regardless of what you have heard or what you think you know about this book and this author, it will not disappoint. a raw tale that leaves you anxiety ridden to the last page

By far an excellent book, and easy to read. Very enlighting to a subject most parents fear. Highly recommended!!!

English majors may find the fragments and run-ons distracting, but Frey cultivates a unique style that is sure to provoke a reaction from even the most stoic readers.

This reader found his transformation convincing and realistically difficult. The book clearly gives insight into living with addiction. One wonders, though, which parts were fictionalized or sensationalized.

I am in Al-anon, a support group for friends and families of alcoholics; which is modeled after the 12 steps of AA. I have attended open AA meetings for many years with my boyfriend. The stories in this book simply do not ring true to anyone familiar with 12 step programs. In my eyes, the author's new found sobriety is questionable; as he is just as arrogant by the end of the story as when we first meet him. I am not convinced he has attained any recovery what-so-ever, considering his preference for mobsters over those who are sincere about beginning a new life. The people I know who are successful in recovery know that they must live honestly or they will drink again. They recognize they can't make it without the support of other alcoholics; the only people who understand their own hellish struggle. It's hard to believe that Frey has changed one iota over the course of the book, considering how arrogantly he dismisses AA, the only successful treatment for chronic alcoholism. My boyfriend attended roughly 5 AA meetings a week to achieve his 20 years clean and sober. I do not recommend this book. It gives a wrongly negative view of treatment centers and AA and they value they have in the treatment of this terrible disease.

I am not a recovering drug addict or alcoholic, a rehab industry professional or anybody who would know if this was true or fiction and I bought the book and read it from cover to cover in a matter of days. After reading the book I picked up my friend Leonard and realized that much of what he had written in his first book was false. My sympathy for this man and his supposed ordeal quickly changed to disgust! Don't buy this book and put another penny into this mans pocket!

Fiction or not, this book was beautifully written, insightful and hopeful. Do not let the controversy stray you away from giving it a chance - it is an amazing, touching story.

I was reading this for book club. There are some interesting parts of it, but I was disgusted so much of the time that I couldn't read more than 10 or 15 pages without putting it down.

OK, I will be honest. The big mess on Ophrah is what made me want to read this book. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I had no problems whatsoever that this book was not an autobiography. It was still a great read. I have been around addicts who have been to rehab, and this is an accurate account for some. The story drew me in and made me want to read,read, read! I did not want to put this one down!
I was so hooked by the story, that I did not want it to end. I really felt like I was watching his world unfold right in front of me. Every character came to life.
GREAT BOOK!

OK, I haven't read it, but I am glad it is for sale at Amazon once again. Why? Because what memoir is totally true? What biography is totally true? We get spin on everything these days. Lastly, it should be for sale because of what Oprah Winfrey did to him on TV. Oprah lost me as a fan on the day she clubbed Fry. That was uncalled for. Oprah is far from perfect, but those who are rich think they are perfect and feel free to club others over the head for any small imperfection. I hope this book sells a million and then more. I have been a chemical dependent RN and after reading the other reviews, I think this book will help many of those people who have lost hope.

True or not, this is one of the most amazing books that I have ever read.

I wanted to send an inspiring story to someone I'm trying to mentor from a distance. He's in an Arizona prison where he's spent a fair amount of the last 20 years for non-violent criminal offenses. To preview it, I got a copy from my local small town library. I knew of the book and the Oprah controversy. However the last book I read was Frey's "Bright Shiny Morning" which touched me in many ways. So when I picked up "A Million Little Pieces", a young employee gave it a bad review. She didn't like the language-lots of the f word- and could not get into it. I told her my reasons to read it and she thought that perhaps someone in the prison population that had a history of drug addiction and criminal behavior could benefit from Frey's story.

Verdict is still out on that one. I purchased it Aug 26 and last I heard my mentee still had not received it. Apparently they have some difficulty receiving things, even books from Amazon, in prison. So his review is the one we need to have as he has a bit in common with James Frey and lots not so much.

I liked this book. I learned more about alcohol and drug addiction. It may have been embellished but it wasn't sanitized. This is from a perspective of someone who went out of control early in life and the consequences of that behaviour. As in so many of these stories, James Frey came from a "privleged family" -this is what I call families whose parents are educated, successful in society and have way more wealth than most families.
My mentee didn't travel that path. I hope he can identify with some of this. I hope he can also figure out how to stay off drugs. His future in life may literally depend on it.

