You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
asthacreates 's review for:
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing
by Matthew Perry
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
I’ve had this book in my (Kindle) library for a long time now. I remember I read the foreword by Lisa Kudrow and thought that I’d get back to this book another day. I was in a reading slump so as a Friends, and Chandler, fan, I thought it deserves my full attention so I’ll just read it later. Unfortunately, I didn’t know that that “another day” would be the day Matthew Perry would pass away.
Before I begin my review, I do want to say that as I am a fan, this review will most likely be biased.
I started watching Friends about 12 years ago. I binged all episodes in under a week— and it was the happiest week of my life at the time! I laughed until my belly hurt, I cried watching a series for the first time, and I felt that these six characters had become my friends. And whenever anyone asked me the difficult question, I’d always say that Joey and Chandler were my favourites. Joey for his innocence, and Chandler for his jokes.
When I first found out that Matthew Perry was battling addiction, my heart hurt. And today, too, my heart hurts. So much.
Each page of this memoir was written with his soul. It helped us see the battles he fought every single day. When he was making us laugh, he was struggling for his life. Reading the first paragraph after he wasn’t with us anymore was even more heartbreaking:
“Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.“
Ughhhhh💔
Yes, there’s repetition, yes the “storyline” isn’t linear— but this is his story, and it’s his call on how he wants to say it. I felt like I was inside his head, and that, in my opinion, makes a memoir brilliant.
While reading this, I often found myself asking: if I was as famous as him and struggled the way he did, would I have the courage to be this honest? Probably not. It could have been very easy for another celebrity to gloss over the bad things they did in their life and not own up to their mistakes. But he was honest; honest in the hopes that his candid memoir would help at least one person struggling to know that they’re not alone.
I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult and triggering it must have been for him to write this, and for that, and everything I said above (and all the thoughts that I am yet to untangle), I give this five stars.
Thank you, Matthew Perry, for everything you’ve done. I hope you’re finally at peace.
Gone too soon.
Before I begin my review, I do want to say that as I am a fan, this review will most likely be biased.
I started watching Friends about 12 years ago. I binged all episodes in under a week— and it was the happiest week of my life at the time! I laughed until my belly hurt, I cried watching a series for the first time, and I felt that these six characters had become my friends. And whenever anyone asked me the difficult question, I’d always say that Joey and Chandler were my favourites. Joey for his innocence, and Chandler for his jokes.
When I first found out that Matthew Perry was battling addiction, my heart hurt. And today, too, my heart hurts. So much.
Each page of this memoir was written with his soul. It helped us see the battles he fought every single day. When he was making us laugh, he was struggling for his life. Reading the first paragraph after he wasn’t with us anymore was even more heartbreaking:
“Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.“
Ughhhhh💔
Yes, there’s repetition, yes the “storyline” isn’t linear— but this is his story, and it’s his call on how he wants to say it. I felt like I was inside his head, and that, in my opinion, makes a memoir brilliant.
While reading this, I often found myself asking: if I was as famous as him and struggled the way he did, would I have the courage to be this honest? Probably not. It could have been very easy for another celebrity to gloss over the bad things they did in their life and not own up to their mistakes. But he was honest; honest in the hopes that his candid memoir would help at least one person struggling to know that they’re not alone.
I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult and triggering it must have been for him to write this, and for that, and everything I said above (and all the thoughts that I am yet to untangle), I give this five stars.
Thank you, Matthew Perry, for everything you’ve done. I hope you’re finally at peace.
Gone too soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts