Reviewed by Kristin
In this new memoir, Matthew Perry does not hold back. He talks
openly about his family, friends, and lovers. He also talks a lot about his
love of a good view and the millions of dollars he has spent fighting his
addictions. His honesty comes through as he talks about a whole lot of bad
choices, and a few good ones, that he has made.
While being shuttled back and forth between his divorced
parents, young Matthew was often sent on an airplane bearing a sign “Unaccompanied
Minor”. The theme runs through the book, a kid’s loneliness and uncertainty at
being put into the care of flight attendants and airport personnel at a young
age. Matthew grew up, but the feeling of being unaccompanied continued. The
feeling of not being good enough followed him through every relationship. Near
the end he does throw out a comment like “Hey, I’m not going to do that in my
next relationship, and by the way ladies, I’m still single!”
A major health problem—or you might say a disaster—helped Matthew to the realization that he had to quit
smoking, drinking, and taking drugs. No spoilers here: in the very beginning he
talks about his colon exploding as a result of opioid use, and the indignity of
living with a colostomy bag for a year. Many surgeries later, he is still
hoping that everything holds together and he won’t end up with his bodily waste
collected outside of his body once again.
The book is certainly a tell-all, mostly about himself but
also about those around him. While a few friends and family are always held up
as blameless and supportive, Matthew also writes about those relationships that
he wishes had gone another way. He’s not above name dropping either, both for
celebrity exposure or for shock value. Reviews have lambasted him for mourning
the death of River Phoenix and immediately lamenting that yet “Keanu Reeves
still walks among us.” Matthew also repeats the line later upon hearing of
Chris Farley’s death. He claims to have just picked a name out of the air, but
two mentions of Keanu Reeves seems a little harsh.
For those reading just to hear about the ten-year run of the
television show Friends, Matthew
drops many little details about his time on the set. Mostly, he talks about how
he somehow managed to work while his addictions clawed at him, and how his
co-actors and producers worked with him through various stints in rehab
centers. The cast truly became an ensemble as they supported each other through
many highs and lows. (Cue the theme song: “I’ll
be there for you, when the rain starts to pour. I’ll be there for you, like
I’ve been there before. I’ll be there for you, ‘cause you’re there for me too…”
Yes, I watched Friends
like many others around the world. I started rooting for Monica and Chandler to
get together way before it actually happened. The show was a comfort watch in
the days when you had to turn on the TV at the right time to catch your
favorite characters lounging on a big orange couch in Central Perk. This memoir
took me back to the places where I was in life while watching the show. It is
an unflinching look at the struggles of one man, and I appreciate that Matthew
is sharing this with us.
After all his health issues and rehab stays, Matthew says
there is just one thing he knows he can do—he can help others trying to get
clean and sober. He says that he has worked with hundreds of people in various
groups. I hope that someone with their own struggles can also read this and
find a bit of hope.