James Frey wrote a book lauded as a memoir, which turns out to be untrue.
Similarly, this book was lauded as a good read.
This as it turns out, is also untrue.
The story of the journey through rehab is repetitious - but its worst offense is that the characters are unsympathetic.
It's hard to feel sorry for them, despite their dire circumstances.
Finally, this story depicts a series of dental appointments that require extensive surgery without local anesthesia.
This is a ridiculous fabrication.
Drug abuse is not a contraindication for local anesthesia.

James Frey caused quite the scandal when he had to "come clean" about coming clean. He wrote this memoir and received widespread praise for the writing and the amazing accomplishment in beating a serious drug and alcohol addiction. But after being featured on Oprah, many that were involved in Frey's true story came forward to say that his portrayal of his experience was largely exaggerated and untrue. He finally admitted that his book, A Million Little Pieces, was based on his life story, but was embellished and not entirely true. With that in mind, I sat down to read what was still touted as an amazing book.

Frey chronicles his experience waking up after a serious trauma to find himself on a plane on the way to rehab. His family, after many years of not knowing what to do with him, has found him on the streets of Chicago badly beaten and in terrible shape. They are taking him to a reputable inpatient treatment center in Minnesota. James goes through a painful detoxification process and cannot come to terms with his plight in life, how he got there, and if he really wants to be clean and continue to live. The rest of the book is his next six weeks in rebab.

The story is, in some ways, engrossing. The obstacles for an addict to overcome in order to stay sober are staggering. Especially when overcoming the extent of drugs and alcohol that Frey claims he had taken. He underwent oral surgury without the aid of painkillers because to give him painkillers would undo the detox he already went through. He suffered violent bouts of nausea each day while his body adjusted to the clean lifestyle. And he made friends with a cast of characters as he relayed the horrible life on the streets that he lived prior to being carted off to rehab.

There are two major problems with this book however. The first is the prose. His writing style is difficult to follow and frustrating. It makes it difficult to stick with the story and annoying to read. Secondly, knowing that the story was not completely accurate made it ring hollow. It would have been fine if the reader was to believe it was completely true, or it would have been fine if it had been presented as a work of fiction. But to read along and wonder what parts were true and what parts were invented leaves the reader with a frustrating feeling of being swindled. This book had such potential, and maybe some can overlook his lies, but for me it tainted the entire story and left it feeling empty.

This is a good book. Interesting, compelling, had me hooked. Definitely one to read if you are interested in drug addiction, rehab, and the mind set of people like this. Rough language and swearing so not for teenagers.

I had heard about (but not read) the Smoking Gun article before I read the book. I had also watched A Scanner Darkly (a movie based on a semi-biographical book by a former meth addict) the week before. Although I'm not a former drug addict or rehab patient, I've spent time with people who are, and the difference of the "feel of authenticity" between "Scanner" and "A Million Little Pieces" is striking.

The book reads as though the author is trying to communicate immense emotion, but doesn't quite have the writing chops to pull it off. So instead, he substitutes lurid detail, and exaggerates so we'll get the point. The problem with this approach is that since the story doesn't fit the "mythological truth" of well-crafted fiction, nor the "logical pattern" of fact, an informed reader is constantly being interrupted by a nagging "that doesn't sound right" impulse. I got 80 pages into the book before deciding that I needed to look up the smoking gun article, which more or less says that James Frey made the whole thing up. I found this assertion to be the more believable. I'm not so terribly bothered by this (after all, he did get caught, and I find large-scale frauds that involve the media amusing) but I am bothered by the experience of reading.

It is rare that I'll give up on a book, and I was disappointed to have to give up on this one because I had been looking forward to it. I probably also had trouble with the writing style (although I'm generally pretty adaptable, I got through Riddley Walker all right). To be fair, it is not the worst book I ever read. But I found it intensely irritating and honestly cannot understand why people like it.

