Less

Less by Andrew Sean Greer (2017) I was drawn to this book knowing little about it other than it is a midlife-crisis story about a writer (two of my favorite subjects)—well, also, I heard an interview with Andrew Sean Greer, and I liked him. I will attempt to read any book that is about writing (or writers being unable to write), but right off, I didn’t think I’d get far because, glancing ahead (or reading a review?) I knew it was going to be a kind of exotic travelogue—a bit of a sore spot—in that I feel bad enough about not traveling, myself, to not want to read about it. Also, a guy freaking out about “old age” when he’s 13 years younger than I am is a little annoying. But I quickly got caught up in it and it grew on me. I quickly felt at home with the subject, Arthur Less—his way of going through the world—constantly in crisis, but also weirdly at ease. I liked how he had this kind of life-defining relationship with an older, famous writer (I love those characters). Also, as a gay man, his sexuality is always present in the story, but at the same time not the focus any more than the aging really is. As—similarly—is his broken heart and quest for love. What I mean, I guess, is these are all crucial issues for Arthur Less at a pivotal point in his life—but I was really enjoying watching him go through the world—not with ease, but a kind of grace. The reason for this is the sense of humor—the way it’s told—the humor keeps being surprising and fresh. It’s like the telling of his story—the ease and humor of it—you intimate is the quality that’s the crucial, deep quality of the character, Less.

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