Welcome to Litsy!

I wanted to love this book and I didn‘t… I felt like for the majority of it he blamed everyone else for his addiction problems… I did enjoy the behind the scenes look at friends though…

Und ich müsste längst tot sein.
Wenn Sie so wollen, betrachten Sie das, was Sie jetzt lesen, als eine Botschaft aus dem Jenseits. Meinem Jenseits.

As a lover of friends and a healthcare provider who worked in *basically* a detox unit for over a year, I was very interested in and excited to read this story. I did enjoy the friends insights, all though there was very few and I enjoyed the patients perspective on addiction, but this book wasn‘t it for me. Perry had a very narcissistic view on his life, feeling as if he was owed something and never took any responsibility.

Was this my favorite celeb memoir I‘ve read? No. I did enjoy it though. I never knew much about his addiction and rehab stints - even back when I was watching Friends just because I don‘t keep up with celeb gossip. I think the book could‘ve done with some editing or been laid out better as some parts felt repetitive, particularly with some of the interludes. Still thought it was interesting though

Very insightful

A lot about his addictions to smoking, alcohol, and drugs. 3 🌟

How is it that I feel guilty writing this review? For the first 3/4 of the book Matthew Perry is not very likable. Then, things sort of come together and I felt pity for him. By the end there‘s the smallest amount of redemption and hope. This memoir is brutally honest. Unfortunately, it‘s also not edited well, repetitive and the timeline is jumbled. He begins something, only to go astray and never come back. I wanted to like it so much more. ⬇️

Friends is my all-time favorite show, so when this came out, I knew I‘d have to read it. I knew about Perry‘s addictions but didn‘t know how early they started and how really bad it was. I had no idea that the big terrible thing even happened! This was honest and real (sometimes too real) and I hope that Matthew stays sober and lives his best life.

#jumpstart2023
#bookspinbingo
#pop23 - a celebrity memoir
#joyousjanuary

#1-2023. Interesting, but kind of depressing. Wish there was more FRIENDS content!

The book is repetitive, the timeline was all over the place and didn't flow very well and there are an annoying amount of typos. I'm also not sure how helpful people with alcohol and drug dependence would find this book. Maybe some would appreciate the amount Matthew Perry does share and feel less alone.

There are a few stories about the TV show Friends and other interesting tidbits that save the book, but otherwise it was not that great.

This is not a light, fluffy memoir of happy people on the cast of Friends. It starts with a terrible medical episode that nearly cost Perry his life and while that is one of the hardest parts of the memoir, Perry's story is grim. I think it might be easier on audio but take a pass on this one if you have your own addictive struggles or if you aren't great with seeing the bad & ugly side of a life that appears charmed to the rest of the world.

"A raw, unflinching memoir that took courage to write"

What a good 1st book to read for 2023, I finished it in 9 hours it was that good, I couldn't put the book down.

I would highly recommend it to everyone.

Not even sure what to say about Perry's autobiography. Clearly written by him, you can hear his voice through it all. Even the stuff that's super hard to read. Heartbreaking and uplifting, but maybe a smidge more real than anyone asked for. Could his life BE more dramatic? #1-2023

Between a Pick and a So-So
Chandler is my second favorite character from the show F●R●I●E●N●D●S (My fav is Monica), so I was really interested in his story. Did it live up to everything I wanted it to be…not exactly…but that‘s okay. Although, after listening to this, I have to say I like Chandler way more than Matthew Perry. He was a little too “woe is me” with his addiction, and then a little too full of himself with his fame.

My hold came in so excited about this one. I love Friends so this will be interesting to look into one of the characters lives.

So I am a HUGE Friends fan…it is one of my 2 favorite shows ever (the other being Lost). I‘m glad that I never really expected the characters to be like their characters or anything other than human, because if I did I would have hated this memoir. It feels incredibly raw and honest, however he often comes across as a hypocritical narcissist. He cheats and breaks up with women (apparently before they can leave him) but calls out an ex for ⬇️

You are Enough. ❤

Perry is very honest about the devastation his addictions have caused. This book got me thinking, but still offered some hope.

