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At a Glance:
Full Title A Million Little Pieces
AuthorJames Frey
In-depth Facts:
Type of WorkMemoir
GenreA matter of controversy. While the book was originally classified as a work of solid nonfiction, it was subsequently revealed that James Frey fictionalized many elements of the story. This revelation triggered a public outcry and ignited a rather unexpected debate on the exact nature of nonfiction writing. There is no general consensus on how to label the book.
LanguageEnglish
Time and place writtenLate 1990s, early 2000s, Los Angeles
Date of First Publication 2003
PublisherRandom House
NarratorJames Frey
Point of ViewThe entire story is told from James’s point of view and follows his thoughts. All other characters are presented through James’s recollections.
ToneTerse, highly emotional, direct
TensePresent
Setting (time)Six weeks in the early 1990s
Setting (place)A rehabilitation clinic in Minnesota
ProtagonistJames Frey
Major conflictJames struggles to overcome drug and alcohol addiction.
Rising actionJames’s many addictions and the way that he’s been raised all contribute to the way that he deals with the possibility of his rehabilitation. His forbidden relationship with an addict at the clinic is both a symptom and a cause of much of the strife in his life at the clinic.
ClimaxWhen Lilly runs away from the facility, James follows her and risks never being allowed to return. He puts his life on the line by entering the crackhouse. In the process of saving Lilly, he feels the pressure of a crack pipe against his body, and he ignores it. He chooses Lilly, and therefore life, over drugs.
Falling ActionJames faces his demons and overcomes his drug addiction. He spends the day of his release from the clinic with his brother Bob at a bar, without having a drink.
ThemesSelf-reliance as a means of salvation, Addiction as hunger
MotifsBeauty as inspiration, the Fury
SymbolsEyes, home and homelessness
ForeshadowingEarly on, James reveals that he may have wronged a girl. That story unfolds over the course of the book. He also reveals that he did something so horrible that he cannot write it down. That deed is revealed in one of the last chapters.
