Description
Book SynopsisA moving story of love, friendship, grief, healing, and the magical bond between a woman and her dog - NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING NAOMI WATTS AND BILL MURRAY
ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BEST 100 BOOKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY
WINNER OF THE 2018 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2020 INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD
''A true delight: I genuinely fear I won''t read a better novel this year'' FINANCIAL TIMES
''Loved this. A funny, moving examination of love, grief, and the uniqueness of dogs'' GRAHAM NORTON
''Delicious'' SUNDAY TIMES 100 BEST SUMMER READS
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When a woman unexpectedly loses her lifelong best friend and mentor, she finds herself burdened with the unwanted dog he has left behind. Her own battle against grief is intensified by the mute suffering of the dog, a huge Great Dane, and by the threat of eviction: dogs are prohibited in her apartment building.
Isolated from the rest of the world, increasingly obsessed with the dog''s care, determined to read its mind and fathom its heart, she comes dangerously close to unravelling. But while troubles abound, rich and surprising rewards lie in store for both of them.
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''Very, very clever. Mature. Entertaining. Eminently readable and re-readable. Absolutely delightful'' IRISH TIMES
''I loved it . . . It''s one of my favourite books and it moved me'' WHOOPI GOLDBERG
''A perfect novel . . . It''s my favorite kind of masterpiece - one you can put into anyone''s hand'' EMMA STRAUB
A New York Times Notable Book of 2018 * A Financial Times 2018 Best Book: Critics Pick * A Buzzfeed Best Book of 2018 * A Bustle Best Fiction Book of 2018 * An NPR Best Book of 2018
Trade ReviewA true delight: I genuinely fear I won't read a better novel this year * Financial Times *
A beautiful book . . . crammed with a world of insight into death, grief, art, and love * Wall Street Journal *
Very very clever. Mature. Entertaining. Eminently readable and re-readable. In short, absolutely delightful. * Irish Times *
Delicious ... An
intensely pleasurable read because it is so
accessible, capacious and clever * Sunday Times *
A
pitch-perfect novel ... Wry and moving,
The Friend is a love story, a mania story and a recovery story * Vanity Fair *
Loved this. A funny, moving examination of love, grief, and the uniqueness of dogs * Graham Norton *
A
sneaky gut punch of a novel . . .
a consummate example of the human-animal tale * Harper's Magazine *
The book is an intimate, beautiful thing, deceptively slight at around 200 pages, but
humming with insight . . . [an] artfully discursive meditation on friendship, love, death, solitude, canine companionship and the life of an aging writer in New York .. peppered with wry observations * The Economist *
I loved it . . . It's
one of my favourite books and it moved me * Whoopi Goldberg, The View *
A
poignant reflection on loss and companionship * Marie Claire *
Often
as funny as it is thoughtful,
The Friend is an elegant meditation on
grief, friendship, healing, and the bonds between humans and dogs * Buzzfeed *
An
elegant and darkly humorous meditation on grief and companionship, it's
a great read - whether or not you're obsessed with canines * Shondaland.com *
Charming ...
the comedy here writes itself... The snap of her sentences sometimes
puts me in mind of Rachel Cusk * New York Times *
The contemplation of writing and the loss of integrity in our literary life form the heart of the novel . . . Nunez's prose itself comforts us. Her confident and direct style uplifts - the music in her sentences, her deep and varied intelligence. She addresses important ideas unpretentiously and offers wisdom for any aspiring writer who, as the narrator fears, may never know this dear, intelligent friend - or this world that is dying. But is it dying? Perhaps. But with
The Friend, Nunez provides evidence that, for now, it survives * New York Times Book Review *
In
crystalline prose, Nunez creates an impressively controlled portrait of the 'exhaustion of mourning' * New Yorker *
Astonishingly fresh and tinged with sadness . . . a highly entertaining, uplifting book exploring the magical bond between humans and canines. A must-read for dog-lovers. -- Rebecca Wallersteiner * The Lady *
She has a wry compassion, and an eye for
the kind of detail only grown-ups can catch. The books feel lived-in rather than hard-earned, the voice is smart and kind -- Anne Enright * The Times *
