Less Is Lost (Arthur Less #2)

by Andrew Sean Greer

You are seeing suffering, Robert used to say when confronted with a horrible person. You are seeing someone in pain.

The problem in the world is that we aren’t kind to one another. It’s kindness and human spirit that drives us. We have one another. That’s all we have. We must celebrate them. Remember that. I don’t care who you love, but if you love someone…if you love someone, you have to love them every day. You have to choose them every day.”

we are all having different experiences.

said I didn’t want everything to change, I just wanted this one thing to change. My marriage. Zohra said”—and Rebecca clears her throat before channeling Zohra’s British accent—“‘Fuck that.’” Less sees his sister transform into his old straight-talking friend as she reads from her phone. “‘Fuck that. You don’t get that, Rebecca. This isn’t redecorating, this is house-on-fire shit. This is grabbing what to save. This is leaving shit behind. This is once-in-a-lifetime suffering and pain and heartache and yet it may be your only chance to decide what you really want. None of this I don’t want to change bullshit. Hell no—you’ve changed. That’s happened. Now what? Everything changes and this one fucking time, you’re in charge of it, my God, so choose! Make the wrong choice, that’s fine! That’s fine! But choose.’”

the truth of existence has not quite pierced his soul: That in real life, there are no protagonists. Or, rather, the reverse: It’s nothing but protagonists. It’s protagonists all the way down.