A Million Little Pieces Part 4, Chapter 1 Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • James is sitting in a room with Lilly and the crack dealer and…
  • Oh, it's just a dream.
  • Lincoln tries to talk to James about AA again, about how it's the only way to get sober, and how he can't believe that James is going to get sober without it.
  • "I'm sure as hell gonna try" (4.1.72), James says. Lincoln misquotes Yoda, saying: "Do more than try" (4.1.74).
  • Instead of gym, tan, laundry, it's group session, lunch, and lecture, then James goes to Ken's office.
  • Randall the lawyer is there, and he tells James that he only has to serve three to six months in county jail. Not bad.
  • Ken recommends that James at least try a couple of the Twelve Steps. Not even the first few, just Four and Five: making an inventory and admitting "to God, to ourselves and to another Human Being the exact nature of our wrongs" (4.1.164).
  • James agrees to do it, and he walks back to his room to read the Tao Te Ching.
  • Miles comes in crying because of a phone call he had from his wife, and he asks to be alone.
  • James leaves, and his parents call. He tells them about his short little jail sentence, and he says that he appreciates them.
  • The music from Rocky starts playing (no, really—we're not joking), and Leonard bursts in. He'll be leaving soon, and everyone is going to celebrate.
  • Everyone eats and watches a boxing match on TV.
  • The men bet, and Matty loses a bunch of money. You'd think the boxer would be better at betting on boxing.
  • James goes to his room and thinks about what an almost perfect day he had.