Truth in Memoir

•             How true does a book have to be in your mind to be considered non-fiction?   Why?

I think that a non-fiction book has to be at least 90 percent true to be labeled as a non-fiction book. I think this because; it doesn’t really matter if the author expands the truth just a little bit because he is still telling most of the truth. Like with the book a million little pieces. He said that just 18 pages were over exaggerated, which is equivalent to 5 percent of his book so 95 percent of his book is still true. Also if you like a book and find out that it isn’t true I don’t think you will care much because it was still a good book.

•             Are half-truths okay if it’s still a good story? Does it matter if Frey or Mortenson bent the truth to tell their stories?

I think that half-truths are ok but only if it is a good story. Because I don’t think anyone wants to read a book that is a bunch of way over the top lies and the book isn’t even well written.

•             Is David Shields right?  Do we need lines between genres—do we need to label something fiction or non-fiction?  Why does it matter?

I think that David Shields is right. I think this because it doesn’t really matter what the genre of the book is, it matters if it is a good book and people read it. Also it doesn’t matter because if a person likes a book that is labeled fiction, it would still be the same book if it was labeled non-fiction. I don’t really care what the genre of a book is, I don’t look for certain books that are in certain sections of the library.