I got all three books I wanted for Christmas 😊🎄🎅

3⭐️/5⭐️

I can‘t believe how incredibly unlikeable Matthew Perry is 😕 I finished but it was a real push to do so.

4.25/5 ⭐️ Friends is one of my favorite shows of all time and Chandler is my favorite character so this was a must read for me! I knew Matthew struggled with addiction but I did not realize how terrible it really was. I hope he can stay sober and gets everything he wants in life.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I‘ve seen some pretty horrible reviews for this. As a mediocre “Friends” fan, this had zero affect on how I feel about Chandler because I just don‘t care that much about TV characters. Perry talks incessantly about his addiction and recovery, addiction and recovery, many times over. He did some messy, dangerous stuff. I‘m not sure what readers expected. It felt honest enough. Was it self serving? Yeah, but many (most?) memoirs are.

Couldnt do it. I tapped out. The story might be good but i cant deal with him narrating it. Also the time line is all over the place and its supper confusing..😩😩😩

This was an unflinching, heartbreaking, and yet ultimately hopeful memoir. I hope that Perry receives nothing but good things in life from here on out - he has faced his demons, and has done his best to be nothing but light in the world. So much admiration for his honesty and candor, and his ability to find laughter in even the worst experiences. #matthewperry #friendsloversandthebigterriblething #memoir

It takes a lot of courage to candidly lay out your worst demons for the world. Bravo, Matthew, and may all that is good come your way. #friendsloversandthebigterriblething #matthewperry #memoir #addiction #friends #actor #chandlerbing #studio60 #mattalbie

It was an okay memoir. What‘s his issue with Keanu Reeves? Also, I know he has money but no need to brag about it so much. 🙄 Other than being famous, we do have a few things in common. I‘m not an addict or an alcoholic, but I did abuse alcohol for quite a few years. I had daddy issues, abandonment syndrome and, therefore, pushed men away before they could leave me. I didn‘t screw up my life quite as badly as he did. Glad he‘s recovering.

“Perry divulges what his benders were like, how it started, who helped him, and the lowest lows that he experienced (an anecdote about riffling through people‘s medicine cabinets for pills is gutting)—much of which happened when he was starring in one of the hottest, and some could argue most iconic, shows on television. Could he be any more honest? I mean, maybe, but he‘s alive and telling his story.”

I‘ve loved so many people with big terrible things that I would have to talk to a therapist before I could discern what I think of this book.
~
It‘s been almost a decade since my ex moved out. This weekend, my 20 YO baby is helping make space for me in my home, starting with three filing cabinets. So much paper!

I am only a few seasons into watching Friends and there‘s so much I never knew about Matthew Perry. I wanted to listen to his memoir on audiobook because it was read by him and it was so good. There were times when I cringed, times when I was angry, and times when I wanted to cry. Im really glad I decided to listen to this one.

This is an unflinching look at Matthew Perry‘s life in his own words. His brutal honesty about his battles with drugs, alcohol and medical issues were heartbreaking, but his resilience and hope to find sobriety on the other side is what gives this book balance. Perry‘s path can serve as a cautionary tale while also giving hope to those who might be battling their own demons, and I applaud his courage in sharing these struggles so openly.

I‘m really not sure how I feel about this book, or about Perry after reading it. The book itself had a disjointed timeline, and a lot of repetition.

As for Perry, at times I felt sorry for him as he‘s clearly been through a LOT but I also disliked a lot of what he said. He blames an awful lot on his Mum, he boasts about how good he is at helping other addicts and has a confusing take on God / religion.

⬇️

Wow…what a great read! I had no idea how crazy his addiction was. He really bares it all in this book. Kudos to him! I highly recommend this one if you like a good memoir ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I wasn‘t planning on reading this and I kind of wish I hadn‘t. I am always reluctant to judge someone else‘s story but this could have benefitted from a heavier editorial hand. It is an important story, to be sure, but with so much focus on being famous and having lots of sex, I feel like the larger message was lost in the muddle. I wish him well and hope he stays sober but this just made me feel sorry for him. 😬

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Honest, funny and sad all at once. Matthew opens up with bravery and discusses his struggles with alcohol and prescription medications. Enjoyed it

As an addiction memoir I think it was good and important to share. I am a therapist for drug court so appreciated his writing about that. As an overall book it was not well written and he really did not come across as a likable person.

