Tuesday, July 25, 2006
A Million Little Pieces
by James Frey
review by E. Dowson
This novel and supposed memoir by James Frey had so much buzz and controversy surrounding it I had to give it a try. It follows the story of drug addict Frey through his experiences at a rehabilitation clinic. Whether or not it’s true, and no matter the pretenses under which it was published, this is still a good read.
If you can put aside the question of its authenticity and read it as a novel, you will enjoy this book. Frey’s struggles taught me a lot about drug abuse and recovery programs. The characters that James meets in the clinic ring true and each share their engaging, heartbreaking stories. My brother, who is a college student and never reads for fun, visited me while I was reading the book, picked it up, and read the entire thing in two days (almost 400 pages).
One problem I had with the book was the writing style. It is written in stream of consciousness -- it’s written exactly as Frey's thoughts. There are no quotation marks around spoken lines and limited punctuation, which can be distracting and confusing. Also, if you’re easily offended by vulgar language, look out. The dialogue can be very stark and offensive.
Despite the scandal associated with this book, it is an emotional, important book. Read it if someone you know has a drug problem and would relate to the book, or if have little knowledge of the drug world, read it and learn.
review by E. Dowson
This novel and supposed memoir by James Frey had so much buzz and controversy surrounding it I had to give it a try. It follows the story of drug addict Frey through his experiences at a rehabilitation clinic. Whether or not it’s true, and no matter the pretenses under which it was published, this is still a good read.
If you can put aside the question of its authenticity and read it as a novel, you will enjoy this book. Frey’s struggles taught me a lot about drug abuse and recovery programs. The characters that James meets in the clinic ring true and each share their engaging, heartbreaking stories. My brother, who is a college student and never reads for fun, visited me while I was reading the book, picked it up, and read the entire thing in two days (almost 400 pages).
One problem I had with the book was the writing style. It is written in stream of consciousness -- it’s written exactly as Frey's thoughts. There are no quotation marks around spoken lines and limited punctuation, which can be distracting and confusing. Also, if you’re easily offended by vulgar language, look out. The dialogue can be very stark and offensive.
Despite the scandal associated with this book, it is an emotional, important book. Read it if someone you know has a drug problem and would relate to the book, or if have little knowledge of the drug world, read it and learn.
