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

“Hi, my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead.”

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 traveled 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 humor, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all.

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that is both intimate and eye-opening—as well as a hand extended to anyone struggling with sobriety. Unflinchingly honest, moving, and uproariously funny, this is the book fans have been waiting for.

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Matthew was brutally honest about every detail of his struggle with addiction, but he also was his funny self. I appreciated his way of not sugar coating or glorifying his struggles.

His clear desire to talk about and protect the people he loved comes across in his words. He was a good writer and comedian and it shows. But reading this book I felt like I was really getting to know Matthew Perry as Matthew Perry and not just Matthew Perry from Friends. It was personal, raw and real.

Knowing how his story ended made me sad, but I think this book and his story in his own words are an important piece of his story. This book made me laugh, it made me cry and I feel like I will read it again.


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