Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing

Having almost grown up with Matthew Perry and being of similar age, I was vaguely aware of his trials and tribulations with addictions, and due to his recent untimely death thought I would pick this up and give it a read.I hadn’t read any reviews or had any preconceptions of this book, it was just one of those Quick Look for a new book and quick select and buy .The book itself is heart warming in places and heart breaking in others, full with bitter sweet moments.And I have to say is written in a strange format , sometimes it can be a little hard to follow time lines etc.It feels like a person in absolute turmoil just pouring out his feeling and thoughts , troubles and tribulationsIn a way that comes across that this book was not a way to write his story but was actually a part of his own therapy and you can almost feel the release of all his hurt and troubles onto the page.It’s not well written, well edited or produced, however this adds to the charm that as you progress through the book you can feel his troubled life unfold.His battle of all things addictive is absolutely brutal at times and his rollercoaster ride of fighting this is evident all the way through, and the sad thing is towards the end of the book you feel his is winning and that he is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, which we all now know isn’t the case due to his untimely death.If you are thinking this book might be fully of giggles, you won’t find much of it here, the odd wry smile perhaps. But this book is insightful of a person with chronic addiction and proof that money and fame can’t buy you happiness.After reading this it’s very apparent I thought I knew about Matthew Perry it was actually his character “ Chandler “ I knew and it shows our perception of who we see on screen can be totally different to the person behind the mask.A truly interesting biopic and worth the read

This book was a brilliant read. It was a completely honest account of his life, how he struggled, what made him happy, and what made him sad. It was a sad read but had many laughs in it as well. It's a real shame he's no longer around because at the end of the book, he seems to have everything together and is doing really well. I loved this book. it just took me a while to get through it due to real life 🙄 but I'd highly recommend it to anyone. I had tears in my eyes a few times but laughed at it as well. It's definitely a great book to start my 2024 reading!

What an honest, heartbreaking and very poignant read. with the knowledge that the author is no longer with us lurking in the background.A very open and cautionary account of addiction and trauma. Read it very quickly and was glad I did. I hadn't realised how much work Matthew Perry had done other than Friends and, as he requests, nw friends won't be what I consider his legacy to be. Instead it will be a strong character who kept coming back and pushing through despite the horrible addiction he continually struggled with.

Great book, been waiting to read, funny too

Wow what a read. So honest, heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time. I wish he was still hear

Possibly the most bleak books I’ve read. I was going to pass onto my daughter who’s a massive fan but decided not to. It’s very readable but… not for everyone

I haven't got time for people that read this and say they have lost respect or lost interest in Mathew Perry. It's introspective and brutally honest. There's no WHINING as some say.. just confusion fear and determination to keep going. One fraction of this suffering is HUGE. ITS NOT SELF INFLICTED it's the result of a type of creative and funny mind that meets circumstance and choices. At the end I feel HUGE sadness that he finally finds himself and accepts himself and starts just being and then only gets a matter of months to BE there in that moment. But maybe there is more and maybe a better place.. lessons learnt and suffering done.... Could that BE a more inevitable end to the life he lived? Read it and make your own decisions. But unless you have zero humanity DO NOT expect to finish it feeling unmoved.

A very good book. I wanted to rate this book 4.5 stars but for me it definitely deserves a round up instead of down. If you are expecting a funny book, you might be dissapointed. There is some dark humour to take away some of the darkness Matthew Perry has faced. The shines a light the much misunderstanding disease that is addiction.The only complaint I had about this book is that it jumps around time periods a lot. For me it makes it a bit hard to follow, that is the only reason I considered taking a star off.I was not the biggest Friends fan, but it was almost impossible not know about it. I was always drawn to Chandler Bing. It was probobly him being the funny guy trying to fit in to the cool crowd, snd me bring the weird guy trying to fit in anywhere. They say certain actors are born to play certain characters, as it is their natural personality dialed up to 11. In this case Chandler Bing is the toned down PG version of the real Matthew Perry. Perry is literally Bing on steroids.This a Perry's story, his family, friends, relationships, mistakes, redemptions and courage. Yes this book is about addictions, how dangerous and damaging they can be to someone. However Perry does not use his addictions as an excuse to his behaviour. He talks openly about his thought processes as he does what he did. He faces up to his mistakes and (makes md think) genuinely want to make amends for hus mistakes. He does fall a number of times but he does not stay down.This a great book, that I think will genuinely help people if only for them to know that are not the only ones facing addiction problems and not yo give up. This is not a behind the scenes book of Friends. There is no big cast gossip. This is a book about issues, courage and redemption.

