A Million Little Pieces

By: James Frey

Narrated by: Oliver Wyman

Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins

Publisher's summary

By the time James Frey enters a drug and alcohol treatment facility, he has so thoroughly ravaged his body that the doctors are shocked he is still alive. Inside the clinic, he is surrounded by patients as troubled as he: a judge, a mobster, a former world-champion boxer, and a fragile former prostitute. To James, their friendship and advice seem stronger and truer than the clinic's droning dogma of How to Recover.

James refuses to consider himself a victim of anything but his own bad decisions. He insists on accepting sole accountability for the person he has been and the person he may become, which he feels runs counter to his counselor's recipes for recovery. He must fight to survive on his own terms, for reasons close to his own heart. And he must battle the ever-tempting chemical trip to oblivion.

An uncommonly genuine account of a life destroyed and reconstructed, and a provocative alternative understanding of the nature of addiction and the meaning of recovery, A Million Little Pieces marks the debut of a bold and talented literary voice.

*In January 2006, the author and publisher of this title acknowledged that a number of facts had been altered and incidents embellished.

Find out what life is like for James Frey post-rehab; make his second memoir, My Friend Leonard, your next listen.Or check out more selections from Oprah's Book Club.

©2003 James Frey (P)2003 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"A Million Little Pieces is this generation's most comprehensive book about addiction: a heartbreaking memoir defined by its youthful tone and poetic honesty." (Bret Easton Ellis)

A Million Little Peices

It was OK. I am not sure of why there was so much hype over it.

Painful

I couldn't get through the whole thing. It was that bad. The part about the no anesthesia made me more than cringe, it sickened me. I couldn't believe the plane ride either. I can believe hating your parents that much but for them to be so clueless...really? Ugh read the cliff notes if there is one and do not waste your credit.

Waste of time

Okay, so I knew about the controversy surrounding this book when I decided to download and listen. I wasn't too bothered that it was embellished and parts had been fabricated. Anyone who knows an addict should fully expect this.

But, I thought with all the fanfare and rave reviews that this might be worthwhile for an addict such as myself. Maybe I would learn something more, or see something a different way, or at least see myself.

What I got from this was something totally unrelatable to my own experience, not helpful, and even dangerous in its advocacy to do it your own way.

Anyone who has ever been in 12 step knows that working your own program is going to lead to relapse. The type of addict Frey purports to be (and I'm not sure he even is) doesn't just will himself to stop. He even starts the book saying how he had never been able to do it on his own before. Suddenly he can. How? He "decides" to. Addicts I know who are recovering have completely surrendered and are willing to try anything, they don't thumb their nose at everything offered.

Finally, I don't know how anyone ever believed that anything in this book could possibly be true. In particular, addicts should be able to smell this one coming from a mile away. If you want facts and something that works, pick up a blue book.

I agree with a previous review. This is fiction, and not even good fiction.

FICTION.

oral surgery with no anasthesia? not even local?? do you think a Dr. would be able to do that..honestly?? This book is fake. All of it. Check out thesmokinggun.com if you don't believe me. 0 stars.

Fake piece of fiction

This book really angered me. It is so fake. I am very disapointed in this man. He presented this book as a memoir when it is clearly fiction. He even misuses a girl's death in a fictional account of his own pain. Complete bull*&*&. Don't support this liar.

Not worth your time

This book is a complete waste of time. Unless you are interested in narcissistic, self absorbed jerks who think they deserve some sort of special treatment. Basically this guy is a drug attic and puts his family through hell. Not only is the content superficial, but the writing is infantile and lacks depth.

Don't get this one

The worst!! I even have. Other than Oparh find out his lie, I don't care. I took it like novel, but this is the worst book even. I will never pick up Oparh book club's book.

Awful

Can’t listen to this because of the language and graphic depictions in the story line. It’s real I understand however a real story can still be told without repulsive language.

Heads up

I know, who am I to go against Oprah??? But this was a rant of self-fulfilling proportions. It took him forever to move on. IF his story is unembellished, I'd be surprised. He lost me at curse word 5,672.

I liked this book very much until...

I REALLY, REALLY liked this book very, very much (until yesterday.) All of the other reviews about it's intensity and drama are very true. This book is gripping. I could not put it down. That's why Oprah recommended this book, which kicked off it's great success.

Then I found out the truth. This book, labeled as a no nonsense, no holds barred true account of this young man's harrowing life is only loosely based on truth. That's being kind. More to the point, it's a pack of lies. Oprah discovered that as well when shortly after recommending the book, she was contacted by a staff member of the rehab center Mr. Frey spent time at to suggest the account was not true. The characters are made up. The stories are made up. Oprah issued a public apology for making her recommendation. Check out The Smoking Gun website for details. I wish I had been tuned into this in January '06 when the truth came out very publicly (... even on the national news.)

I really liked this book. I didn't want it to end. I even downloaded the sequel, "My Friend Leonard" last week and eagerly looked forward to listening to it. I found out about this yesterday. Both books have been deleted from my hard drive.

If you buy and read this book, realize it is fiction, not non-fiction as advertised. I've very disappointed.