The unnamed narrator is visiting a friend with terminal cancer who is in hospital in another town. She stays with a retired librarian with a cat but her host is quite reclusive and they hardly have any contact during her stay. Between the visits, she ponders about other people in her life: her former partner of whom she attends a public speech on the dystopian future we are facing, her old neighbour who can hardly manage alone, a woman she met in her gym who went through drastic changes, each of them starting point for another in-depth reflection. Her encounters reflect the whole range of people and therefore also introduce pestering issues of our time: the way women are judged and how their position in society and in a family is seen, how we treat the elderly and – the most important aspect – how do we want to die and what will remain of us. Quite unexpectedly, her poorly friend asks her a favour which will target core questions the narrator cannot easily answer for herself.

Just as in her former novel “The Friend”, it is a minor event – then an abandoned dog, here a visit to the hospital – which initiates an interesting journey into the depth of human nature. The narrator’s experiences and encounters are analysed and questioned, it is an introspection which nevertheless is far from very individual and personal but, quite on the contrary, concerns everybody. Especially being close to a dying friend has a huge impact on her thinking, far beyond the question if we should rather ask “What are you going through” instead of “How are you”.

The core issue revolves around suffering and pain and the question how much a human being can endure. How do you go on living in a world which does not seem to have a future, at least not an interesting or desiring one. The plot is minimal, at times rather feels like a collection of anecdotes, but looking at it as a whole, you get an idea of the protagonist who is sad, to a certain extent disillusioned, but not grim. She is still capable of attachment and fondness, even though she knows that it won’t last this time. Every single word becomes meaningful and should be use with care therefore.

Repeatedly, Nunez also has her narrator share her reading experiences with the reader and thus transgresses the boundaries of genres once more. She certainly pushes the limits in many respects and engages the reader in thinking. One of the most interesting questions for me was the one rotating around the problem of what can be reported and by whom the act of narration should be carried out, especially when it comes to experiences of general interest. The narrator questions if there is even a language capable of conveying experiences adequately or if, in the end, all language must fail to authentically depict what somebody underwent.

Nunez’ language surely is plentiful enough to engage you in an interesting inner – and hopefully also outer - dialogue.

<i>Dying is a role we play like any other role in life: this is a troubling thought. You are never your true self except when you're alone - but who wants to be alone, dying?</i>

This is a book about DEATH, or more specifically dying, or even more specifically the dying of a close friend. So... NOT A COMFORT READ. It's very short, and I recommend reading it in as close to one sitting as you can. I read it on the train to London and finished it in ninety minutes.

The character of the friend is maaaybe based on Susan Sontag - in any case, the character is a fairly well-known academic. The narrator is apparently the same person as "The Friend," (according to the author herself) a book I really enjoyed. The voice here has the same friendliness and warmth. There is a lot of humour, which is what really makes the book special - I was reminded of "All My Puny Sorrows." And there's a Rachel Cusk element of the book in the sense that the narrator meets a lot of different people who tell her different stories. There's also a talking cat that appears, albeit briefly. Ageing, climate change, the importance of physical appearance to women and what happens when that fades... the book looks at it all with clear prose and a blunt view.

Overall, quite an intense book but one I really enjoyed. Thanks to the publishers and to NetGalley for the ARC.

Oh wow, what can I say about this novel. I began 2020 with The Friend—a fantastic introduction to Sigrid Nunez and one of my favorite books of the year. This one joins the list. It’s a slim volume, at just about 200 pages, but it is profound, powerful, and prophetic. Because what is ultimately addresses is this: What does is mean to live and die with dignity today?
By way of plot, it’s simple really: A woman offers companionship to a friend with terminal cancer. But this isn’t a book characterized by action. Rather, it’s an intimate conversation that will stay with you for a long time after. Each anecdote, each segue, each observation offers room for thought and consideration. The more you think about it, the more nuance and depth you uncover.
The opening section of the book may take some getting used to for readers not used to a more experimental style of writing: We’re in the narrators head as she ponders upon different things, as her mind wanders from one topic to another, seemingly unrelated one. In fact, her friend is barely a character here. It’s layers upon layers of thoughts—and if you’re patient with them, it’s an utterly rewarding experience. The second half of the book is more traditional, in terms of linearity.
In many ways, it’s similar to The Friend—in terms of writing style, yes, but also the themes of loss, grief, connections. Literary and intellectual references in abundance. Dry humor that makes a novel about death not sad, but rather uplifting, warm, and entirely human. Please read this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown and Company for the review copy

A novel in conversations, this reminded me a lot Rachel Cusk's Outline trilogy and the recent Topics of Conversation. Our female protagonist visits a friend who has cancer, and while early conversations are between people she encounters on this trip - her Airbnb host, a stranger she meets near her apartment - the latter parts of the book are made up of discussions with said friend she is visiting.

I think readers who enjoyed the other books I've mentioned as well as Nunez's last offering (The Friend) will find something to enjoy here. The writing is smart and the observations often poignant without verging on sentimentality, particularly those about death and dying. Fair warning that there is a brief segment with a talking cat (in cat that isn't your thing).

