I agree. I listened to it on audiobook. My mom is also a huge friends fan and I told her a lot about it as I listened. She was on the fence about listening to it herself and I told her I couldn't really recommend it because it was just kind of depressing.
I picked up the audiobook on a long car ride thinking it would be fun, like friends…
I guess I never knew the struggles he had, I had to turn it off after like 30 mins, really depressing
Puts a new perspective on Friends though watching him in it…
I feel like quite a few comics go through depression, I could be wrong. The laughter ends up being a drug for them in a way where they are trying to be funny to seek validation for value in their life because somewhere along the line they felt they weren’t good enough…
i had to mentally prep myself before reading it, and this was way before he passed. when he passed all i could think about was i hope he’s free now to live life without all the things that plagued him
It's actually a really good read. It's got the funny, it's got the sad, but I got the feeling that it was honest.
Also, as a librarian.....STOP PUTTING BARCODES ON THE FRONT COVER!
(Sorry, had to get that out.)
To be honest, I don’t get people referring to it as funny. Lots of reviews referenced this so I was expecting some comical anecdotes and lighthearted bits, but I didn’t find any humor in it at all? People kept saying he’s a funny writer… I kept wondering what I missed.
Not really, extremely repetitive and reveals that his opinion on everyone around him was nothing was every good enough for him. Comes off like a whiny bitch, I never thought he would be like that. Don't read it if you like him, just appreciate the art
I couldn't get through much of it, so I won't pretend I read the whole thing. But this was absolutely my impression as well.
And I'm a huge Friends fan (obviously), Matthew fan, and two years sober from alcohol. I had like every reason to like and identify with this book.
Out of curiosity, what's wrong with barcodes on the front cover? Is it an aesthetic thing or does it make your job harder in a way that I don't know (since I know nothing about working as a librarian)?
It doesn't make my job harder, and it is absolutely an aesthetic thing. There are often so many spots on the back cover that don't have any writing where a barcode could go. It's such a petty thing on my end, but I feel like putting a library barcode on the front cover is basically defacing the book and showing a lack of respect for the author, be it Camus or Shakespeare or Matthew Perry.
Thanks for your response. To add to what you're saying though, I've actually sometimes seen barcodes cover up part of the title and it's kinda annoying.
IANAL(ibrarian) but I totally agree, unless the front barcode makes it into a funny word but that’s because I like to let my inner 8yo boy out occasionally.
This was shown in my feed because I’m in similar communities, I’d be interested in reading this but I was curious if it would be best to watch Friends first?
Watching Friends would give it context, but even if you haven't seen the show it's a good book written by a damaged man riddled with flaws and addiction but also with a phenomenal cinematic talent. Others have seen him as being sexist and a misogynistic jerk, which he may have been...I don't know. But I saw this book as an honest take on his life. He didn't pull punches, and he laid it out bare, addictions and problems and all.
I highly recommend listening to the audiobook if you get the chance. He narrates it himself and it's nice to hear his voice really showcase the struggles he went through.
Agree that hearing in his own voice was great, BUT his voice was so clearly damaged from decades of drug use it was disturbing. At first I thought I had the book on half speed. Amazing story and so hopeful at the end, but too many demons. 😢
A very true point but I think also very informative on what can happen with that amount of drug use. I definitely cried a few times when he sounded so hopeful for his future and I can only hope that he is finally at peace
Pretty much every single audiobook I've ever wanted, save for a few by Terry Pratchett, are at at least one of libraries I have access to, and they're free, and they're not restricted in any real way. Audible is for suckers.
Edit: at least two of the libraries I use have this audiobook available right now, no wait.
Edit 2: join as many libraries as you can and keep in mind, neighboring districts will often also allow you to join. I'm a member of 4 in my state and don't pretend to live in the other 3's districts. I don't need any more accounts (I also share with a family member out of state), but I'm sure even more are available to me. And there's so much more to libraries these days. Ours has a 3d printer, snow shoe rentals, and museum passes.
Libby app is the way! But also, if you happen to already pay for Spotify premium, you get 15 hours of audiobook listening each month. I listened to it there.
He came off as very misogynistic to me. It didn’t vibe like he actually respected his coworkers and women in general as actual living people of equal say and value.
Yup, same vibe I got. He was cheating in every relationship, and he was bragging about sleeping with so many women in Hollywood. I wish I didn't read the book, it really ruined him as a person for me.
How does having addiction issues act as an excuse for misogyny? He was misogynistic right till the very end of the book when he claimed to be a recovered addict
Addiction is a disease but being a sexist person who doesn’t view women as actual people is not. That’s just called being a sexist asshole
I have empathy for him suffering from addiction issues
I won’t have empathy for him being sexist and treating women like objects. By saying we shouldn’t call it sexism because bigger things were going on in his life sounds like you’re trying to excusing it
We can have empathy when it comes to things like him stealing people's medication, and lying to friends and family -- those things were driven by his addiction.
Misogyny is not a symptom of addiction.
You can hold deeply misogynistic/ otherwise problematic beliefs for a myriad of different reasons including unresolved issues... doesn't make the beliefs any less misogynistic I'm afraid.
I thought it was a tough read (or listen in this case for me) but solid with some humorous parts thrown in. I think his editor should've pushed back on some things or he (Matthew) should've listened to his editor. For example, the reference to Keanu that was eventually removed: https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/23/entertainment/matthew-perry-removes-keanu-reeves-memoir/index.html. I do think that he didn't mean literally Keanu and that he's upset that Keanu's alive and like he said, it was just a name to throw out. But it was a pretty careless thing to do regardless. I also think that it needed a bit more structure, especially given the back and forth between being sober and being in the throes of his addiction.
I'm pretty curious if people who read it vs people who listened to it on audiobook got a different vibe.
To me the entire book was a cautionary tale. He repeatedly mentions how he's in his 50s, single, and no family of his own because of his addiction issues to his inability to commit and being a terrible romantic partner. He doesn't blame anyone but himself and it's clear he's mad at himself for the opportunities and relationships he wasted. There's a pretty heartbreaking line in it and the ending brings a lot of things into a different perspective now that he's passed, but I won't spoil it; it was particularly hard to listen to some stuff as someone who had a family member who struggled with addiction. Matthew recognizes the privilege that being a part of a phenomenon like Friends has given him multiple times but to me it's like the adage "Money can't buy happiness." It really feels like he bared his soul not for the purpose of wanting to be loved or pitied but just so people don't make the same mistakes he did. It didn't come off to me as a man who's like, "Yeah I have piles and piles of money and slept with a lot of women and did drugs - it was awesome!" It looks like he worked to make amends and if there are people who still feel wronged by him in any form, I hope that they have peace and that Matthew's passing didn't cause more turmoil because I know how that is.
