Welcome to Litsy!

In order to avoid an awkward wedding invite, Arthur Less finds himself on a international adventure. A fun, light novel with some charming and humorous lines. This book doesn‘t take itself too seriously and I don‘t think we are supposed to, even if the Pulitzer implies something more literary or groundbreaking. 7/10

This is much deeper in the look at relationships than at first glance. I loved the unfolding of Arthur's relationships with Robert, Miriam, and Freddy. I particularly loved the look at elder gay men and their lives as they look back. Arthur is a likable character even as he stumbles around.

"It is, after all, almost a miracle they are here. Not because they've survived the booze, the hashish, the migraines. Not that at all. It's that they survived everything in life, humiliations and disappointments and heartaches and missed opportunities, bad dads and bad jobs and bad sex and bad drugs, all the trips and mistakes and face-plants of life, to have made it to fifty"

#bookmail

I'm having a hell of a flare up day. Lupus sucks. ☹️ I did yard work for one day and I've had three days of joint pain, insane fatigue, and labored breathing as a result. I woke up today feeling like my hands were on fire and someone was sitting on my chest. I'm going to spend the next two days doing nothing but reading in bed which would normally sound fun, but not when I'm forced to. Sorry for the vent post. 🤍

I listened to the first 75 minutes, and I just couldn't find anything to care about.

I know there are a lot of mixed reviews on this one, but I really liked it. Arthur Less, about to turn 50, sets out to travel around the world to avoid the fact that the man he loves is about to marry someone else.
#12Booksof2023 @Andrew65

Not quite as moving as I was expecting based on other reviews but still enjoyable. I particularly liked the writing style where the author changed perspectives to subtly describe an event happening.

Quick, funny, and tenderhearted.

I‘m excited to see the author speak at a local library in a few weeks.

Another paint to audiobook! I didn‘t relate to this novel and didn‘t find the MC likable, in fact I found him annoying. There is some arrested development - my armchair diagnosis. 😜

Guess that‘s why I am not a Pulitzer judge. 🤣🤣

Well it won a Pulitzer so don‘t take my word for it but this is a great book.

#pulitzer #novel

I'll admit I went looking for a 'Secret Life of Walter Mitty' caper, but I'm charmed enough not to mind it turning out to be something quieter. Some ridiculous happenstances on the journey, but the narrative skirts both comically slapstick and tragically profound. More wry, less drama. Reflections on growing older, on relationships. A love story? You'll have to read to find out. 😉
⚠️ recreational drug use

From now on, I will be referring to all pastry crumbs as "buttered confetti". ??

The man is LEAVING THE COUNTRY to avoid an awkward social engagement. I have never related to anything so hard in my LIFE.

Do you think you can be a #mellowcharacter while being as neurotic as Less? Cause that‘s how he always struck me… I should really reread this one, it was SO much fun! #maymontage @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

I've been very bad at posting lately and I have a couple of reviews outstanding but I was updating my book journal and had to share this wonderful extract from Less ❤️

This was tough, but Less won out as my favorite so far. 💙

Arthur is a failed novelist about to turn 50, his ex boyfriend is getting married and to avoid going to the wedding or admitting the defeat of just refusing he goes for a tour around the world to half-baked literary events. It took me a bit to get into this one, poor Arthur Less is so mediocre that it's difficult to engage with him, that's until you fall in love with him and with his half bothered ways and total lack of awareness and he starts ⬇️

📖 2-11-23 || This is a soft pick for me. Pulitzer winner, dark humor, quick read. I can see why this gets mixed reviews. So many say they find Less unloveable yet I think that‘s entirely the point here. It‘s a story of Less coming to fully accept himself and his life in midlife and I suspect this is somewhat autobiographical.

Just the dark comedy I needed.Arthur Less not only has a recent ex, the ex is getting married.The best way to evade the yes/no of the invite seems to be jumping into a worldwide literary tour.While Less travels, he ruminates on the state of his life & finds memories of other loves in his travels.When you are about to hit 50, you find you have more baggage than the kind that gets lost at the airport.Clever & well written.

Arthur Less is a failing author, who has a fairly boring life. Just as he's getting ready to turn 50, his on-again/off-again boyfriend announces that he's getting married to someone else. To avoid the wedding, Arthur accepts every speaking or teaching engagement he's been invited to in various cities and countries, and sets off around the world.
#LitsyLoveReads

Saturday morning #coffeeandabook
#Roll100

“From where I sit, the story of Arthur Less is not so bad.“

#firstlinefridays
#currentlyreading

Really enjoyed this tale of a mediocre novelist going to a bunch of overseas literary events & invites to avoid thinking about his problems. The writing was so good that it made it a quick read, although its a quiet slow moving novel in many ways. I know it‘s meant to be funny but I found it more wistful; Less is bumbling, naive and emotionally lost and his comments would make me smile - I think I felt too sympathetic for him to laugh maybe?

