The first thing you should know about THE FRIEND is that it is not a book about a dog, at least not to the extent as described on its book flap. Instead, Sigrid Nunez has written a book of ruminations around some mentions about the great big dog the narrator acquired upon the suicide of her friend.



The narrator of THE FRIEND ruminates almost entirely on writers and their writing and their books. Between ruminations, we learn that she lives in a small apartment in New York where dogs are not allowed. Then more ruminating. Then the solution she and her therapist come up with. Then more ruminating.Then she talks about taking the dog for a walk. Then more ruminating.Then the dog gets old and slow. Then more ruminating.



THE FRIEND has won lots of awards, and I think I know why. Partly, maybe mostly, it's because these ruminations are what the judges cared about.That is, the judges, literary people, liked all the writing about writing and literature. The dog story made all this wisdom flow.



Of course, THE FRIEND has won awards because Nunez really does write well. She has such a good way of imparting wisdom yet keeping it light with her dog story. It will even make you laugh. I don't think it will make you cry, though, as at least one author blurb warns.