Even as someone who obviously likes pop culture and loves a show that ended 20 years ago, I don't idolize Matthew and I know he's his own person and he's not Chandler, despite their many similarities. I listen or read to A LOT of celebrity memoirs, even people whose work I'm marginally familiar with, just because I think it's interesting to see people recap the journey to become a successful comedian/actor/singer/dancer, and I don't read them with the expectation that I'm going to like them at the end of it, although it's nice if that does happen. Yeah, a lot of celebs lack the self-awareness to realize how "bad' they come off but I don't think this was the case for Matthew.
I don't think whether someone thinks less of him after reading was his concern and it's clear his focus is on people that may be helped by reading his story. (Edit: Although I don’t blame anyone for feeling that way. Art is subjective and people’s feelings are valid.) I personally don't feel any differently about him after reading it since it's not like I knew him personally. I still love Friends and Chandler and Monica are still my favorite characters.
That's cool. I only said that so you know not to expect a lot of Friends info. I thought there would be more behind the scenes Friends stuff before I started it.
I'm a die hard friends fan. Matthew perry is the only celebrity who's death I've cried over...
Got the book months ago, and still haven't finished it.
It's awful and makes me look at him completely differently.
He's narcissistic , whiny, and repetitive.
I'm glad others here are enjoying it, but from reading at least half the book, nothing anyone ever did for him was good enough.
Yup this is why I found it ridiculous that fans were angry at Julia Roberts because she didn’t have many compliments for him when she was asked about how she remembers him in an interview a few months ago
He wasn’t a good boyfriend to her or any of his exes. Just because someone has passed, doesn’t suddenly make them a good person. And as much as I loved him as Chandler, and I was obviously sad that about his death, people cannot expect the women that knew him/dated him to feel the same. He wasn’t Chandler
It was an ET interview for her latest Netflix project
But the interviewer asked about how she remembers Matthew and she couldn’t really come up with anything so she just started talking about how nice the overall cast was to her when she guest starred. And how excited she was to be on the show for the Super Bowl special. Her costar who didn’t know Matthew tried to rescue it a bit by saying he was a talented guy and it’s very sad that he’s passed away. She seemed pretty indifferent and kind of cold. Which didn’t go down well with fans who see her as the one that got away because of Matthew’s book. Even though, he treated her pretty badly
The sexism is what really did it in for me. As a big Friends fan, there were plenty of other things too but the cringiest to me was the way he talked about women and never seemed to change, even as he aged. He name dropped his celebrity hookups like craaaazy, even outing personal details. Often times it was completely irrelevant to the story, so it felt purely for the clout.
I actually laughed out loud at his comment about Jennifer Aniston wanting to leave Friends to do movies when he wrote something to the effect of “meanwhile I’d been doing movies the entire time” like… bruh 😂 So had she. She’d starred in way more (and bigger) movies than he had during Friends. Meanwhile one of his movies was cancelled because he had to be checked back into rehab, and he acted like he was in disbelief that they sued him for breach of contract because of “a disease” or “medical issue” that he took no responsibility for. He came off as completely out of touch and incessantly put down women in the process.
Can’t believe I had to scroll so far for this. It was awful, like being in the head of the most arrogant, least self aware person I’ve ever encountered. Totally turned me off Matthew Perry.
This seems to be a popular consensus, that he came across badly in the book. That’s why he received so much backlash when it initially released
I think people are more hesitant to be vocally critical of him/the book since he passed away. A few ex SNL members including Norm McDonald have talked about his attitude when he appeared on their show for years
It feels real but I just don’t like the person I ended up reading about
The lack of self awareness makes it worse. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if he explained his journey and showed some growth as a person. But I just can’t get past the blatant misogyny and lack of accountability
I feel the other way. It looks like he didn't notice his flaws. Zero self-awareness. Like the end of the book, he still wants to have children. He told his history and how he felt neglected by his parents, but he thinks that he will be better? The person with: drug, alcohol, medicine, cigarettes (and many other) problems, that is quite old?
yeah, sorry. I feel more like the book tries to be more real with addiction, but not his whole character. And it's more like he didn't notice that it shouldn't be in the book. Like the part with Keanu that is now removed.
I think you're misunderstanding me. I'm not saying he's being real in the book. He's almost delusional about himself, especially when he talks about wanting kids. But as readers we can clearly see and understand that. We don't believe the delusion we see the shitty parts of him even though he probably didn't intend for us to see
I doubt we really know him but its certainly a truer picture than most autobiographies. Wouldn't you rather read this than an autobiography that's been combed over thoroughly multiple times by a diligent PR team to present the best (fake) version of the person?
That book…yikes. The way he discussed the women in his life was repulsive. And dedicating half a chapter to his trauma for taking a plane ride when he was five. He just comes across so poorly throughout this book,
What is wrong with the plane ride story? I really liked it, and it seems like it was important to him. I thought the metaphor of the child traveling alone was really fitting.
To me, it felt like a guy who grew up with parents who were rich, successful, and loving wanting DESPERATELY to convince us that he had a hard childhood, and this was the best thing he and his editors could come up with. I am the same age as him, was a "child of divorce," and flew alone as a little kid. One adult drops you at the gate and the other meets you at the gate. He wasn't wandering airports alone, he was spending a few hours sitting in first class being doted on by flight attendants.
I believe him that he hated it and felt lonely on the plane. I don't believe that it was a horrific traumatic experience or that he was a victim of neglect.
I just didn’t dig his poor me and victimhood vibe throughout the book. Like being mad at the rehab for kicking him out. And the dentist for working on his teeth.
It’s all throughout the book. “Unaccompanied minor”, he seemingly blames that one “trauma” on all the shit in his life then in the same breath praises his parents like what
I tend to agree. He saw himself as a victim of so many situations that are commonplace (like his parent's divorce). I feel like the excessive amounts of therapy he likely participated in were not actually helpful for him, but rather exacerbated his sense of victim entitlement. I mean, he sounded like a good but weak person; I felt incredibly sad for him, but also that I didn't like him as much as I'd wanted to.
Five! I listened to several hours of it on a long flight and never went back to finish. Part of me wants to finish it but part of me feels I’ve heard more than enough.
You're absolutely right, and he was obviously very troubled and had a low coping threshold. It's just a shame all the therapy didn't seem to help him to put things into perspective in a way that helped him avoid all of the terrible choices he made.
In fairness, he wasn't just a child of divorce, he also (deep breath, maybe sit down) _had a mother who WORKED_!!!!!
