The book under evaluation is the job by Frey James My Friend Leonard. This choice was spurred simply by controversial effect it provoked among the public and literary critics. This novel can be, actually, a sequel for the book A Million Little Pieces published 12 months before.
The genre of My Friend Leonard may be understood to be a memoir though, while the author himself admits, it has a certain degree of fictional components. Frey David is an exceptional figure in modern American literature. His individual biography of a person who experienced problems with dependency on alcohol, drug habit, and even being a convicted legal provides Frey with the manifold material which will he effectively employed in the memoir.
The key character in the memoir is actually author’s namesake James who serves amount of time in a prison. Following jail launch James comes back to Lilly, his girl, to Chi town but the lifestyle outside the jail is far from harmony. Wayne finds his girlfriend useless after assigning a committing suicide overnight. Getting struck at this time dreadful discovery the main character still will not go to seed, he determines to stay in Chicago and uses up job of your bouncer in Chicago cafes. However feeling of rage and the weight of reality makes James panic of urge thus this individual appeals to his old friend Leonard.
Seeing that their appointment the story takes on its primary plotline ” the relations between two men, the relations which in turn border after the a friendly relationship and father-son bonds. Leonard is a great Italian mobster who provided James to become his “stepfather when they both equally where in rehabilitation: “I would like one to be my son. Leonard happily relieves his friend and “son helping him to get him on his feet.
As time lapses the scene of action along with the main persona transfers from Chicago to Los Angeles. Wayne changes his activity. Today he is a writer. He still maintains close romantic relationship with Leonardo, who continues to be his loyal friend and tutelary dad. The relations that develop between them happen to be presented from deeply mental side. Mcdougal aims to demonstrate deep feeling of people who not even close to ideal figures still are human and exhibit the very best example of the relations called friendship.
The depiction of feelings indicated to family pets is as masterfully executed because the feelings amongst humans. Hence while studying the passing where Wayne takes his dog to the hospital to put it to sleep and the farewell scene the actual reader go through the same emotions. “The veterinary inserts the needle, depresses the plunger. Cassius yelps like a little puppy, my big hard pitbull seems the tingle, I carry him because his bloodstream courses through his problematic veins I keep him when he stumbles, when he falls, I actually hold him as he passes away. I consider his eye and I tell him I love him and Items miss him and Now i am so so so remorseful. He passes away in my hands and I carry him and I cry, We cry, My spouse and i cry.
Returning to the main character wonderful friend Leonard we see how their particular relations occur to the peak point and suddenly Leonardo vanishes. After insistent search Wayne finally discovers Leonard and learns that Leonard is usually gay, is affected with AIDS, and lives his last days. James remains with him and spends these couple of days near Leonard.
Speaking about the mood left after examining the story, this can be a deep impression created by simply its emotionality and at the same time this emotionality at some moments seems exaggerated not typically for the kind of genre. Nevertheless the design does not allow the story turning into melancholy narrative. Frey writes in short straightforward sentences, generally neglects punctuation and thus produces easy examining that evolves fluently. Therefore we get favourably distinguishable prose inside the genre of memoir but with flavour of captivating fictional works.
Reference:
Frey James (2005). My Friend Leonard. New York: Riverhead.
