A Million Little Pieces #6

The final test in, A Million Little Pieces, is when James Frey, a twenty three year old man walks into a bar with his brother, a friend, and forty dollars, to prove once and for all that he can stop being the addict and alcoholic he has been categorized as for so many years. He orders a tall glass of whisky and sits at the counter alone, smelling, looking touching, the alcohol but not drinking it. The final moment is when James creeps his head up towards the mirror and finally looks himself in the eye which is something he has been struggling to do for the entire book;

For the first time in my life, as I look into my own eyes, I like what I see. I can live with it. I want to live with it. For a long time. I want to live with it. I want to live” (429).

James has come such a long way in the short span of his book but he has finally begun to shape himself into the kind of man he wants to be. He has a yes or no decision to make. Drink. Don’t Drink. Just like that he gets up from the bar and walks over to the pool table and plays a round with his brother. At the end of the book there is a list of what happened to some of the more important characters later on in life and it is sad to see that very few continue one the safe journey to recovery. The strength needed to overcome the kind of addiction James had is unbelievable and truly amazing.