Less: A Novel follows Arthur Less, a struggling writer about to turn fifty, who receives an invitation to his former boyfriend’s wedding. Unable to face the humiliation of attending—and the awkwardness of refusing—he seizes a different escape: a patchwork tour of dubious literary events around the globe.
Arthur’s misadventures carry him from Paris and Berlin to a Moroccan ski chalet, a Christian retreat centre in southern India, and a remote island in the Arabian Sea. Along the way he endures comic mishaps, near-romances, and brushes with disaster, all while confronting old loves, fading ambitions, and the fear of growing older.
Blending sharp satire of the American abroad with a tender, offbeat love story, this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel offers a witty meditation on time, heartbreak, and the strange ways we find courage. It’s ideal for readers who enjoy literary fiction that is both funny and deeply humane.
- Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
- Bittersweet romantic comedy with a middle-aged protagonist
- Global settings, from Europe to India and North Africa
- Explores love, aging, identity, and second chances