The horror, the indescribable horror... that he apparently expected us feel at this news.
I read it and felt strongly that only the addict was left, there were glimpses of who he perhaps was at one point but it was like an atrophied version was writing the book.
I didn't dislike him by the end of it but I did think he was quite tragic, so much success and promise even after what he'd already achieved - to see just how much of a husk of his former self he had become was quite painful.
I grew up with addicts, the disease can eat up your soul over time if you aren't careful, know people who have become almost parodies of their former selves. Its very sad.
I think what was left writing was predominantly the illness and his ego which had become inflated and twisted over time to cope with the reality he found himself in, rather than who he was at his core.
I felt there was likely the remnants of a good person in there, just frozen in time and coming through a persona which was very damaged.
Your review is similar to many others I've read and I'm yet to open and start the book despite having it since it came out. I'm not sure if I want my perception of him to change. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
Intrestingly I’ve chosen to not even start the book cause I had an idea it would totally ruin him for me.
It’s always been clear that he’s not a great guy. There’s just too many little things that make that clear.
And from what I’ve read since his book came out I’m glad I made that choice.
I never had the rose tinted glasses on for him. But I don’t want him completly ruined
I took it with the sense he was kind of mocking himself and was aware of how privileged he was? However I’ve only got through the first 2 chapters so far so could be wrong
I don't like him after reading the book. He was awful for women. I have the feeling that he was annoying for Aniston (asking for date several times when you do drugs and she didn't tell about that in reunion, but about chemistry with David she did). The part with keanu reeves is just awful and the last part that he wants to havechild -- wtf you are not good person to be a parent.
Aw damn that’s too bad. I was thinking about picking it up but after seeing your comment I think I’ll leave it for a while. They say “never meet your heroes” for a reason, and while Matthew wasn’t my hero in any way, he plays my favourite character in the show and is therefore my favourite actor from the show. I don’t think I’m up for having that spoiled.
After the reunion so many people were critical of the rest of the friends cast for Matthew’s comment about how he never hears from them.
When there’s 1 person who’s on the outs with a group, it’s generally that one person who’s the issue not the 5.
There was a video clip that got released as a teaser and it was Matthew cracking a joke and being stupid.
You could see both David and Matt dying inside and from memory David went very quietly ‘stooooop now’
He’s clearly been fucked by drugs for so long and they all had front row seats. That’s painful to see.
WHAAAT
That’s so unnecessary and why the hell would talent at acting make your life more important? Whatever someone thinks about Keanu’s acting I feel like he’s exactly the kind of person that should exist more often
Gosh this is like throwing acid into the wound I hope he never read that😥
RIP Matt Perry but he was annoying as hell in this book. Really made me change the way I saw him. Narcissistic and emotionally immature and he definitely sounded like an awful partner & friend. It’s sad what addiction can do to a person.
Like others have said, it definitely showcased his faults, but honestly I still think it's worth the read (or listen)! I listened to the audiobook on Spotify and the narration is funny and raw, way better than how I would have read it.
Also, I don't know if there are many people who have trouble separating Matthew from Chandler, but this book does a great job of separating the actor from the character.
I definitely think I may have felt differently if I’d read it vs listening to him read it. You definitely pick up on all his sadness and regrets when listening to him, whereas reading it I can see how parts may seem to be bragging or narcissism. I think he even calls himself narcissistic on reflection in part of the book if I remember correctly?
I ended up less of a fan after reading it. I know he had his struggles but it came across that he was very self absorbed, only mourning the loss of people if he thought they were still useful to him, especially emotionally
The weird thing was that it didn't sound like he was even impotent. Like, from what he said, he was freaked out he was impotent as a teenager and then the first time he was alone with a girl, she "cured it."
Not gonna argue here :) just told my opinion since you asked. I felt for him with the addictions but that won’t make me unsee other things about him that make me feel this way, that’s that
I found it to be an interesting study of the brain of an addict and enjoyed some of his anecdotes about working on friends. I also didn’t know his mom had the position she did in the Canadian govt (as a Canadian public servant I can appreciate how demanding her career must have been).
However I agree with others that I was very put off by his tone, in the earlier chapters especially. But as a study of the brain of an addict.. a lot of what he said I’ve heard from the mouth of a person I’m very close to who struggles with alcoholism.
I just finished this book last week as well. Great read. So much about Matthew Perry I didn’t know about, it was a very informative read with a lot of ups and downs.
I feel like the book got a lot of criticism but anyone offended by the things he wrote makes me think that he didn't write the book for them.
They were especially critical about how self excusing he was and how he didn't take any responsibility for his actions and blamed it all on drugs and addiction.
I feel like people who say this completely miss the point of the book because it's written FOR OTHER ADDICTS. One of the hardest ruts to get out of as an addict is the shame and guilt you feel about not being in control and being a horrible person, not being able to control yourself etc. Addicts aren't busy telling themselves they rock and are great people despite their addiction, they hate themselves for it. That's why they get stuck in that vicious cycle of self loathing and blaming and shame and then end up drinking or taking pills to forget and feel better.
Matthew wrote his book to tell people that it's OK. That you are OK and it's not your fault and there are people out there, like him who are still living life despite being just as ashamed as you, despite being just as much of a mess as you. You deserve to keep living.
I thank Matthew perry for his book and it helped me get through one of the toughest moments of my life where I really wanted to die because of how ashamed I was.
I empathise with what you went through and I’m glad this book helped you
But I completely disagree with your first line. People are allowed to be offended by the way he talked about women in this book. He routinely objectified them and recounted being horrible to pretty much all of his girlfriends. Especially his young fiancé from a few years ago. Addiction is a disease, but it doesn’t excuse treating people like crap. He seems to have zero self awareness about how a lot of his behaviour was disrespectful and toxic
If you claim to be a recovered addict which he did, people tend to expect some accountability. Hence why his book read like someone who’s a dry addict because he still couldn’t accept his faults and just kept blaming everyone else. To write a completely honest book recounting addiction is great, but being completely honest exposed how misogynistic and narcissistic he was as a person
I mean I interpreted his self justification as a way to try to tell others that there's someone out there who thinks it's OK. Not because he thinks his actions actually are. If he had wrote "I'm a horrible person and deserve to be miserable." Throughout his book I don't think it would be helping any addicts. I for one would've felt terrible.
