The Friend by Sigrid Nunez

A work colleague recommended The Friend by Sigrid Nunez to me, and I was immediately drawn in by the cover design. Plus, anything that involves dogs is a winner with me. This novel was published in 2018 and has won a wealth of prizes, including the National Book Award and the New York Times notable book of 2018. It follows the unnamed protagonist whose lifelong friend unexpectedly commits suicide, and her attempt to comprehend the loss and why he felt compelled to take his own life. Her friend left behind his dog, a gigantic Great Dane called Apollo, who finds himself without a home and master - so the protagonist reluctantly agrees to take home the animal, despite the strict rule against pets in her apartment building. 

The novel is written much like a conversation or letter to the protagonist's deceased friend, whom she openly addresses and asks questions to throughout. For example, 

'A pause here to confess, not without shame: I never heard the news that you'd fallen in love without experiencing a pang, nor could I suppress a surge of joy each time I heard you were breaking up with someone.'

The novel is, in many ways, a collection of thoughts, questions and confessions that the protagonist wanted to direct at her friend, but never had the chance. It may sound like this is an extremely depressing book, but it really isn't. Despite the subject matter, and naturally, moments of sadness - the book is full of life. The protagonist finds a strong bond with the unwanted pet, and such loyalty to him that she puts herself at risk of losing her home due to the strict rules against animals in the building. Aside from the accommodation conundrum, this novel doesn't have a lot of plot - something which I would usually want more of in a book. But in this case it is not necessary. The driving force of this book is really questioning the meaning of life, analysing the impact that suicide can have on the people who are left behind, and makes you think about the value and importance of each life - even if someone feels that theirs is meaningless. 

The protagonist is highly likeable and you feel emotionally connected to her throughout the book, despite never knowing her name. The almost epistolary-style of the novel really works structurally, and Nunez manages to blur the lines between moments where the protagonist is addressing her friend in the beyond, and addressing the reader - at times also addressing herself, much like a reel of her own inner thoughts projected onto a page. Nunez also references other works of literature throughout the novel, for example Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being, (which I recently read), and I enjoyed these little additions and snippets of intertextuality. Overall, this is an enjoyable read which I would liken both to Kundera's work as well as Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie in many ways - though not a tearjerker, as I had expected it to be. A really brilliant book and a big thumbs up from me!