Less: A Novel (The Arthur Books, 1) (The Arthur Less Books, 1)
Gay writer Arthur Less is turning 50 and he just got a wedding invitation from his young ex-lover who is getting married to somebody else. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and described as generous book, musical in its prose and expansive in its structure and range, about growing older and the essential nature of love.
BUY THE BOOK
These clubs recently read this book...
Community Reviews
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.
thenextgoodbook.com
Less by Andrew Sean Greer
261 pages
What’s it about?
Arthur Less is a novelist who is quickly approaching his fiftieth birthday. He is gay and has two decade-long relationships in his past. He receives an invitation to the wedding of his last great love and just can not face the ridicule he feels will be heaped upon him if he should attend. He conveniently takes every invitation, to every mediocre event he has been invited to attend in the last few months, and replies yes to them all. He will avoid the event and his fiftieth birthday by taking a trip around the world.
What did it make me think about?
The character of Arthur Less is a bumbling, innocent, kind gay man. Because of this, I have heard this book described as a “gay” novel. I could not disagree more- I just think it is a novel where the main character happens to be gay. This story is about being a human being. How we are more- and we are less- depending on the day. Arthur Less is often overlooked and forgotten, but he has also been loved- and that is everything.
Should I read it?
So I kept hearing about this novel being SO funny- I would say this novel looks at life with a wry sense of humor. It’s the writing and the sense of humor that set this novel apart- but do not expect to be guffawing through this book. You will smile a lot though. Andrew Sean Greer is a beautiful writer. I loved “The Story of a Marriage” and “The Adventures of Max Tivoli”. I was so pleased when I finally picked this book up to realize it was by the same author. I highly recommend this book!!! I can’t imagine who would not be rooting for Arthur Less by the last page. I can’t wait to re-read this one!
If you like this try-
Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
Levels of Life by Julian Barnes
Less by Andrew Sean Greer
261 pages
What’s it about?
Arthur Less is a novelist who is quickly approaching his fiftieth birthday. He is gay and has two decade-long relationships in his past. He receives an invitation to the wedding of his last great love and just can not face the ridicule he feels will be heaped upon him if he should attend. He conveniently takes every invitation, to every mediocre event he has been invited to attend in the last few months, and replies yes to them all. He will avoid the event and his fiftieth birthday by taking a trip around the world.
What did it make me think about?
The character of Arthur Less is a bumbling, innocent, kind gay man. Because of this, I have heard this book described as a “gay” novel. I could not disagree more- I just think it is a novel where the main character happens to be gay. This story is about being a human being. How we are more- and we are less- depending on the day. Arthur Less is often overlooked and forgotten, but he has also been loved- and that is everything.
Should I read it?
So I kept hearing about this novel being SO funny- I would say this novel looks at life with a wry sense of humor. It’s the writing and the sense of humor that set this novel apart- but do not expect to be guffawing through this book. You will smile a lot though. Andrew Sean Greer is a beautiful writer. I loved “The Story of a Marriage” and “The Adventures of Max Tivoli”. I was so pleased when I finally picked this book up to realize it was by the same author. I highly recommend this book!!! I can’t imagine who would not be rooting for Arthur Less by the last page. I can’t wait to re-read this one!
If you like this try-
Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny
Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
Levels of Life by Julian Barnes
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.