Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing

Is Matthew Perry a reliable narrator? Support your answer with examples from the text.

The author’s thematic fear of abandonment is inextricably linked to his portrayal of himself as an “unaccompanied minor.” How are the two connected?

Perry’s memoir provides readers with new insight into the sitcom Friends. Did any of his revelations change your perception of the show? If so, how?

Discuss how the author’s feelings about his mother affect his relationships in later life. Can Perry’s interactions with women be entirely justified by his formative experiences?

Discuss the various ways the author conveys the nature and effects of addiction. Why does he describe addiction as “the big terrible thing”?

The author interrupts the largely linear chronology of his narrative with “Interludes” from various parts of his life. Why does Perry structure his memoir in this way? What do the Interludes add to the text?

Discuss the author’s critique of rehabilitation centers in his memoir. Are these criticisms justified? Give examples from the text.

Throughout the memoir, there is a distinction between the Perry who lived through these experiences and the Perry who writes about them, at the age of 52, with the benefit of hindsight. How much insight does Perry display into his earlier behavior? Does his character significantly evolve?