Jenn S asked:

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7 years ago
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Asia Groves

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Alexander Davidson

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Ross

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Brakob Arthur

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Beth Moore

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Angie XG I believe that her friend really did pass away. It was her intention to create an alternate reality in another attempt at accepting his death. She really explores mourning and death on so many levels and mostly ties it back to literature and her experience with writing. I think in a sense, she has created a novel out of a diary of her journey in coming to terms with her friends death. I wondered why she mentioned a Dachshund as the dog breed in part 11 and contemplated that this was probably relative to what was more believable of a dog for him to have had over a Great Dane but also helps us, as the reader to understand that we are switching out of reality for a moment. The fact that the building manager, Hector, is names throughout the book, makes me think that the story (other than part 11) is all truth. The ending, where Apollo dies (metaphorically explained), is her finally being able to accept death. Her meditations and her journey through learning and trying to understand mourning have brought her to this final point of welcoming death.

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Amy

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Marybeth There was a reviewer who detrimentally described the penultimate chapter in pretty graphic/ demoralizing terms as the ultimate author's ego stroke. I went on to ask him 'where is this twist you write so eloquently regarding found in the novel?' I didn't see a twist. I saw her conceptualizing her main character, setting the scene so vividly that I almost felt like an underemployed/curious housemaid who only took the job working for 'The Friend' so that I could eavesdrop on conversations that I knew would never be a part of my daily life otherwise. What a book, thank you Asia for your answer too.

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Kathie I had the same reaction!

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