Reviews tagging 'Pandemic/Epidemic'

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

16 reviews

marleen02's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Alcohol, Addiction, Medical content, Vomit, and Pandemic/Epidemic

teacupsandfirereads's review

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

This memoir is beautiful and heartbreaking all at once. I think Matthew did an amazing job of showing the reality of addiction and what it is like in different forms. He did not shy away or sugar coat the ugly, difficult parts of it. For that, I think he deserves all the credit. Though is seemed a bit haphazard at times, I think it was an important part of it. Knowing he is now gone, makes it even more heartbreaking because you can tell he was really trying to do better. But addiction is a hard thing. He said it himself, addicts are not bad people.

PS. I did not watch Friends

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Addiction, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief

Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Pandemic/Epidemic, Forced institutionalization, and Sexual content

fayevieren's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

Ik heb geluisterd naar het audioboek. Dat deed aan de ene kant deugd, hem zelf z'n verhaal horen vertellen. Aan de andere kant zó triest hoe hij vertelt over z'n dromen en hoop voor de toekomst, wetende dat die toekomst maar zeer kort meer zou mogen duren voor hem. 

Bedankt voor alle keren dat je me deed lachen, Matty. Het ga je goed, waar je ook bent 💖

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Drug use, Medical content, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Alcohol

Minor: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Pandemic/Epidemic

tinkerbell2706's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I found the book really insightful into Marty’s life and the hold that addition had on his life. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Drug use, Vomit, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Addiction, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

allieskat17's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

An honest and heartbreaking story of the addiction that ran Matthew Perry’s life. This book chronicles his struggles with trauma, mental illness, and addiction in many different forms. Towards the end he even says he knows that it will kill him which is sadder to read since his death

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Cursing, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Self harm, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Infidelity, and Drug use

bookbinbaby's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

This was some real insight of the man behind so many beloved characters not least of all 'Chandler Bing' of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. What others have said about it needing to have been edited better is valid, as there is no clear order but perhaps this is reflective of a person just meandering through their thoughts on moments in throughout their tumultuou life...? There were parts that could have been put together so the flow was better and would need less repeating/re-explananation of it connecting to another memory for example, however there was a part towards the end that did jar me a bit as I felt I had definitely read it earlier in the book word for word... Saying that to me it was a sad read of a person crying out for help but not being able to (due to their childhood experiences) let their guard down enough to show just how vulnerable and wounded they were, instead it tended to careen into self destruction, although definitely highlighted the opioid crisis that has and still does grip the USA. Can't say I felt good about how blasé and insincere they came across in regards to their close relationships, every woman being an 'angel' yet being treated as they were by him (again self sabotage and ego?). There were a lot of issues and unresolved baggage for Perry to overcome but avoided at all costs due to fear and pain. I feel a lot of sadness for him. May he RIP. It was interesting to get a brief insight into the industry and who he met/knew and considered friends (don't understand the repeated snub against Keanu Reeves though that seemed a bit targeted and mean spirited) and who was a rising star and who wasn't, the impact he had on others and moments in cultural history and in making things happen in terms of show making like 'Friends' and in movies etc, but he struck me as a profoundly lonely human who found it hard to see things from a POV other than their own, sadly used by other people at times which just added to his many issues, and seemed to want to be better than anyone else which he realises and says of himself. Some deep insecurities there and fear of making himself vulnerable (understandable of course) just so sad. The last chapter is really reflective and full of hope and gratitude and feels like a real corner has been turned in terms of recovery but also maybe with what is known now like a goodbye. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction

Moderate: Drug use, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse

Minor: Abandonment, Pandemic/Epidemic, Car accident, Vomit, and Excrement

amygracewillis's review

dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced

2.0

I don’t usually post reviews or ratings.

Who ever the editor is for this book should look for a new profession. If I have to be told one more time that he is the funniest person in the room at any point and how many girls he shagged in California in the 90s and 00s one more time I will scream.

There is absolutely no timeline to follow, you just get random stories with no context, good luck trying to figure out what year we are in at any point. 

I just wanted to find out a bit of behind the scenes stuff about friends and a bit about his struggle with addiction, but instead I got to learn that when he got sober he used to go to clubs to pick up girls because being sober was more attractive to them at 2am? What the fuck?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Abandonment

Minor: Car accident, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Cancer, Confinement, Excrement, and Self harm

kimberlina82's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Matthew Perry is raw, uncut and completely honest in his autobiography.  Big giant trigger warning, read with care. I cried several times throughout, but as a person with a family full of addiction and as a huge fan of Matthew it only seemed right to read it.  

Prepare yourself for a journey, not an easy one. But one that leads to sobriety, faith, and redemption. 

RIP Mattman 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Medical content, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Excrement, Death, Mental illness, Cursing, Pandemic/Epidemic, Drug use, Infidelity, Chronic illness, Addiction, Medical trauma, and Sexual content

amandas_bookshelf's review

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical trauma, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, and Medical content

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Car accident, and Infidelity

saliwali's review

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Cursing

Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic and Emotional abuse