The beloved star of Friends takes us behind the scenes of the hit sitcom and his struggles with addiction in this candid, funny, and revelatory memoir that delivers a powerful message of hope and persistence.

“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 audiobook fans have been waiting for.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books.

Listening Length

8 hours and 49 minutes
Author

Matthew Perry
Narrator

Matthew Perry
Audible release date

Nov. 1 2022
Language

English
Publisher

Macmillan Audio
ASIN

B09RQ5JJP4
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	8 hours and 49 minutes
Author	Matthew Perry
Narrator	Matthew Perry
Audible.ca Release Date	November 01 2022
Publisher	Macmillan Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B09RQ5JJP4
Best Sellers Rank	#26 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #1 in Film & TV #2 in Actor Biographies #2 in Entertainer

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4.4 out of 5

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4 star		21%
3 star		11%
2 star		3%
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win3181

A remarkable story

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on May 15, 2023

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This book is captivating. I started reading it and couldn’t put it down. A very honest book with no details spared. I was emotionally invested from page 1 and was taken on a journey that had me in tears several times. I decided to purchase this book in hopes that I could better understand addiction and it did provide many answers and questions I didn’t even know I had. This book was intimate and I feel like I was a part of the story. Well written and I’m grateful for the openness. A must read!

Helpful

Amazon Customer

Something about people's lives there are no explanation for what they are facing.

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on January 3, 2023

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You think you know someone who has it all, but there are demons in their lives - no matter what they want to do, the demon's calls are like an old pair of shoes or an unfaithful lover to spend the time to cope with.

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.

9 people found this helpful

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Wendy.

A very intense book

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on May 10, 2023

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I truly appreciated the honesty shared in this book, a very challenging journey that shows the determination it takes to become healthy and free from addiction

One person found this helpful

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Esther Kniznik

Mathew Perry

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on May 3, 2023

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This book was recommended in my book club. I wasn’t sure as this was not my choice but once I started reading it, it actually was very interesting and informative.

One person found this helpful

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TheFrog

An interesting read

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on April 3, 2023

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It was a good read.

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

So interesting and a good read

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on April 18, 2023

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Very interesting..as a fan of Matthew and “Friends” ..he refers to time line when doing friends ..it was eye opening on addiction but very good read

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Loved it!

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on February 7, 2023

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Reading about his trials and triumphs (from his own perspective) was so interesting. Perry is obviously funny, but I was surprised to learn how sensitive he is too. The book was a bit repetitive at points and I would have preferred if the timeline was just linear, but no big deal. While reading, I often found myself rooting for him to overcome his challenges... it seems he's on track to do so!

2 people found this helpful

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Crystal Brown

Love

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on April 26, 2023

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Love this book

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Steph

Should come with a mental health warning

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 4, 2022

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It was a relief to finish this book - I almost didn't. It's presumably based on lots of presentations to AA groups and similar, about the return from the dark place of addiction, except that he's been locked in a cycle of lapsing, recovering, lapsing again. The book is extremely angry. He details his appalling physical damage and rages against various people - Keanu Reeves and Jennifer Aniston both get nasty put downs, as well as various unnamed doctors. There's also a lot of boasting - about money, cars, sex - and the addiction account also seems boastful: the number of pills he took, the huge risks, the ways he defied medical warnings and people trying to help him. Presumably some of this is exaggerated or he wouldn't still be alive. It's distressing to read. I suppose I wish him well but I'm glad I don't know him, and from his descriptions of his relationships, young women would be well advised to stay away from him. He's still hoping to marry a beautiful girl and start a family.

35 people found this helpful

ElRS

Not a very nice man after all.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 21, 2022

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I don’t understand why this book has many good reviews. Perry comes across as a narcissist, spoiled person who had a good upbringing from early childhood but can’t help himself from complaining about everything and everyone.
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.

25 people found this helpful

Lanny2616

Could Matthew Perry -BE -anymore of a k***?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 18, 2023

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I've seen some reviews saying if you like Matthew then this is the book for you, my advice is if you like him and you don't want that to change, read something else....

Overall, this is fascinating, honest and for the most part, he seems self-aware (ish) but not entirely. You can tell he hasn't used a ghost writer because it's terribly written (this might explain why, although he calls himself a writer now, his success seems limited in this field). He repeats himself constantly and uses swear words for no effing reason, all of the effing time. If he says how beautiful his Mum is once, he says it a million times. If he speaks about a particular incident, you can bet he'll come back to it again. The book tried to have structure and narrative but at times, you really do wonder why you're back at this point again. I'm wondering if the publisher had a word count he needed to hit so he felt to bump this up he'll go over things again and again and add in 'f' words all of the effing time to pad it out a bit.

The fascinating bit is about his addiction to drugs and alcohol which truly is eye opening and I genuinely feel for him and what he has been through. I've been left thinking about it and in my opinion even if he didn't have these demons, he's just not a nice chap. By the end of the book (spoiler alert) he has convinced himself that he is a nice and he's changed but I'm really not so sure because I question his values. Before, and this is where my comment about self-awareness comes in, he does at least acknowledge he wasn't the nice person.

He has been brutally honest so kudos to him for that but I feel like he has no friends (pun intended) or at least no genuine ones because I'm sure if he did, someone would have advised him before publishing that he could be this honest but in a way that he doesn't come across so badly. To me, he really seems like as a massive a*******. He doesn't seem to realise he's obsessed with not only drink and drugs (obviously) but he is also obsessed with beauty (particularly female but male too), money, status, houses, luxury, his mummy and daddy (whom everything is blamed on), self-pity, and primarily, himself.

By the end, you're frankly sick of every female in his life being first referred to by their looks. Every woman in the book is described first and foremost by her beauty. He has no interest in you if you aren't beautiful in his eyes and then to get with him you need to have status. Be a beautiful waitress and he'll f*** your brains out but to have a terrible relationship with him you must be beautiful, famous and rich. He mentions a variety of best friends over the years but none of them seem to be there by the end except Erin, who he basically explains he can only be friends with because she's a lesbian so there's no chance of sex - are you for real? Oh dear, seriously, drugs and drink aside, he's not a nice guy.

He loves telling you about all his houses and cars and how much they all cost. This is obviously something most readers can all relate too..... I definitely look out of my $20,000,000 LA penthouse and at my Porsche, feeling sorry for myself all of the time and blaming my parents (I hope the sarcasm comes across). He got two Banksy's don't you know.

Fascinating and frustrating. Fasten in for a 'woe is me', 'I'm so hard done to', self-pitying, moaning and spoilt brat.

Final comment, the way he talks about Jennifer Aniston is unbelievably creepy and if I was her, I'd never talk to him again.

76 people found this helpful

Muma Mia

Wow a really deep, honest and emotional read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 9, 2022

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As a big FRIENDS fan, and Chandler being my favourite, I had to get this book as soon as it came out. It did not disappoint.

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

16 people found this helpful

Beena Vale

Deeply unlikeable.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 21, 2022

Verified Purchase

The nasty, insensitive swipes at Keanu Reeves are baffling - why on earth did Perry or his editor think any good would come of that?? But they're the tip of an iceberg of unpleasantness that makes one wonder exactly what calibre of therapist Perry has been paying. It's as if he's been so preoccupied by self-pity over his addiction that he's done nothing to address the personality issues that underlie it. The book is full of grudges, mean-spiritedness and self-praise. Whatever help he's getting, he needs a different kind. Depressing read in every way.

16 people found this helpful

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Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

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