Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing - Matthew Perry

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

Genre: Memoir

Blurb (on back of book): “Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.”

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.

MY OPINION: ***

I read this when I was in my celebrity memoir era. I don't recall loving it all that much but it was deeply saddening and emotional to read this book after his untimely passing. I was never the hugest Friends fan, though I have seen the entire show through at least once. Chandler was definitely one of my favorites, and his wit and humor translated into Matthew Perry's book.

I will say that this book talks heavily about his struggles dealing with drug addiction and at times, it was very painful and almost tiresome to read. I obviously felt sympathy for what he was going through but a lot of the book felt very centered on women and the result of drugs on his poor treatment of women. There weren't many mentions of women in a positive or flattering light, and half the time it's just about whether or not he wanted to sleep with them. I did not enjoy reading about that aspect, drug addiction or not. It was a very unfavorable light.

A lot of aspects felt surface level while others felt deeply personal and vulnerable. I applaud his ability to share these aspects of his life with a democratic audience who know and judge the character and the actor from a beloved sitcom. I'd recommend for fans of Perry and fans of Friends, but be wary of the heavy themes rampant throughout the book.