A review by firstimpressionsreviews
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

emotional reflective

2.75

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing had been on my radar for a while but, I didn’t pick up the audiobook until Matthew Perry’s death. It did feel like a friend had passed, and I wanted to learn more about him. 

I have mixed feelings about this memoir. Matthew Perry is brutally honest regarding his struggles with addiction. I appreciated that he didn’t hold back and it was very eye-opening. Unfortunately, it was his treatment of women that bothered me. I almost felt like he viewed women as conquests or pushing away when someone became too attached. At one point, talking about a girl he was in a longish-term relationship with he said “I would have fucked mud.” Matthew Perry came off as egotistical, to say the least. 

Matthew Perry really needed an editor. The book pivoted from one place to another and at times felt repetitive making me question whether I had already listened to this part. 

I did like that Matthew Perry flip-flopped between his time on Friends and what at the time was the present day. There were parts of the book that were hard to stomach and having the familiarity of Friends was a welcome pallet-cleansor. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing ends on a high note on Matthew Perry’s road to sobriety and his willingness to reach out, be there and, help others with addiction. It was nice to learn that he had found a semblance of peace and contentment in his life. Friends will always be there for me but sadly, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing was one big disappointment