Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing

Books | Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts

3.8

(181)

Matthew Perry

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER The BELOVED STAR OF FRIENDS takes us behind the scenes of the hit sitcom and his struggles with addiction in this “CANDID, DARKLY FUNNY...POIGNANT” memoir (The New York Times) A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK by Time, Associated Press, Goodreads, USA Today, and more!“Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty.”So begins the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who traveled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us. . . and so much more.In an extraordinary story that only he could tell—and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it—Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he’s found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of Friends, sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware, and with his trademark humor, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that is both intimate and eye-opening—as well as a hand extended to anyone struggling with sobriety. Unflinchingly honest, moving, and uproariously funny, this is the book fans have been waiting for.

Comedy

Memoir

Humor

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More Details:

Author

Matthew Perry

Pages

272

Publisher

Flatiron Books

Published Date

2022-11

ISBN

1250866448 9781250866448

Ratings

Google: 5

Community ReviewsSee all

"Sadly I never knew this boom existed until after he died. What a horrible and very very sad life this man lived and nobody TRULY knew about the amount of suffering he endured. Still. He was a fighter. He never gave up. After all he went thru. Bless your heart Matthew Perry. R.I.P. I'm so very glad you're suffering is finally over and you can FINALLY be happy. Lord knows you're the happiest thing I remember from my childhood. "

Mendi Morris

"Very raw, personal, laced with some dark humor throughout. Learned a lot about Matthew Perry, whom I only knew from my love of Friends. Born in Ottawa Canada, son of Suzanne Perry, secretary to Pierre Trudeau. Matthew talks about his childhood trauma; wanting the constant love and attention from his mother after his father leaves them. He also fears being alone and recalls this was heightened by having traveled all alone on a plane without his mother. Alcohol and drugs were a constant escape for him. This book is great, and reading into what seemed like repetitive cycles of a hell only imagined, and I also got to hear it narrated by Matthew himself via audible. Very Eerie! Sad to hear him describe all the pain and loneliness that never seemed to go away unless he numbed himself. There were even apologizes to other people, celebraties he recognized he did wrong by at times he found himself at rock bottom. It is so difficult to hear him talk about what he hoped for in his future, his aspirations, wanting a family of his own, finding love again someday."

Chrissyg

"The story is interesting. But I didn't enjoy the layout or his writing style. "

Kylie Ercit

"Daaaaaaamn. I stopped reading this. God, he was so sad. #unaccompanied"

J w

Jfly winslow

"Interesting to learn what he was going through for so long. Depressing though."

Samantha Nuanes

"It was very interesting to learn what he was going through all that time. He is a fighter. "

Danielle Stapp

"This book was heartbreaking down to your core. Especially if you or a loved one have suffered from addiction. <br/><br/>I did the audiobook so it was great to hear his voice and banter in the book. But so heartbreaking knowing what we know now. <br/><br/>RIP Chandler Bing."

J M

Jackie McDonald

"I can relate to so much of this story and it touched my heart ❤️ "

Susan Sheby

"I love Matthew Perry and truly admire and sympathize with his struggles with addiction. However, as a book review, this was not a good memoir. In my opinion, it was poorly written - it jumped all over the place, sometimes gave you too many details, sometimes not nearly enough, and was very repetitive. I don't feel like I learned anything new or terribly interesting about Matthew besides feeling sorry for him and his horrible disease."

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Elizabeth Fordham

"Friends, Lovers, and the Big, Terrible Thing is Matthew Perry’s autobiography. I would highly recommend the audio version of this because he obviously narrates it. I knew he battled drug addiction, but I had no clue how bad it was. I’m not addicted to anything, so it was very eye opening for me to hear his descriptions of what he was willing to do for the drugs and alcohol that he craved. His struggle involved him getting sober so many times and then relapsing. He is very self-aware, which makes his inability to effectively deal with his addictions all the more fascinating. He uses his trademark humor throughout (along with a large sprinkling of the f-bomb) to tell stories of his childhood shuffling between split parents, his talent as a nationally ranked tennis player, and his Friends co-stars. He is open about his love life, his career, and his addictions. I thought it was very interesting. My only complaint is that the timeline is a little hard to follow becomes he flips back and forth. But the story flows well and his current peace that he’s achieved feels like a hard won victory. He has you rooting for him, even as he admits that his issues are all his fault. If you like biographies at all, this was very good."