Product Description

James Frey wakes up on a plane, with no memory of the preceding two weeks. His face is cut and his body is covered with bruises. He has no wallet and no idea of his destination. He has abused alcohol and every drug he can lay his hands on for a decade – and he is aged only twenty-three.

What happens next is one of the most powerful and extreme stories ever told. His family takes him to a rehabilitation centre. And James Frey starts his perilous journey back to the world of the drug and alcohol-free living. His lack of self-pity is unflinching and searing.

A Million Little Pieces is a dazzling account of a life destroyed and a life reconstructed. It is also the introduction of a bold and talented literary voice. (20040322)

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4692 in Books
• Published on: 2004-05-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 528 pages

Amazon.com
When he entered a residential treatment centre at the age of twenty-three, James Frey had destroyed his body and his mind almost beyond repair. He faced a stark choice: accept that he wasn’t going to see twenty-four or step into the fallout of his smoking wreck of a life and take drastic action. Surrounded by patients as troubled as he, Frey had to fight to find his own way to confront the consequences of the life he had lived so far, and to determine what future, if any, he has. A Million Little Pieces is an uncommon account of a life destroyed and a life reconstructed.

Review
'Excellent ! Frey's storytelling feels compulsive, involuntary ! poignant and tragic. The forthcoming film will almost certainly be a cult hit ! The good thing about Frey is that he writes as if he needs to; I hope his new compulsion thrives' -- William Leith, Spectator 'James Frey's utterly mesmerising account ! [is] easily the most remarkable non-fiction book about drugs and drug taking since Hunter S Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ! As a memoir, it is almost mythic. You can imagine it made epic by Martin Scorsese, the auteur of wayward American maleness in all its extremity ! Utterly compulsive' -- Observer 'Frey really can write. Brilliantly. And if you don't think so, f*** you' -- Evening Standard 'Clear sighted and intellectually honest' -- Literary Review 'A heartbreaking memoir ! inspirational and essential' -- Bret Easton Ellis 'This book is definitely going to be huge ! There is no question that he's a good writer. As soon as you start reading the book, Frey's voice rings out. It's clear and sharp and turbocharged ! We love rehab memoirs. This is a good one. It might even be a great one' -- Independent 'An extraordinary and deeply moving book that will make you think about family, friendship, love, religion, death and perhaps most of all, the human spirit' -- Irish Sunday Independent 'Startling and ultimately breath taking' -- Kirkus Reviews 'Horribly honest and funny ! Read this immediately' -- Gus Van Sant 'Harrowing, poetic and rather magnificent' -- FHM 'James Frey spent ten years addicted to alcohol and crack before going into rehab at the age of 23. This unrelenting memoir of his recovery spares no detail. Luckily, he is a good writer -- indulgent and uncompromising' -- Metro 'Frey is selfish, egocentric, violent and pompous ... What redeems this insufferably bad mannered book is that, at the end of the day, Frey can write. Brilliantly' -- Scotsman 'Frey's writing style vividly conveys the horrors of addiction ... dark humour and sharp observations are evidence of a keen intelligence and an unusual strength of character ... a totally absorbing book' -- The Magistrate 20040201 'Harrowing and unflinching ! This is not a book about drugs but about their aftermath ! Though definitely not for the faint hearted, Frey is often darkly and self deprecatingly funny. This is, in essence, a story of redemption and an incredibly moving one. This is a great book' -- Waterstone's Books Quarterly 20040201 'This book is a raging, brilliant debut.' -- Waterstone's Books Quarterly 20040322 'Crafted from genuine, raw emotion.' -- Irish Examiner 20040322 'Blisteringly written ! The prose is superb' -- Daily Express 20050826 'James Frey propelled the memoir of dysfunctional life to the top of the bestseller lists' -- Daily Telegraph 20060523 'Frey's book combined high quality drug porn with memorable characters and a strong narrative arc that describes a modern version of Rake's Progress.' -- Druglink Magazine 20060601 'The last remarkable book I read! I couldn't put it down.' -- Q Magazine, Dave Matthews 20060701

James Frey comes to his senses on a plane, his face shattered and his body disintegrating from alcohol and drug abuse. In a desperate attempt to rescue him, his parents take him to a rehabilitation centre, where he must face the demons that have made him a violent, suicidal addict at the age of 23. He discovers a world peopled with despondent, damaged and determined characters. His friends, his family and most of all his beloved Lilly teach Frey how to love again. Frey's journey from the degradation of substance abuse to moral and spiritual redemption is as immaculately paced and structured as a novel. This bittersweet memoir is written with searing honesty. It is unflinching and devoid of self-pity, but filled with love and understanding for Frey's fellow-sufferers and his family. Uplifting, challenging and devastating in turns, this beautifully written book is poignant and compelling to the very end. (Kirkus UK)