I first ready Frey's Bright Shiny Morning. I took in all 500+ pages as fast as I could. I gulped them down. I've never encountered such a modern voice. A voice of our time. I picked up A Million Little Pieces knowing full well that components of it were made up. I'm torn as to whether it is a high crime to embellish a memoir. Oprah's indignation is a bunch of show business hype. I feel for those who have turned to the book for some kind of guidance or help. All that said I have two messages for the author. The first is profound thanks for sharing your considerable talents with the world. You are a supremely gifted writer. The second is from Shakespeare's Hamlet... "this above all, to thine own self be true..."

I could care less if James Frey embellished the truth or made the whole story up, the point is the lives described in this book are incredibly relatable and very true to life. If drug addiction is something you've never had to deal with personally or with a close friend or family member consider yourself lucky. It's a long road home and I applaud anyone who can write about it rawly without glamourizing it the way Frey did. I think this book is written in a unique and interesting way. I couldn't put it down. I recommend you push the controvery about this book aside and give it a try.

First of all my rating has nothing to do with the possibility that this book was "made up" The author takes you down his journey into rehab after hitting "rock bottom" I would say. The story is not new and not really interesting. I read it but wouldn't call it a page turner by any means. James has an attitude and is not likeable, he is pretty young so I guess you can excuse that behaivor so people say. The other characters are more of the same, and the book is just repetitive all the way through. It should have been called 101 ways to be a jack*** in rehab or something like that. I 'm glad I borrowed this from the library.

I set a high bar for stories like these. After reading Dry by Burroughs, it is hard to find a story/memoir that measures up. I enjoyed Frey's adventure/struggle in rehab, but it left me longing for more of what got him there.

The story takes you through a nice love story and along the way you find yourself attached and rooting for Frey's success, which seems to be up against all odds.

If you happen to be an addict as well, this story will drag you along some very familiar streets. Those who have felt these same feelings will be able to see where it all can end.

In the end I found myself looking forward to the quotes and secular wisdom that Frey found from his little book of Tao and had me cheering for the simplicity and wisdom he was able to draw from it.

Frey may be a one in a million case, or maybe he is just a good writer; either case he has done well and you will be a slightly better person for reading this book (you will not want to fall this deep into addiction).

Finally, the last page will rip your heart out as you see the truth behind the 15% statistic that is quoted too often throughout the book and why Frey truly is one in a million.

After years of protesting this book and DETESTING what James Frey did in creating and promoting this book...I broke down. Too many friends said it was a riveting read, and I figured, I'm going into this KNOWING it's fiction, and I read it as such. That's not to say that I'm still not a big fan of Frey, but after reading this book, I can say I admire his courage and strength to preservere through life.

That being said...this is a good book. A lot of things caught me by surprise, one was his writing style. It's unique, although at times annoying. Frey has a tendancy to write run-on sentences or to just skip punctuation. Although I did like how the book was spaced, at times there was one paragraph on a page, to maybe signify an important matter or a passage of time. I was also surprised in reading how events unfolded. I won't give anything away, but suffice it to say that there was something that I kept "waiting" for and it didn't happen. Surprises in books are good. Lastly, I was happy to find that I found the periferal characters very engaging and intriguing. When I got to the end I was glad a note was added that let us know where each person is at this point in time.

I am not an alcoholic so I cannot speak as to how this might help one. I can imagine it would provide inspiration or at the very least, a feeling of not being alone in the fear and struggle.

I suppose I would recommend this book to someone else. Honestly, I didn't WANT to enjoy this book. I didn't want to LIKE Frey's character. But, it was inevitable. I figured after years of being stubborn I didn't want to be left as the only one who hadn't read this book. Plus, I borrowed it from a friend, so I didn't spend my own money on it, or contribute to his earnings. That helps, right?

I cannot believe that so many people that have reviewed his book and he still has over 4 stars! What is going on? How do lies sell like hotcakes? It is so obviously far from the truth it is sickening. There is nothing like the pains of detox except the lies of someone pretending to "play" detox and banking off it. How warped can you be? Standing in front of people like the golden child as if you deserve some respect from the public-HA! i want my money back Frey! You owe it back to all of us that were cheated!!!

I enjoyed this book a lot. I felt very connected and found myself going through all of the same feelings. I don't care if the story isn't true because it is a book and I believe it is technically classified as fiction so no one is really lying to you if it was made up. It is a good book about addiction and what it can do to lives, friends, and families. I would also have to say that I would find one disturbing thing about this book would be that it would seem to encourage addiction recovery as something that you can do alone which in most cases (if not all) is not possible.