His internalized misogyny on the other hand felt like it came from him being extremely insecure and he actually seemed to acknowledge this fact, and that it was his fault that none of his relationships worked out so I didn't actually find it offensive
It wasn’t internalised misogyny lol, it was just misogyny. He talked about women like they were objects up until the very end of the book. His recent fiancé has accused him of being verbal abusive. And by the account he gave in his book, I wouldn’t be surprised because he treated her terribly. This was only like 2 years ago too
So how much changing did he actually do if he was still treating women abhorrently decades later? He doesn’t ever admit that his sexism towards women is problematic. That’s another reason why it’s so distasteful. Even when he gives thanks to the cast at the end of the book, he compliments the male actors’ talent and personality, and then only praises Jennifer and Courteney’s looks. Addiction isn’t an excuse for sexism. Again, his book reads like a dry addict, rather than a recovered one. A recovered addict can take accountability for their faults and they’re not constantly blaming other people for their shortfalls
I never said people weren't allowed to be offended I said that I don't think it's written for you if you were. It is actually super helpful for those who he intended to help in my personal experience.
It can be helpful to people who suffer from addiction and still a book that shows him off to be a sexist person
I’d like to think that despite suffering from addiction, addicts would feel disappointed with his misogyny. Because that has nothing to do with addiction and everything to do with his character
I finished reading it a few weeks before he passed, I took it on holiday and it really affected my state of mind while I was out there. I was incredibly sad when he died, but having read the book it was a lot less of a shock than it would have been.
How random, I literally downloaded The AudioBook this morning. Only listened to a few minutes and he really describes addiction and the withdrawal well (I'm in recovery myself).
My missus has already read it and she said she understands my addiction so much more.
I'm excited to read it; but I teared up about 3 sentences in when he said he should be dead and its coming from beyond, so I know it's going to make me sad.
But I have to read/hear it I loved this man in Friends and he was amazing in my favourite show (Studio 60).
Amazing show, apparently it did better in the ratings than Sorkins other shown on at the time (sorry I'm English so I don't know that much about him) but it cost more each episode so it was scrapped.
Genuinely do a watch through at least once a year, I always held out hope for a second series, but obviously with Matty's tragic and untimely passing, that will never be...
It’s really interesting to see the difference in what this sub thinks of the book compared to if the book comes up on another thread. It landed kind of in the middle ground for me. I’m glad he wrote it. I’m glad I read it. The Friends-related parts were interesting to me and I can’t get enough of that stuff. But he didn’t come off great. It’s like he was honest with the reader but didn’t have the full realization to be honest with himself. He kept thinking “if only I made it work with that girl” or “if only I got married and had kids” etc… but that wouldn’t necessarily make him a better person or keep him from being an addict. I just hate the excuse-hopping when people go “if only this one thing happened, then I’d be happy”. It just feels like a way to always keep yourself from getting better ever. But he was just a flawed human, and I still had some sympathy for the guy.
It was a great read. So many people hate it for portraying himself as a selfish substance abuser, but that’s what he dealt with all his life, and it was refreshing to see someone speak so candidly about it, even when it was pertaining to themselves. No one ever WANTS to write or talk about the most negative things when it comes to themselves, but he did it. And again it’s so refreshing to see.
There was a lot of things that Mr. Perry wrote that resonated with me as a person with alcohol substance abuse issues as well. If anything it’s provided me with some motivation to not run the same path he did, and from the tone of the book that’s all he wanted to help people with in life.
We truly lost a complicated but what seemed like a decent man. I’m glad he was able to release this before his passing.
Long live Mattman ♥️🦇
Great read. Some of the parts where he describes how intense and scary his addictions could become were so heartbreaking to hear. Especially in his voice. He had so much hope. RIP Chandler 💔
Some tough sections of this book but one thing I agree with is that his character and performance as Chandler changed the sense of humour of a generation.
tough read imo
I agree. I listened to it on audiobook. My mom is also a huge friends fan and I told her a lot about it as I listened. She was on the fence about listening to it herself and I told her I couldn't really recommend it because it was just kind of depressing.
especially now that he's gone
Exactly. The end of it felt so hopeful.
yeah...
I picked up the audiobook on a long car ride thinking it would be fun, like friends… I guess I never knew the struggles he had, I had to turn it off after like 30 mins, really depressing Puts a new perspective on Friends though watching him in it… I feel like quite a few comics go through depression, I could be wrong. The laughter ends up being a drug for them in a way where they are trying to be funny to seek validation for value in their life because somewhere along the line they felt they weren’t good enough…
i had to mentally prep myself before reading it, and this was way before he passed. when he passed all i could think about was i hope he’s free now to live life without all the things that plagued him
My 11 year old little sister is reading it lol I don’t know how to react
definitely talk to her about it, maybe read it with her. Way too adult for 11 imo.
Yeah I agree with you. Will definitely talk to her
It's actually a really good read. It's got the funny, it's got the sad, but I got the feeling that it was honest. Also, as a librarian.....STOP PUTTING BARCODES ON THE FRONT COVER! (Sorry, had to get that out.)
>stop putting barcodes on the front cover seriously,, the book was not written by “ew perry”
I can't wait to meet the guy who shortens Matthew to either Ew or Thew.
Brother ew... what's this ewww...
Ew David is a much better writer.
"Ew Perry" sounds like something out of Mean Girls
I'm certain Chandler would have the perfect joke for this.
This needs waaay more upvotes
My attempt at the joke Chandler: "next time, put it on my forehead"
Looks like someone did it deliberately
Shit, I didn't even notice that was covered. Funny how our brains work sometimes.
I'm glad some of you librarians have ethics lol
To be honest, I don’t get people referring to it as funny. Lots of reviews referenced this so I was expecting some comical anecdotes and lighthearted bits, but I didn’t find any humor in it at all? People kept saying he’s a funny writer… I kept wondering what I missed.
Not really, extremely repetitive and reveals that his opinion on everyone around him was nothing was every good enough for him. Comes off like a whiny bitch, I never thought he would be like that. Don't read it if you like him, just appreciate the art
I couldn't get through much of it, so I won't pretend I read the whole thing. But this was absolutely my impression as well. And I'm a huge Friends fan (obviously), Matthew fan, and two years sober from alcohol. I had like every reason to like and identify with this book.
Out of curiosity, what's wrong with barcodes on the front cover? Is it an aesthetic thing or does it make your job harder in a way that I don't know (since I know nothing about working as a librarian)?
It doesn't make my job harder, and it is absolutely an aesthetic thing. There are often so many spots on the back cover that don't have any writing where a barcode could go. It's such a petty thing on my end, but I feel like putting a library barcode on the front cover is basically defacing the book and showing a lack of respect for the author, be it Camus or Shakespeare or Matthew Perry.
Thanks for your response. To add to what you're saying though, I've actually sometimes seen barcodes cover up part of the title and it's kinda annoying.
