSue81 😂 6y
Leftcoastzen I just love that headline!😀😂 6y
See All 17 Comments
LauraBeth Kinda makes me want to read it!😂🤦‍♀️ 6y
JacqMac It almost makes me want to read it now though. Lol 6y
LeahBergen 😂😂 6y
LauraBeth I just watched the video from Ron Charles 😂😂 6y
Kalalalatja And now I‘m super curious! 😂😂😂 6y
merelybookish @LauraBeth I know! 😂😂 Still want to read it? 6y
merelybookish @laurabeth @JacqMac @Kalalalatja You guys can have a buddy read and let me know... Maybe Ron Charles is wrong about all the vomiting. 😂 6y
merelybookish @Leftcoastzen Agreed. I don't read a lot of book reviews bit that headline was irresistible 6y
Suet624 Wow! Kinda feel bad for the author. 6y
2BR02B @Suet624 read up on the author and his publishing house, Full Fathom Five. He is a terrible human being. 6y
Suet624 @2BR02B interesting 6y
MelAnn I‘m reading it now and I love this book! 5y
merelybookish @MelAnn That's great! For every book a reader! Reading is subjective. 🙂 5y
CarolynM I've just read this and I have to say, I agree with the Washington Post. 5y
74 likes17 comments
review
candority
Katerina | James Frey
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Panpan

For the vast majority of this book, I despised it. I wanted to quit because I was tired of the repetitiveness, the lack of commas, the lack of quotation marks, the vulgarity, and my general dislike of the main character, Jay. Then I got to the end and it completely crushed me. Although, unfortunately, the heart wrenching ending does not make up for all of the pages I had to read to get there (but it did bump my rating up from 1 to 2 stars).

bookwrm526 That must be one heck of an ending!! 6y
Reggie I‘m totally into these reviews that are supposed to make me feel one way but just make me want to read it. Lol 6y
See All 10 Comments
candority @Reggie 😂 I know exactly what you mean! Hopefully you enjoy it more than I did! 6y
LauraBeth Hey @Reggie - my library had a copy available - do you want to read this with me? 🤣 6y
Reggie @LauraBeth I‘m so sorry, I just saw this message but if you‘re still down to read it, I‘ll read it with you. 6y
LauraBeth Let‘s do it @reggie! I‘ll go pick up a copy today or tomorrow@🎉 6y
Reggie I‘m 15% away from the end. Does Katarina have cancer? There‘s a knot in my chest. Don‘t tell me. Lol 6y
candority @Reggie My lips are sealed. Can‘t wait to hear your final thoughts! 6y
Reggie 😭😭😭😭😭 6y
75 likes1 stack add10 comments
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Reecaspieces
Katerina | James Frey
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Mississippi never leaves you. Lol

eanderson Love!!! 6y
LauraBeth I love the lilt of a Mississippi accent - so pretty! 6y
Reecaspieces @LauraBeth you mean the redneck sound 😂 6y
See All 6 Comments
britt_brooke Love this! 6y
TNbookworm ❤❤ 6y
85 likes6 comments