Rating: 
Summary: It's a shame...
Review: That Gus Van Sant has already optioned the rights to James (Next time you get a tattoo be sure your mantra can fit on your arm) Frey because I think it would be the perfect vehicle for the next Ed Burns movie.By the way, what's the difference between mentioning that you read Foster Wallace when 1) it's as counterproductive as the person who did it in the first place [that's to the guy who thinks mentioning Infinite Jest is somehow snobby or elitist. If you think citing that book is indictative of someone's intelligence, may I suggest you put down your book before you hurt yourself] and b)in your mentioning that you've read A Million Little Pieces aren't you doing the exact same thing? Or is A Million Little Pieces somehow less 'smart' that IJ? I don't get it. You're trying to defend one book by pointing out its inferiorities to another book. Some fan you are. Or maybe you're in charge of Frey's Media Assualt on Those Who Think Being a Bouncer and Getting a Root Canal are Signs of Someone's Authenticity and Manhood. A P.O.W. ain't got nothing on F'in Jimmy Frey. Anyway. I read the book and I have to say that Frey has as good a command of pacing as your average screenwriter, which, judging from his credits, he seems to have been in another life. I give him high marks for turning up the volume on the self-mythology, but that seems to be par for the course for an Autobiography, which is what this book is, not a Memoir. A memoir constitutes the recollections of a life lived. What Frey has written is a What I Did On My Summer Vacation with the boring [i.e., real] stuff left out and all the exciting [i.e., fiction] stuff left in. (Bonding w/ Gangsters? Prostitutes with Hearts of Gold? Frey's like a hypercaffeinated mix of a third-rate Scorcese [Rob Cohen, Sal Stabile] and Garry Marshall.) What really gets me going is that people are still buying the whole Drug Addict/Countercultural Hero b-s. My mother is a drug addict. She lives an hour outside of Chicago in a town that doesn't have a shopping mall. Her hip has degenerated to the point that to get out of bed in the morning she has to take two types of painkiller, a steroid and a muscle relaxer to offset the steroid. She listens to Andrea Bottcelli and collects ceramic roosters. Take her drugs away and within two hours she'd be defecating on her lawn and threatening relatives with scalding cookware. Kicking drugs and then having the gall the write about your experience is like a carb addict going through bread withdrawl and then announcing to the world that they've been to hell and back. What I'd like to see Frey kick is his addiction to himself. Drugs don't make you a jerk. You make yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: A Hard Bitten Existentialist (Self) Love Story
Review: I truly enjoyed this book. Frey's a man at home with brutality, which makes his compassion extraordinarily compelling. The book is filled with characters whose circumstances (addiction) force them to come to terms with themselves and their lives. What their recovery program, which binds them together, would have them come to terms with, however, is their ADDICTION. To do this, they, Frey included, are offered 12 steps to which they're expected, even commanded, to adhere--lest they die (literally). Frey tells these character's stories with the same honesty, clarity, and immediacy that he tells his own. Yet, he sets himself apart by steadfastly refusing to give himself over to the program, and, most pointedly, by declining to place responsibility for himself, his life and actions, over to a higher power. Frey chooses instead to take ultimate responsibility for himself and his relation to the world. It's his choosing of this other course that makes Frey's story applicable to us all. His life story (up to age 23) is more dramatic than most, but the core issue he's chosen to address is universal: How does one face oneself, others, and the world truthfully and without fear? A Million Little Pieces is a highly entertaining read, written in a style that marries the edge of Henry Miller with the poetry of Jack Kerouac, that serves as reflection, guide, and inspiration. I hope it receives the status and readership it deserves. Keep it up, Mr. Frey. I can't wait for the next book.
Rating:
Summary: ...and the writing, the writing, the writing
Review: Pat Conroy said it best. This book takes the reader through an incredible journey. Never before have I read a 400 page book in under two days. James Frey shows strength, humility, integrity, and tenderness throughout his accounts of drug abuse and recovery. I will never be able to experience what he felt during that time in his life but his writing brought me closer than I ever could have imagined (terrifying)...and that is a true gift.
Rating:
Summary: Responsibility
Review: A terrific story with a message that applies to everyone. James was able to beat his addictions by accepting responsibility for what he did, not by blaming someone else. The world would be a better place if more people took a page from James' book.
Rating:
Summary: captivating!
Review: James Frey draws you into his experience with unforgiving details. His haunting narrative is explosive; his characters real and seriously flawed. He leaves you laughing, crying, contemplating and hoping. A MUST read!
Rating:
Summary: James Frey, A Million Little Pieces
Review: When I picked up James Frey's book, A Million Little Pieces - I had no idea I would be hit so hard and feel compelled to stay up all night and finish this amazing story of addiction, love and survival. The intense writing style and raw emotion that spills from the pages of this fantastic work have left me wanting more! James - when is your next novel coming out? I learned a lot from James and know that you will as well. Buy it! You will be spellbound.
Rating:
Summary: Wild Ride
Review: Read this book. Frey takes you on a compelling, focused, stalwart climb from his near fatal collapse (literally and figuratively) to a peak of acceptance of and control over himself. Ranging from despictable to noble, funny to serious, depressing to uplifting, the thoughts, emotions and acts presented in the book are a treat. Plus, Frey's pulsating style of presentation enhances the impact of the book's powerful substance. I was left wanting more. I eagerly await another window into Frey's transformation and the addictive mind.
Rating:
Summary: Great read - truth, honesty, friendship
Review: What a story. Around every turn this is intense drama reflective of the hard, intense, honest life James has lead. The first half of the book is gripping - the pain, the "toughness", the fear is very moving. At the same time you love and pity James - yet you always respect his determination. The second half of the book is about building self-esteem, friendship and trust. The entire book is very moving and well written. A million little pieces is one perfect masterpiece. A MUST READ.
Rating:
Summary: A writer for a generation?
Review: After having read James Frey's debut novel, my answer is an unequivocal and resounding yes. I cannot remember a book evoking such a wide variety of emotions from me. Horror and shock at the damage and visceral accounting of the author's self-destruction; awe at Frey's shockingly honest and unfiltered description of himself and the path which led him to his crossroads; gut wrenching sadness at the shattered lives of the characters and pride and joy at the truth that free-will, friendship, integrity and love can liberate even the most self-destructive of people. Through "A Million Little Pieces" Frey allows us to see a human being at his absolute worst and 200 pages later at his best. Driving home the themes of self-accountability, integrity, honesty, friendship, love and free will through his journey, Frey brings the reader along with electric dialog, hearty laughter and tearful moments of both pain and joy. A writer for a generation... I hope so.
Rating:
Summary: True honesty - extremely well written
Review: This story was overwhelming. The initial 150 pages grab your attention with the honest rememberance of James' initial pain and suffering in his quest to become sober. The strength of this individual is only equal to the sincerety of his story. The remainder of the book is a total quest for friendship and truth.
The book is a MUST READ - A million little pieces is one complete piece of masterful reading.
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