Chrissie's Reviews > The Friend

I had too many problems with this book to give it more than three stars, but there is a twist at the end that I liked a lot. This turned the book around for me. In the story, a woman tells of a man who commits suicide. It is interesting to toy with the idea of who exactly is the friend in the title. I am not going to spoil the book by giving more away.

I do not think the GR book description accurately describes the book; it leads you in the wrong direction. The central focus is about the art of writing. Many references are made to authors, contemporary authors such as Svetlana Alexievich and Karl Ove Knausgårdand J.M. Coetzee to name but three, and many novelists, poets and playwrights of the past. Often this was simply name-dropping, but on other occasions that said was interesting. I particularly enjoyed the discussion of Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet written by Rilke when only twenty-seven. We are given a smattering of many different authors’ tips for good writing.

In the telling of the story we are in the head of the central protagonist. Thoughts are free-flowing, and this is at times confusing. Who is the “she” and the “he” and the “you” referred to? Names are not used—neither for the man who commits suicide nor his first, second or third wife. Given the style of writing and the absence of names, one does not come close to the characters.

There is a dog. Here we have a name; he is called Apollo. The writing about Apollo is perceptive and shows the author knows dogs well--how they move, how they nudge you with their nose, how they stare in your eyes, dance on their paws to draw your attention and speak to you. Yet very little in this book is actually about dogs! There are some statements about authors and their dogs.

The book has humor. One example is when Apollo is taken where dogs are not allowed. Questioned, the reply was that he was a service dog…….even if no badge declared him as such! How dare this even be questioned! “This dog is my emotional support companion.” I have told myself to remember that line.

The audiobook is very well narrated by Hillary Huber, but with some sections better than others. I particularly liked when the central protagonist is at her therapist. The final sections are better than in the beginning, maybe because as the book gathers strength and focus the reading does too.