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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
I enjoyed learning more about Matthew Perry’s life and his addiction struggles. It was really interesting and a perspective (especially the darker moments) I have not ever personally heard before with so much detail and candor. The little bits about Friends were fun to hear. I listened to the Audiobook, which as always I recommend.
I’ve heard a lot of pretty harsh critiques to this but most I don’t agree with.
-poorly written/edited: I actually really liked his writing! He has some nice tricks up his sleeve and clearly knows a thing or two about writing, as he should. I really didn’t mind the timeline either - I didn’t find it too repetitive, nor was the back-and-forth especially jarring, although I do wish the timelines were clarified a bit more at the beginning of each chapter. If you’d like a terribly edited memoir with a confusing timeline, read Finding Me (no hate to Davis, but holy shit that book needed another 5 editors).
-unlikable protagonist: I do think Perry was hatable at times, but most of these situations he comes across as self aware that he is fucking up. At multiple points he says he is an asshole. It seems pretty clear he knows he is rich, good-looking, privileged, etc; and it reads to me as him being frank about this rather than boastful. Also the obvious counter, he is an addict. He isn’t going to be sunshine and rainbows. I did find the Keanu Reeves thing unnecessary though.
-misogyny?: I can see this one to an extent. He spends a lot of this book with the idea that women are an idea or a concept or even a thing, rather than their own individual people. I didn’t find it to be explicitly misogynistic, at most it gave me the ick a bit. I think he expresses ideas that are pervasive in society, and that doesn’t make it right, but it wasn’t surprising or unreadable in my opinion.
-too dark and disturbing: Sorry but what the fuck did you expect in a memoir about extreme addiction? I am really glad he went into the detail he did, and left no stone unturned when it came to the horrors he has gone through.
The main critique of my own, is that I found the ending a little weird. There’s a strong note of finality rather than hope for the future that feels somewhat out of place in a story about constant struggle and relapse (I definitely hope he stays sober, that’s not what I’m saying, just that it was an unexpected attitude from him) The whole fade-to-credits moment of seeing everyone he loves and everything of significance as he stares out at the waves, finally at peace, is just kind of strange to me. I think it was supposed to be a little theatric and metaphorical, but I found it kind of ridiculous.
All in all, it was worth a read and I liked it. It’s grisly but impactful.
I’ve heard a lot of pretty harsh critiques to this but most I don’t agree with.
-poorly written/edited: I actually really liked his writing! He has some nice tricks up his sleeve and clearly knows a thing or two about writing, as he should. I really didn’t mind the timeline either - I didn’t find it too repetitive, nor was the back-and-forth especially jarring, although I do wish the timelines were clarified a bit more at the beginning of each chapter. If you’d like a terribly edited memoir with a confusing timeline, read Finding Me (no hate to Davis, but holy shit that book needed another 5 editors).
-unlikable protagonist: I do think Perry was hatable at times, but most of these situations he comes across as self aware that he is fucking up. At multiple points he says he is an asshole. It seems pretty clear he knows he is rich, good-looking, privileged, etc; and it reads to me as him being frank about this rather than boastful. Also the obvious counter, he is an addict. He isn’t going to be sunshine and rainbows. I did find the Keanu Reeves thing unnecessary though.
-misogyny?: I can see this one to an extent. He spends a lot of this book with the idea that women are an idea or a concept or even a thing, rather than their own individual people. I didn’t find it to be explicitly misogynistic, at most it gave me the ick a bit. I think he expresses ideas that are pervasive in society, and that doesn’t make it right, but it wasn’t surprising or unreadable in my opinion.
-too dark and disturbing: Sorry but what the fuck did you expect in a memoir about extreme addiction? I am really glad he went into the detail he did, and left no stone unturned when it came to the horrors he has gone through.
The main critique of my own, is that I found the ending a little weird. There’s a strong note of finality rather than hope for the future that feels somewhat out of place in a story about constant struggle and relapse (I definitely hope he stays sober, that’s not what I’m saying, just that it was an unexpected attitude from him) The whole fade-to-credits moment of seeing everyone he loves and everything of significance as he stares out at the waves, finally at peace, is just kind of strange to me. I think it was supposed to be a little theatric and metaphorical, but I found it kind of ridiculous.
All in all, it was worth a read and I liked it. It’s grisly but impactful.
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
I always feel a little uneasy giving a star rating to a memoir it’s someone’s life, not a novel written to be dissected but if I had to, this would be a four-star read for me.
I’ll admit: I never really watched Friends. I wasn’t even quite born when it first aired but obviously I know the cultural references, of course, and I understand how iconic Matthew Perry’s Chandler Bing was, but I don’t have that built-in nostalgia so many readers probably will have. Even so, it’s impossible to miss the impact he had on television, on comedy, and on so many people who felt like they knew him.
Reading this after his untimely passing is both harrowing and unexpectedly moving. Perry writes with the quick, dry wit you’d expect, but what really stands out is his unflinching honesty. He lays bare the chaos of addiction, the loneliness that accompanied fame, and the constant, exhausting fight to get better. He even pokes fun at himself for it: at one point he essentially says, I know this is a “woe is me” story, but look I’m a multi-millionaire, I get it if you don’t feel sorry for me. And yet, somehow, you do.
You can’t help it, because beneath the self-awareness there’s a man who so desperately wanted to heal someone who wanted to love and be loved, and who longed to turn his own pain into help for others. That thread of hope runs through every chapter. And that’s what makes reading it now feel so desperately sad. You can feel how much he fought, how much he cared, and how much he wanted to make a difference.
This memoir is both harrowing and hopeful. It leaves you grateful for the laughter Matthew Perry gave the world, and aching for the life cut short, a reminder that behind the punchlines and the fame there was someone still reaching for light.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Alcohol
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Inhaltlich sehr interessant, einfach weil ich mehr über Matthew Perry erfahren wollte. Leider ist das Buch entweder echt schlecht geschrieben oder unfassbar schlecht übersetzt. Es gibt unzählige Wiederholungen, ich konnte kaum verstehen in welcher Reihenfolge er sich wo befand oder etwas geschehen ist und ich denke, bei der Übersetzung die meisten guten Gags leider verloren gegangen
very bittersweet, especially with how positive he felt toward the end
I don’t want to provide any negative here. This man is strong and continuing to uphold a very difficult sobriety and I’m never going to say anything negative towards that. The audiobook was very enjoyable.
My only reason for 4 stars is that the timeline was hard to follow. The interludes were fine but he seemed to jump around in the chapters as well. But it was a good book and just goes to show that you never know what other people are going through.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
This is heartbreaking to read, especially after Matthew Perry’s passing in 2023. I would recommend the audiobook, as it is narrated by Matthew Perry.
TW: drugs, alcoholism, addiction
TW: drugs, alcoholism, addiction