I read this book fully knowing of the controversy. I never planned on purchasing it, but a local book store was closing and I saw it half off. I would never pay full price for a Memoir of Lies. Nonetheless, I read the book and enjoyed large portions of it. His writing is fairly mundane and a bit confusing since he feels no obligation to punctuate and use quotations.

Confusion aside, the book is powerful. The Fury, the Hold ON, Say NO, all this resonates as true. Addiction is a choice, not a disease is great. Telling the truth and seeing through lying rock stars who lie about their addiction IS bull...... WAIT.... whaT?????

James Frey went on and on about wanting to massacre a famous rock muscian with golden album hits because he lied about his addiction and his backstory. He LIED...... To Frey this is the WORST thing you can do. So he didnt just embelish as he likes to say. He didn't exaggerate as you can quote him saying. He didn't even simply lie. He went against every principle he talked about.

James Frey is a hypocrite. Anyone who reads this book needs to realize that point more than anything.

Beyond being a liar, Frey is a hypocrite. This is what turns this great story into a million little bastardized words typed out on paper. None of it is REAL. Real as in what he really is trying to say. The entire theme of HOLDING ON and ADDICTION is ruined because of his own hypocrisy.

I hate Frey for this.. I hate him for making me hate this great story.

I do not believe Lily, Miles, Leonard, or most of the charcters in this story existed.

Although later found out to be a fictional piece, this book was still worth the read. This book kept me reading.

Regardless of how I feel about the whole controversy surrounding this book, it turned out to be a good story and I'll rate it for what it is...A work of fiction, based on a true story.
As a story is wasn't bad - not bad at all, especially after the first couple hundred pages.

For me, the beginning was so redundant that I came close to giving up on it. The first 200 pages could have easily been summed up like this...My name is James Frey and I'm a total mess. I'm 23 years old. I've been an alcoholic for the last ten years. I'm a drug Addict, and a Criminal. I'm currently in a treatment facility. I hate myself and deserve whatever physical and or mental pain and agony that comes my way. In fact, I'm such a crazy alcoholic, such a tough drug addict, such a hardened criminal, I'll take any pain you got - bring it on!

The rest of the novel is a compelling story about the author's time spent in a treatment facility for drug and alcohol addiction. It is a story worth the cost of the book and the time spent reading it.

As far as the hullabaloo - I knew all along that many of the facts presented in this memoir were not true; the author himself has admitted to lying. Therefore, I didn't experience that surprising feeling of betrayal when you believe something to be true, only to find out otherwise. However, when schools, universities, colleges, newspapers, etc. are so intense about not tolerating plagiarism, why do publishers, editors and most of all readers accept any lack of honesty and integrity when it come to labeling literature? Why sort literature by genre at all if we aren't going to have some standards set that we can trust? Yes, I guess it (labeling this book a memoir) really does bug me.

This book I read before I saw him on Oprah about the validity of his book. His writing style is amazing and will draw you into this 'story' of his life. It was very believable down to the smallest of details, while keeping your attention. It was hard to put down!

He definitely has a talent for writing captivating 'stories'.

Merna

I wrote a review years ago after I read this book.
Still today, regardless of all the notoriety, I give thanks to James for writing this book. Unless someone has walked in the shoes of very early sobriety and recovery from drug addiction as well as alcohol abuse there can be no understanding of how powerful this book is.
Bottom line: it saved my life and my MIND. Without this book God only knows if I would be here today 3 years later, clean and sober, to write about it.

I just finished this book, and I while I had heard about the controversy surrounding this book before reading it, and taking everything written with a grain of salt, this book is still incredible!!! Even if the arrest and some of the deaths in the book were not completely accurate, the descriptions of what he and other people addicted to drugs must go through HAS to be real, and thus, his book is still an amazing literary accomplishment. It truly is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It inspired me and is a book that I will probably think about for quite a while, especially those times when it feels like my life sucks. It could be worse! ;-) So, to everyone that thinks that this book is not worth a read because of all the controversy... open your world to just experience the emotions of the story and learn a little more about what "humanity" is... We all need each other and although we can only truly depend on ourself in life, without people caring about us, and people to care about, life could be very difficult. This book made me doubly appreciate the good things that I still have. This book is now one of my favorite books! Excellent read!