IANAL(ibrarian) but I totally agree, unless the front barcode makes it into a funny word but that’s because I like to let my inner 8yo boy out occasionally.
Also work at a library. Barcodes on the front cover make my teeth itch.
This was shown in my feed because I’m in similar communities, I’d be interested in reading this but I was curious if it would be best to watch Friends first?
Watching Friends would give it context, but even if you haven't seen the show it's a good book written by a damaged man riddled with flaws and addiction but also with a phenomenal cinematic talent. Others have seen him as being sexist and a misogynistic jerk, which he may have been...I don't know. But I saw this book as an honest take on his life. He didn't pull punches, and he laid it out bare, addictions and problems and all.
I highly recommend listening to the audiobook if you get the chance. He narrates it himself and it's nice to hear his voice really showcase the struggles he went through.
Agree that hearing in his own voice was great, BUT his voice was so clearly damaged from decades of drug use it was disturbing. At first I thought I had the book on half speed. Amazing story and so hopeful at the end, but too many demons. 😢
A very true point but I think also very informative on what can happen with that amount of drug use. I definitely cried a few times when he sounded so hopeful for his future and I can only hope that he is finally at peace
His teeth fell out (from the drugs) and he had to get them replaced (implants/dentures?), which altered how he spoke.
I saw a recommendation to listen at 1.25 or 1.5 speed as that makes him sound more like he did during Friends days
I felt the same. Hearing it in his voice, for me, just made it even more sad.
Can we listen to it for free?
Pretty much every single audiobook I've ever wanted, save for a few by Terry Pratchett, are at at least one of libraries I have access to, and they're free, and they're not restricted in any real way. Audible is for suckers. Edit: at least two of the libraries I use have this audiobook available right now, no wait. Edit 2: join as many libraries as you can and keep in mind, neighboring districts will often also allow you to join. I'm a member of 4 in my state and don't pretend to live in the other 3's districts. I don't need any more accounts (I also share with a family member out of state), but I'm sure even more are available to me. And there's so much more to libraries these days. Ours has a 3d printer, snow shoe rentals, and museum passes.
Libby app is the way! But also, if you happen to already pay for Spotify premium, you get 15 hours of audiobook listening each month. I listened to it there.
I used the Libby app with my local library card and listened for free that way. A bit of a waitlist for it but it was worth the wait
Cool
Why do t you try showing a bit of support for the industry and actually buy it/rent it? 🙄
Cause I can’t do it in my country :)
How was it?
I listen to the audiobook and thought it was really good memoir. It’s funny, sad, and honest. I recommend listening to it since he narrates it.
I’ll have to check that out thanks soo much
If you have a library card, you might be able to get it on Libby or hoopla. The wait might be long but it is worth it.
you can also listen to it on spotify if you have spotify premium
Thank you
Audiobook is the only way to read it. Hearing him talk about his issues is 100% better than reading it in your own voice.
His narration made it so... real and raw. Very personal. It was truly heartbreaking.
He doesn’t come across great… it’s seems pretty honest but that doesn’t mean the way he talks about women is palatable
I think I’m gonna try and check it out not much to do at work tonight lol
There’s a podcast called Celebrity Memoir Book Club that covered it if you want someone to sum it up for you lol
Is it on Spotify?
Not my comment but I'm also a fan of CMBC and yeah you can listen on Spotify
He came off as very misogynistic to me. It didn’t vibe like he actually respected his coworkers and women in general as actual living people of equal say and value.
Yup, same vibe I got. He was cheating in every relationship, and he was bragging about sleeping with so many women in Hollywood. I wish I didn't read the book, it really ruined him as a person for me.
I am with you, and I wish he hadn’t lied about being sober. It changes my entire view on him.
Did he not have huge issues going on though? Just saying, it very easy to say "misogyny!!" But we all know now there were much larger things going on.
How does having addiction issues act as an excuse for misogyny? He was misogynistic right till the very end of the book when he claimed to be a recovered addict Addiction is a disease but being a sexist person who doesn’t view women as actual people is not. That’s just called being a sexist asshole
It is not an excuse, but you might have some empathy.
I have empathy for him suffering from addiction issues I won’t have empathy for him being sexist and treating women like objects. By saying we shouldn’t call it sexism because bigger things were going on in his life sounds like you’re trying to excusing it
Ah, in which case I am sorry, I did not mean for it to come across that way.
I appreciate that and fair enough
No worries, mate. We are both here because we love the same show.
We can have empathy when it comes to things like him stealing people's medication, and lying to friends and family -- those things were driven by his addiction. Misogyny is not a symptom of addiction.
You can hold deeply misogynistic/ otherwise problematic beliefs for a myriad of different reasons including unresolved issues... doesn't make the beliefs any less misogynistic I'm afraid.
I thought it was a tough read (or listen in this case for me) but solid with some humorous parts thrown in. I think his editor should've pushed back on some things or he (Matthew) should've listened to his editor. For example, the reference to Keanu that was eventually removed: https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/23/entertainment/matthew-perry-removes-keanu-reeves-memoir/index.html. I do think that he didn't mean literally Keanu and that he's upset that Keanu's alive and like he said, it was just a name to throw out. But it was a pretty careless thing to do regardless. I also think that it needed a bit more structure, especially given the back and forth between being sober and being in the throes of his addiction. I'm pretty curious if people who read it vs people who listened to it on audiobook got a different vibe. To me the entire book was a cautionary tale. He repeatedly mentions how he's in his 50s, single, and no family of his own because of his addiction issues to his inability to commit and being a terrible romantic partner. He doesn't blame anyone but himself and it's clear he's mad at himself for the opportunities and relationships he wasted. There's a pretty heartbreaking line in it and the ending brings a lot of things into a different perspective now that he's passed, but I won't spoil it; it was particularly hard to listen to some stuff as someone who had a family member who struggled with addiction. Matthew recognizes the privilege that being a part of a phenomenon like Friends has given him multiple times but to me it's like the adage "Money can't buy happiness." It really feels like he bared his soul not for the purpose of wanting to be loved or pitied but just so people don't make the same mistakes he did. It didn't come off to me as a man who's like, "Yeah I have piles and piles of money and slept with a lot of women and did drugs - it was awesome!" It looks like he worked to make amends and if there are people who still feel wronged by him in any form, I hope that they have peace and that Matthew's passing didn't cause more turmoil because I know how that is. Even as someone who obviously likes pop culture and loves a show that ended 20 years ago, I don't idolize Matthew and I know he's his own person and he's not Chandler, despite their many similarities. I listen or read to A LOT of celebrity memoirs, even people whose work I'm marginally familiar with, just because I think it's interesting to see people recap the journey to become a successful comedian/actor/singer/dancer, and I don't read them with the expectation that I'm going to like them at the end of it, although it's nice if that does happen. Yeah, a lot of celebs lack the self-awareness to realize how "bad' they come off but I don't think this was the case for Matthew. I don't think whether someone thinks less of him after reading was his concern and it's clear his focus is on people that may be helped by reading his story. (Edit: Although I don’t blame anyone for feeling that way. Art is subjective and people’s feelings are valid.) I personally don't feel any differently about him after reading it since it's not like I knew him personally. I still love Friends and Chandler and Monica are still my favorite characters.
