“Sometimes I talk to the paintings, to the figures in the paintings. I ask a farmer how’s the weather, I ask a singer what’s the song, I ask a baby what’s your name, I ask a young woman why are you crying? I stand in front of Vincent’s self-portrait. Vincent who knew pain and failure, who knew self-doubt and insanity, who cut off his ear, who shot himself. I know Vincent well. I have nothing to say to him.”– Chapter 17, pg. 95
“I meet a man at a bar while I’m waiting for my friends. He says he’s forty-five, he looks like he’s twenty-five. I ask him if he has a secret he says never get angry and be as immature as you can for as long as you can get away with it. A man sitting next to him laughs and says that's bullshit, the great secret is eat food and drink beer till you drop.” – Chapter 19, pg. 105
“There is peace in pain so overwhelming that it shuts down all feeling. It is the only peace I know.” – Chapter 20, pg. 106
“It takes a brave man to walk away, to care so much that he doesn’t care about anything else, to be willing to obey what he feels inside, to be willing to suffer the consequences of living for himself.” – Chapter 25, pg. 129
“The bars are filled with beautiful young people. It’s as if the three best-looking people from every town in the country have come to Los Angeles. Everyone wants to be famous, everyone is well-connected. Everyone is just a step or two away they’re waiting for that break it’s almost there they can taste it fucking taste it.” – Chapter 50, pg. 220
“Leonard asks me if there’s anything I need to know before he dies, I think about it for a minute, turn to him, say what’s the meaning of life, Leonard? He laughs, says that’s an easy one, my son, it’s whatever you want it to be.”
– Chapter 91, pg. 336
So those were some of my favorite book quotes from My Friend Leonard by James Frey.
I regret reading this. Damn sequels. I was happy thinking Frey had managed to overcome his addictions all by himself. But no, he had Leonard (the leader of an organized crime operation), who spoiled him with steak dinners, Picasso paintings, courtside basketball seats… you name it. Then tops it all off by leaving Frey a massive amount of money (does he really expect us to believe he turned it down?). I think having a sugar daddy like Leonard would get anyone through the post-rehab blues. Too bad Frey himself admits there’s not much truth to his memoirs. I’m starting to feel like running through my local Borders with a big, fat Sharpie (the cool, clickety-click retractable kind) and crossing out the word “memoir” anywhere I see it. When did society decide ‘based on a true story’ wasn’t good enough? Oh well. I’m just surprised his repeated omission of punctuation (same as the first book) didn’t bother me too much. Maybe I read so fast my mind puts the periods and commas in for me? I’d make a terrible editor.
