America's Bad Boy: James Frey

James Frey on Oprah

At the age of just 23, James Frey entered rehab having brought his life to the brink of utter annihilation. He was an Alcoholic and a Drug Addict and a Criminal. His body and mind were damaged almost beyond repair. “A million little pieces” is his autobiographical account of his time in rehab, and how his life had reached that point. Published in 2003 to critical acclaim and selling eight million copies worldwide , Frey sparked a US media storm and received a very public rebuking from Oprah after parts of it were found to have been invented. He hit the headlines again in recent weeks due to controversy surrounding his latest project, Full Fathom Five. So what’s all the fuss about?

“A million little pieces” is, without doubt, a fantastic book. It presents the realities of addiction with brutal honesty; Frey tells his story with a remarkable lack of self-pity and writes with an intense, furious energy that simultaneously demonstrates incredible strength and extreme vulnerability. The frankness is so unflinching that at times it becomes difficult to read. In the course of the book, Frey attends what is considered to be the best rehabilitation centre in the world. The success rate of the clinic is seventeen percent, based on addicts who are still sober a year after leaving rehab.

I was given “a million little pieces” with the strict instructions not to read the last two pages. They tell what happens to each of the characters post-rehab. Do they all return to loving families changed people and never relapse? Of course not. But in my opinion these last two pages make the book. They bring home the reality, reminding readers that despite embellishments, this story is no fairytale. Seventeen percent.

It is easy to see why there was such an outcry when parts of the book were found to be invented. Readers become enthralled in Frey’s world, investing too much of themselves in the story and needing it to be true. But it should be understood that it is still a book. As a work of literature it is an extraordinary and unforgettable piece of writing, and if parts of it were embellished to make it a better story, so what? Isn’t that what we all do – exaggerate or make up a story to make it more interesting or funny or emotional?

Speaking in a 2003 interview, Frey maintained that “the intentions were more to write a work of literature rather than a self-help book... I hoped that the book would help people, and it certainly has, I’ve gotten 12-15,000 letters in the last year, but it was written to be a work of art that would hopefully change people’s lives.” Embellished or not, mission accomplished.

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