"My Friend Leonard" by James Frey

[bi11i]

By all means, give this book a read. A certain inspiration to both Opiophile.org and Junkylife.com, James Frey has just released his second book, a sequel to "A Million Little Pieces" that 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's 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.

http://forum.opiophile.org/leonard.gif (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1573223158/ref=pd_sxp_f/002-8483598-5984815?v=glance&s=books)

(review supplied by Penguin (http://www.penguinputnam.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,0_1573223158,00.html#) )

[Paregoric Kid]

frey is a fraud. he tried to publish a million little pieces as fiction but no one would publish it, so he decided to publish it as non-fiction. he made up a lot of things if not all of them to get a good story.
check this out: http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0104061jamesfrey1.html
a friend of mine loaned me a million little pieces when I saw on the cover a review that said ssomething like it being the "best book on addiction since william burroughs' junky."
I started reading it but his writing style is shit, no structure. it looks like a middle school kid wrote it. terrible writing, but that's not commenting on the story. I didn't read more than a few pages because I started reading a copy of cities of the red night by burroughs I got for xmas.

[jab]

I agree with PK, I read the TSG article and part of the book, and he is a fraud. No doubt in my mind. Look at all the old pics of him on TSG.. He was a preppy, nothing more, noting less.

[Zoop]

His accounts of being arrested and all that don't match with what the police have to say about him.

he made up a lot of the book, but one thing I am pretty sure that he told the truth about is that he is a drug addict.

[devilsdrug]

shit i saw a deal on that fake last nite on tv oprah got taken in and frey made big $ he never spent more than 3 hrs in jail on a dwi , but then again youve got to give the guy credit for the hustle

[bi11i]

Damn. Never trust a junkie? I wrote a little weblog entry (http://www.junkylife.com/bi11i/index.php/2006/01/12/larry-king-and-james-frey/) on my own personal opinions...

[voodoobudah]

What does anybody expect from the guy?.For Chris'sakes he's a junkie,that's what junkies do ,they lie.That is in the job description.If the guy couldn't remember something ,he made it up.Abe Lincoln said it best :"No man has a good enough memory to be a succesful liar".

[Buckshot]

Frey writes a book that helps people, slightly changes parts for entertainment purposes. But the vast majority of the book and of course the main point or true...Frey gets torn apart by the media.

President of the United States, George Bush lies in the fullest extent of the word with the purpose of killing people. People in several countries. And his main point "WMD" in this case are totally false...Bush gets remarkable support from the media.

Frey's book is very inspiring. Yes junkies lie, but so do good marketers. Look at evey movie that is a historical re-actment. Sure Frey wrote a memoir, which is different than something based on a true story. But we live in a world where everything is spiced up for show...Can you blame him.

People usually make money ruining addicts lives.
Wow someone getting rich trying to help addicts...What an evil concept...

PS the other best selling book was Harry Potter, defintely fiction.

[Coddfish]

You notice how ya never see buckshot and James Frey in the same place at the same time?

[Buckshot]

Funny thing is Frey and I actually look very similar. Mostly the big V shaped receading hair line.

Hell the way Im going I could end up with my teeth knocked out and a hole in my cheek too....lol in a twisted way.

But really would anyone whos read My Friend Leonard recomend it? Is it as good as million pieces?