There are some books you want to look through the reviews before you decide if you want to pick it up or not, then there are others you just want to read for yourself. Matthew's book was one that I wanted to read for myself. Though in looking through the reviews now that I have finished it, I realize either someone loves it or does not, there is no in-between it seems.Before I write any more of my review - I want to point out that I am 99.9% certain I read a Kindle version that was edited to remove whatever there was about Keanu. So if someone is reading my review wondering why I don't mention it, I cannot comment on what I did not read. --- One more observation, from the reviews I did look through, it seems that most people who *listened* to the book disliked it more than those who *read* it. Seems listening to it make it more difficult to follow the already jumping timeline. Again, just my observation.From the beginning Matthew tells us how this story is going to be written/told. How? you ask? "Groundhog Day" is his favorite movie, do I really need to say anything more? If you do not understand this reference, please take the time (1 hour and 40 minutes) to watch the 1993 classic movie with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. Then perhaps more things will make sense for you.Thankfully I have never been an alcoholic or an addict, however, I have known several in my life. For them every day is groundhog day. Every morning the question of, "How will I get through today without a drink/pill/smoke/etc." makes every 24 hours the same. Matthew shows that in spades with his repetition throughout his story. Many of the reviews I saw complained about the repetition; if they don't understand it, perhaps they should count themselves lucky not to. To have never known someone who lives every day like this; or to not be that person themselves.Matthew's story didn't end all sunshine-and-rainbows with a happily every after. Not everyone's does. I appreciated the fact that he kept it real. That he kept it honest. That he shows his faults to us just as much as he shows us the goodness. Life isn't always polished and pretty no matter who you are or how much money you have. Matthew proves that. No matter how bad things seemed to be for him, Matthew always looked to his future, he always wanted to be there. Perhaps not always for the right reasons, but reasons that kept him moving forward nonetheless. There is something to be admired about that.Interestingly, one of my favorite lines reads, "God looked down on me, just waiting it out. He's got all the time in the world. F*<k, he invented time." There is something raw and honest and scary and funny in those words that just made me stop reading and literally highlight it in my Kindle book. Follow that with another line I highlighted that reads, "It was an amazing moment and a terrible moment all at at the same time." Talk about defining life most days. Perhaps not Pulitzer winning writing, but powerful and truthful just the same.I have to say my all-time favorite sentence is this one - "God is everywhere - you just have to clear your channel, or you'll miss it." Doesn't matter what version of God you believe in, that sentence has a profound truth to it. (That one got highlighted in pink) Not something I would have expected from Matthew. But I am grateful he wrote it.I am easily giving this book all five stars for it's raw honesty, it's openness, it's imperfectness. Just like Matthew.Yes, I finally read his story after his sudden death on October 28, 2023. As I'm writing this on November 24, 2023, his cause of death still has not been determined nor released. Which makes one last sentence stand out for me in a premonition kind of way as I wonder what COD will turn out to be... Matthew himself wrote, "I could have a cigarette right now, have a heart attack, and if no one was around to call 911, I was a goner." Well, he was home alone, and he did try to call 911 himself, but he was unable to save himself this time. Oh, Matthew.I wonder if you have finally found peace and all the deep, full Love you have always desired. Thank You for leaving a light on for us with your story. I pray it helps more people so that you may continue helping people even after you've gone on ahead of us in death.

Une autobiographie inoubliable. Je conseil fortement le livre

Very open and honest, could understand more of his life and the likes.

Bellissimo

Loved the realness , truth and rawness of Matthews struggle and growth and strength ❤️ . You were very strong to deal with what you dealt with !