I absolutely loved the way the writing flowed through this book. I wish I loved the characters too.

One of the trees in our home. It is not in its permanent home, it is leaning. I took the picture because Sherlock and Watson looked so cute napping next to it. #WinterReadathonDailyChallenge #WinterReadathon @Andrew65

Just a gay at a Broadway show. Nothing to see here 🤣🤣🤣

I met one more #JubilantJuly goal today by reading this book.
I loved this adventurous story of Arthur Less, a gay middle-aged man who goes on a trip around the world to have an excuse to miss his ex‘s wedding.
The shifting pov and time frames were a challenge for me, but I still enjoyed riding along on Less‘s journey. It also won a #PulitzerPrize. Bonus points for #OwnVoices . Read if you like love stories.
👔👔👔👔

✅ 2/2 books
@Andrew65

Overall a very fun and whimsical read. This book started out great then took a dip in the middle with too much detail and slow pacing and then picked up again towards the end.

Here‘s what I want to read this month!
🐠 Today I finished Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell - a brief and fascinating history of Hawaii, perfect for this Independence Day
🌊 The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, and Granta 115: The F Word (Feminism) for the #MonthlyKeyWordGXO challenge (June: sea, July: word)
🏳️‍🌈 (Tagged), and The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow for book club
📚 See any you‘ve read and loved?
#JulyTBR #tbr

I kept thinking I might not finish this book because it seemed a bit shallow… but the travels of Less draw you in as you realize the complexity of his character lies in his simple-ness. Recommend this as a summer read, brain break, on a long plane ride, or anywhere you can enjoy simply reading.

Finished up #20in4 with 12 hours of reading. Which included listening to this fun book. It was a bit cheesy and obvious but I still enjoyed traveling around the world with Arthur Less. Some clever writing and I did legit LOL.
@Andrew65

I loved this book. The writing is beautiful. In reading other reviews, I was amazed how people said they wanted to hate this book but couldn‘t. I‘m perplexed why they would come to a book wanting to hate it. The inner life of this character is Everyman. And especially every gay man. It‘s funny and tenderhearted and invites, once you‘ve finished, to want to start all over again.

enjoyed this as a light, quick read that packed a few hidden punches. Greer is a talented writer who is aware of his abilities. A lot of people seem to be going on about the humor in it and it is funny at times but it‘s a very superficial humor. Would recommend reading with a glass of white wine nearby.

In order to avoid attending his ex-boyfriend‘s wedding, Author Less, a writer, decides to accept multiple invitations for literary events spread across the world. This is an hilarious and brilliant novel. A must read.

Next up from #mountTBR

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was my second time reading this book. I really enjoyed this story and found myself really choking up at some of the relationship moments and moments when other people put down Less‘s writing career. The reflections on how other people would define Less or define his feelings but never would let Less define himself also really spoke to me. Book club discussion was also excellent!

Nope. Not for me.
Gave it 80 pages but have no interest or thoughts on him so am bailing...

Random library pick...
Has promising reviews from you guys!

This was not what I was expecting. It drew me in and then I had to know what Less was going to do.

My copy of Less is an ARC that has languished on my shelf for years because it just seemed a little bland… even after it won the freaking Pulitzer. 😆

Surprise! I absolutely loved this book. SO FUNNY (literally LOL funny) at times, but also very honest and sad. Lovely writing and I just love Arthur completely. His self-deprecating, middle aged wandering confusion, denial, and haplessness, and all of the people he meets! Brilliant.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This won the Pulitzer? A novel where basically nothing happens and there is absolutely no character growth? I must be missing something, as other reviewers have called this book clever, emotional and beautifully written, while also referring to Arthur Less as loveable and fascinating. I think we must have read different books.

This was my #BookSpin pick for December. @TheAromaofBooks

Less gave me a lot of positive feelings! It is worth noting that the pop music and literature references are on point!

I think I loved the idea of this book more than the actual book. Arthur is invited to his ex-lovers wedding, rather than go he plans an elaborate excuse involving a round the world trip.

Whilst I enjoyed the descriptions of international travel and experiences I wasn't that engaged by the main character.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Gay writer goes on a trip around the world to escape the wedding of a former lover. A bit of a twist on Eat, Pray, Love in a way. I enjoyed it. The audiobook was a great companion for some weekend cooking and yard work.

#FallTreasures Day 9: For all intents and purposes, Arthur Less, protagonist in this story, was not really suffering from #MidLifeCrisis. He was described by other characters in the book as having a Peter Pan vibe to him, as if he has never truly grown up. There is a subtle innocence to him that is totally guileless, mildly irritating, but generally harmless. My full review: https://wp.me/sDlzr-beauty

#AugustReport