Where to start with reviewing this book? Firstly I’m afraid I’m not a massive fan like most other reviewers appear to be. While I usually like a stream of consciousness narrative I didn’t feel comfortable with this one. Quite often I found my attention wandering and just as often I found myself thinking how pointless so much of it was. The first 50% barely mentions her terminally ill friend despite that allegedly being what the book is about. I did think the book improved once the focus was on her friends contemplating her death and was really enjoying it and feeling emotionally invested until the reason they left the New England house. Really?? For me that broke the spell that had finally been woven and returned the novel to the category of ‘Trying too hard’.
On a positive note the book was a very quick read!
2.5 ⭐️

Sigrid Nunez’s ‘The Friend’ was one of my favourite books of recent years- one that I pressed into hands of friends and was read by three generations of my family. So it was with anticipation mixed with trepidation that I applied to read ‘What are you Going Through.’ Like ‘The Friend’, this book has a wry sense of humour, wonderful characters and dances rather than plods through difficult subject of death and loneliness. Unlike ‘The Friend’ it is less elliptical and unexpected- the narrative is straightforward and for me, less involving, more obvious. For this reason I am giving it 4/5 stars but I would still recommend this to many. Thank you for the opportunity to read.

I loved The Friend - it was one of my favourite books of the last few years. What are you going through is another classic with all of Nunez's characteristic warmth, wit and charm. Wonderful.

I don't know of any other book that I have so vehemently disliked yet been so vice-like gripped by it.

This book is a hard read. Not only because it has this running theme about death, but also because it is so unsettling.

My verdict is that the book is pretty great yet equally pessimistic. There isn't a shred of hope that you can hold on to. You're just plugged into the narrator's often disjointed thoughts.

The writing runs like an unfiltered stream of consciousness. It is like that dream you get stuck in, but have no idea what the hell is happening.
There isn't a lot of hope and optimistic happy-go-lucky vibes. In fact, there are none.

Yet I couldn't stop reading!

Despite the randomness, it does a good job in provoking discussions. It asks you to ponder over questions you usually do not consider. (Whether you agree with the protagonist's logic is another discussion altogether.)

That said, it's not a book that I would recommend to people who have anxiety or depression. Maybe to the millennial to ponder over the future, but then again is it right to burden the young?

My final takeaway is: It is not for everyone.

Rating: 2.5/5

I will be posting a longer review a fortnight before the Oct 1 publishing date: https://thebookbuff.com/

Will also leave review on Goodreads and
https://www.instagram.com/therealbookbuff

Disclaimer: Thanks to #NetGalley for #WhatAreYouGoingThrough - an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book a lot. The characters were clever and engaging, and getting to spend time with them was a treat. I liked the writing too - it was descriptive without ever veering into flowery territory, and I would certainly be interested in reading more work by this author. The cover is great too!

Sigrid Nunez understand us. She knows what we feel, how we think, how we move through the world and carry our histories on our shoulders. After LOVING The Friend, I was so excited to read her new book. While this was a quick read, I felt that it carefully told its story, and I truly could have kept reading for pages and pages. There is much in here about friendship, loyalty, parenting, decisions made, love lost, friendships abandoned. I love the edge to Nunez's characters, the daring, the heart, the mistakes. I was reminded in places here of Helen Garner, who details quiet moments in similarly spare, affecting ways. Loved it.

I was delighted to get the opportunity to read What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez as I remember enjoying her previous novel The Friend. What Are You Going Through is about supporting a friend who is terminally ill and about human connections.

A thought provoking book about the narrator’s relationship with her friend who has terminal cancer and has requested her to stay with her in a rented home for her final weeks. The friend has acquired pills and has decided to end her life when she chooses. I thought the first half was so thought provoking as the narrator discusses life and our perception. of different aspects of it. The second half is more like a journey exploring their friendship. I didn’t find the book sad or depressing. In fact it was an interesting read about mortality and human connections.

What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez was kindly approved by @NatGalley and @littlebrownbookgroup_uk to read in exchange of an honest review so here it is (going to get good at reviews at this rate ha ha!):
This is one of those books I finished and thought what was this actually about and am I going to remember this? For the first question I had to turn to a well known search engine and the blurb to double check and to answer my second question definately not!

The novel tells the encounters the narrator had with people she has met. Some of these recollections lead down the path of nowhere such as attending a lecture led by her ex and there was even a segment from a cats perspective. Now I adore cats and even I did not see the point in this 😂😂

The main focus of the book was a friends journey with terminal cancer. It was told well with quotes from other sources such as Nietzshe, however as the narrative was broken up with other random/ unrelated segments any emotional attachment I had as a reader was lost.

Overall it was rather sad which is rather ironic as the author quotes 'Whatever happened to Faulkner's idea that a writers job was to lift people up' Well Sigrid please do enlighten us! Perhaps I have missed the key to this one and overlooked a masterpiece.

It wasn't the worst book I have read but because it didn't flow and I did not care for any of the characters my overall rating is only 2/5 stars. I will not read another book by this author.

If anybody is a fan of this authors work and is looking forward to reading it I believe it will be published on 8th September 2020.