The Friend by Sigrid Nunez

 Josh got me this book for Christmas 2023 when he gifted me several dog-centered books. He wanted to find books that were well-written and centered on dogs, without being overly sentimental. The Friend is not overly sentimental, and it is well-written, but it is not really centered on dogs. It's much more about writing and suicide than it is about dogs, even though Apollo, the dog in the book, is one of the few characters with a name. 

It still has thoughtful meditations on a dog's emotional life, how dogs manage the inevitable changes and stress that come their way because they depend on humans for security and sustenance, and the narrator in the book loves Apollo and is dedicated to him in ways I respect and understand. I said aloud several times that the author is doing tricky things with the writing, and maybe she did do tricky things. The Friend features a dog, but the dog is less a character or theme in and of himself than a conduit to illustrate other ideas- mostly ideas about writing and suicide. 

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