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Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing | Matthew Perry
130 posts | 149 read | 4 reading | 25 to read
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 In an extraordinary story that only he could tell, Matthew Perry takes readers onto the soundstage of the most successful sitcom of all time while opening up about his private struggles with addiction. Candid, self-aware, and told with his trademark humor, Perry vividly details his lifelong battle with the disease and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that shares the most intimate details of the love Perry lost, his darkest days, and his greatest friends. Unflinchingly honest, moving, and hilarious: this is the book fans have been waiting for.
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sdbruening
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Panpan

I loved Chandler and Friends, so I am disappointed to say that I really didn‘t enjoy this audiobook. Never meet your heroes, I guess. He had a bit of an ego; at least he acknowledged that he was selfish and narcissistic. Came off as very whiny. Used women. I wanted to hear more about his career versus his addiction, but it seems his addictions consumed him. The ending was overly sentimental and has a different flavor knowing that ketamine got him

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Kerrbearlib
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"Don't Give Up" by Peter Gabriel featuring Kate Bush was one of Matthew Perry's favorite songs. The video for the song is beautiful. I also love the live version with Paula Cole.

Kate Bush version: https://youtu.be/VjEq-r2agqc?si=rocN1MAflnXSqY00

Paula Cole live version: https://youtu.be/98lNKjwYtaU?si=QY0qUV2KCLcb13VE

Image from IMDB

#TuesdayTunes

Bookwomble 😭 Me, every time I listen to this song ❤️‍🩹💔❤️‍🩹 2mo
Kerrbearlib @Bookwomble it's such a beautiful, emotional song 😭♥️ 2mo
18 likes2 comments
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Kerrbearlib
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I'm only two chapters into Matthew Perry's memoir and my heart is already breaking for him. I had no idea his childhood was so rough. It's hard to be a child who feels responsible for making adults happy.

A criticism I've read is that the book jumps back & forth between time periods. This doesn't bother me because that's how my ADHD brain works. It's always jumping back & forth between thoughts. I like books written this way.

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TamTracy
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. His story is incredibly sad. But I loved listening to him tell it.

50 likes1 stack add
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Bec_lectic
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Pickpick

This was a tough one. Definitely a story that will stick with you long after reading. Perry‘s life seemed so perfect on the outside but he was never able to find the things to fill the voids in his life except drugs and alcohol. So tragic to read his struggles, to know he feared death, to read of his suffering with no relief besides the vicious cycle of using drugs. The book ends with hope but sadly his real life has a different ending. RIP Matty

Bec_lectic @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks heartbreaking for sure 🥺 3mo
46 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Leftcoastzen
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Pickpick

Started reading this the day before the Ketamine arrests came down. Perry is candid about all the demons that fuel his addictions, & tells the story of how his whole career happened. I was just so painfully aware how recovery never ends , so many of us have had friends & family that struggle with addiction as well, how heartbreaking it can be for everyone involved. It‘s sad we lost this talented actor, I think he had more things to do,all gone now

Cuilin This recent information is so sad. 💔 3mo
68 likes2 comments
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jlabombard10315
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Matthew Perry.... 😭😔

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Amor4Libros
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Pickpick

Listening to this audiobook after his passing made it even more heartbreaking. Here‘s to hoping that he has finally found peace ❤️

34 likes1 stack add
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Amandakay
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Pickpick

I don‘t feel comfortable reviewing this.

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Cosmos_Moon_River
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Pickpick

Matthew Perry‘s memoir accounts his life in somewhat of an anachronistic order from his life with his mom in Canada and father in LA, to lifelong struggles with addiction. At the end of his memoir, Perry seems to have overcome his biggest battles, but sadly we know where his story ultimately ends.

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Victoriahoperose
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Pickpick

Definitely tough to hear about all of Matthew Perry‘s struggles with addiction and his health, especially after his passing. This was really interesting book to hear about his life and what he went through and some backstory about his career. I really enjoyed this one, even though it was tough to know that he passed away shortly after he wrote it.

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Tove_Reads
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Wasn‘t sure I wanted to read this one, but I needed an audiobook today and it was available. Chandler was absolutely my fave character on Friends. It is really hard listening to this book and even though I knew what it would be about… Addiction and abandonment issues 😢

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Bstro
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Pickpick

Ooof, Matthew Perry‘s story was a lot rougher than I realized. Very glad I read it though, definitely a page turner. RIP.