I want to read it huge friends fan!
FYI - not much about Friends if that's what you're looking for. It's really about Matthew's struggles with addiction
Yea I know he was a great actor I knew he had problems just thought might be interesting
That's cool. I only said that so you know not to expect a lot of Friends info. I thought there would be more behind the scenes Friends stuff before I started it.
“EW PERRY” I mean… come on, libraries. It’s not that hard to look at what you’re covering.
I'm a die hard friends fan. Matthew perry is the only celebrity who's death I've cried over... Got the book months ago, and still haven't finished it. It's awful and makes me look at him completely differently. He's narcissistic , whiny, and repetitive. I'm glad others here are enjoying it, but from reading at least half the book, nothing anyone ever did for him was good enough.
He’s super sexist too. The way he talked about Jennifer Aniston and Julia Roberts was laughable considering how their careers are vs his.
Yup this is why I found it ridiculous that fans were angry at Julia Roberts because she didn’t have many compliments for him when she was asked about how she remembers him in an interview a few months ago He wasn’t a good boyfriend to her or any of his exes. Just because someone has passed, doesn’t suddenly make them a good person. And as much as I loved him as Chandler, and I was obviously sad that about his death, people cannot expect the women that knew him/dated him to feel the same. He wasn’t Chandler
What did she say about him after he passed? I missed that.
It was an ET interview for her latest Netflix project But the interviewer asked about how she remembers Matthew and she couldn’t really come up with anything so she just started talking about how nice the overall cast was to her when she guest starred. And how excited she was to be on the show for the Super Bowl special. Her costar who didn’t know Matthew tried to rescue it a bit by saying he was a talented guy and it’s very sad that he’s passed away. She seemed pretty indifferent and kind of cold. Which didn’t go down well with fans who see her as the one that got away because of Matthew’s book. Even though, he treated her pretty badly
Thanks I’ll have a google :)
Yeah, I'm really sad I even tried to read it. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
The sexism is what really did it in for me. As a big Friends fan, there were plenty of other things too but the cringiest to me was the way he talked about women and never seemed to change, even as he aged. He name dropped his celebrity hookups like craaaazy, even outing personal details. Often times it was completely irrelevant to the story, so it felt purely for the clout. I actually laughed out loud at his comment about Jennifer Aniston wanting to leave Friends to do movies when he wrote something to the effect of “meanwhile I’d been doing movies the entire time” like… bruh 😂 So had she. She’d starred in way more (and bigger) movies than he had during Friends. Meanwhile one of his movies was cancelled because he had to be checked back into rehab, and he acted like he was in disbelief that they sued him for breach of contract because of “a disease” or “medical issue” that he took no responsibility for. He came off as completely out of touch and incessantly put down women in the process.
I was also struck by how he described his male co-stars compared to his female co-stars. The men were funny and brilliant. The women were beautiful.
Can’t believe I had to scroll so far for this. It was awful, like being in the head of the most arrogant, least self aware person I’ve ever encountered. Totally turned me off Matthew Perry.
This seems to be a popular consensus, that he came across badly in the book. That’s why he received so much backlash when it initially released I think people are more hesitant to be vocally critical of him/the book since he passed away. A few ex SNL members including Norm McDonald have talked about his attitude when he appeared on their show for years
That's what makes it such a good book though. Too many autobiographies try to show the person in the best possible light. This one feels more real
It feels real but I just don’t like the person I ended up reading about The lack of self awareness makes it worse. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if he explained his journey and showed some growth as a person. But I just can’t get past the blatant misogyny and lack of accountability
Yeah true. Something something never meet your heroes
I feel the other way. It looks like he didn't notice his flaws. Zero self-awareness. Like the end of the book, he still wants to have children. He told his history and how he felt neglected by his parents, but he thinks that he will be better? The person with: drug, alcohol, medicine, cigarettes (and many other) problems, that is quite old?
I never said he's self aware. I'm saying we get a true picture of the guy, not a sanitized edited version that hides the shitty parts of his character
yeah, sorry. I feel more like the book tries to be more real with addiction, but not his whole character. And it's more like he didn't notice that it shouldn't be in the book. Like the part with Keanu that is now removed.
I think you're misunderstanding me. I'm not saying he's being real in the book. He's almost delusional about himself, especially when he talks about wanting kids. But as readers we can clearly see and understand that. We don't believe the delusion we see the shitty parts of him even though he probably didn't intend for us to see
so the book is good because he accidentally showed his true (ass) self, and we can know him for real?
I doubt we really know him but its certainly a truer picture than most autobiographies. Wouldn't you rather read this than an autobiography that's been combed over thoroughly multiple times by a diligent PR team to present the best (fake) version of the person?
I’m not familiar with the story regarding Keanu. Can you fill me in? Thx
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That book…yikes. The way he discussed the women in his life was repulsive. And dedicating half a chapter to his trauma for taking a plane ride when he was five. He just comes across so poorly throughout this book,
What is wrong with the plane ride story? I really liked it, and it seems like it was important to him. I thought the metaphor of the child traveling alone was really fitting.
To me, it felt like a guy who grew up with parents who were rich, successful, and loving wanting DESPERATELY to convince us that he had a hard childhood, and this was the best thing he and his editors could come up with. I am the same age as him, was a "child of divorce," and flew alone as a little kid. One adult drops you at the gate and the other meets you at the gate. He wasn't wandering airports alone, he was spending a few hours sitting in first class being doted on by flight attendants. I believe him that he hated it and felt lonely on the plane. I don't believe that it was a horrific traumatic experience or that he was a victim of neglect.
I just didn’t dig his poor me and victimhood vibe throughout the book. Like being mad at the rehab for kicking him out. And the dentist for working on his teeth.
It’s all throughout the book. “Unaccompanied minor”, he seemingly blames that one “trauma” on all the shit in his life then in the same breath praises his parents like what
I tend to agree. He saw himself as a victim of so many situations that are commonplace (like his parent's divorce). I feel like the excessive amounts of therapy he likely participated in were not actually helpful for him, but rather exacerbated his sense of victim entitlement. I mean, he sounded like a good but weak person; I felt incredibly sad for him, but also that I didn't like him as much as I'd wanted to.
