Less Is Lost (Arthur Less #2)

by Andrew Sean Greer

“You’re a Walloon from Wallonia?” He nodded solemnly. “Is that a Smurf or something?”

He thinks each day will be better than the next; he is wrong. He awakens the next morning and thinks it again; he is wrong.

But what confused him most was how sexually free every man was. Over and over, Less was told that he needed to “loosen up.” He was certain this was true. But how had absolutely everybody else loosened up and not him?

I break things and forget things and put off things until it’s too late, but I always knew somebody was there to…fix things. To be the grown-up. To buy the tickets or find a ride or repair whatever I had screwed up.”

Let us admit Less never had what he wanted—will never have what he wanted. Will never be young with someone and in love.

As for his type (according to his sister), it was perfectly simple: a short, curly-haired man with glasses who would tease and love him endlessly.

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.”

He thought he was the only one for whom ordering a deli sandwich and wrestling an alligator held equal levels of terror.

“Thomas, why are you wearing a sweater when it’s so warm out?” Thomas shrugs slightly and says, “As my grandma Cookie says, we’re all having different experiences.”

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.’”