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A review by jr2234
Less by Andrew Sean Greer
3.0
3.5 stars. What a weird, twisting curve of a ride. Arthur Less, never content with what’s in front of him, embarks on a journey around the world to escape feelings of a longtime ex-love. He meets loads of interesting people: all flawed, all searching for meaning and contentment, and all somehow missing the mark. The characters are richly detailed and complex; they feel like real people.
Arthur always want more: more friends, more money, more literary success. He is comically self-involved as a narrator, to the point it annoyed me. Even while sitting in the most beautiful places on earth, he remains absolutely obsessed with trivial things from his past or present. While enjoying a multi course once-in-a-lifetime experience at a Japanese restaurant, he is slightly disappointed that the meal doesn’t meet his imagined standards. His life is the envy of others, but he doesn’t feel any lasting contentment in himself.
There’s a lot that’s relatable here, and many things you could take away depending on your current life situation. The book touches on envy, happiness, friendships, and the concept of permanence.
I want to re-read this. Some of the concepts felt hard to grasp and I’d like to absorb them a touch more.
Arthur always want more: more friends, more money, more literary success. He is comically self-involved as a narrator, to the point it annoyed me. Even while sitting in the most beautiful places on earth, he remains absolutely obsessed with trivial things from his past or present. While enjoying a multi course once-in-a-lifetime experience at a Japanese restaurant, he is slightly disappointed that the meal doesn’t meet his imagined standards. His life is the envy of others, but he doesn’t feel any lasting contentment in himself.
There’s a lot that’s relatable here, and many things you could take away depending on your current life situation. The book touches on envy, happiness, friendships, and the concept of permanence.
I want to re-read this. Some of the concepts felt hard to grasp and I’d like to absorb them a touch more.