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r2m's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
communoid's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
burning_ham's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
cosmosmariner's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
njk's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
literarycrushes's review
4.0
Sigrid Nunez’s newest novel, What Are You Going Through, feels like a natural extension of her 2018 National Book Award winning novel, The Friend. Both novels are unconventional in their structure as well as in how they detail the various ways we process grief. The unnamed narrator (“of a certain age,” as is frequently repeated) is conflicted. While she ultimately makes the decision to help a life-long friend commit suicide rather than watch on as her (uncurably) cancer-ridden body turns against her, our narrator can never quite fully commit to this plan. She is frequently ashamed and struggles not with the morality of what she is doing, but with the larger meanings of life when faced with death.
Throughout the novel, Nunez references well-known authors’ (from Fitzgerald to Faulkner) thoughts on life and death. The title itself comes from a quote by the famous French philosopher Simone Weil, made in response to the question of what the love of one’s neighbor truly meant. In French, Nunez points out, it sounds quite different: Quel est ton tourment?
I recommend reading this book as a companion to (or at least after) The Friend, both of which could be read in a single sitting.
Throughout the novel, Nunez references well-known authors’ (from Fitzgerald to Faulkner) thoughts on life and death. The title itself comes from a quote by the famous French philosopher Simone Weil, made in response to the question of what the love of one’s neighbor truly meant. In French, Nunez points out, it sounds quite different: Quel est ton tourment?
I recommend reading this book as a companion to (or at least after) The Friend, both of which could be read in a single sitting.
timna_wyckoff's review
4.0
Hmm. This book started out as one thing and turned into totally another. The beginning reminded me of "Outline" by Rachel Cusk except that it was a bit more wry and the detailed observations were more about others than about the narrator (also there was one part about a cat that made me pretty sure I'm not the right audience for this author's book about the dog!). Then halfway through...well, I found the second half of the book super thought-provoking and amazingly written, but...that was NOT what I was expecting.