My Friend Leonard [Paperback]

James Frey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2005

By the same author of "A Million Little Pieces"

Product Details

• Paperback: 357 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead Books; aFirst Edition First Printing edition (2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0739462997
• ISBN-13: 978-0739462997
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (400 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,173,590 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James Frey is originally from Cleveland. He is the author of A Million Little Pieces and My Friend Leonard. He lives in New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Unfortunately, this book makes the first book less believable., December 2, 2005

By 

Jason Smith "clockwatchers" (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: My Friend Leonard (Hardcover)

Like many others, I found out about James Frey through Oprah and her book club. I read A Million Little Pieces quickly and intensely. I didn't question it at the time. I just wanted to finish it and see what happened to all the interesting characters. I immediately bought the follow-up and had it delivered with the 2 day option. I couldn't wait for the book to arrive. Then, I started thinking more about AMLP and wondering how true some of the parts might be, like the part where they have the boxing match and the authorities leave and they are allowed to bet and eat as much as they want from a catered company. I started to realize there might be some over-elaboration from Frey. Maybe he made some of it up, maybe a lot more than some of it.

Then MFL arrives and I read it quickly. It lends itself to being read quickly because it is so repetitive. I agree with other reviews that say his style works much better as an addict than as a person who is distanced from that addiction. This style becomes difficult and tedious. I tire of it I take a break from reading I care less about what happens to the characters get a cold tasty cola. Skip a few pages. The writing becomes a parody of itself at times. It worked before but it doesn't in this book. In the "real world" Leonard becomes a much less believable character to me. Snapper is one dimensional at best. I lose interest in his loves he can't get it up with his beautiful new girlfriend he won't tell her why he still misses Lilly cries buys flowers cries. We hug. We seperate. We order steak, creamed spinach and a nice cold tasty cola.

OK, you get it. I'm disappointed I hoped for better I feel like it was made up makes the first book less believable stop now stop stop.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Forget the controversy - this is just bad writing, January 13, 2006

By 

Sara Holding (Connecticut) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Friend Leonard (Hardcover)

(...)
Forget that this story is just SO unbelievable from Day 1. I know the disclaimer says they changed names and sequences of events - but every character in this book rings untrue. From Lilly, the crack whore who hangs herself hours before James can make it to her side... Porterhouse, the 300-lb, illiterate murderer who laughs and cries at the classic stories James reads him ... to Leonard, James' mobster "father" who is so touched by art in galleries that tears stream down his face. Let's not forget his wisecracking bodyguard/driver, Snapper. The girl from one of the top families in town dating James even though he has no job and no pedigree. Good Lord! These characters could come right out the screenplay Christopher Moltisanti wrote in the first season of The Sopranos.

The dialogue is some of the worst I've ever read. "James, I want you to be my son. I will introduce you as my son and you will be treated as such. All I ask in return is that you keep me involved in your life. If you ever have any issues with your real father, I must insist you defer to him." "I will send fresh red roses every week to this grave!" I found myself wincing at some of it.

I know as a frat boy, Frey probably dreamt of running with the tough guys, and this is his way of realizing that dream. However, he should admit this is just fiction. James admitted he never spent any real time in jail. It's not a memoir in the way that the book-buying public thinks of the genre, and it's really bad as fiction.

46 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars More Lies, January 16, 2006

By 

P. Carter - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Friend Leonard (Hardcover)

More lies from someone who should be listed as a very poor fiction writer.