2024 the best of us a memoir review

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(as of Nov 16, 2024 13:11:07 UTC - Details)

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.

Reviewer: Chrissi G - BookDragon78
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: "... as I drove, I realized that I was leaning toward the windshield... I wanted to be tgere."
Review: There are some books you want to look through the reviews before you decide if you want to pick it up or not, then there are others you just want to read for yourself. Matthew's book was one that I wanted to read for myself. Though in looking through the reviews now that I have finished it, I realize either someone loves it or does not, there is no in-between it seems.Before I write any more of my review - I want to point out that I am 99.9% certain I read a Kindle version that was edited to remove whatever there was about Keanu. So if someone is reading my review wondering why I don't mention it, I cannot comment on what I did not read. --- One more observation, from the reviews I did look through, it seems that most people who *listened* to the book disliked it more than those who *read* it. Seems listening to it make it more difficult to follow the already jumping timeline. Again, just my observation.From the beginning Matthew tells us how this story is going to be written/told. How? you ask? "Groundhog Day" is his favorite movie, do I really need to say anything more? If you do not understand this reference, please take the time (1 hour and 40 minutes) to watch the 1993 classic movie with Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. Then perhaps more things will make sense for you.Thankfully I have never been an alcoholic or an addict, however, I have known several in my life. For them every day is groundhog day. Every morning the question of, "How will I get through today without a drink/pill/smoke/etc." makes every 24 hours the same. Matthew shows that in spades with his repetition throughout his story. Many of the reviews I saw complained about the repetition; if they don't understand it, perhaps they should count themselves lucky not to. To have never known someone who lives every day like this; or to not be that person themselves.Matthew's story didn't end all sunshine-and-rainbows with a happily every after. Not everyone's does. I appreciated the fact that he kept it real. That he kept it honest. That he shows his faults to us just as much as he shows us the goodness. Life isn't always polished and pretty no matter who you are or how much money you have. Matthew proves that. No matter how bad things seemed to be for him, Matthew always looked to his future, he always wanted to be there. Perhaps not always for the right reasons, but reasons that kept him moving forward nonetheless. There is something to be admired about that.Interestingly, one of my favorite lines reads, "God looked down on me, just waiting it out. He's got all the time in the world. F*Reviewer: Trent Webb
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A friend in need
Review: So I spent this weekend with a Friend.I’ve been really looking forward to this book for a while and hoping it wouldn’t be a disappointment when I finally got to read it. I expected Chandler. I expected some stories about addiction. I expected some backstage stories. And I hoped he wouldn’t ruin my almost thirty year love of a tv show and a group of actors who continue to be there for me, like they’ve been there before.The truth is, I seriously underestimated Matthew Perry’s willingness to offer much more than that in a memoir, and as it turns out, he cracked his heart open on every single page. This is one hell of a book. Because he has one hell of a story to tell. I don’t think I’ve ever before read a book about addiction that so clearly demonstrates the disease, the mental illness of it. Perry couldn’t be more transparent. He doesn’t place blame anywhere. He’s as amazed as we are that he could be so successful, have his dreams come true, and still be completely incapable of staying sober.There are horrifying stories of his drug use, how it has destroyed and continues to destroy his body. And, yes, there are stories from the set of Friends, some are jaw-dropping, but they really were the best kind of friends. I may not be able to look at certain episodes quite the same ever again. And he is funny (he is Chandler!) and sarcastic, and surprisingly spiritual. At times his incredibly smart writing reminded me of Carrie Fisher writing about her own drug addiction - sharp, self-deprecating, funny, but fully aware of how messed up it was. And at other times he goes much much deeper than she ever could through rehab and therapy and surgeries and so many detoxifications.This book hit me in the feels more than once, and it did not disappoint for even a moment. I couldn’t put it down. I wish I could say that it has a happy ending, or even a cautiously optimistic one, but Perry has been too honest on every page to pretend it’ll all be alright for the sake of a tidy afterword.Hopeful but realistic. That’ll have to do for now.

Reviewer: Linda Ontario
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Well narrated memoir. A funny, nostaligic, warm & heartbreaking story of a lovely, talented man taken too soon 🙁

Reviewer: Steffi
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Como una de las millones de fans de Friends y Chandler, puedo decir que este ha sido un libro que me ha acercado mucho más a una persona que sentía conocer de toda la vida; pero que, conozco realmente por primera vez. Conocer su perspectiva de la vida, la fama y las adicciones, sin duda ayuda a entender lo que pasa por la mente de las personas que parecen tenerlo todo pero “se pierden”. Con una narración sincera y emotiva, Matthew nos cuenta su gran vida y su gran revelación.

Reviewer: Cliente Amazon
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Uma leitura necessária.Ler o memoir de Matthew foi uma oportunidade de conhecer, de forma crua e verdadeira, a mente e as emoções de alguém que teve que lidar com a depressão e o vício durante toda sua vida. Uma narrativa conduzida por uma pessoa mundialmente conhecida, mas superficialmente interpretada. Alguém que viveu processos de análise e terapia tão complexos e profundos que propõe um auto-conhecimento humano que deveria ser difundido em todos.

Reviewer: Vixxx
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Libro scritto molto bene, che ti fa sempre venire voglia di continuare a leggerlo. Perry riesce a far comprendere le sue paure e le dipendenze che ne derivano. Possibile da leggere anche in inglese se si possiede un buon livello.

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: story from Matthew's perspective, sad story really he needed help