“The Friend” by Sigrid Nunez is a stimulating and clever read that follows a writer, who–like all characters in the book other than the dog–remains unnamed throughout its entirety, who is in the process of grieving her close friend and mentor who died by suicide. The book expertly delves into the intricacies of friendships formed between both humans and humans, and humans and dogs while also exploring the social world of writers. It was first published in Feb. of 2018.
This friend who committed suicide owned a Great Dane he had found most likely abandoned in the park and took home, whom his wife did not care for in the least. When discussing keeping the dog, who he named Apollo, he told his wife–the third–that the main character always loved dogs and would be delighted to take him in should anything happen to him. His wife remembered those comments and that is how the main character, who lived in a tiny, fifth-floor New York City apartment that didn’t allow dogs and who honestly was more of a cat person, came to be the owner of a Great Dane.
Our main character and her friend had a deep, understanding friendship that had spanned decades which started when he was her writing professor. The debilitating grief that she feels after his suicide is such a poignant feeling that the reader could feel throughout the entire book. The book is structured to be more of the main character talking to her friend, addressing him at multiple points in every chapter. It being structured this way draws the reader deeper into the story and grief, letting them feel it alongside the main character. The reader is able to connect more with both the main character and her friend, able to project their own feelings of loss onto the story and connect with it on a deeper emotional level.
The main character’s connection with Apollo is strained at first, but becomes much deeper, almost too much so, as the story progresses. The author is at the risk of being evicted from her rent-stabilized apartment because of Apollo, but she refuses to get rid of him, even going so far as to falsely get him registered as an emotional support animal to be able to keep him there. Apollo becomes her closest companion, she leaves events and outings early to get home to see him, she reads to him, she sleeps with him in her bed. Nunez goes into much description of the bond between humans and dogs, exploring the relationships formed between the two species in a way that makes the reader ponder.
Nunez also talks extensively about the literary world and what it means to be a writer in today’s day and age. Ever since self-publishing has become a thing, the quality of writing has steadily decreased and an influx of poorly written, repetitive novels has taken over. Everyone believes that their writing deserves to be published and admired, but few take the time to admire other writers or to really reflect on the quality of their work.
All in all, “The Friend” is a quick but impactful read that leaves readers with both an appreciation for good writing, and a new look on grief and the process of working through the loss of those close to us, while also being humorous enough to keep the reader energetically engaged. This book earns a rating of 5/5.
