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Jennifer
Rating:
 
Review
This book is the continued autobiographical account of James Frey's life after he gets out of rehab in A Million Little Pieces. My Friend Leonard starts out with James in jail, doing his mandatory penance for his pre-rehab life of carelessness and crime. It also is a powerful account of his new sober life, and figuring out what to do from here on out, including dealing with the death of his beloved Lilly, and his growing relationship with Leonard, whom he met in rehab. Leonard decides that James is the son he never had, and takes James under his wing, even giving him a very lucrative delivery job in Leonard's not-altogether-legal mob-type business. We watch James grow and learn how to live sober in this book too. Leonard teaches him how to "live largely", showing him how to appreciate beautiful things, the know-how on purchasing expensive art, and eating lavishly along the way. In the end though, I think you'll find that Leonard learned as much from James as James did from Leonard about life and love. This book left me sad that it was ending and wishing for more, just like A Million Little Pieces did. Come on James, write more!
Best Line:
"Pain is the feeling. Suffering is the effect that pain inflicts. If one can endure pain, one can live without suffering. If one can learn to withstand pain, one can withstand anything. If one can learn to control pain, one can learn to control oneself."
Kim
Rating:
Review
I won't add a warning right about now regarding the language in this sequel to A Million Little Pieces, since either the profanity is lessened this time around, or I've become somewhat immune to it. It may be a little of both. That said, I enjoyed My Friend Leonard just as much as the author's aforementioned first book, and maybe a little more since James seems older and wiser now. Beginning in jail, and having only a short time left to serve, James writes mostly of girlfriend, Lilly. Tragedy ensues, and Leonard helps James pick up the pieces and continues to be a large part of James' life. Some parts brought me to tears (the end), and other times recalled by the author made me laugh out loud (James running around a truck stop only wearing a leopard print Speedo) while all of it had the makings of many deep thoughts for this reviewer. As in A Million Little Pieces, the author's blunt writing style combined with his brutal honesty made this book hard to put down... again.
Best Line:
"I thank her for the day, a great day, probably the best day I have ever had with her." James is referring to a day spent with his mother, and when I read this, I felt both happy that this day finally arrived, and sad that it took so long.
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