James Franco Releases New Work of Fiction, Actors Anonymous

Actor James Franco released “Actors Anonymous,” a collection of fictional short stories that play off the idea of Alcoholics Anonymous but substitute actors who have their own issues and addictions, including sex and fame. It’s hard to read the book and not pick out at least some places where Franco is writing a veiled version of himself, and the inclusion of real letters, memos and emails written by Franco only adds to the feeling that this may be an autobiography in disguise. Some of the stories are very moving, like the one about the guy who volunteers at a hospital for the mentally handicapped, and some of the stories can be wickedly funny. The writing is good but the stories do meander a bit and there isn’t much to tie the stories together. Overall this book is a must read for James Franco fans but hardly required reading for everyone else.