10) Book Review

James Frey’s memoir “A Million Little Pieces” recounts his six weeks in a drug rehabilitation centre and gives an overview of the events leading up to it. At the age of 23, James Frey was drinking and using hard drugs every day. He had been an alcoholic for ten years, and a crack addict for three. He was told by doctors at the rehab centre that he could either get himself clean, or die. The book is an honest and gripping account of some of the darkest points in James’ life and is well told. This novel is a fantastic read for anyone who enjoys stories of struggles and triumphs.

Throughout the novel, James uses symbolism in his writing style by emulating his emotions through sentence length, punctuation, and capitalization. When he experiences what he calls “the fury,” he begins to use sentence fragments to represent all the thoughts that are rapidly passing through his head. As well, he frequently capitalizes improper nouns to emphasize points that seemed important at the time. The lacks of quotation marks in the book also give the reader a feel for what it was like during his time in rehab. It is sometimes tough to determine if you are reading internal thoughts or spoken words, which portrays the haziness of his memory of that period.

While there is great controversy over whether or not the book should be considered fiction or non-fiction, James still maintains that the book is written to tell the story of his time in rehab how he remembers it. He admits that at times his memory might not have been accurate, but he is capturing the emotions he experienced, and how rehab felt to him. James also admits that he exaggerated several of the events in the book in order for them to have a stronger effect on the reader. Many sources have made attacks on Frey for being untruthful in calling his novel non-fiction, but whether it is fiction or non-fiction, “A Million Little Pieces” is still an amazingly inspirational book.

James Frey manages to make an unusual character in an exceptional circumstance very relatable to the reader. I felt that I understood James and his situation even though I have never had a similar experience. His use of simple languages and a generally flowing writing style made the book easy to read and I often found that I became completely enveloped in the story. I found myself strongly hoping for the best for James as if he was a close friend.

“A Million Little Pieces” has a little bit of everything for every reader. I found myself laughing, crying, and biting my fingernails in suspense. The book was truly a rollercoaster, just as James’ time spent in rehab was. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants some insight into the mind of an addict.