I love Matthew Perry and I wanted to love his book more. I‘m really STILL struggling with rating this one…
This is an addict‘s memoir, & he really goes into detail about his journey. At times, I felt like it jumped around & was repetitive. At first, I thought this was not helping the story, but now I wonder if it was on purpose to help underscore how much the drugs mess with and steal from you. I truly pray he can stay clean now.

Matthew has some good stories to tell, but this got repetitive and the timeline of events was somewhat confusing, especially toward the end. mostly it just left me hoping he really is ok. I listened to the audiobook, and I did enjoy his narration. I rated it 3 ⭐️s.

book 14/22 for 22

Could I BE anymore excited to have finished this?
I found this fascinating, funny in parts while being heartbreaking in how addiction has ruined his life plus the emptiness that he seems to have always felt. Its quite surprising he‘s managed to have such a successful career with the magnitude of his addictions. It‘s not the best written memoir I‘ve ever read but I‘m a HUGE friends fan so for me this was a pick. I may be a bit biased though 😂

Oof this is hard to rate because I found it compelling but the writing was just not good and the whole thing read as a girlfriend-seeking mission. Cringey, but at the same time I felt like HE thinks he‘s pouring his heart out so I can‘t help but feel for him in his sobriety struggle and loneliness. There‘s much better out there but how often do you get to hear from Chandler Bing? Could he BE anymore braggy? I grew up with Friends!

My heart is a little broken after reading this. The man who brought laughter to so many during those heady days of Friends has suffered so much. He is honest about his struggle with addiction, revealing consequences I never knew. At the same time he makes colostomy bags and their tendency to break almost funny…almost. This is not a laugh out loud memoir but occasional belly laughs did erupt out of me. I have respect for the man, actor, friend.

Dude has an ego on him! Sheesh. But it‘s all in a humble brag sort of way. Like several times he says things to the effect of, “Nothing gets me higher than getting people of drugs!” As an addiction memoir, it was okay. As a celebrity memoir it was about average on juice and insight. Count me among the mixed reviews on this. Glad it was a #BorrowNotBuy 🤷🏻‍♀️ #NFNov

So I have mixed feelings. I felt this was a pretty raw and heartbreaking account of what addiction will do to you. I agree that there is a lot of jumping which causes a bit of a disconnect and drove me a bit nuts as well. I've seen a lot about how he comes off as entitled or boastful when talking about his money but that didn't bother me as I saw it as more him getting into his mindset of who he was at that time and not who he is now. ⬇️⬇️

Book #59 done for 2022. This was a very interesting read. It shows that no matter how much money you have addiction and depression do not care.

I admit that I shed a few tears at the end of listening to his story and was in a bit of a funk the rest of the evening. He has been through a harrowing time of addiction and alcoholism and is lucky to be alive. That said the book is disjointed and more than once I had to stop because I thought I missed something. I believe he wants his story to be helpful but I‘m not sure he reached that goal. I wanted more depth? vulnerability? It missed ⬇️

So I binged this memoir over the course of a day and I‘m not really sure how I feel. I admire Matthew for sharing so many private moments, actions & feelings, as I believe he did so in order to help others who may be struggling but I‘m not sure he was completely in the right head space to be dispensing any kind of wisdom. This story is not told chronologically, so it reads as erratic, disjointed.👇🏽

Listened to this despite not really intending to and thought it was a pretty great memoir. I was a standard-level Friends enthusiast based on my demographic (i.e., I really loved it), and I was satisfied with/charmed by how he covered that. I feel like he writes about his addiction struggles (and questionable life choices, directly related or not) thoughtfully and shares more than any onlooker deserves to know, but in a way that I hope might ⬇️