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CRR
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Panpan

I thought Perry came across really shallow, self centered, and vain in this book. He writes about all the great things he did and women he slept with and drugs he did. But he never knew any sort of peace or satisfaction. Sad story in my opinion.

DocBrown I did not come away from this book with that impression. I felt like he was owning up to all his own shortcomings. Yes he did like to drop names, perhaps in an attempt to convince himself that his life wasn't a complete failure? Anyway it felt brutally honest and raw. 10mo
CRR @DocBrown thanks for your comment. I wonder how much of my impression has been tainted by my own perspective and personal struggle with addiction. 10mo
DocBrown @CRR I'm not sure I'd use the word 'tainted.' As readers, we can't help but bring our entire selves - our past and present, our joys and sorrows, our hopes and fears - to whatever we're reading. That's why opinions on pretty much everything can be so wildly divergent! But I do agree with you that it's a sad story. He had some keen self-awareness but it didn't save him from a life of heartache. 10mo
CRR @DocBrown Thank you. Impacted or influenced maybe instead of tainted. It was interesting to me that Perry had so much self awareness and was able to help others all while suffering so much personal heartache. Life is hard. No one‘s story is simple. RIP. 10mo
36 likes4 comments
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BibliophileLibrarian
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Listening to his self-narrative memoir. Enjoying it so far!

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Coleen
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Mehso-so

As much as I loved Matthew Perry and Friends, I didn‘t have a big desire to read his memoir. Until he died. His death BROKE me. And so I felt I had to read about this troubled soul. However, this is not the most well-written memoir. Lots of repetition & timelines jumping back & forth which just made it confusing. But overall, I‘m mostly just sad. R.I.P. Matty. 😢

28 likes1 stack add
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MeganLindell
Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Amiable
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Mehso-so

It pains me to give this a so-so rating because it seems mean-spirited to speak ill of the dead. However, this memoir by Matthew Perry, which describes his lifelong battle with addiction in exhaustive and harsh detail, is fairly repetitive with a rambling timeline. It may have been cathartic for him to write; it‘s a bit of a struggle to read. Especially now. What a sad, tragic story. Would that it could have ended differently.

mcctrish Exactly what I thought, cathartic to write, having to read it - not so much 11mo
56 likes1 comment
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Kris10H
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Pickpick

Book #88
4.5/5
This audiobook was on my library holds list since it's release. When it became available to me a few weeks ago, so soon after his death, I jumped at the chance to borrow it. I don't know what else to say, other than to say that this memoir was very insightful and entertaining, and I would recommend it to any Chandler fan. ;)

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Read4life
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Pickpick

Listened to the audiobook which is narrated by Matthew Perry. He was a favorite actor of mine and Chandler was my favorite character on Friends. He didn‘t hold much back in this book and really put himself out there.
#BookSpinBingo #NovelNovember #RushAThon #WickedWords #Bing
@TheAromaofBooks @Andrew65 @DieAReader @AsYouWish

DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳An excellent book! 12mo
Andrew65 So sad, loved in West Wing as well. 12mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 12mo
ChasingOm I love autobiographies narrated by the author. This one is high on my list for when I catch up on my Libro.fm backlist and renew my membership. 👻🎄 (#GhostsofXmas) 12mo
65 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Read4life
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kellock
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Pickpick

An interesting read. When you watch someone in a favourite show you have no inkling of what their real life is like.

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kellock
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Next up . . . A colleague added it to our works library, seems like the right time to start it 😢

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ncayea
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Pickpick

This was an interesting read. Brave of himself to put his whole life in a book. Not everyone can air their faults and be comfortable doing so.
With his humor aside, he went through A LOT.
May he rest in comfortable peace.

