By January 28, 2006, it had fallen to number four on the list with Winfrey's following selection, Night by Elie Wiesel, taking over the top position. In September 2005, the book was picked as an Oprah's Book Club selection, and shortly thereafter became the number-one paperback non-fiction book on, and topped The New York Times Best Seller list for fifteen straight weeks. He was also scathing about the writing style, which he described as a "childish impersonation of the laconic Hemingway style", and referred to it as a "novel" several times. 400 pages of hanging around a rehab clinic. The story itself is simple: he goes through rehab at an expensive private clinic, with his parents footing the bill.
351 of this 382-page memoir: "I took money from my parents and I spent it on drugs." Given the simplicity and familiarity of the story, you might wonder what Frey does in the other 381 pages. Poet and author John Dolan roundly criticized the book, saying:įrey sums up his entire life in one sentence from p. Also, author Heather King said that " A Million Little Pieces rings false". For example, critic Julian Keeling, a recovering addict, stated that "Frey's stylistic tactics are irritating.none of this makes the reader feel well-disposed towards him". While some critics, such as Pat Conroy, praised the book, calling it "the War and Peace of addiction", others were not as impressed by the gruesome nature of the book and Frey's overall attitude that sets the tone for the book. The book was released on April 15, 2003, by Doubleday Books, a division of Random House, and received mixed feedback. Frey also uses heavy repetition of words throughout the text. Frey's unique writing style also involves capitalizing nouns throughout the book for unclear reasons. Frey makes frequent use of this stream of consciousness writing technique, which is intended to allow the reader to better understand his version of the events. The fact that the author uses this same style to indicate his internal thoughts, often interspersed between direct dialogue from himself and others, gives the book a unique and sometimes confusing writing style, purportedly reflecting the nature of his experience in the treatment center. Instead, a new line is started each time someone speaks. ( May 2021) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Ī notable feature of Pieces is its lack of quotation marks to indicate direct quotes or dialogue. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. This section possibly contains original research. James finally recovers and never relapses. These people include a mafia boss who plays a vital role in his recovery (subject of Frey's subsequent book My Friend Leonard), and a female drug addict with whom he falls in love, despite strict rules forbidding contact between men and women at the clinic. The "Fury" could be seen as the antagonist of the novel, because he believes that he will not be able to recover until he learns to ignore it or "kill" it.įrey meets many interesting people in the clinic, with whom he forms relationships and who play an important role in his life both during and after his time in the clinic. Throughout the novel, Frey speaks of the "Fury" he is fighting, which he sees as the cause of his desire to drink alcohol and use other drugs. The book follows Frey through the painful experiences that lead up to his eventual release from the center, including his participation in the clinic's family program with his parents, despite his strong desire not to. He copes with the pain by squeezing tennis balls until his nails crack.
#MILLION LITTLE PIECES SERIES#
As part of this, he is forced to undergo a series of painful root canals, without any anesthesia because of possible negative reactions to the drugs. He is also wanted by the police in three states on several charges.Īs he checks into the rehab clinic, he is forced to quit his substance abuse, a transition that later probably saves his life, whilst also an agonizing process.
#MILLION LITTLE PIECES CRACK#
It is revealed that James is 23 years old, and has been an alcoholic for ten years, and a crack addict for three. He is met by his parents at the airport, who take him to a rehabilitation clinic. A badly tattered James wakes up on a commercial flight to Chicago, with injuries that he has no recollection of having sustained or of how he ended up on the plane.
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