Rating: 
Summary: Mr. Angry Confronts His Demons
Review: This book is about addiction and a man fighting to find his way out of the abyss through his own means, and not that of a prescribed 12 step program or guidance from a Higher Being. Frey is an angry, arrogant, existentialist. Frey makes no excuses, and accepts the consequences of his actions. Frey seeks to control his "Fury." His addictions are just the symptons of his Fury. The writing is unique and undisciplined, much like Frey. It's obvious that, as in his writing and life, Frey detests rules and authority. Frey is a compelling, loyal nihilist. It's not a book where you find yourself cheering for the protaganist as he "slays" his addictions for a new life of sobriety; rather, you find yourself wondering if and when will Frey again succumb to his Demons. I would like more from Frey about his life now; his temptations; and his "Fury."
Rating: 
Summary: Incredible Train-of-thought Narrative, Vivid Characters
Review: I loved this book. Depressing - yes. Is it worth it - yes. It's a brutally honest look at the horror and filth of addiction and the pain and depression of the healing process.
Rating:
Summary: Gritty story rings true
Review: 'A Million Little Pieces', James Frey's stylishly different memoir, recounts his arrival and subsequent rehabilitation at a clinic. The ups and numerous downs of his stay make for an engrossing if at times squirmy read. Perhaps the best part of the book is Frey's unflinching honesty with what happened and what he felt. It takes guts to put yourself out there like that and he should be commended for his perspective. 'A Million Little Pieces' is also notable for its dead-on portrayal of a man rebuilding his life. Frey does a remarkable job getting across the conflicting emotions and needs that you feel. His attempts at reconciliation with the family he has been trying to push away his whole life are particularly good. The awkwardness, the guilt and the anger are all present and splendidly captured. It is in these moments that '...Pieces' strikes a chord the most. If you have ever wondered or experienced what it is like to find yourself in a deep hole and to try to climb out of it and lead a 'normal' life this is the book for you. Nobody tells it like Frey does.
Rating:
Summary: a (slightly) flawed masterpiece
Review: I love the style. The omission of quotation marks and use of capitals on certain letters (e.g. Parent, Addict, Criminal, Girlfriend) are both well employed techniques. The story takes the reader in immediately. I read this book almost straight-through, and I seldom do that. There is a spot were it drags a bit around pages 250-300ish, but it is very much worth the read. I find it interesting how, despite the author's objection to twelve-step programs, he still does a very thorough first, fourth, and fifth step. Of course, the central problem of the book is doing the twelve steps if one is an atheist. In other words, is recovery possible if there is no "power greather than ourselves" that can restore us to sanity? Frey argues that if AA has only a 15 percent success rate, and so long as he himself has been successful maintaining his sobriety, then his method is just as good as AA. I would stipulate to this fact on his behalf; lots of people quit drinking through weight lifting or spirituality or art without AA. And I myself have grown tired of the arguments regarding genetics and disease. There is a small, but significant, portion of the population that quit drinking without AA, which people in AA are loathe to admit. Essentially, this is a coming-of-age book, and it is a very good one at that. The protagonist wakes up at 23 not having had an adolescence, so he has his during the two months in rehab. He rebels against his Parents, discovers love, and finally learns to be a man. This is a touching, lyrical, violent, gut-wrenching, funny, and very accessible work on growing up and getting rid of the worst demons imaginable.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful--but feel cheated
Review: Not being a literary critic, all I can feedback is how the book affected me--not whether it's well written or a good book: This book evoked really mixed feelings in me. Some very powerful and honest writing but I felt like in a number of places, even IF non-fiction, they were written as "scenes." A few that come to mind are when Leonard chases after James to bring him back to the clinic--maybe the "have a good life/it's been nice knowin' ya" or whatever it was goodnight, instead of "see ya tomorrow" was what tipped Leonard off? And the standing on the bridge over the Seine about to jump/priest scene... Goody for James if he is the one in a zillion who can stay sober by the might of his will. His will to not follow, among many others, the very sensible rules that patients in rehab don't romance each other and then to brag about it was pretty disturbing to me. How long was he in this place? 3 weeks? and he falls in "love" with another patient. He was the LAST thing she needed. And after pages about their love all she warrants is two lines in the epilogue. What happened? Did they stay in contact during his jail stint? Did she become inconvienient when he no longer needed comfort? WHAT? He comes off as a very cold fish. I guess my beef is that this book only covers a few of the weeks into his recovery. Where I feel cheated by this story is that he's a bad addict for 13 years and after 3 weeks in rehab he walks out into the world cured? What happened in his REAL recovery? What were the ramifications of his past actions and how did he cope and adjust? I guess if the book had been described as "My 3 weeks in rehab and that's it" I wouldn't have expected more. I was thorougly interested in all of the characters he introduced us to and very much enjoyed those parts of the book. Overall a very powerful book but read it with a pinch of salt. It's a pretty good read but don't expect to gain insight on how the non-willed zillions recover from addiction.