Yeesh, doesn't everybody have more important things to do than get their feathers all ruffled up about some embellishments in this fantastic book? It's not like James Frey is the first/only author EVER to do this sort of thing to make for a better read! I myself spent time in a rehab center and this book brought a lot of memories to the surface, helped me to get over the trauma instead of repressing it! James Frey is a fantastic author, very descriptive but not too much to bore you. I found myself up in the wee hours of the morning many nights because I couldn't put the book down! I really felt connected to the character and his vulnerability. I felt like I was there! Now, isn't that what most of us read books for? To escape our mostly mundane little lives for a bit of entertainment? I really don't care that Mr. Frey "embellished" on his experiences, it made for a great read and that's what's important to me! I'm 48 years old and no longer want to sweat the small stuff. Read this book!!

I read this book before the whole controversy was exposed, but I knew something was wrong with this 'true' story in the first few pages. The first thing I thought was strange was that he was onboard a commercial airliner in his condition. I could be wrong, but I doubt any airline would let someone on a plane as physically beat up as he described. Next, during the dental incident, he claims they didn't give him any pain medication due to his drug addiction. My dad was a dentist, and he told me that he would give novocaine to anybody, regardless of the patients drug history. Also, as far as post-surgery, they could at least give him Tylenol. He wasn't a heroin addict. Which brings me to the next point: He claimed to be hooked on alcohol, cocaine in addition to being a glue/gas sniffer? The high from alcohol and illicit drugs is caused because those substances trigger pleasure centers in the brain. The buzz from huffing gas/glue comes from lack of oxygen. I've come across many drug freaks in my life, and none of them used inhalants as a substitute. Then came the story of how he searched the streets of Minneapolis to find his girlfriend. The whole story seemed far-feched. The fact that he found her in a major metropolis in such a short time seemed silly. Finally, at the end, almost every character in the book was dead, leaving virtually nobody to corroborate his story.

I did like the book, though. It was well-paced and interesting, and I do recommend it. I also know how hard it is to break into the publishing industry, but that doesn't give a writer permission to pass off fiction as truth.

Excellent! Two thumbs up!! This book touched me on such a personal level. Immediately after I finished reading, I bought another copy and sent it to my son to help him. He read the book in less than two days and finally found someone who had the same experiences and passions and the same mentality about recovery. Mind over matter. It's a matter of choice.

I read A Million Little Pieces before the Oprah controversy and again after. Even after hearing that this was a fictionalized "Memoir" it didn't take away any of the raw power this book has for me. It is one of my favorite books, it moves me deeply. I feel so much for the characters especially James and Lilly who are two damaged individuals that reveal the ugliest parts of themselves and find solace in each other. You cannot help but feel personally invested in this story.

Quite frankly, if this isn't a true story and is marketed as one, that's pretty crappy. However, this book grabbed my attention fast and didn't let go. I would read it at stoplights, on my lunch break, etc. I couldn't put it down and I read it in just a few days. In my opinion a good book is a book that holds your attention, is easy to follow, makes you laugh, makes you cry and is overall entertaining. This book did all of those things, as well as the sequel, My Friend Leonard. I LOVE both of them and would recommend them to anyone.

I found a million little pieces to be a stirring, moving and captivating piece of literature. From the moment I started reading I was totally drawn in to the story and writing style and found it not only a page turner butgripping and heartfelt. It does not matter to me that some of this story was fabricated because obviously the main tenant is true.Liked his message "just hang on" although I personally subscribe to a different philosophy. Having written my own book- Confessions of a Crack Head, I could relate to much of his story and identify. A great read!

I was referred to this book by an old friend of mine who got into doing drugs until they finally overcame his life. I had just gone through a bad phase myself and was now cleaning up. He was not. He told me 2 things: 1. you need get your life together. and 2. if you want to understand how i feel and what my life is like read this book. And told me about James Frey and a million little pieces.

The script is very monotone and dry and the writing is very different than anything else I have read. It was refreshing. Frey has a great way of explaining exactly what he was thinking.

I don't care if people don't believe in what he says and all the controversy. I read it before that all went down and didn't pay any attention to it. When you get off drugs your memory isn't going to be perfect and you just relay it the best way you know how.

