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Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir Hardcover – Deckle Edge, Nov. 1 2022
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INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
#1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
The BELOVED STAR OF FRIENDS takes us behind the scenes of the hit sitcom and his struggles with addiction in this “CANDID, DARKLY FUNNY...POIGNANT” memoir (The New York Times)
A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK by Time, Associated Press, Goodreads, USA Today, and more!
“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.
- Print length272 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherFlatiron Books
- Publication dateNov. 1 2022
- Dimensions16.64 x 2.41 x 24.26 cm
- ISBN-101250866448
- ISBN-13978-1250866448
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Review
"Remarkable, startling, and heartfelt...The bravery of Perry’s book is not just in what he says, or how he says it, and how unflinching he is in his commitment to say it, but that he chose to say it at all." ―GQ
“Candid, darkly funny…starkly chronicling his decades-long cage match with drinking and drug use. Perry writes gratefully and glowingly…fans will find poignant nuggets in its pages.” ―The New York Times
“A heartbreakingly beautiful memoir.” ―People
"Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing is a raw, unflinching memoir that took courage to write. As it turns out, Matthew Perry has a lot of courage. He takes us through his addiction, his illness and his paralyzing loneliness. Somehow, during the course of his life, Matthew was able to turn his pain into comedic joy for others, but, he tells us, it was at a cost. Matthew takes us through his “hell” but doesn’t wallow. Ultimately, this book is filled with hope for the future. If you want to know about who Matthew Perry is, stay away from the rags and read this." ―Marta Kauffman, co-creator of the NBC sitcom Friends
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Flatiron Books (Nov. 1 2022)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 272 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1250866448
- ISBN-13 : 978-1250866448
- Item weight : 481 g
- Dimensions : 16.64 x 2.41 x 24.26 cm
- Best Sellers Rank: #593 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #15 in Actor Biographies
- #15 in Entertainer
- #41 in Memoirs (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
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I hesitate to call the book a memoir because I believe that Matthew Perry has much wisdom to teach us. For example, Perry experienced whether or not he was worthy of love, or able to commit to a woman without being left first. So Perry thought he was not enough to have a meaningful relationship with a person who understood the man. All of us had been there or another at some point in our lives.
Perry's alcohol and drug abuse was not a cry for help; however, looking for happiness and calmness within himself like warm honey. I am not making any excuses for Matthew Perry, but addiction is an unknown place to people who are not educated about this disease. Still, it is a sadistic love affair that you should not be having and you know you will be in trouble. But, unfortunately, the beast wins.
I am thankful that Perry has beaten the odds and striving as an excellent writer and storyteller.
I hope that Matthew Perry finds love because everyone deserves love.


Top reviews from other countries


Yes, he suffers from addiction but unlike most people, we’re not, as he puts it “I’m insanely rich” and most people do not have the support he’s been given. I suffer from addiction myself and the NHS support offered to people this day is shocking.
I feel there’s a lot of “oh I’m so great, I’m so funny, my mind is so quick” that it has put me off watching Friends again for life and I do love Friends and watch it all the time, sadly I haven’t been able to watch it anymore because of this book.
Also, book is badly written.
Save yourself disappointment and don’t read this book.

Wow this was a really deep and honest book from Matthew Perry ‘Matty’ to his friends. He is so brutally honest about his childhood and life experiences that I could not put it down. At the end I just wanted to give him a big hug.
I am rewatching friends now with my daughter and she loves Chandler as well. Who knew that behind the perfect comedy and smile, he was dealing with so much behind closed doors. It’s a miracle he is still alive, the amount of pills he was popping!
Now, after sharing his story and getting his life on track, I really hope he finds what he’s been looking for. He has some real true friends to keep him on track. I look forward to see what the future holds for Matty

Some of this book is truly shocking and it's a miracle that he's alive today. One Vicodin tablet contains 500mg of paracetemol and he was taking 55 of these a day for years.
