My Friend Leonard

By: James Frey

Narrated by: Andy Paris

Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Perhaps the most unconventional and literally breathtaking father-son story you'll ever read, My Friend Leonard pulls you immediately and deeply into a relationship as unusual as it is inspiring.

The father figure is Leonard, the high-living, recovering coke addict, "West Coast Director of a large Italian-American finance firm" (read: mobster) who helped to keep James Frey clean in A Million Little Pieces. The son is, of course, James, damaged perhaps beyond repair by years of crack and alcohol addiction, and by more than a few cruel tricks of fate.

James embarks on his post-rehab existence in Chicago emotionally devastated, broke, and afraid to get close to other people. But then Leonard comes back into his life, and everything changes. Leonard offers his "son" lucrative, if illegal and slightly dangerous, employment. He teaches James to enjoy life, sober, for the first time. He instructs him in the art of "living boldly", pushes him to pursue his passion for writing, and provides a watchful and supportive veil of protection under which James can get his life together. Both Leonard's and James' careers flourish, but then Leonard vanishes. When the reasons behind his mysterious absence are revealed, the book opens up in unexpected emotional ways.

My Friend Leonard showcases a brilliant and energetic young writer rising to important new challenges, displaying surprising warmth, humor, and maturity, without losing his intensity. This book proves that one of the most provocative literary voices of his generation is also one of the most emphatically human.

Want to hear more about James Frey's stint in rehab? Be sure to listen to his first memoir, A Million Little Pieces.

©2005 James Frey (P)2005 Recorded Books, LLC

My Friend Leonard

This book comes from the heart and touches your heart because it is real....full of real, raw emotions, about good stuff gone bad and the bad stuff that makes us complete.

What a ride!

It's amazing to hear about James's time after recovery...you have to follow him!!!

Fact or fiction

Unless you were living under a rock for the first few months of 2006, you're probably aware that there's a bit of a debate about whether James Frey was telling the truth when he wrote "A Million Little Pieces" and this book, its sequel. They're both supposed to be memoirs, and he's pretty much admitted that he made some of it up.

On the truth issue, "My Friend Leonard" is such an over the top tale that it doesn't really matter if it's true. If you read A Million Little Pieces, and you want to see how it all works out, you'll enjoy My Friend Leonard.

More accurately, you'll enjoy the second two-thirds of it. The beginning is overdone, with Frey discussing his did-he-or-didn't-he jail time, followed by a cinematic race to reach his girlfriend Lily that is both hard to believe and utterly unsuspensful to anyone who read the footnote at the conclusion of the last book.

My Friend Leonard never really gets out of melodrama mode, and that's OK. It is what it is - if it were straight-up fiction, it would still be hard to swallow some of it. I went with the assumption that it was all fiction, and I found it worked better for me.

The relationship at the center of the book, between Frey and the titular Leonard, is what drives the book forward. Enjoy the host of other characters who come into play, and especially enjoy the way the reader characterizes them with his voice. There's something just so darn likable about all of them that you genuinely feel bad when they have to go carry out some nasty business necessitated by organized crime.

As to whether it's all worth it, I'll say this: no matter how many times you read The Smoking Gun report on Frey, or replayed your TiVo'ed copy of Oprah, you won't see the end coming. It's a sad, poignant tale that has a message to pass along, and whether it's fact or fiction it's still a message worth hearing.

I enjoyed the listen. Call him a fraud if you must, but Frey knows how to spin a good yarn.

Gotta read!

No matter what controversy it was about this author... it's a great book!! Enough said except for the fact that audible thinks a review has to have at least 20 words!!

Should be a movie

What did you love best about My Friend Leonard?

Repetion can be annoying but the narrator carries it off....

I get it, I get it,I get it! I mean that in a nice way.

What was one of the most memorable moments of My Friend Leonard?

The ending

Which scene was your favorite?

The ending

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The title says it all.

loved it

absolutely loved it couldn't wait for the next chapter the whole way thru truly didn't want it to end.

A 4.5. Freaking Perfect!

Amazing. Leonard is a wonderfully created character and James-I feel like I KNOW that guy. His energy and humor are also amazing. The entire story from Snapper, to Lilly, to Brook and back to Lilly is truly interesting, unique and very, very captivating.

Every detail down to Bella and the description of the room in Vegas makes the listener feel like they are with Leonard and "his son" on their many journeys. A terrific book!

love this book❣

I read this book along time ago so it was great to visit it again!

Heartwarming

It is an amazing book that deserves to be made into a movie

a very tall tale

I had frequent cringe intervals during the book where I was forced to endure the authors repetitive emotional dictum. "I cry. I cry...I cry." or "I walk. I walk...I walk." It got to the point where I started saying it aloud with the narrarator. I did wonder how much of this book was genuine- ie driving all night to get to Lily, buying all of the roses at a florists and then showing up to find that Lily is dead. It turn out that he was still at home when Lily killed herself and that they had no firm plans to meet up. I've rated it a mere two stars because it is hard to endure such sap when it isn't even true.