Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing

A Memoir

By: Matthew Perry

Narrated by: Matthew Perry

Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

This program is read by the author.

A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK BY TIME, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, GOODREADS, USA TODAY, AND MORE!

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.

©2022 Matthew Perry (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

2022, Amazon.com Best Books of the Year: Long-listed

2022, Chapters Indigo Best of the Year: Long-listed

2022, Audible.com Best of the Year: Long-listed

"Going into his 'why,' Perry's audiobook is a fascinating listen."- AudioFile

"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

Excellent. Moving.

'If it's not one thing, it's your mother.' I haven't even finished the book yet. I really like Matthew Perry, and I resonate with stories that show the power of a glimmer of hope. One thing that stands out to me, and perhaps the crux of the looong standing addiction, is the self blame and shame that doesn't belong to you. You can still love your mother and respect her and forgive her, and I don't know her, but I know she failed. She failed you. So, the only thing that bothers me about this entire beautiful and tragic story is that you felt guilty having your mom hear the words 'he has a 2% chance to live.' She needed to hear those words, Matthew, she is the one who ought to rightly feel that shame, looking at you in a coma, not the other way around. Parenting is hard, and there is forgiveness, but first there needs to be blame and deep anger and a whole bunch of flailing, and clarity, and then forgiveness for her and for yourself. I skipped this step and had to go back and redo it, and it made all the difference. I hope my children don't skip this step, when they look back at me and see what I may have done wrong. I can take it. Because it's the only way and I love them more than my ego. Your mom can take it too. Much love. Thank you for sharing.

A Painful Listen

Up front: It is littered with F-bombs & is a frank sharing about drugs, alcohol & the consequences of severe addiction.
Matthew Perry describes his life which has been affected by the tenacity of addiction. I found his story hard to keep listening to because it’s so full of pain and so much lost. It is somewhat balanced out in the later parts of the book with elements of recovery. I am glad I listened to the entire book. It was impactful.

Amazing story.

What an incredible story of resilience! Never could I have imagined the depth of Perry’s struggle.

Amazing

One will not regret listening to this candid and moving memoir. It’s real and uninhibited.

RIP Matty

I’m glad this book was published before he passed. Now the good he wanted to do in helping people will live on forever.

not what i expected

i really feel for him and anyone with addiction but this book is more about how great he thinks he is and bragging about the women he’s been with 🤦🏻‍♀️

The legacy of trauma

If you hated this read, lucky you. Maybe you aren’t run by your early trauma. Was he privileged- absolutely. Was he forever haunted by early childhood trauma beyond the imagining of many of us? Yes. Complex and sad. What a study of the lasting effects of developmental trauma. Charm and beauty be damned. Most of us haven’t a big terrible thing to battle. And for those of us who do - bless us with grace.

WOWW

love every single word. amazing book amazing story. I pray everyday it will help me.

Raw and real

This books is amazing. So raw, real and powerful. The language was a little rough but blended in with his story and message so well. Highly recommend!

Greatful for stories like this

Very heart-felt, emotional, funny & overcoming the struggle of addiction book. As a person in recovery myself this was an appreciated story, that I’m pretty sure was hard to tell.