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cemsreadingcorner
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this book. I got to see Matthew Perry‘s cute & charming sense of humor. He reminds me so much of Chandler Bing from Friends. I had no idea he had this disease that brought him close to death so many times. You never know what anyone is going through. But I‘m glad his dream came true and that he was able to write this book & have it published so other people who are going through the same thing can see that they are not alone. Bless him!

cemsreadingcorner Bless him for opening up about what he went through. This book will help so many people around the world. And I am so glad that his friends and family are continuing with his legacy to help others with this disease with the Matthew Perry Foundation. It‘s awesome that his goals can be achieved even after he‘s gone. Bless his family! RIP Matty. We love & miss you. Always and forever. 🙏🏼❤️✨ 13mo
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AngieKWilson
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Pickpick

This was on my TBR pile and after his death I jumped right on it. What a great book to read via audio! RIP Matthew Perry. Your autobiography is truly your legacy.

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Allthebookclubs
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Pickpick

I picked this up after his tragic death and I regret not reading it sooner. My review is too long and in the comments. Book #68 in 2023

Allthebookclubs I don‘t hold celebrities up on a pedestal, but I‘m deeply fascinated by those who choose to genuinely reveal themselves. The self realization he hits in his book is unreal; from pinpointing the likely cause of his addiction (infant dosing), identifying his abandonment issues, and naming all of his insecurities out loud. 13mo
Allthebookclubs It took a lifetime of self-sabotage for him to learn so much about himself and I wish (and he also self proclaims) that his legacy was more about what he did in recent years to help the addiction community than to solely remember him as Chandler. Although, no one could‘ve been more Chandler and he was truly born to play that part. 13mo
6 likes2 comments
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TheEllieMo
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I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new. Don‘t judge me - I have a lot of books.

#ABookADay2023
😔

DieAReader 💕💕💕 13mo
28 likes1 comment
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eanderson
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Oh man…. Friends was and still is my favorite show. Matthew Perry was a fighter and it‘s sad that he‘s left this world. 😢

readingjedi 😥 13mo
OriginalCyn620 It will always be my favorite too. I‘m just devastated by his death. Love this illustration. 💔 13mo
TNbookworm 😢 13mo
tpixie Such sad news. He struggled so much. Great illustration. 13mo
38 likes4 comments
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Follow.my.read
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R.I.P.#MathewPerry#Friends

dabbe 😢 13mo
45 likes1 stack add1 comment
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ShyBookOwl
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Having listened to this so recently, I can't say his death came as a shock today... and yet, it did 💔

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I feel the same 💔 13mo
TalesandTexts It was so shocking, out of nowhere! And he and Friends were such an important part of my childhood. Such a loss. 13mo
dabbe 😢 13mo
61 likes3 comments
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JMPemberton
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I‘ve had this memoir on my TBR pile for a little while now. In light of what‘s just happened, I feel compelled to read this right away. ‘Hi my name is Matthew, although you may know me by another name. My friends call me Matty. And I should be dead. If you like, you can consider what you‘re about to read as a message from the beyond, my beyond.‘ … how hauntingly poignant the opening paragraph is. RIP Matthew Perry, you beautiful, fabulous man.

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jamield1911
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Oh, Mathew 😭💔

BarbaraBB So sad 13mo
ravenlee 😢 13mo
marleed This photo - breaks my heart - it says so much. 13mo
dabbe 💔 13mo
21 likes4 comments
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Catsandbooks
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I just can't believe he's gone 😭 Friends has been, & always will be one of my favorite shows of all time & it's because of this man. Friends was always there for me when I had a bad day or didn't feel well or just wanted something comforting. I've rewatched it countless times & the characters became my friends too. My husband & I fell in love while watching the show together.
Now I need to go watch the show for the billionth time & cry😭😭😭😭😭

DebinHawaii So sad! I just watched The One With the Halloween Party a few days ago. I am heartbroken. 💔 13mo
Cupcake12 So sad to hear. I watched all the episodes whilst on maternity leave. Chandler was the best! 13mo
Jari-chan 😢😢😢 13mo
JenReadsAlot So sad 😢 13mo
dabbe They are in my age group, and I lived vicariously through them in the 90s-early 20s. I am devastated, too. That show got me through a lot of tough times. I still have all 10 seasons on dvd even though my computer no longer plays them. So. Stinkin'. Sad. 💔 13mo
56 likes5 comments
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OriginalCyn620
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I am so heartbroken over the news of Matthew‘s death. I read his memoir earlier this year and was really rooting for him to live his best life. RIP 😭

