The Friend

A Novel

De: Sigrid Nunez

Narrado por: Hillary Huber

WINNER OF THE 2018 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION

SHORTLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"A beautiful book … a world of insight into death, grief, art, and love."—Wall Street Journal

"A penetrating, moving meditation on loss, comfort, memory...Nunez has a wry, withering wit."—NPR

"Dry, allusive and charming…the comedy here writes itself.” The New York Times

A moving story of love, friendship, grief, healing, and the magical bond between a woman and her dog.

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 traumatized by the inexplicable disappearance of its master, and by the threat of eviction: dogs are prohibited in her apartment building.

While others worry that grief has made her a victim of magical thinking, the woman refuses to be separated from the dog except for brief periods of time. 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 unraveling. But while troubles abound, rich and surprising rewards lie in store for both of them.

Elegiac and searching, The Friend is both a meditation on loss and a celebration of human-canine devotion.

©2017 Sigrid Nunez (P)2017 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“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.”—The New York Times Book Review

"Charming... the comedy here writes itself... the novel's tone in general, however, is mournful and resonant... The snap of her sentences sometimes puts me in mind of Rachel Cusk."—The New York Times

“In crystalline prose, Nunez creates an impressively controlled portrait of the ‘exhaustion of mourning.’”—The New Yorker

Beautiful

The narrator did an excellent job with this beautiful, thought-provoking book. It’s the first Sigrid Nunez book I’ve read, and I plan to look for more.

thought provoking story

it has a slow start fictional story with grounded in reality plot about depression and suicide oh and a great Dane which I am an owner of.

A dog truly is man's best friend

Good story of saving a dog meant saving herself. Magical bond! True dog lover's story.

Amazing. Subtle. Contemplative.

This book will sit with me for a long time. I felt like its musings were my own.

Sad, but good.

The narrator did an excellent job. The story itself is interesting, but sad. Overall, I would recommend it.

Superb, Sly, Funny, Sad--what is love?

Especially for writers and literary fiction lovers. Full of a writer's in jokes and a writer's humor. More than that, it’s full of heart and aching and it’s long on love. Did I mention brilliant? Wonderful narrator. Thank you for this great experience.

Such a great heartache

The narration is perfect the story is a simply beautiful love song. It left me sad happy and so glad I have a beautiful friend

One of the best books I have read

An astounding novel, and totally surprising. I expected a dog novel, and while that is a part of what makes this book great, it is so much more: a meditation on grief, on writing, on philosophy and on New York. It is funny, it is poignant, it is tremendously sad and abundantly hopeful. It is surprising, too.

I feel as though I will be drawn back to this book again and again, throughout my life. When dogs pass, when friends pass. When I doubt my decision to be a writer. All those things, any of those things - or perhaps when I just want to read something perfect.

Loved this book.

Thoughtful, artistic, story about writing depression, loneliness, love and bereavement.
Throughly, enjoyed.
Frank
Also funny

So, so beautiful

I liked everything about this story. It made me weep and I cannot wait to read the rest of her books!