Less

“Less” is far more (har har) than a middle-aged, semi-obscure writer running away from the rather sudden marriage of an ex-lover. It is looking back at your shining, golden youth and missing looking at a head full of hair and a face lacking wrinkles. It is realizing that you are no longer one of the youngest people at work, but heading into the older vanguard. It is thinking that your last, best chance at love is over and it's time to get fat.

But, it's also about taking risks when your life, to that point, has been a series of passive acts. Arthur Less does not hide in his San Francisco home in response to heartbreak. It is with hope that Arthur Less books an around-the-world trip; hoping to avoid his ex-lover's wedding (to which he was invited!!), hoping to start off he trip with his latest book picked up by his long-time publisher, hoping to find solace in a series of new places. Yet, this introspective, gentle man, unable to break a paper wall when trapped in a Japanese restaurant, spends the trip doing the opposite; running into friends who bring up Freddy and ask him about his novel, or, even worse, retch or fall into strange illnesses in country after country.

At first, I found myself enjoying Mr. Greer's writing and the nonsensical situations Arthur Less was in. At times, the book played in my head like a 1930's screwball comedy. As I followed Arthur Less around the world, more of his introverted sweetness cane out, with more confusion arising about who the narrator was. It is not until Arthur loses his old standbys (the too-young blue suit, the well-intentioned fitness bands, amongst other things) and truly acknowledges what he has lost that he can arrive at home to his Penelope, who has ditched his husband to return to Less.

This book is also about fathers and father figures, or the lack thereof. Arthur remembers many of the father-son activities his Dad set up, which were barely besmirched when Arthur learned the activities were suggested by a book intended to desissify sons. Arthur also remembers how few of the Baby Boomer gay men of his acquaintance survived the AIDS epidemic. Effectively, Robert Brownburn becomes Arthur's first real relationship, later devolving into friendship then infidelity. And Arthur muses on becoming that same, looked-up-to elder as the Millennials come of age. At the same time, he asked the middle-age-old question of what have I done with half a century and what's even left for my aging self?

The answer for Arthur Less: A lot.

The PBS News Hour's Now Read This Book Club posted discussion questions for this delightful novel here: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/discussion-questions-for-less