James Frey's controversial "memoir" A Million Little Pieces (should be underlined but Blogspot won't let me) is his recount of his journey through rehab for his drug and alcohol addiction. So far, James has woken up aboard a plane with broken front teeth and blood covered clothes and he does not know how he got there. He is greeted at the gate by his mom and dad, who he does not have good relationships with. In the car, they have to stop at a gas station so that James can buy wine. His drinking continues throughout his trip to the clinic. At the clinic, James is given some pills to help diminish his urges to use. He recounts his use of drugs and alcohol and it is shocking. He uses a plethora of drugs and alcohol and is a hard core addict. He also gets into some scuffles with other patients and has a hard time adjusting to life at the rehab clinic.
This book is very shocking to me. I am the first to admit I live in a protected bubble, and I am made further aware of the bubble by reading A Million Little Pieces. Granted, this memoir is known to be extremely exaggerated so I have to read it knowing it is not 100% true. However, drug and alcohol addiction is a big problem for modern society, so learning anything I can about it is very important. Even reading just a few pages into the book, I realized how large an effect an addiction can make on a life. To wake up on a plane with no clue where you are going and why you have blood all over you shows that life has gotten pretty out of hand. I hope that reading this book reminds me and drives home the idea that drugs and alcohol are bad and that they can destroy everything I have going for me right now. I am also struck by James lack of relationship with his parents. I am personally very close to my parents and I think if I was battling something as extreme as an addiction, I would want them by me. Thinking about it, James probably didn't have a great relationship with his parents and that is probably one of the reasons he turned to drug and alcohol abuse. After just reading a few pages of A Million Little Pieces, I know it is going to be a very intense book that explores how to pull oneself up out of the gutter.
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4 comments:
Hannah, this book sounds very interesting! I had no idea addictions could get that bad! I agree that many addictions can form from lack of a good relationship with ones family and friends. Most of the time addictions can lead to an even worse relationship than before. Drug and alcohol addiction is a problem for our society. I can't wait to read this book!
Why is this memoir not completely true? Did he still have his addiction issue when he was writing this book? This can further show that he has problems when he's willing to exaggerate the extent of the things he went through. I wonder if he also wanted attention and publicity; a story about hard core drug addiction can be quite interesting for today's audience. I'm almost beginning to resent the author for these actions and reasons.
I am now officially intrigued to read this book after reading about your thoughts. This book obviously shows one the affects of alcohol and drugs, not only on one's health but also on one's life. It seems that his addiction is very likely to have sprouted from poor relationships. I am very excited to read this when I get the time!
I think it is great that someone who has had such a serious addiction is willing to share their life details even if they aren’t the prettiest. It really makes me aware of how lucky I am to have such a good life and compels one not to take drugs or alcohol knowing how serious the consequences can. I like how the author chose to start with him waking up on a plane with no memory versus starting at the beginning of his life; it’s more powerful and makes me want to more.
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