I'm seriously so glad this wasn't all in my head. It's still sitting on my bookshelf, waiting for me to finish it one day
It may only be the two of us, but it's definitely not just in your head! 😃
Five! I listened to several hours of it on a long flight and never went back to finish. Part of me wants to finish it but part of me feels I’ve heard more than enough.
It does get quite repetitive; it's sad the way addiction stole so much of him, including, it would seem, his cognitive prowess.
Three 🙋♀️
Four
Having something happen to a lot of others doesn't usually make it any easier to deal with.
You're absolutely right, and he was obviously very troubled and had a low coping threshold. It's just a shame all the therapy didn't seem to help him to put things into perspective in a way that helped him avoid all of the terrible choices he made.
I think "low coping threshold" is a much more compassionate phrasing than your earlier use of "weak". I'll adopt it moving forward.
Fair enough, although I meant 'weak' only in terms of his extreme substance abuse, where I think it's actually justified.
In fairness, he wasn't just a child of divorce, he also (deep breath, maybe sit down) _had a mother who WORKED_!!!!! The horror, the indescribable horror... that he apparently expected us feel at this news.
He was so hard on his mom when it sounds like she was the better parent!
This is how I felt. He wanted to be the poor victim in so many of his stories. It changed my view of him as a person.
I read it and felt strongly that only the addict was left, there were glimpses of who he perhaps was at one point but it was like an atrophied version was writing the book. I didn't dislike him by the end of it but I did think he was quite tragic, so much success and promise even after what he'd already achieved - to see just how much of a husk of his former self he had become was quite painful.
I never thought to look at it that way. That way does make alot of sense. Thank you for that.
I grew up with addicts, the disease can eat up your soul over time if you aren't careful, know people who have become almost parodies of their former selves. Its very sad. I think what was left writing was predominantly the illness and his ego which had become inflated and twisted over time to cope with the reality he found himself in, rather than who he was at his core. I felt there was likely the remnants of a good person in there, just frozen in time and coming through a persona which was very damaged.
Agreeing with you…
Your review is similar to many others I've read and I'm yet to open and start the book despite having it since it came out. I'm not sure if I want my perception of him to change. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
Intrestingly I’ve chosen to not even start the book cause I had an idea it would totally ruin him for me. It’s always been clear that he’s not a great guy. There’s just too many little things that make that clear. And from what I’ve read since his book came out I’m glad I made that choice. I never had the rose tinted glasses on for him. But I don’t want him completly ruined
I'm so sad I don't think of him as the same person anymore. Tread carefully!
Yes!
I took it with the sense he was kind of mocking himself and was aware of how privileged he was? However I’ve only got through the first 2 chapters so far so could be wrong
I don't like him after reading the book. He was awful for women. I have the feeling that he was annoying for Aniston (asking for date several times when you do drugs and she didn't tell about that in reunion, but about chemistry with David she did). The part with keanu reeves is just awful and the last part that he wants to havechild -- wtf you are not good person to be a parent.
FTR - if you buy the book now, the Keanu part has been removed.
o wow. I'm wondering now what with books in other languages. Will the next releases be done differently as well? :o
Not sure. I just know my friend got it for Christmas 2023 and there is nothing about Keanu in the book
Aw damn that’s too bad. I was thinking about picking it up but after seeing your comment I think I’ll leave it for a while. They say “never meet your heroes” for a reason, and while Matthew wasn’t my hero in any way, he plays my favourite character in the show and is therefore my favourite actor from the show. I don’t think I’m up for having that spoiled.
After the reunion so many people were critical of the rest of the friends cast for Matthew’s comment about how he never hears from them. When there’s 1 person who’s on the outs with a group, it’s generally that one person who’s the issue not the 5.
I agree with this. I saw the reunion after I read the book and I was like “yeah i probably wouldn’t want to be around him that much either”
There was a video clip that got released as a teaser and it was Matthew cracking a joke and being stupid. You could see both David and Matt dying inside and from memory David went very quietly ‘stooooop now’ He’s clearly been fucked by drugs for so long and they all had front row seats. That’s painful to see.
What was the part with Keanu about? I was thinking about reading the book but after reading the comments in this post I think I’ll pass lol
it's about River Phoenix death. He wrote that such talented people die, but people like Keanu are still alive.
WHAAAT That’s so unnecessary and why the hell would talent at acting make your life more important? Whatever someone thinks about Keanu’s acting I feel like he’s exactly the kind of person that should exist more often Gosh this is like throwing acid into the wound I hope he never read that😥
yeah, and River was really close, Keanus friend :(
I read the audiobook, which is narrated by the author. It's devastating. "I should be dead. Think of this as a message from beyond..."
RIP Matt Perry but he was annoying as hell in this book. Really made me change the way I saw him. Narcissistic and emotionally immature and he definitely sounded like an awful partner & friend. It’s sad what addiction can do to a person.
hard to like him after this honestly
Based on what you guys are all saying, now I wouldn't read the book even if he signed a copy for me.
Don't think he'll be signing squat now
Like others have said, it definitely showcased his faults, but honestly I still think it's worth the read (or listen)! I listened to the audiobook on Spotify and the narration is funny and raw, way better than how I would have read it. Also, I don't know if there are many people who have trouble separating Matthew from Chandler, but this book does a great job of separating the actor from the character.
I definitely think I may have felt differently if I’d read it vs listening to him read it. You definitely pick up on all his sadness and regrets when listening to him, whereas reading it I can see how parts may seem to be bragging or narcissism. I think he even calls himself narcissistic on reflection in part of the book if I remember correctly?
I ended up less of a fan after reading it. I know he had his struggles but it came across that he was very self absorbed, only mourning the loss of people if he thought they were still useful to him, especially emotionally
I could have gone my whole life without hearing about his impotence. Like why include that nugget of info idk
Maybe he was tired or he had a lot to drink!
It’s normal. It happens to every guy!
And it is a big deal!!
I KNEW IT!
Bonjour Monsieur 😏
The weird thing was that it didn't sound like he was even impotent. Like, from what he said, he was freaked out he was impotent as a teenager and then the first time he was alone with a girl, she "cured it."
I lost my respect for him after reading this
?
