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My Friend Leonard James Frey 0001594481954 Books

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My Friend Leonard James Frey 0001594481954 Books

Having now read three of James Frey's four published works (not counting that weird pseudonym-series about the X-Men kids or whatever they are), I have come to consider myself a solidified fan. I care not what he made up or exaggerated in the controversial best-seller A Million Little Pieces, because that's still a damn good book, and his talent for minimalist prose is hard to ignore. My Friend Leonard is a `kind-of' follow-up novel, picking up shortly after where A Million Little Pieces left off to find James Frey writing in the first person about a somewhat-fictionalized version of himself.

It begins with Frey in jail for a brief period following his completion of drug and alcohol rehab, then getting out of jail and receiving some horrific news (this news is actually revealed in the epilogue of AMLP, but further detail is given in this narrative). In the aftermath of an event that severely rattles James's recently-free-from-jail existence, he comes dangerously close to undoing everything he accomplished in rehab by dealing with extreme temptation to drink again (which would inevitably lead to harder substances). This battle with the harsh echoes of Frey's past addiction are prominent in the first half of the story, and he even keeps a sealed bottle of cheap wine with him at all times as a reminder to not drink; a defiant expression of great willpower to refuse alcohol, even though it is available to him every moment.

Before long, Leonard is introduced: a charming, handsome, mysteriously wealthy fifty-something whom James had met and befriended while they were in rehab together. Leonard seeks Frey out and expresses a desire to `adopt' him in a way; to look out for James and care for him in a father-like relationship. Mind you, Frey is jobless and completely broke upon leaving jail, meanwhile fighting grief and teetering on the edge of falling back into addiction. Leonard has a particular fondness for James, as well as the means to provide for him, so their relationship is taken to a new level which changes James's life in some big ways. Leonard even takes to calling James `My son' for the remainder of the book, and while Frey finds this somewhat silly and strange, he is thankful to have such a generous friend in a dark time.

James makes his way through several ultra low-end jobs, including one as a bouncer at a dive bar. Eventually he is offered a position by Leonard, a position that is very loose and undefined, even a bit shady. James earns a great deal of money by running `errands' for Leonard, though he spends very little of it and does not count his wealth as much.

This description so far probably sounds very simple and rather uninteresting. The narrative is simple, but not in a boring or pointless way. It is, at the heart, the story of a man unfolding and coming to a place where he is finally taking care of himself, growing up, and finding joy in places other than self-destruction. This comes through great pain and loss, but the redemptive quality is thus all the more sweet. This is also the story of a deep and sacred friendship, one that mirrors the best father/son scenario one could imagine.

James Frey's writing is loose and minimalist in the sense that he intentionally excludes most punctuation, save periods and commas, and also utilizes multiple run-on sentences. While these two qualities may sound like simply the bad habits of a lazy writer, they are executed so well that it ends up giving the piece a very stark, human-thought-process sort of realism. When things get intense or very sad and the character smashes four or five sentences into one mad dash, the severity of the moment is felt because that's the way our minds tend to blur everything together under stress. At other points his dialogue is defined by beautiful, subtle honesty, and it is through the conversations in the book (including the ones going on in James's head) that really bring out the true attributes of each character.

My Friend Leonard was an easy read and a poetic delight. The story is plain in subject, but rich in character, delicate observation, and authentic interactions. Like everything I've read from Frey, there is great humor in this story, as well as loss and sadness that are gripping around your heart to rip it violently out of your chest. Again, this is how life is, is it not?

If you've not read A Million Little Pieces, I would recommend being introduced to Frey's work that way, though it is not necessary material to enjoy My Friend Leonard as a stand-alone. Either way, I would highly recommend any and all of his books to any reader with an appreciation for real people going through real circumstances interlaced with lovely prose and keen observation.


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My Friend Leonard James Frey 0001594481954 Books Reviews

This book tells the tale of James, an addict, who meets Leonard in rehab. Leonard is a mobster who takes James under his wing and "adopts" him as his son. When they're back in the real world, you learn through James the trials and heartbreak of life after rehab. Leonard is always there for James and treats him just as if he were his real son. It's a wonderfully entertaining if not sometimes heartbreaking story. Two-thirds of the way through, I started to think about how the book could end in a way that wasn't trite or cheesy (Like most mobster-inspired stories). Mr. Frey threw me for a loop and the book ended in a very poignant and endearing way that I really didn't expect. The writing style is great too, with run-on sentences and super-long paragraphs - more of a stream of consciousness put down on paper than actual writing. I love that style and this did not disappoint.

Read this book - you will NOT be disappointed.
This book is all kinds of beautiful. Terrific character development and excellently ended. Just made me cry at the end.
'My Good Friend Leonard' is sort of the "next chapter(s)" in the story of James Frey after his stint in rehab. The story starts off right after he gets out of rehab. The beginning is about Lilly. The rest of the book is about him just getting his life back together and finding mundane jobs, trying to stay sober and how his friend Leonard impacts his life and supports him just as a father should.

Some of the story gets a tad slow in the middle, but toward the end it does move better. Personally I enjoy James Frey's style of writing although the editor in me kind of gets annoyed with the run on sentences and missing commas and periods, but he is utilizing the same style of storytelling as in 'A Million Little Pieces.' I think that his style had more impact in his first novel rather than in this one, but it's very "him" and I like it.

