Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

"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 could consider what you are about to hear to be a message from the beyond, my beyond."

I have been a fan of Matthew Perry for a long time. I first fell in love with him, as did countless others, as Chandler Bing on Friends. But I especially loved him as Alex Whitman in Fools Rush In, one of my favorite movies ever. I went all the way to New York for my sweet 16 birthday to get a Gray’s Papaya hot dog because of that movie and how much his character loved them.

I’ve been wanting to read his memoir since it was originally released in 2022, and then it was hard to think about reading it after his untimely death last year. I finally got on the Libby waitlist for the audiobook, thanks to a little push from book club. After waiting a couple of months, my number came up. When I first started listening, I was immediately struck and heartbroken hearing his voice reading that opening prologue.

It’s always sad when someone we love passes, celebrity or not. I was not familiar with the extent of his battle with addiction. Even he was amazed at the things he managed to survive. We hear it all the time, but it’s still so surprising to me when I learn that a person with such a talent for humor, also suffers from chronic depression. I believe this memoir was meant to be uplifting since Perry wrote it when he was in recovery and doing well, but of course it is tragic knowing he did succumb to effects of his illness. I think the book is worth a read/listen for fans of Perry or anyone interested in stories involving fighting addiction. Click here to purchase on Bookshop.org.

***I also recently read I'll Be There for You: The One about Friends by Kelsey Miller, and it was a great analysis of the show, explaining how it fit into a very specific time and why it became the cultural phenomenon that it is. Click here to purchase on Bookshop.org.

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