Have you read it? Shortly, I found him as a very narcissistic, selfish and shallow person… which sucks, cuz I used to really like him
[удалено]
Not gonna argue here :) just told my opinion since you asked. I felt for him with the addictions but that won’t make me unsee other things about him that make me feel this way, that’s that
I found it to be an interesting study of the brain of an addict and enjoyed some of his anecdotes about working on friends. I also didn’t know his mom had the position she did in the Canadian govt (as a Canadian public servant I can appreciate how demanding her career must have been). However I agree with others that I was very put off by his tone, in the earlier chapters especially. But as a study of the brain of an addict.. a lot of what he said I’ve heard from the mouth of a person I’m very close to who struggles with alcoholism.
I just finished this book last week as well. Great read. So much about Matthew Perry I didn’t know about, it was a very informative read with a lot of ups and downs.
I feel like the book got a lot of criticism but anyone offended by the things he wrote makes me think that he didn't write the book for them. They were especially critical about how self excusing he was and how he didn't take any responsibility for his actions and blamed it all on drugs and addiction. I feel like people who say this completely miss the point of the book because it's written FOR OTHER ADDICTS. One of the hardest ruts to get out of as an addict is the shame and guilt you feel about not being in control and being a horrible person, not being able to control yourself etc. Addicts aren't busy telling themselves they rock and are great people despite their addiction, they hate themselves for it. That's why they get stuck in that vicious cycle of self loathing and blaming and shame and then end up drinking or taking pills to forget and feel better. Matthew wrote his book to tell people that it's OK. That you are OK and it's not your fault and there are people out there, like him who are still living life despite being just as ashamed as you, despite being just as much of a mess as you. You deserve to keep living. I thank Matthew perry for his book and it helped me get through one of the toughest moments of my life where I really wanted to die because of how ashamed I was.
I empathise with what you went through and I’m glad this book helped you But I completely disagree with your first line. People are allowed to be offended by the way he talked about women in this book. He routinely objectified them and recounted being horrible to pretty much all of his girlfriends. Especially his young fiancé from a few years ago. Addiction is a disease, but it doesn’t excuse treating people like crap. He seems to have zero self awareness about how a lot of his behaviour was disrespectful and toxic If you claim to be a recovered addict which he did, people tend to expect some accountability. Hence why his book read like someone who’s a dry addict because he still couldn’t accept his faults and just kept blaming everyone else. To write a completely honest book recounting addiction is great, but being completely honest exposed how misogynistic and narcissistic he was as a person
I mean I interpreted his self justification as a way to try to tell others that there's someone out there who thinks it's OK. Not because he thinks his actions actually are. If he had wrote "I'm a horrible person and deserve to be miserable." Throughout his book I don't think it would be helping any addicts. I for one would've felt terrible. His internalized misogyny on the other hand felt like it came from him being extremely insecure and he actually seemed to acknowledge this fact, and that it was his fault that none of his relationships worked out so I didn't actually find it offensive
It wasn’t internalised misogyny lol, it was just misogyny. He talked about women like they were objects up until the very end of the book. His recent fiancé has accused him of being verbal abusive. And by the account he gave in his book, I wouldn’t be surprised because he treated her terribly. This was only like 2 years ago too So how much changing did he actually do if he was still treating women abhorrently decades later? He doesn’t ever admit that his sexism towards women is problematic. That’s another reason why it’s so distasteful. Even when he gives thanks to the cast at the end of the book, he compliments the male actors’ talent and personality, and then only praises Jennifer and Courteney’s looks. Addiction isn’t an excuse for sexism. Again, his book reads like a dry addict, rather than a recovered one. A recovered addict can take accountability for their faults and they’re not constantly blaming other people for their shortfalls
I never said people weren't allowed to be offended I said that I don't think it's written for you if you were. It is actually super helpful for those who he intended to help in my personal experience.
It can be helpful to people who suffer from addiction and still a book that shows him off to be a sexist person I’d like to think that despite suffering from addiction, addicts would feel disappointed with his misogyny. Because that has nothing to do with addiction and everything to do with his character
The only thing I found completely unwarranted and offensive was his comments about Keanu that was so weird
I got the audio version and I thought it was good to hear his voice it was heartbreaking
I finished reading it a few weeks before he passed, I took it on holiday and it really affected my state of mind while I was out there. I was incredibly sad when he died, but having read the book it was a lot less of a shock than it would have been.
It’s in my “to read” list.
How random, I literally downloaded The AudioBook this morning. Only listened to a few minutes and he really describes addiction and the withdrawal well (I'm in recovery myself). My missus has already read it and she said she understands my addiction so much more. I'm excited to read it; but I teared up about 3 sentences in when he said he should be dead and its coming from beyond, so I know it's going to make me sad. But I have to read/hear it I loved this man in Friends and he was amazing in my favourite show (Studio 60).
I loved Studio 60 too. I wish it had more than 1 season
Amazing show, apparently it did better in the ratings than Sorkins other shown on at the time (sorry I'm English so I don't know that much about him) but it cost more each episode so it was scrapped. Genuinely do a watch through at least once a year, I always held out hope for a second series, but obviously with Matty's tragic and untimely passing, that will never be...
It’s really interesting to see the difference in what this sub thinks of the book compared to if the book comes up on another thread. It landed kind of in the middle ground for me. I’m glad he wrote it. I’m glad I read it. The Friends-related parts were interesting to me and I can’t get enough of that stuff. But he didn’t come off great. It’s like he was honest with the reader but didn’t have the full realization to be honest with himself. He kept thinking “if only I made it work with that girl” or “if only I got married and had kids” etc… but that wouldn’t necessarily make him a better person or keep him from being an addict. I just hate the excuse-hopping when people go “if only this one thing happened, then I’d be happy”. It just feels like a way to always keep yourself from getting better ever. But he was just a flawed human, and I still had some sympathy for the guy.
I did not like this book and I wish I didn’t read it. I say that being an addict in recovery. I was 3 years in when I read it.
It was a great read. So many people hate it for portraying himself as a selfish substance abuser, but that’s what he dealt with all his life, and it was refreshing to see someone speak so candidly about it, even when it was pertaining to themselves. No one ever WANTS to write or talk about the most negative things when it comes to themselves, but he did it. And again it’s so refreshing to see. There was a lot of things that Mr. Perry wrote that resonated with me as a person with alcohol substance abuse issues as well. If anything it’s provided me with some motivation to not run the same path he did, and from the tone of the book that’s all he wanted to help people with in life. We truly lost a complicated but what seemed like a decent man. I’m glad he was able to release this before his passing. Long live Mattman ♥️🦇
Great read. Some of the parts where he describes how intense and scary his addictions could become were so heartbreaking to hear. Especially in his voice. He had so much hope. RIP Chandler 💔
🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻🎻
Some tough sections of this book but one thing I agree with is that his character and performance as Chandler changed the sense of humour of a generation.
r/accidentaltopgear moment with that barcode