Reviews tagging 'Death'

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

27 reviews

julieyael's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

This is a very deep and profound view of what addiction is, and life as an addict, as well as the everyday struggle against this addiction. 
It’s well written in a quite light and funny style, which makes it more bearable for the reader but also doesn’t diminish the hardships the author went through. 
Be prepared for a tough read, but a good one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Cursing, Excrement, and Medical content

Minor: Vomit, Car accident, and Death

sydneybeggins's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad fast-paced

5.0

I don’t think I can give a memoir less than 5 stars, due to the nature of the story. It is not mine or anyone else’s to tell but the person whose story it is. 5 stars is only appropriate. 

As for a review on Matthew Perry’s memoir itself? I absolutely devoured it. Mostly because it was sad, scary and kept me waiting for the resolution of his life. Perry is the definition of the word addict. He was a man with a terribly scary and sad mental illness, and it took most of his life to climb out of the darkness he was always in. However that’s what I found most endearing and enjoyable about this book, he rarely blamed anyone but himself for the problems he faced, he was truthful about how often he let himself down and he never gave up on himself fully; even if he came very close more than a few times. 

Perry’s story is inspiring because of how dark it really is. He was a man with absolutely everything, he achieved all of his greatest dreams and at the end of the day he was still a person with struggles and insecurities. He is someone I wish I could have met before he passed, but this book was a glimpse into his life that he owed to absolutely no one, and I am grateful to have listened to his full story. 

He was always performing, even with his friends and family, to make up for feeling as though he wasn’t enough. I hope that wherever he is now, he is performing because he enjoys it, not because he feels he needs to hide behind it. Rest In Peace, Matthew Perry. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Alcoholism, Death, Addiction, and Drug abuse

kck7866's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

A must read for anyone who loves an addict and /or is one themselves. I devoured this book. It is heartbreaking and beautiful and funny and deeply unsettling.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death, and Alcoholism

abbyscarde's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, and Suicidal thoughts

johnpfromkc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

A very emotionally drained but interesting read.  Hard trigger warning for thoes who struggle with addiction or self-worth. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Addiction, Abandonment, Drug abuse, and Drug use

erikanicole1220's review against another edition

dark funny reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Addiction, and Alcoholism

krizpy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Emotional abuse

kimberlina82's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Matthew Perry is raw, uncut and completely honest in his autobiography.  Big giant trigger warning, read with care. I cried several times throughout, but as a person with a family full of addiction and as a huge fan of Matthew it only seemed right to read it.  

Prepare yourself for a journey, not an easy one. But one that leads to sobriety, faith, and redemption. 

RIP Mattman 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Medical content, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Excrement, Death, Mental illness, Cursing, Pandemic/Epidemic, Drug use, Infidelity, Chronic illness, Addiction, Medical trauma, and Sexual content

mckiheather's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Using personal experience, and pieces of the public persona he’s cultivated (e.g., Chandler voice) he breaks the struggles of addiction and mental health and trauma into a more manageable, easily consumed narrative while keeping all the honesty and vulnerability these topics involve.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Cursing

Moderate: Gaslighting, Medical content, Death, Sexual content, and Abandonment

Minor: Vomit

nataliebootlah's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense

5.0

 

This memoir was gut-wrenching. It was hard to enjoy such a difficult read. But who am I to judge someone’s lived experiences with stars on bookstagram? Going forward, five stars for memoirs! 

 

I grew up watching Friends. To this day it’s still a comfort show. This book showcases the man behind our beloved Chandler Bing, and the demons he faced for nearly his entire life. It’s a raw, vulnerable reflection of who Matthew Perry was as a person, his accomplishments on and off the screen, the horrors of addiction, and his hopes and dreams.  

 

Like many others, I had no idea how much suffering Perry was hiding. While expertly detailing the constant back-and-forth of a mind plagued with addiction, he also layered in humor to soften the blow. I can’t say I’m surprised about laughing along the way. Could his humor BE any darker? The true heart of this book is looking past the bitterness (“assholery” as he calls it), and seeing him for who he is: someone who went through hell and was willing to share the tale. 🕊️ 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Medical content and Drug use

Minor: Death and Abandonment