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A review by lovelymisanthrope
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
This book has been on my radar since last year, and I was all the more eager to read it after the untimely passing of Matthew Perry.
"Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing" is an autobiography that is written (and narrated) by renowned actor, Matthew Perry. Matthew's road to fame was not simple, and he faced several challenges in his childhood that continued to haunt him into adulthood. When he finally got his big break on "Friends", he thought everything would be great, but he quickly learned that his addictions demanded more attention and could cost him everything he worked his life to achieve.
I listened to this book on audio, and it was even more special to hear Matthew's words directly from his lips. The story also felt all the more haunting because in the prologue, Matthew makes a joke about this book being from beyond the grave, because he had died, but survived.
Although I am a big fan of "Friends", I never followed the actor's careers after the success of the show. So, reading about what Matthew Perry's life has been like over the past twenty years, since the ending of "Friends", was heartbreaking, but inspiring. Matthew struggled with addictions for the majority of his life, and everything really came to a head when he almost died. In spite of his struggles, he always tried to work to be better and gain control over his life. I think hearing stories like this are invaluable for people who are deep in their own struggles. No one is safe from the clutches of drugs and alcohol, and having success and money can actually just exacerbate the problems.
I really enjoyed learning more about Matthew Perry, and I hope he has finally found peace.
"Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing" is an autobiography that is written (and narrated) by renowned actor, Matthew Perry. Matthew's road to fame was not simple, and he faced several challenges in his childhood that continued to haunt him into adulthood. When he finally got his big break on "Friends", he thought everything would be great, but he quickly learned that his addictions demanded more attention and could cost him everything he worked his life to achieve.
I listened to this book on audio, and it was even more special to hear Matthew's words directly from his lips. The story also felt all the more haunting because in the prologue, Matthew makes a joke about this book being from beyond the grave, because he had died, but survived.
Although I am a big fan of "Friends", I never followed the actor's careers after the success of the show. So, reading about what Matthew Perry's life has been like over the past twenty years, since the ending of "Friends", was heartbreaking, but inspiring. Matthew struggled with addictions for the majority of his life, and everything really came to a head when he almost died. In spite of his struggles, he always tried to work to be better and gain control over his life. I think hearing stories like this are invaluable for people who are deep in their own struggles. No one is safe from the clutches of drugs and alcohol, and having success and money can actually just exacerbate the problems.
I really enjoyed learning more about Matthew Perry, and I hope he has finally found peace.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Addiction, Medical content, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
Moderate: Sexual content