In spite of the controversy about this book being memoirs, it is simply a good, quick, and very interesting read. Drug use and addiction are devastating not only for the user but also for everyone around him. What makes this book so entertaining is Frey's struggle to reclaim his normal life after its total destruction. There are moments of brutal and graphic honesty and unclothed emotion. But above all the book speaks about strength and weakness - how much punishment the body can take or dish out. This book is much more than just a memoir or as self-help book. It is a great book that makes me look forward to this author's next work.

A Million Little Pieces is the incredible memoir of James Frey's alcohol and drug addition and recovery. In a wealth of horrific detail, Frey describes the insatiable and overpowering physical urges he felt. Even when throwing up blood seven times a day, peeing blood, and pooping blood, he was powerless to stop. Only when he is severely injured on a fire escape and plunked onto a plane by a friend does he arrive, still unwillingly, at the world's best rehab clinic, Hazelden. It is almost unbelieveable that Frey is alive, and amazing that he could write like a novelist so soon after his recovery. I can't imagine that a person who is blacking out on a daily basis could manage to get a college degree or hold a job either, but it goes to show how strong Frey's mind and constitution are.

Frey's style is reminiscent of Hemingway. It is concise and poetic. The book is a real page-turner, which I couldn't put down. Despite the saddness and scariness of the subject matter, it was a great read. This book probably should be read by every teenager everywhere.

I gave the book four stars rather than five, because he left too many questions unanswered. How did he manage to get a college degree? In what? What kind of job did his parents get him in Europe and how did he manage to show up and do it? Did he get fired? What event(s) caused it? What happened while he was in prison? What happened to Lilly and their relationship while James was in prison? Why did Lilly commit suicide when James was set to be released in only two days? And most importantly, how has he managed to stay sober and what is he doing now?!
I can only hope that reveals the answers in another book! I am certainly glad that a writer of his potential was not lost to chemical dependency! I hope he writes much more in his lifetime!

I read this book AFTER the dramz went down w/Oprah, and I have to say, it's a really great read. I feel like I went through every emotion possible. I don't care that he changed some things. It's still a good book. What I want when I see a live show, movie, or read a book is to be taken out of my life and MOVED! And I was. It's great. I bought his Leonard book right after I finished. And then when I finished the Leonard book (in a day and a half) I went out and pre-ordered his new book. Poo poo on all you naysayers who let some alterations of the truth affect your experience of something great.

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i was introduced to this book upon entering bipolar treatment for myself, i found a calmness in reading a million little pieces.. in correspondence to my daily treatments or rehab classes and Dr. visits.
i found humor in Frey's thoughts, i found sadness in his emotional battles with self, with parents, with relationships.
its the undying need to be accepted, that Frey struggles with.. in this controversial memoir/novel... it was not long after reading this, that Oprah featured his book on her talk show... and smoking gun threw out the ideas of Frey's portrayals not to be true.. investigating a very creative and twisted memoir of events that might have happened - or not.
who cares? its a great insight on drugs and alcohol abuse...
losing loved ones to suicide.. getting caught up in the darker side of what our world has to offer.

whether its believed or not - it seemed real at the time.
and the message was there no matter what.

[...] it's just not a quality read. The protagonist was not admirable at all to me, but seems to have been created to be sympathized with. However, his stubbornness and hostility towards well-meaning people made him as unlikeable as could be in my eyes. The style of the novel also seems to be pretentious, as if James Frey were attempting to be avant-garde in ignoring conventional punctuation and paragraph structure. His over usage of the letter "I" not only added to the selfishness of his narrator, but it also degraded the style of the novel. Though there are good points in the story and some noteworthy things that he does with the rehab experience that most people wouldn't otherwise witness, I wouldn't say this is a classic by any means. Frey has a way to go before he hits anything near that mark.

But if you're all plot, then maybe this is a good read for you.

Although much of this so-called true story has been discredited, A Million Little Pieces is still a decent read. Let me warn readers first by letting them know that the author uses absolutely no quotations marks which can be very annoying when you don't know which character is speaking. But moving beyond this, Frey does a decent job with character development and his writing is good too. The storyline becomes repetitive at times, but there are moments where you definitely feel the dark and lonely emotions that the author felt through his painful days of treatment. This book is probably a great read for anyone with a drug problem or a curiosity for the shadowed lives of addicts.

