By classifying the book a novel, Eggers says, he freed himself to re-create conversations, streamline complex relationships, add relevant detail and manipulate time and space in helpful ways—all while maintaining the essential truthfulness of the storytelling.
Through his classification of the book as a work of fiction, Eggers was able to reimagine conversations, condense intricate connections, add essential context, and warp the fabric of time and space in a way that preserved the narrative's fundamental truthfulness.