JenReadsAlot So sad 😢 13mo
Deblovestoread 💔 13mo
marleed It is so heartbreaking. 13mo
dabbe I am devastated. He and the whole FRIENDS gang are my age; I lived vicariously through them. 💔 13mo
CatLass007 It‘s awful 😞 13mo
44 likes5 comments
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Kshakal
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Rest in peace ☹️

JenReadsAlot Oh sad 😢 13mo
dabbe 💔 13mo
27 likes2 comments
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TheBookgeekFrau
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😢

dabbe 💔 13mo
30 likes2 comments
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Traci1
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I'm heartbroken to hear of Matthew's death. 😥

Gissy 😔 13mo
Soubhiville 😢 13mo
Christine Yes, same. 😭 I‘m so glad he told his story when he did. 13mo
dabbe 💔 13mo
51 likes4 comments
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dariazeoli
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This is not the big, terrible thing I wanted to hear about today. I read Matthew‘s book last year and was really rooting for him in recovery. He didn‘t get enough time.

He sure made me laugh as Chandler for a lot of years, though. Thanks, Matty. RIP.

https://www.tmz.com/2023/10/28/friends-star-matthew-perry-dead-dies-drowning/

DebinHawaii I just heard this. So sad! 💔 13mo
RamsFan1963 Such a f**king tragedy 💔💔😫 He had worked so hard to get clean and sober. Life is truly unfair 13mo
Deblovestoread Broken hearted. 💔 13mo
dabbe 💔 13mo
33 likes4 comments
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Madison91
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Pickpick

This was incredibly sad. And hard to read, as a friends fan. A little triggering for someone with an addictive personality

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Madison91
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October goals posting a little late

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cemsreadingcorner
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Reading this one at the moment too. I started reading it back in May and I was struggling with it because it‘s Non-Fiction and I don‘t really read Non-Fiction novels. I love the show Friends and I‘m a fan of the actor, that‘s why I borrowed the book and started reading it. It‘s funny so far. I can definitely see that Matthew Perry is a lot like the character he played on Friends. Can he be anymore like him?! 😂😂

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booklover3258
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Pickpick

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/jZqi-9rAmCs

Enjoy!

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Kaylamburson
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Pickpick

An interesting memoir that really dives into the horrors of addiction and how it‘s not a choice, but a disease. Although it touches on Friends and his experiences in film and TV, it‘s more focused on how his addiction impacted those experiences. Always nice to listen to the audiobook with the author‘s own voice.

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fredthemoose
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Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I don‘t know… He‘s gone through a lot and I wish him the best. Parts of the book were engaging. I don‘t want to minimize his very real challenges, but also, he‘s so incredibly privileged and pampered that it‘s a little exasperating listening to what seems like the same cycle on repeat for decades. From the book his growth seems sort of surface level and the story is not particularly satisfying.

Larkken I was reading online that he targets Keanu Reeves in this multiple times and for no good reason… maybe I‘m just blinded by being #teamkeanu, but it seemed petty and didn‘t make me want to read this one lol 😝 1y
fredthemoose I heard that, too, but that he was removing the references for future printings. I didn‘t notice them in the audiobook, so I‘m not sure what they were. 🤷‍♀️ The book was fine enough when you‘re looking for a quick, easy read, but I don‘t think anyone is missing much by skipping it. 1y
63 likes2 comments
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anushareflects
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Mehso-so

I love Friends, and I‘d heard a lot about Perry‘s battles with drug abuse and alcoholism, so thought I‘d give this memoir a shot. Perry‘s writing is very honest and open, albeit a tad too casual and informal. I didn‘t enjoy the “writing” but I did appreciate the candour with which he dealt with his demons and his experiences struggling with abuse. Really sad what he‘s been through, but kudos for fighting through it. But not a book for everyone.

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Eggs
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#CelebMemoir #BookBinge

Quite a book! His colon burst from overuse of opioids and he had a 2% chance of survival at that point. Addiction can really age a person.

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks yeahhh 😳 He had colostomy bag for a year or so… (edited) 1y
AnnCrystal Oh my, I never knew that about Matthew Perry. 1y
See All 6 Comments
Eggs @AnnCrystal I read he‘s had 14 stomach surgeries 1y
Suet624 Yowzer! Ouch! 1y
Eggs IKR 😞 @Suet624 1y
51 likes6 comments