The Friend
Synopsis: Our heroine, an unnamed female writer, is mourning the suicide of a close friend, mentor, and fellow writer. She reluctantly agrees to take in his traumatized, bereft dog, a massive, arthritic Great Dane. He stinks up her tiny Manhattan apartment and threatens her rent-stabilized lease (no dogs allowed!). Our writer becomes obsessed with care of the dog, and almost comes a bit undone herself as they both struggle with grief and loss.
Review: A short, very interesting novel. Is it a letter to her dead colleague and friend? Is it a journal she is keeping for herself? It’s not that clear, but ultimately not really that important to determine. Our heroine is mourning, and so is Apollo—interesting that the only character with a name is the dog. In 200 pages, we meander through her thoughts, the past, her frustration with her students grasp of the English language and her growing fondness for Apollo. As time passes, she and Apollo both begin to work through things. Clever and darkly amusing, the novel also reflects quite a bit on the writing life. The author takes direct aim at the backstabbing, status-obsessed literary world, critiquing writers and all their discontents. Winner of the National Book Award in 2018, this is set for movie adaptation starring Naomi Watts. If you have ever been in love with a dog, I think you could relate.
Rating: 4/5
Recipe: Early in the novel, a group of writers gather at a memorial for the deceased novelist. I don’t know if the term “funeral potatoes” is used in New York, but it’s a classic comfort food. Probably not sophisticated enough for the Big Apple, but millions love them.
Ingredients:
2 lb bag of frozen diced or shredded potatoes
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups sour cream
6 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 small diced onion
2-3 cups corn flakes, crushed
1/2 cup melted butter
1) Let potatoes thaw
2) Combine sour cream, soup and butter in a bowl, mix well.
3) Add salt, onion, and cheese to this mixture and mix
4) Add potatoes and stir to combined
5) Place in 13 x 9 inch pan
6) Mix crushed corn flakes with the other 1/2 cup melted butter and sprinkle on top.
7) Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.