Review
‘Excellent … Frey's storytelling feels compulsive, involuntary … poignant and tragic. The forthcoming film will almost certainly be a cult hit … The good thing about Frey is that he writes as if he needs to; I hope his new compulsion thrives’ (William Leith, Spectator )

‘James Frey’s utterly mesmerising account … [is] easily the most remarkable non-fiction book about drugs and drug taking since Hunter S Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas … As a memoir, it is almost mythic. You can imagine it made epic by Martin Scorsese, the auteur of wayward American maleness in all its extremity … Utterly compulsive’ (Observer )

‘Frey really can write. Brilliantly. And if you don’t think so, f*** you’ (Evening Standard )

‘Clear sighted and intellectually honest’ (Literary Review )

‘A heartbreaking memoir … inspirational and essential’ (Bret Easton Ellis )

‘This book is definitely going to be huge … There is no question that he’s a good writer. As soon as you start reading the book, Frey’s voice rings out. It’s clear and sharp and turbocharged … We love rehab memoirs. This is a good one. It might even be a great one’ (Independent )

‘An extraordinary and deeply moving book that will make you think about family, friendship, love, religion, death and perhaps most of all, the human spirit’ (Irish Sunday Independent )

‘Startling and ultimately breath taking’ (Kirkus Reviews )

‘Horribly honest and funny … Read this immediately’ (Gus Van Sant )

‘Harrowing, poetic and rather magnificent’ (FHM )

‘James Frey spent ten years addicted to alcohol and crack before going into rehab at the age of 23. This unrelenting memoir of his recovery spares no detail. Luckily, he is a good writer – indulgent and uncompromising’ (Metro )

‘Frey is selfish, egocentric, violent and pompous . . . What redeems this insufferably bad mannered book is that, at the end of the day, Frey can write. Brilliantly’ (Scotsman )

'Frey's writing style vividly conveys the horrors of addiction ... dark humour and sharp observations are evidence of a keen intelligence and an unusual strength of character ... a totally absorbing book' (The Magistrate )

‘Harrowing and unflinching … This is not a book about drugs but about their aftermath … Though definitely not for the faint hearted, Frey is often darkly and self deprecatingly funny. This is, in essence, a story of redemption and an incredibly moving one. This is a great book’ (Waterstone's Books Quarterly )

'This book is a raging, brilliant debut.' (Waterstone's Books Quarterly )

‘Crafted from genuine, raw emotion.’ (Irish Examiner )

‘Blisteringly written … The prose is superb’

(Daily Express )

‘James Frey propelled the memoir of dysfunctional life to the top of the bestseller lists’

(Daily Telegraph )

‘Frey’s book combined high quality drug porn with memorable characters and a strong narrative arc that describes a modern version of Rake’s Progress.’

(Druglink Magazine )

‘The last remarkable book I read… I couldn’t put it down.’

(Q Magazine, Dave Matthews )

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Customer Reviews

Sensation - the best autobiography ever written.
James Frey is the best writer for four hundred years and this book, like his others, transcends all the normal rules of "literature" to create a level of humanity that is completely exceptional.

Good 'story' from a pompous man
I agree with one of the reviews on the inside cover of the paperback edition which calls Frey selfish, egocentric, violent & pompous. I sensed from the off that something wasn't quite right about the tale Frey was telling. Ultimately he seems more concerned with telling a good story than saying anything that may benefit other recovering addicts. His stubborn rejection of the 12 step programme made him seem like an idiot. As an adult he recalled a childhood 'prank' of him locking his pal in a box. He showed no remorse and said that he still found it funny. The passage of time had not taught him any sense of humility or to care for anyone other than himself. This recollection occured as he was reluctantly working through the early stages of the 12 steps, which he selfishly agreed to do in order to get released from rehab. I regret spending good money on this book and adding to the wealth of this odius man. I would not pay to read the sequel 'My Friend Leonard'

Dreary
Don't believe any of the hype. It makes no difference whether this lame tale is viewed as autobiography or as fiction. It is totally worthless as an example of either genre. James Frey appears to be an unoriginal and illiterate chancer, who tries desperately to sound like Jack Kerouac or Hunter S. Thompson - but lacks their talents. His style is repetitive and pretentious. His story line is banal, cliche-ridden and implausible. His characters lack substance or credibility. Resist the hype. Don't waste your money (or your time) on this tedious, over-publicised eyewash.