A Million Little Pieces

Rating:
Summary: No middle point examined, by intent
Review: In my opinion this book strikes at the heart of the challenge of recovery. Like it or not, the good intentions of the institutional recovery machine do not necessarily work, however well intentioned and marginally effective. You don't need to identify with Frey himself and his own version of the depth of addiction to get this point. And certainly you don't need to (1) resent the writer for having the good fortune to come from a family of reasonable means(resenter reviewers awake, resentment is a core of addiction) (2) get caught up in anything other than the book itself like the absolutely ridiculous Publishers Weekly review. I mean, just read the book and don't think you have any business predicting the future of this writer, whoever you are at Publishers Weekly.

This is an exceptional account of the excruciating experience of addiction, and I don't care whether it's exaggerated, hyperventilated, or dilated. That's addiction, and he apparently came out. His career is his problem, not the reviewers. Great book for me and should be for others since I'm not any unique person.

Rating:
Summary: Compelling Read
Review: Despite the other less than glowing reviews, I loved this book. It kept me reading and what's more, and what is, to me, the mark of a good book, it kept me thinking about the main character when I wasn't reading it. Is it predictable? Somewhat, but the writing is fresh and incredibly, and sometimes brutally, honest. Frey has an arrogant, holier than thou persona, especially at the end, but I cheer his integrity in the face of so much self-help garbage that is out there. As a memior, it is lacking a reason for the addiction, but that is his main point: he is not a victim of anyone; only he made the choices that he made. If nothing else, this reasoning is refreshing and a great topic for discussion. Are addicts products of their families or is this a cop-out excuse? As for a predictable ending, yes and no--if you can, wait until the end and read about what happens to each of the characters. This is no fairy tale conclusion. Overall, even though I did find him self-aggrandizing, I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

Rating:
Summary: Very Hopeful
Review: While reading this story I was in the middle of a very similar situation with my brother ( heroin addict ) and it was very helpful for me to see inside the rehab walls and I felt as if this story was my brother's. I couldn't put the book down and I am very thankful he shared his life with us. I want to know what happens next?

Rating:
Summary: Don't Believe the Hype
Review: After finishing this book last night and feeling totally underwhelmed, I was curious to read what others are saying about it on Amazon. After perusing the customer reviews, it's clear that the majority of readers are having the same reaction to the book as I had. Why is this book receiving such praise? The writing itself is workmanlike and stilted. There is not one sentence I read that captured my imagination or impressed me. If we are speaking soley about skill, Frey seems to be lacking "chops." Indeed, it seems he's relying on formatting rather than the art of words to make his book special. Frankly, if you have to resort to wacky formatting, it might be a sign that you need a crutch. It certainly didn't enhance the reading experience or seem to have much of a purpose. Instead, it constantly took me out of the story. I wonder if the prose was forced to stand on its own the book would be receiving such unrestrained accolades. Furthermore, there is the issue of plot. I understand this is supposed to be a "true" story, but if it is, then Frey was living in the land of shopworn cliches: the hooker with the heart of gold, the loveable mobster who takes Frey under his wing, the DRAMATIC confrontation with a glass of liquor at the end. If this book were a work of fiction, would critics note these banalities? Overall, I would say this is a poorly written book with a predictable and tedious story and characters who seem lifted from a bad Hollywood movie about addicts. Before reading this book, I read DRY by Augusten Burroughs. If you want to read an original, funny and genuinely moving book about time in rehab, I would suggest you pass by A MILLION LITTLE PIECES and check out DRY.

Rating:
Summary: TRUE TO LIFE
Review: Beautifully written and very true if you've ever been addicted or known someone addicted. Thank Goodness someone stepped up to show the ugliness and brutality of addiction - as well as to proclaim that addiction is a choice! Many will disagree, but this society babies and victimizes addicts (keeping them addicted)by telling them they have a disease. Doesn't mean giving up that addiction is easy by any stretch of the imagination; however, it is a choice. In realizing that, one takes responsibility for one's actions!!!! Finally, as Pat Conroy says (on back of book) "And...the writing, the writing, the writing." Thank you James Frey.

Rating:
Summary: A Realistic Look at Addiction
Review: This book is not easy to read. Not in content, not in style. James Frey's story is a realistic account of addiction and recovery rather than the standard issue movie version. It is gritty, difficult, at time nauseating in it's descriptiveness of the depravities committed by and to addicts. I do find the style to be distracting from the story. His insistence on capitalizing certain nouns, eg. "I walked down the Hall to my Room" rather captured my attention far more than the plot. The single word "chain of consciousness" type writing is a distraction as well, I found myself skipping most of those parts in order to get to the real meat of the story. Overall, it is a good read, not an easy read and certainly not a comfortable read, but well worth investing time in.

Rating:
Summary: Uneven
Review: I must admit that I'm puzzled by all the completely positive reviews, if only because I didn't find there to be much "there" there. Frey is an excellent stylist, and his rambling, run-on sentences are entertaining to digest, but there's not so much plot to carry the action.

Perhaps this is why I was completely enthralled for the first 100 pages, when Frey first entered recovery and then, well, rather bored the rest of the way. It's rather delicious to read brutally honest passages about a drug addict before he cleans up, but those passages -- the ones about needing a fix and refusing a fix and looking up at the sun and then needing a fix again -- become trite and dull.

If you're looking for a great drug book, I'd try WSB first. At least he takes you somewhere (where his imagination intersects with his addition) that's somewhat interesting.

Rating:
Summary: poor james frey
Review: poor james frey -- a bored rich kid acquires a drug habit, is checked into an expensive rehab clinic by his parents, and goes on to write a "real" and "gritty" account of his trials.

and guess what -- the account is simply not very good. the style is gimmicky, with its unnecessary liberties with punctuation and frey's annoying Habit of capitalizing random nouns for no apparent Reason.

ignore the hype and pass on a million little pieces.

Rating:
Summary: Marketing Masters Strike Again
Review: It is difficult to get past all the marketing around this author to see that this is really a shallow effort. I mean, he doesn't even bother to ask the question of why he was addicted in the first place. Isn't that why we read memoirs, to get those answers? (It seems from the press that he's merely a self-indulgent rich kid, which could be a place to start, not a place to hide.) If you want to watch a guy going through the motions, if you want to be a victim of the massive marketing structure in place around this empty book (like any Hollywood film), then by all means, go ahead and click "buy." I for one prefer to spend my money on more meaningful attempts at truth, and wish I hadn't already tossed it away on this trifle.

Rating:
Summary: Here's the lowdown...
Review: Firstly, James Frey should be applauded for his courage and thanked for sharing his experiences with us all. Whether or not Mr. Frey's novel is like that of other addiction novels, as some reviewers have indicated, is irrelevant. What is relevant is that the author opened himself to change, had the courage to accept responsibility for his problems, and the drive to overcome a nearly insurmountable feat.

Secondly, what all potential readers should understand is that James Frey is a remarkable author not only because of his victory, but also because of his detailed recollection and brilliant delivery. From the very first sentence the reader becomes engulfed by Mr. Frey's world. You feel his pain, sense his frustration, and understand his logic.

A Million Little Pieces is a touching, inspiring, and beautiful story. I hope we can enjoy more of Mr. Frey's work soon.