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Nov 11, 2020Indoorcamping rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Five stars because this is the kind of writing that is so delicious you feel like you’ll gain weight. It’s a grown up adults book, not that there is a lot of sexy stuff but there is a lot of creative structure, untraditional, downright irritating structure to this writing. And I wouldn’t call it a book, or rather I wouldn’t call it a book any more than I’d call a journal or a collection of brilliant notes a book. But I’m not a New York fancy writer person, which is most likely the intended audience as well as rafters inhabited therein (that sounded fancy, but still, nowhere close to the deep thoughts contained in this organized jumble of brilliant insights). Unfortunately this is similar to What Are You Going Through, and if you like suicide bookends, this is perfect for you. One before, one after. The way I read them, first What and then, later, Friend, creates a perfect meditation on suicide. This book is a collection of brilliant thoughts regarding consequences, grief, and all the after effects of a suicide. And there’s a dog. The dog is the best. The dog is the focus of what remains. The dog is huge, the dog smells and nobody wants him. The dog is the reason to read this book, even if you don’t particularly enjoy dogs. Or even reading about dogs. Or reading about suicide or death or grief. It’s too beautiful to be a normal story. It’s too beautiful. Hated it towards the end where now you all of a sudden have to figure out what meta fiction means to you. Loved the very end, just like I enjoyed the perfect ending to What. All the words have been written, and you know what happens. You know. You don’t want to think about it, but you get it. Just like real life. But better. Because there is no dog poop the size of a sand castle to have to clean up in real life.