By Matthew B.
As a book that can be related to many others, A Million Little Pieces, written by James Frey, is portrayed as a memoir but is actually semi-fictional. This book focuses on Frey, a former drug addict and alcoholic.
The narrative is told through a first person perspective with an untraditional format to the pages. Everything is aligned to the left, with no proper dialog or sentence structure. This uneven format makes the read interesting as Frey describes his experiences in rehab after being a long time abuser.
Since it is told through Frey's eyes, the descriptions of what his mental and physical state are like make the book quite graphic. In the beginning he explains that he is going to rehab, but what happens within truly shows how devastating years of constant consumption of drugs or alcohol (In Frey's case, both are used) can make one weak and fragile.
With this lovely book about addiction, it didn't quite stick. The style of writing, while unique, was sometimes frustrating because of the lack of differentiation of people. The repetition of ideas throughout the book make it seem like each chapter has the same type of arch to it.
I have read other memoir type books, such as Crank and Glass from Ellen Hopkins, but Frey's was different. It was well thought out and had heart put into it, but the overall style of writing was repetitive, making the read tough at times. I do recommend this to one who wants a different style of writing, but be warned that it can get dry.
A Million Little Pieces, by James Frey, Nan A. Talese, April 2003, 383 Pages
No comments:
Post a Comment