Andrew Sean Greer excites us with his award-winning novel by taking us around the globe.
"How can so many things become a bore by middle age - philosophy, radicalism, and other fast foods - but heartbreak keeps its sting?"
When faced with an ex-partner's wedding invitation, a middle-aged writer decides to escape on a world tour by accepting to appear at literary events of questionable renown. The much-desired flight introduces just the opportunity he needs to disappear from social circles and seek the inspiration he doesn't get at home to re-evaluate his own worth.
As a young man, Arthur Less "an author now too old to be fresh and too young to be rediscovered", had been captivated by the talents of the Russian River School bringing himself uncapable of artistic innovation as a middle-aged man. In front of everyday challenging thoughts that only turn out to be more poignant during travel, Arthur looks towards a mental escape as well as a physical one.
Across diverse countries, cafés and reunions, the novel reflects upon the different natures of relationships and marriage, posing the question about what love can look like. The possession of love letters from a legendary writer operate on Less rendering him feeling detached from any sort of recognition, not even literary. The tastes and experiences may prove attractive for those back home, but our protagonist only wishes to care for someone again. When the intricate nature of love makes way, it is hard to continue being a carefree wonderer.
The witty phrases that infiltrate the novel produce the armor that shields our errant knight and makes this reading a fun endeavor to pursue. With an intention of writing about a serious subject, the best way Andrew Sean Greer found to tell his tale was resorting to comicality.
We feel this novel needs no further introduction but rather we encourage readers to get lost in the moment as the protagonist frequently does. Undoubtedly, we will be hearing more in the future about Greer's talent.
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