Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing: The powerful memoir from the beloved star of Friends
Nov 2022 · Hachette UK
4.5star
419 reviewsreport
Ebook
272
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About this ebook
'There's never been a more honest or raw memoir . . . and it may just save lives' Daily Mail
'Funny, fascinating, compelling . . . also a wonderful read for fans of Friends' The Times
'HI, MY NAME IS MATTHEW, although you may know me by my full name. My friends call me Matty.'
So begins the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who travelled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us . . . and so much more.
In an extraordinary story that only he could tell - and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it - Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he's found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of Friends, sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware, and with his trademark humour, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fuelled it despite seemingly having it all.
'An unflinching and often harrowing must-read for 90s pop culture fans' Guardian
'Written with Chandler's trademark sarcasm and self-deprecation' Telegraph
'A hopeful read . . . I started to think of [it] not as a celebrity memoir about addiction, but as an addiction memoir written by a man who understands his own history through the prism of showbiz' Independent
'Funny, fascinating, compelling . . . also a wonderful read for fans of Friends' The Times
'HI, MY NAME IS MATTHEW, although you may know me by my full name. My friends call me Matty.'
So begins the riveting story of acclaimed actor Matthew Perry, taking us along on his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery in the aftermath of a life-threatening health scare. Before the frequent hospital visits and stints in rehab, there was five-year-old Matthew, who travelled from Montreal to Los Angeles, shuffling between his separated parents; fourteen-year-old Matthew, who was a nationally ranked tennis star in Canada; twenty-four-year-old Matthew, who nabbed a coveted role as a lead cast member on the talked-about pilot then called Friends Like Us . . . and so much more.
In an extraordinary story that only he could tell - and in the heartfelt, hilarious, and warmly familiar way only he could tell it - Matthew Perry lays bare the fractured family that raised him (and also left him to his own devices), the desire for recognition that drove him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. But he also details the peace he's found in sobriety and how he feels about the ubiquity of Friends, sharing stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way. Frank, self-aware, and with his trademark humour, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fuelled it despite seemingly having it all.
'An unflinching and often harrowing must-read for 90s pop culture fans' Guardian
'Written with Chandler's trademark sarcasm and self-deprecation' Telegraph
'A hopeful read . . . I started to think of [it] not as a celebrity memoir about addiction, but as an addiction memoir written by a man who understands his own history through the prism of showbiz' Independent
Ratings and reviews
4.5
419 reviews
J Henry
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November 27, 2022
Not a page goes by without him telling us: I was the most lovable actor in the world. I am the funniest person in the world. I was on the most popular TV show in the world. I changed the way the whole of America spoke. Or telling just how much money he has/earns/spent. An overly long book that doesn't really say anything much. There's no real stories about any of the films or TV he was in and some of his drug stories are repeated several times and are pretty dull.
iuyklklk
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November 8, 2022
Powerful, honest and sad. I will never watch friends in the same way again. I found it a little bit repetitive in places and I'm left really really hoping we don't hear about Matthew Perry's death for a long long time to come. I hope his words can support other addicts and I really hope he's doing ok in this moment in time and stays strong.
Raf Cole (Homersan)
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November 20, 2022
Tough read for Matthew Perry fans. You knew some of the history but the details he goes for in this book are sometimes too much to handle. In the end I really like the book. He's a good writer even though there's a lot of repetition in the latter chapters. Could've focused some chapters more on his career and not the big terrible thing, but I get that that's what he really wanted to share with the world. I hope he stays strong and the sharing of his life will give him the courage and energy to keep going. I'm going through his career catalog again and definitely gonna be watching this through other glasses. High recommend but don't say I didn't warn ya. If you think House was an addict...think again.
About the author
Matthew Perry was a Canadian American actor, executive producer, playwright and elegant dancer.
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