Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing Book Summary

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Brief Summary

Matthew Perry’s story proves that addiction affects anyone, regardless of their fame or success. Perry's journey to sobriety was a difficult one, marked by multiple stints in rehab, AA meetings, and therapy sessions. However, he was able to find help and support to overcome his addiction and discover a new purpose in life. Perry's advocacy work for addiction recovery and drug courts shows that recovery is possible and that helping others can be a powerful way to fill the emptiness that addiction can leave behind. Ultimately, Perry's story is a reminder that we must be compassionate and understanding towards those struggling with addiction and that we must continue to work towards a society that prioritizes care and treatment over punishment.

About the Author

Matthew Perry is a Canadian-American actor and writer best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit television series, Friends. Born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, Perry grew up in Canada and began acting in his teens. After a few small roles in television and film, he landed his breakthrough role as Chandler in 1994. Perry's talent as a comedic actor and his chemistry with his co-stars helped make Friends one of the most popular sitcoms of all time. In addition to his acting work, Perry has also written and produced for television, including the short-lived series Mr. Sunshine and Go On. Perry has been open about his struggles with addiction and has used his platform to advocate for addiction recovery and drug courts. His memoir, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, is a candid and moving account of his journey to sobriety and his ongoing work to help others dealing with addiction.

Topics

Biography & Memoir

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing Book Summary Preview

Introduction

Matthew Perry, the beloved star of the hit sitcom Friends, has written a memoir that takes readers behind the scenes of the show and his personal struggles with addiction. Titled Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, this memoir has been one of the most anticipated books of the year according to Time, Associated Press, Goodreads, USA Today, and more.

In the memoir, Perry candidly shares his journey from childhood ambition to fame to addiction and recovery after a life-threatening health scare. He reflects on his fractured family, his desire for recognition that propelled him to fame, and the void inside him that could not be filled even by his greatest dreams coming true. Despite seemingly having it all, Perry battled addiction throughout his life, and he describes how he found peace in sobriety.

Perry's memoir is both intimate and eye-opening, offering readers a glimpse into his lifelong struggle with addiction and his path to sobriety. With his trademark humor, he shares stories about his castmates and other stars he met along the way, as well as his feelings about the ubiquitous Friends phenomenon. Ultimately, Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unflinchingly honest, moving, and uplifting book that offers a hand to anyone struggling with sobriety.

Childhood Struggles and Substance Use

Matthew Perry's memoir, "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing," is a poignant and honest account of his life and struggles with addiction. Born in 1969 to a folk singer and a beauty queen, Perry had a tumultuous childhood, marked by a constant sense of alienation and an inability to find a place where he truly belonged.

At just two months old, Perry was prescribed phenobarbitol, a major barbiturate, due to his constant crying, which set the stage for the many times throughout his life that substances would be used to fix his problems. When Perry's parents broke up when he was nine months old, he was left with his 21-year-old mother, who worked as the press secretary for the Canadian Prime Minister. Growing up, Perry learned to be an entertainer and caretaker, constantly trying to make people laugh and please others, as a way to cope with his feelings of inadequacy.

Despite his efforts to please his mother, Perry felt like he didn't belong in his family, and this led to behavior problems at school. Perry even beat up the son of his mother's boss, future Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in an attempt to assert himself and feel like he belonged. As he grew older, Perry's feelings of alienation intensified, and at the age of 14, he had his first drink with two friends.

For the first time in his life, Perry felt happy and like all his problems were gone. This moment planted the seed for his later struggles with alcoholism and addiction. Perry moved to Los Angeles at 15 to get to know his father and to find fulfillment in Hollywood. Despite landing roles in several TV shows and movies, Perry's addiction to alcohol and other substances continued to take...