Um...I ordered this book months ago..just finshed it..Was a really good book and I couldn't wait to get my hands on the second part My Friend Leonard...even though it may not be all true it's a great read non the less

I finally decided to read this long after the Oprah controversy died out. Unless you've been under the proverbial rock there's no need to explain all that, except to mention that while it was originally published as nonfiction, we've since found out it is to some (if not most) extent fiction. As some kind of compromise, my library reshelved it in the substance abuse section, but you can still see the sticker from when it was in the biography section.

My take on the controversy is I never cared if he did lie or not. The validity of opinions aren't whether they happen or not. As a great fiction writer taught me, it's not whether the book is true as in it happened, so much as if it's true in spirit. The problem then with Frey's fictitious biography is its increasing phoniness as he falls in love and becomes the Chosen One with the power of resisting addiction without the Twelve Steps or any of that AA noise.

The story (how much is real or not depends on what Web sites you visit, I'm sure) is that after going on a monster bender in the wake of being dumped--and in the process badly mangling his face--his family gets him into a world-renowned treatment center. His first days are especially brutal as he undergoes drug therapy and then has two root canals with no anesthetic. (If you've have a root canal WITH anesthetic then you have to get the chills thinking about that.) Frey never goes along with the AA program or Twelve Steps because he doesn't believe in God. Instead he relies on the Chinese Tao, intestinal fortitude, and love with another patient named Lilly. Since dating between patients is forbidden they have to see each other in The Clearing on the QT. I doubt I'm spoiling anything by saying he survives the rehab and eventually gets out--how else could he have gone on Oprah 15 years later?

I was really interested in the opening third or so of the book as he begins recovery and his body starts to heal. For me things began to go downhill when Leonard the mobster (who is prominently featured in the even more preposterous-sounding sequel) convinces Frey to stay in treatment in a scene right out of Hollywood. That Frey worked as a screenwriter makes sense with the mobster cliche and especially the cute hooker with a heart of gold cliche in Lilly. Say what you want, but I didn't believe either of them existed, at least not in that way.

The whole secret love affair struck me as especially false, the kind of thing a Hollywood screenwriter would put in to make the story more attractive to women. By the time he rescues her from a crack house I was shaking my head with disbelief. And when one of the treatment center workers tells him afterwards that "he shouldn't have been able to do that" I snorted with derision. "What is he, Neo or Blade or Ghost Rider or something?" I was thinking to myself--not in those exact words, of course. Then we have to suffer through the predictable farewells and the final scene in the bar.

No one in this book, not even James Frey himself, seemed like a real person to me. They all seemed like characters and that's where the book fails. Whether it's fiction or nonfiction, a story like this has to have people who seem real or it doesn't work. As for the overall message, in the end it seems as simple as "Just Say No," which I'm sure most people battling some form of addiction seems too simplistic.

I walk away from this disappointed not that Frey didn't tell the truth about what actually happened, but he didn't tell the truth in spirit.

That is all.

I know a lot has been said about this book, going both ways: supporting it before and after the admittance to truth. And like another reviewer, I don't give a s--t that it's all lies, or partly lies, or exaggerated. People are just too sensitive in society and are looking for a finger to rest on. They feel `cheated' for being "lied" to. And to them, you're missing the whole message.

I remember when this controversy first cracked wide open, shortly after I read the book. As a writer, I know we can't be 100% accurate with what happened, especially in an autobiography or memoir. Truth is 3 people can look at a scene and come up with 3 different stories ... all of which happen to be true for them. I see someone beating up a person for no reason and someone else can look at it as self-defense. Someone else can look at it still and see a deeply troubled child who never learned how to properly deal with his emotions.

My point is, as so many others have pointed out, it doesn't matter at all whether Frey's story is true or not. There are so many books (classical fiction) that capture our souls so deeply that we can't help but cry when something happens; we feel so connected to the characters, to the `story,' that we believe it to be real, to some extent of course. Watching TV shows or movies is another example. The last episode of Six Feet Under had me in tears because I felt like I was losing people very close and dear to me. We get to know the characters so intimately, personally, that we root for them when they're going through a rough time, and cry for them when something awful happens. So Frey's book follows along those same lines. I connected with the characters, felt the pain of addiction (and who among us isn't addicted to SOMETHING in life, be it drugs or money or whatever), and the joy of overcoming something on your own.

