My Friend Leonard
Encyclopedia
My Friend Leonard is a memoir written by James Frey
. Continuing where A Million Little Pieces
left off, the book centers on the father-son relationship Frey and his friend from Hazelden, Leonard, shared. My Friend Leonard was published in June 2005 by Riverhead, and became a bestseller. Amazon.com editors selected My Friend Leonard as their #5 favorite book of 2005. The book was marketed as a memoir, but after its release, certain elements of the story were cast into doubt. The author later admitted that he had never actually been incarcerated as claimed in the book.
county jail. He anxiously drives to Chicago
to see his girlfriend, Lilly, whose grandmother has just died. James and Lilly met in rehab
(as mentioned in A Million Little Pieces) and Lilly was in a halfway house
while James was in jail. Upon arriving in Chicago, James is informed by the director of the halfway house that Lilly committed suicide
because she could not deal with the pain of losing her grandmother.
Desperate, James goes to a liquor store and buys the cheapest bottle of wine with the intention of drinking it. He spends the night in his car and does not drink the alcohol. James asks Leonard for thirty thousand dollars, which he uses to bury Lilly and her grandmother. Leonard had told James while they were in the treatment center that he would look out for James as though he were his father. He gives the money to James on two conditions: 1) James must agree to tell Leonard later what he did with the money, and 2) if James does decide to drink the bottle of wine (which he still keeps in his apartment), he must agree to call Leonard beforehand. At the end of the story, Leonard goes into hiding and James does not hear from him for eighteen months. Finally, Leonard meets with James in San Francisco and informs James that he is dying from AIDS
. Leonard takes his own life by overdosing on pain medications.
James must handle great adversity throughout the entire novel. He has to deal with people who aren't always reputable. And he battles with depression
, but slowly grows from his experiences.
The rest of the novel deals with James' attempting to create a normal life for himself.
James Frey
James Christopher Frey is an American writer. His books A Million Little Pieces and My Friend Leonard , as well as Bright Shiny Morning , were bestsellers...
. Continuing where A Million Little Pieces
A Million Little Pieces
A Million Little Pieces is a semi-fictional memoir by James Frey. It tells the story of a 23-year-old alcoholic and drug abuser and how he copes with rehabilitation in a Twelve steps-oriented treatment center...
left off, the book centers on the father-son relationship Frey and his friend from Hazelden, Leonard, shared. My Friend Leonard was published in June 2005 by Riverhead, and became a bestseller. Amazon.com editors selected My Friend Leonard as their #5 favorite book of 2005. The book was marketed as a memoir, but after its release, certain elements of the story were cast into doubt. The author later admitted that he had never actually been incarcerated as claimed in the book.
Summary
The novel begins with Frey's release from an OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
county jail. He anxiously drives to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to see his girlfriend, Lilly, whose grandmother has just died. James and Lilly met in rehab
Rehabilitation (penology)
Rehabilitation means; To restore to useful life, as through therapy and education or To restore to good condition, operation, or capacity....
(as mentioned in A Million Little Pieces) and Lilly was in a halfway house
Halfway house
The purpose of a halfway house, also called a recovery house or sober house, is generally to allow people to begin the process of reintegration with society, while still providing monitoring and support; this is generally believed to reduce the risk of recidivism or relapse when compared to a...
while James was in jail. Upon arriving in Chicago, James is informed by the director of the halfway house that Lilly committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
because she could not deal with the pain of losing her grandmother.
Desperate, James goes to a liquor store and buys the cheapest bottle of wine with the intention of drinking it. He spends the night in his car and does not drink the alcohol. James asks Leonard for thirty thousand dollars, which he uses to bury Lilly and her grandmother. Leonard had told James while they were in the treatment center that he would look out for James as though he were his father. He gives the money to James on two conditions: 1) James must agree to tell Leonard later what he did with the money, and 2) if James does decide to drink the bottle of wine (which he still keeps in his apartment), he must agree to call Leonard beforehand. At the end of the story, Leonard goes into hiding and James does not hear from him for eighteen months. Finally, Leonard meets with James in San Francisco and informs James that he is dying from AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
. Leonard takes his own life by overdosing on pain medications.
James must handle great adversity throughout the entire novel. He has to deal with people who aren't always reputable. And he battles with depression
Depression (mood)
Depression is a state of low mood and aversion to activity that can affect a person's thoughts, behaviour, feelings and physical well-being. Depressed people may feel sad, anxious, empty, hopeless, helpless, worthless, guilty, irritable, or restless...
, but slowly grows from his experiences.
The rest of the novel deals with James' attempting to create a normal life for himself.
External links
- Criticism of the book by John DolanJohn Dolan (writer)John Carrol Dolan is an American poet, author and essayist. He currently writes for and co-edits the eXile, an English-language paper founded and formerly based in Moscow, Russia, and now based online in California. He was recently laid off from the University of Victoria, British...
- James Frey's Website and Blog