I was very interested to read about James' life and how he did turn things around for himself and I found myself continuing to be interested throughout 'My Friend Leonard.' I felt all of the emotions he wanted me to feel in the end and I enjoy the fact that James knows how to tell his story in his own words. I like that he touched my heart in his portrayal of Leonard and it almost feels like I knew Leonard myself.

I highly recommend reading this especially if you enjoyed 'A Million Little Pieces' because it just completes his first novel and gives us some closure.
This is quite an amazing sequel to his first book. A great and quick read. Just be sure to read the first book "A Million Little Pieces" first so it all makes sense for you!
Page turner with a satisfying storyline, well-written (despite lacking ANY grammar/punctuation/normal dialogue!) I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. Frey can depict a fictional human in an authentic light (except EVERYONE in the story smokes cigarettes, and it's the 90s...) I really felt what the protagonist felt--the highs and lows. Just ordered my second Frey book!
****** SPOILER ALERT********

Love this book even more than a million pieces! The reason for 4 /5 stas is because he married the neighbor girl! He didn't even explain or go into detail about how and when. Other then that it was perfect.
I do feel bad for his wife though because if she reads this she will read some pretty awful stuff about past gfs
I absolutely LOVED this book! If you know anything about James Frey, as a writer, then you'll know he's a bit more controversial in his books (especially in his very first published book!). However, no matter what you feel about him personally, I highly recommend you read this!. Obviously, this book will certainly hit you harder if you've read his first book, 'A Million Little Pieces', beforehand but I wouldn't say it was a requirement to do so! It was far more emotional than I expected!! Truly a great read and writing style!!
Having now read three of James Frey's four published works (not counting that weird pseudonym-series about the X-Men kids or whatever they are), I have come to consider myself a solidified fan. I care not what he made up or exaggerated in the controversial best-seller A Million Little Pieces, because that's still a damn good book, and his talent for minimalist prose is hard to ignore. My Friend Leonard is a `kind-of' follow-up novel, picking up shortly after where A Million Little Pieces left off to find James Frey writing in the first person about a somewhat-fictionalized version of himself.

It begins with Frey in jail for a brief period following his completion of drug and alcohol rehab, then getting out of jail and receiving some horrific news (this news is actually revealed in the epilogue of AMLP, but further detail is given in this narrative). In the aftermath of an event that severely rattles James's recently-free-from-jail existence, he comes dangerously close to undoing everything he accomplished in rehab by dealing with extreme temptation to drink again (which would inevitably lead to harder substances). This battle with the harsh echoes of Frey's past addiction are prominent in the first half of the story, and he even keeps a sealed bottle of cheap wine with him at all times as a reminder to not drink; a defiant expression of great willpower to refuse alcohol, even though it is available to him every moment.

Before long, Leonard is introduced a charming, handsome, mysteriously wealthy fifty-something whom James had met and befriended while they were in rehab together. Leonard seeks Frey out and expresses a desire to `adopt' him in a way; to look out for James and care for him in a father-like relationship. Mind you, Frey is jobless and completely broke upon leaving jail, meanwhile fighting grief and teetering on the edge of falling back into addiction. Leonard has a particular fondness for James, as well as the means to provide for him, so their relationship is taken to a new level which changes James's life in some big ways. Leonard even takes to calling James `My son' for the remainder of the book, and while Frey finds this somewhat silly and strange, he is thankful to have such a generous friend in a dark time.

James makes his way through several ultra low-end jobs, including one as a bouncer at a dive bar. Eventually he is offered a position by Leonard, a position that is very loose and undefined, even a bit shady. James earns a great deal of money by running `errands' for Leonard, though he spends very little of it and does not count his wealth as much.

This description so far probably sounds very simple and rather uninteresting. The narrative is simple, but not in a boring or pointless way. It is, at the heart, the story of a man unfolding and coming to a place where he is finally taking care of himself, growing up, and finding joy in places other than self-destruction. This comes through great pain and loss, but the redemptive quality is thus all the more sweet. This is also the story of a deep and sacred friendship, one that mirrors the best father/son scenario one could imagine.

James Frey's writing is loose and minimalist in the sense that he intentionally excludes most punctuation, save periods and commas, and also utilizes multiple run-on sentences. While these two qualities may sound like simply the bad habits of a lazy writer, they are executed so well that it ends up giving the piece a very stark, human-thought-process sort of realism. When things get intense or very sad and the character smashes four or five sentences into one mad dash, the severity of the moment is felt because that's the way our minds tend to blur everything together under stress. At other points his dialogue is defined by beautiful, subtle honesty, and it is through the conversations in the book (including the ones going on in James's head) that really bring out the true attributes of each character.

My Friend Leonard was an easy read and a poetic delight. The story is plain in subject, but rich in character, delicate observation, and authentic interactions. Like everything I've read from Frey, there is great humor in this story, as well as loss and sadness that are gripping around your heart to rip it violently out of your chest. Again, this is how life is, is it not?

If you've not read A Million Little Pieces, I would recommend being introduced to Frey's work that way, though it is not necessary material to enjoy My Friend Leonard as a stand-alone. Either way, I would highly recommend any and all of his books to any reader with an appreciation for real people going through real circumstances interlaced with lovely prose and keen observation.