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
In an extraordinary story that only he could tell, Matthew Perry takes readers onto the soundstage of the most successful sitcom of all time while opening up about his private struggles with addiction. Candid, self-aware, and told with his trademark humor, Perry vividly details his lifelong battle with the disease and what fueled it despite seemingly having it all.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is an unforgettable memoir that shares the most intimate details of the love Perry lost, his darkest days, and his greatest friends.
Unflinchingly honest, moving, and hilarious: this is the book fans have been waiting for.

'There's never been a more honest or raw memoir . . . and it may just save lives' Daily Mail

'Funny, fascinating, compelling . . . also a wonderful read for fans of Friends' The Times

'HI, MY NAME IS MATTHEW, although you may know me by my full 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 travelled 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 humour, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fuelled it despite seemingly having it all.

'An unflinching and often harrowing must-read for 90s pop culture fans' Guardian

'Written with Chandler's trademark sarcasm and self-deprecation' Telegraph

'A hopeful read . . . I started to think of [it] not as a celebrity memoir about addiction, but as an addiction memoir written by a man who understands his own history through the prism of showbiz' Independent

'There's never been a more honest or raw memoir . . . and it may just save lives' Daily Mail

'Funny, fascinating, compelling . . . also a wonderful read for fans of Friends' The Times

'HI, MY NAME IS MATTHEW, although you may know me by my full 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 travelled 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 humour, Perry vividly depicts his lifelong battle with addiction and what fuelled it despite seemingly having it all.

'An unflinching and often harrowing must-read for 90s pop culture fans' Guardian

'Written with Chandler's trademark sarcasm and self-deprecation' Telegraph

'A hopeful read . . . I started to think of [it] not as a celebrity memoir about addiction, but as an addiction memoir written by a man who understands his own history through the prism of showbiz' Independent

廣受喜愛的《六人行》主演之一帶我們來到幕後
一窺知名情境喜劇的花絮
與他面對成癮症的種種掙扎
這部真誠、風趣又極具啟發性的回憶錄
傳遞了關於希望與堅持不懈的動人寓意
推薦序
————by————
麗莎．庫卓Lisa Kudrow
◍
||| 有一件事我做對了：我從未放棄。 |||
| The one thing I got right was that I never gave up. |
——馬修．派瑞Matthew Perry
／
未經粉飾且毫不避忌，是一部需要勇氣才寫得出來的回憶錄。馬修．派瑞果然擁有十足的勇氣，帶我們一同經歷他的成癮症、疾病，以及難以承受的孤獨……說到底，這本書充滿了對未來的希望。想認識真正的馬修．派瑞，就別去看那些八卦報導，改讀這本書吧。————瑪塔．考夫曼Marta Kauffman，NBC情境喜劇《六人行》共同創作者
／
「嗨，我是馬修，不過你看到我可能會聯想到另一個名字。朋友都叫我馬蒂（Matty）。還有，我早就該死了。」
備受好評的演員馬修．派瑞，以這句話揭開他引人入勝的人生故事，帶領我們一同走過他的童年抱負、成名與成癮，以及在一場危及生命的健康危機後，一步步復原的旅程。在頻繁出入醫院與康復中心之前，5歲的小馬修因為父母分居，在蒙特婁和洛杉磯之間來回穿梭；14歲的馬修，是加拿大名列前茅的網球新星；24歲的馬修，抓住機會加入備受矚目的試播劇《我們這樣的朋友》（Friends Like Us），成了令其他人又羨又妒的主演之一……在本書中，我們會看到許多不同時期、不同面貌的馬修。
在這個唯有他能講述的、超乎尋常的故事中，馬修更以他獨有的真誠、幽默與溫暖親切口吻來述說一切。他毫無保留地揭露育養他（卻也放任他自生自滅）的破碎家庭、驅使他追求名聲且被人認可的渴望，以及即使遠大的夢想成真亦無法填補的內心空洞。此外，他也詳述遠離酒精與藥物而獲致的寧靜、對《六人行》無處不在的影響力有何感想，並分享劇中其他演員的小故事，還有他一路走來認識的明星與他們的奇聞軼事。派瑞以坦率、帶有自我意識又富有標誌性幽默感的文字，鮮活地敘述自己這一生和成癮症的搏鬥，以及看似擁有一切，卻仍為成癮症所苦的原因。
《朋友、戀人與最糟糕的事》是令人難以忘懷的回憶錄，揭露了私密的故事，使人眼界大開，同時也對努力擺脫成癮症的所有人伸出了友誼之手。直言不諱、感動人心、極其風趣，正是喜愛馬修的人們殷切盼望的一本書。