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Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir

by Matthew Perry

Fame, Friends, and the Work of Recovery

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Regular price $24.93 USD
Regular price $41.55 USD Sale price $24.93 USD
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Awards & Recognition

  • Bestseller

    Instant #1 New York Times bestseller

  • Editorial selection

    A most anticipated book by USA Today

    Named as a most anticipated book by USA Today.

AlbakiReads Editorial

Fame, Friends, and the Work of Recovery

Matthew Perry’s memoir connects the public story of Friends with the private experiences that shaped his life, from childhood between Montreal and Los Angeles to his rise as an actor. He reflects on family, ambition, fame, addiction, and recovery after a life-threatening health scare, including the role sobriety has come to play in his life. Stories about castmates and other stars sit alongside an account of the personal struggles behind a highly visible career, making the book both a show-business memoir and a first-person account of addiction.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Fans of Friends interested in Perry’s perspective on the sitcom and its cast
  • Readers seeking a personal account of addiction and recovery
  • Readers interested in celebrity memoirs that cover childhood, ambition, and fame

Themes

Addiction and recoveryFame and ambitionFamilyFriends and celebrity culture

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

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."

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.

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Customer reviews

M
AlbakiReads
Malaika Taylor

I highly recommend to for anyone looking for inner clarity

T
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Thomas DiMassa

Great service and fast service

Great shopping experience! The book arrived quickly, was well packaged, and matched the description perfectly. I would definitely shop with you again

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Olivia

Smooth.