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A review by jonezeemcgee
The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
3.0
3.5
Sigrid Nunez’s The Friend reads as a diary of a woman mourning and slowly trying to make sense of the suicide of a fellow writer, mentor, and possibly a love that never came to fruition (I believe, because she could not be involved with someone she knew so well). The journal entry like conversations often read more like a dissertation on the frustrations of trying to maintain a career in literature and writing, which at first I regarded as the true most central theme of the book, but then soon realized that this must have been what the two discussed the most. Now, the friend left in mourning, was continuing their lamenting conversations in grief. Maybe these conversations are helping her to understand why he came to his end, and maybe she if fleshing out her own similar feelings on what drives are person to commit such an act. Self-rumination being the downfall as well as inspiration to most artistically inclined people.
While I liked this book, I do feel that it suffered from some bad marketing. The story of a women and her deceased friend’s dog takes a back seat to what is actually going on in the book, though when it is present it is quite moving. However, if you are looking for a heartfelt story of a woman who bonds in grief with the dog of a deceased friend, know that this is not the real central focus of the story. When the novel does touch on those aspects, it sometimes feels like an afterthought, or a literary trick thrown in at the last moment to add something to the story.
I would love to read something from Nunez where she writes on these topics where it isn’t complicated by trying to squeeze it into a story, which feels misplaced and misrepresented. Because of the cut and paste nature of this work, the small twist in the last two chapters (who the friend was and the birth of this work of fiction) was lost on me. Was this all just a literary examination of writing and a writer’s inspiration after all? A memoir on the vulture like nature of an author in need of a story? If that is the true takeaway, then the “dog” gimmick made the novel seem a bit too self-important.
Although my copy is highlighted and annotated in several places, most of those highlights are of other writers thoughts that Nunez weaved into the book. Therefore, while I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, I do not know if it will stick with me, and I surely do not know if it is Nunez’s own thoughts that resonate the most. As someone that deals in a dry manner with research, this feels like a “review of others found data” at times, and not like anything truly original. For me, Nunez’s own thoughts are not the loudest voice in this novel. I truly agreed with many of her thoughts that came through on how politicized writing has become with this new generation. Heck, I see it in reading a couple of the reviews for this book.
Regardless, I found it worth the read and I know I will pull it out from time to time to show other aspiring writer friends. For that, it is worth at least the three and half star rating I am giving it.
Sigrid Nunez’s The Friend reads as a diary of a woman mourning and slowly trying to make sense of the suicide of a fellow writer, mentor, and possibly a love that never came to fruition (I believe, because she could not be involved with someone she knew so well). The journal entry like conversations often read more like a dissertation on the frustrations of trying to maintain a career in literature and writing, which at first I regarded as the true most central theme of the book, but then soon realized that this must have been what the two discussed the most. Now, the friend left in mourning, was continuing their lamenting conversations in grief. Maybe these conversations are helping her to understand why he came to his end, and maybe she if fleshing out her own similar feelings on what drives are person to commit such an act. Self-rumination being the downfall as well as inspiration to most artistically inclined people.
While I liked this book, I do feel that it suffered from some bad marketing. The story of a women and her deceased friend’s dog takes a back seat to what is actually going on in the book, though when it is present it is quite moving. However, if you are looking for a heartfelt story of a woman who bonds in grief with the dog of a deceased friend, know that this is not the real central focus of the story. When the novel does touch on those aspects, it sometimes feels like an afterthought, or a literary trick thrown in at the last moment to add something to the story.
I would love to read something from Nunez where she writes on these topics where it isn’t complicated by trying to squeeze it into a story, which feels misplaced and misrepresented. Because of the cut and paste nature of this work, the small twist in the last two chapters (who the friend was and the birth of this work of fiction) was lost on me. Was this all just a literary examination of writing and a writer’s inspiration after all? A memoir on the vulture like nature of an author in need of a story? If that is the true takeaway, then the “dog” gimmick made the novel seem a bit too self-important.
Although my copy is highlighted and annotated in several places, most of those highlights are of other writers thoughts that Nunez weaved into the book. Therefore, while I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, I do not know if it will stick with me, and I surely do not know if it is Nunez’s own thoughts that resonate the most. As someone that deals in a dry manner with research, this feels like a “review of others found data” at times, and not like anything truly original. For me, Nunez’s own thoughts are not the loudest voice in this novel. I truly agreed with many of her thoughts that came through on how politicized writing has become with this new generation. Heck, I see it in reading a couple of the reviews for this book.
Regardless, I found it worth the read and I know I will pull it out from time to time to show other aspiring writer friends. For that, it is worth at least the three and half star rating I am giving it.