Less: A Novel (The Arthur Books, 1) (The Arthur Less Books, 1)

I really liked reading about all the different countries the protagonist, Arthur Less, went to in this book and was surprised at the narrator reveal at the end too! Also, did not realize there was a sequel until it popped up when I searched for this book to review lol :)

Arthur Less is a slightly awkward gay man, mildly successful writer, on the cusp of turning 50. Oh, and his former lover is about to get married and [gasp!] he's invited to the wedding! No! He cannot go and suffer the pain and humiliation. As a writer, he gets invited to literary festivals, to speaking engagements, to teach weeks-long courses, all of which he usually turns down or ignores. He decides to say yes, to EVERYTHING, so it will keep him far away from this wedding. It sets him on a nonstop course from his home in San Francisco to NYC, to Mexico City, to Paris, to Berlin (where his "fluency" in German leads to some big laughs), Morocco, and finally India, to a supposed writer's retreat. It's basically a story about a man who travels the world to finally find himself, but that doesn't seem adequate to describe this book. You'll end up falling in love with Arthur in spite of, or maybe because of, his silly, awkward way of dealing with what life throws at him.

This was so boring! I read for about two hours (and I’m a fast reader) but nothing happened. I gave up.

Not sure what the big hype about this book is... I get the feeling it was was reviewed by a bunch of other lonely, single, intellectuals on the verge of a mid-life crisis?

If you need a break from heavy literature with a beautifully written, warm and endearing book, this is the one. It's fantastic. I loved following Arthur Less on his around the world adventure.