Play Book Tag discussion

The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
5 Stars (4.5 Rounded Up)
Trim the TBR - February

When a woman unexpectedly loses her lifelong best friend and mentor, she finds herself burdened with the unwanted dog he has left behind. Her own battle against grief is intensified by the mute suffering of the dog, a huge Great Dane traumatized by the inexplicable disappearance of its master, and by the threat of eviction: dogs are prohibited in her apartment building.

While others worry that grief has made her a victim of magical thinking, the woman refuses to be separated from the dog except for brief periods of time. Isolated from the rest of the world, increasingly obsessed with the dog's care, determined to read its mind and fathom its heart, she comes dangerously close to unraveling. But while troubles abound, rich and surprising rewards lie in store for both of them.

The cover and blurb would make you think otherwise, but this book is not about a dog.

The matter of the dog coming to live with a woman who has just lost her best friend and the relationship they form is actually a very minor aspect of this book. Which, honestly, I was glad to find out. The book has so much more depth to it than a story about a dog.

In reality, the book creates an incredible juxtaposition between a very light style of writing and an extremely weighty subject matter. The book focuses on death, suicide, writing, reflection, and mental health. None of these issues would be easy to tackle alone, by Nunez combines them all and at times the burden of them on the narrator is almost enough to bring the reader to tears.

Prior to picking up this novel I had wondered how it could win the National Book Award for fiction. After reading it, I no longer have any doubts. The author plays with style, narration, and randomness in a way that simply works to create a wonderful piece of writing.

The spoilers below are less spoilers than contemplative questions for other readers, but I don't want to provide advance information if you like to enter the book blind.

When it comes to Apollo (view spoiler)[I could not help but wonder if the dog really exists? The narrator makes continual references to her being one foot in madness. Is the dog a representation of grief? Does it give us a physical picture of how suicide impacts those closest to the person? (hide spoiler)]

In regards to the second to last chapter, (view spoiler)[how do you feel about this instance? Do you think it is real, or is it once again the narrator being unreliable and more a manifestation of her grief? (hide spoiler)]

Finally, what do you think happens at the end? (view spoiler)[Is it really Apollo? Is it her friend? or Is it the grief she has carried around for so long? (hide spoiler)]

JW, I’ve been meaning to read this since the NBA. Your review is very encouraging. I’m saving the spoilers for after I have finished. I’ll be back!

I also really liked this book. I could not give it 5 stars, as I only do that with books I can recommend to anyone. And this book will be a a disappointment to some.

The only one of your questions I can answer is #3 (view spoiler)[
I felt is was the grief she was carrying (hide spoiler)]

The other 2 questions you pose, I had similar questions when I finished the book, and no answers either.

I really felt the book showed you the human emotions animals also have.

I loved Apollo and the way that Apollo and the narrator grappled with their grief together.

I generally love books with literary references, but I felt it was almost overdone in this book and that is why I didn't give it a 5 star..