NOTE: I was given early access to the arc in exchange for writing an impartial review. Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown and Company. Publication: September 20, 2022.
LESS IS LOST is an intelligent, perceptive, and lighthearted glimpse into the middle age years of a San Francisco based writer. (Not unlike the author himself.) And further proof as to why Andrew Sean Greer won a Pulitzer Prize for the prequel LESS (2017) in 2018. I gave this one four stars on Goodreads.
LESS IS LOST is continues the story of Arthur Less, a fiftyish, marginally successful writer, full of insecurities and angst but also contemplating the nature of true love. LESS IS LOST picks up the story several years later, taking Less on a financially-motivated cross-country trip. But, this time, instead of Less as narrator, this book is written from the perspective of Less’s current partner, Freddy.
At the start of this novel, Freddy is secluded in Maine, attempting to write his own novel, while Less remains at their home in San Francisco, learning about the death of his former lover. That event triggers Less’s trip and I won’t say more about the plot other than the book follows Less on that trip.
But for me, with Greer, it’s not the plot or action that holds my interest. As with LESS, it’s Greer’s distinctive voice. Here again is the quirky irreverence, self-deprecation, and clever humor that I have come to associate with this author. I often find myself smiling as I read. Greer has a gift for assembling just the right words to point out the ridiculous, self-importance writers too often attach to themselves.
Don’t miss this opportunity to delve into Less’s damaged but lovable psyche. He as human a character as you can find in any book, just as flawed as the rest of us.
More about Andrew Sean Greer.
You may be interested in my review of the prequel, LESS.
Or my review of another book by Greer, THE STORY OF A MARRIAGE.
Toby A. Smith 