Rating:
Summary: Why I Work in the Detox Unit of a Treatment Center
Review: Read this book and you may understand why. James Frey's wonderful, dark, and truthful portrait of addiction and the infinitely small possibility of recovery is one of the most honest portrayals of drug addiction that I have ever read. It's not a pretty story as no true story of addiction can be. Frey writes about the gritty reality of life on drugs and never once attempts to glorify any of it. His story is sad, honest, frustrating. Vomit and snot and rage. Victims, brutality, and very little in the way of hope. Frey is a Substance Abuse Counselor's nightmare - he refuses to play by the rules, he won't attempt to "go along and get along", he often bites the hand that feeds him. His addiction is a living thing residing in his head like a monster with huge bloodied teeth. I loved this book. Read it, feel it, learn from it.
Rating: 
Summary: Yawn. Another addict, same story.
Review: Author rediscovers a formula: generic addiction + whining + teenage rants + targeted publicity= a "voice of a generation" book. Ignore the hype. Tales of addiction have been done better by others: Permanent Midnight, Jerry Stahl; Junky, William Burroughs; Basketball Diaries, Jim Carroll. Skip on the book and read the interviews with the author. They are more fascinating especially if you're the type drawn to scenes of car crashes and other mishaps. When the book is eclipsed by the story of the author then the book begs closer scrunity. In the naked text without the buzzing hype or the author's testerone fueled rants the story revealed itself for what it was: another story of addiction with promise which sank to the predictable. A story with a hint of substance But lacking.
Rating:
Summary: He wasn't lying about the Dave Eggers thing.
Review: Reading this book I can't help but be reminded of all the parallels between literature and music. Frey has rhythm. And melodies. And poignant silence.
The first thing I heard about this book was a quip regarding Dave Eggers, and how James Frey could write circles around him. I was intrigued, first because I found Eggers so totally pretentious that I couldn't get past page 5 of A Heartbreaking Work.., and second because I was thrilled that someone else didn't subscribe to the dominant trend of Eggers glorification.
This is a story about addiction and recovery, and a man who has the good fortune to receive the best treatment the country has to offer. Lucky for us, he has enough brains to challenge the system and think for himself, not blindly accepting the prescribed path. It's about breaking out of our hard shells, whether they've been formed by addictions or hate or what have you.
Rating:
Summary: James Frey
Review: This book was simply amazing. It is a must read for anyone who has experienced addiction problems as well as relationship ups and downs. James Frey is a genious!!
Rating:
Summary: read this book
Review: It's unfortunate that James Frey's debut novel received so much press so long before his book actually hit the shelves. Many people seem to be judging his work-or more accurately, him-based on a few interviews they've read. Why not read the book and decide for yourself? I promise you, it will be well worth your time, which is more than I can say about some of the articles written about him.
| 
