Book Review

Less by Andrew Sean Greer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

With all the cover accolades this book received I fully intended to love it. Unfortunately I didn't even like it. The protagonist, Arthur Less, is a self-effacing writer, a homosexual, and approaching age fifty, acts as if his life is over. Greer is a good writer, but his plot jumps around so much it is hard to follow. One consistency is the whining Less does, no matter what situation he is in. His homosexuality seems to drive him as his self-esteem is based on whoever he is having a relationship with. Having been rejected by his latest love, who is now getting married, Less flees the country to accept various invitations he has received for literary events around the world. This gives the author the opportunity to place Less in different countries, with each having their own disasters. He spends much of his time reminiscing, which involves flashbacks that come and go and make the story progress in a sketchy manner. When Less returns home a surprise awaits him. If you can stay with this book until the end you'll learn what it is.


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