Customer Reviews
Good 'story' from a pompous man - By: Beacrm, 30 Aug 2008 
I agree with one of the reviews on the inside cover of the paperback edition which calls Frey selfish, egocentric, violent & pompous. I sensed from the off that something wasn't quite right about the tale Frey was telling. Ultimately he seems more concerned with telling a good story than saying anything that may benefit other recovering addicts. His stubborn rejection of the 12 step programme made him seem like an idiot. As an adult he recalled a childhood 'prank' of him locking his palin a box. He showed no remorse & said that he still found it funny. The passage of time had not taught him any sense of humility or to care for anyone other than himself. This recollection occured as he was reluctantly working through the early stages of the 12 steps, which he selfishly agreed to doin order to get released from rehab. I regret spending good money on this book & adding to the wealth of this odius man. I would not pay to read the sequel 'My Friend Leonard'
Dreary - By: Arthur Pound, 02 Aug 2008 
Don't believe any of the hype. It makes no difference whether this lame tale is viewed as autobiography or as fiction. It is totally worthless as an example of either genre. James Frey appears to be an unoriginal & illiterate chancer, who tries desperately to sound like Jack Kerouac or Hunter S. Thompson - but lacks their talents. His style is repetitive & pretentious. His story line is banal, cliche-ridden & implausible. His characters lack substance or credibility. Resist the hype. Don't waste your money (or your time) on this tedious, over-publicised eyewash.
genius! - By: clare bawcutt, 24 Jul 2008 
Don't believe the hype. Truth or fiction, who cares? This is a fantastic book. James Frey is a literary genius. Beautifully written.
Brilliant. - By: Tish Pom, 21 Jun 2008 This book is absolutelyin my top five.
It is brilliant. I was compelled to write this review after reading some of the others & completely disagreeing. I completely cared about the character, willed him to live & could picture every place & situation clearly. I read the whole bookin two sittings - I could not put it down.
The absence of formal sentence & paragraph structure is a little strange, but I soon found that his seemingly spontaneous use of paragraphs & breaks helped me decipher the meaning & digest the page one bit at a time.
I have since passed this book on to two of my friends, who both loved it as much as I did. My sister is currently reading it & can't put it down either.
100% recommended.
Adolescent fantasy - By: Pete B., 15 Jun 2008 
I got clean & sober by going through rehabs. It took me several attempts. None of them were anything like James Frey's picture. He seems to have missed the point completely. This book is just a fantasy about being 'heroic'. If he ever was a 'real' addict/alcoholic, things are not looking good for him. Recovery requires honesty. Frey is completely dishonest. If you want to find out what rehab & recovery are really about, read 'No Big Deal' or 'Addiction & Recovery for Dummies'.
