Ok so this thing is a little flimsy and yes there are a ton of pieces but it's only because there are so many shelves. You don't have to use all of them. It's up to your liking. This was easy to put together but it did feel fragile. When done with the assembly you may want to ask someone to help you stand it upright. Not because it is heavy but because it deflects so much that it might crack if you don't give it a little extra support. Despite it's flimsiness, it get's the job done and it still looks great when finished. I decided not to nail in the back panels. Looks better to me. Also the shelves are narrow. Perfect size for you dvds, blurays, and CD's but if you plan to put decorative objects on them make sure the base of it isn't too wide.