I know from experience that no matter what program/treatment you receive for a mental disorder, you will ultimately fail if you
1. aren't ready and willing to go through with the work that is involved
2. don't have the WILL to change your lifestyle
I repeated will on purpose, because if someone really wants to change, no matter how `strong' their condition, they can. I've learned this from this book and put it into my own experiences. Not saying that this book changed my life; I had to do that on my own. But it encouraged me that I had it inside me (as ALL of us do) to turn my life around.

True or not, this book is an inspiration to us all that we have the power to make our lives different, better. We may stumble at times, or slip back into our old ways, but we must never give up. Never give in to the demon screaming inside us. We must tend to the child crying beneath the screams, hold their hand, and show it the way to freedom.

I did not read this book to inquire about the author's life. It would've been amazing if every sentence was true but proven or not, I don't think that was the case. However, I read this book in recovery of an eating disorder and because of the timing, I was moved by the Frey's trials and hardship...or at least how he made them out to be. This might've not been a true story of Frey but these situations, thoughts and feelings are real. Although I've not had a history or any problems with drugs, I could relate with his destructive thoughts and addictive personality. On a personal basis, this was helpful for me. Even if the entire story was a lie, this is GOOD writing. This is a novel with an edge. It was a story of hopelessness but also one of hope.
If you can get past the "Oprah's Book List" scandal, then you're in for a journey.

This book although hounded by accusations of twisted facts and fruad was and is an amazing story. Fact or fiction this book shed a light on me as to what addiction is like.

The writing style took a little while to get used to but after a chapter or so I was fluidly reading and cringing, hoping and praying for this lost soul.

I found this to be the most real book I've ever read. You feel his pain as you read this book. Not for those with a weak stomach!

I read this book without knowing the controversy surrounding the veracity of the author's accounts. Initially the book resonants with anybody that has dealt with any sort of addiction but soon outlives it's emotional impact and becomes some kind of Robin Hood tale for drug addicts. This guy who has faced the worst that one can face comes out of the other side as a shining star and model for hardened addicts everywhere. I was insulted that James Frey portrayed this as a memoir, it felt like a betrayal or our basic intelligence as readers. Although this work has been lauded as inspirational for addicts everywhere, I feel it's an insult to the only system in place that seems to be able to help addicts, AA.

There is no need to be outraged, insulted, shocked, or even disappointed after finding out that many, if not all, instances in this book didn't really happen. An autobiography can never be true...any instance in one's life that they attempt to reflect back on is biased. How Frey invisioned his life is personal to him. He will always see instances, people, places, and events differently than an outsider looking in would. Can we ever be truthful when speaking about who we are or what we've been through? No...because our lives, as we choose to describe them, are snapshots of what our brains choose to remember. An autobiography is what the author thinks about his or her own life. It doesn't matter what really happened...nobody could ever see Frey's life experiences the way he does. So take this work for what it is...a person's take on their own life...how they see it...how they want to portray it. An autobiography can never be true to every person...it can only be true to the person who writes it.

Here's the story:

Rich guy with a supportive family leaves all that for addiction.
Hits a pretty low (but interesting) rock bottom.
Goes to a rehab on his parents' dime.
Gets his teeth fixed (with or without aneasthesia?).
Decides he can do sobriety without AA. Fair enough, but keep reading.
Befriends, instead, a recovering mafioso, and also plans a life with a woman whom he has illicitly begun a relationship while in rehab. She commits suicide soon after leaving.
Rich guy moves to LA, writes manuscripts and screenplays.
Submits his memoir on his experiences through the end of rehab.
Publishers reject it.
Makes revisions that fictionalize it. Anaethesia for dental work is probably subtracted.
Resubmits the manuscript, again billed as a memoir.
The book is published and receives emphatic praise from Oprah Winfrey.
His fortune is assured.
He writes the second book, My Friend Lenny, which tells you a whole lot more about who James Frey is.
Begins an "arms race of suffering" for authors of memoirs. How much do we need to suffer to equal Frey's fictional account?
Frey's dishonesty is discovered.
Embarrassment and blame passing among Frey's editors, publishers and promotors.
We paid him for the book.
He laughs all the way to the bank.

I'd like my money back, at the very least.