Less Is Lost by Andrew Sean Green - 4 stars and a smile

[Joy D]

Less Is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer - 4* - My Review

This book is a humorous sequel to Less and takes up where the last book ended. It is a picaresque tale of the hapless but optimistic author, Arthur Less, who has good intentions, but finds that things never go quite right for him. At the beginning of the tale, Arthur’s ex-partner has died and, while attending the funeral, finds himself in debt. To try to repay it, he sets off on a tour requested by his publisher. First, he writes a piece on the famous author H.H.H. Mandarin, and then travels across the country on a wild ride through many states in a run-down RV in the company of a small dog. The story is told from the perspective of Arthur’s current partner, Freddie.

Humor does not always work for me, but I found myself often smiling as I read along. It is not totally comedic. It also contains observations about the long-term impact of childhood abandonment as well as segments about relationships and commitment. Picaresque tales are also hit or miss with me, but this one is definitely a hit.

Memorable passages:

“Only those still at the beginning of this novel would trust the author knows what he is doing. While Less, being an author himself, knows that no author knows what they are doing.”

“They cross the Colorado river and enter Arizona, which announces itself with signs of mineral extraction – towns named Quartzite and Bauxite and Pearlite, teetering on the edge of quarries, and signs for failed mines rebranded as “ghost towns” in the way rickety old hotels with faulty electricity will call themselves “haunted” and add an extra fee.”

“Each couple’s job…was to turn the logs into a seaworthy vessel, including an A-frame shelter…this was all to be done, of course, hip-deep in the river. Having not been raised by longshoremen, I found the knots impossible, but Less had an even harder time….We finished far behind the other couples…quite pleased that our relationship had survived this colossal macrame project. We had however, left one essential item ashore: our food.”

“To love someone ridiculous is to understand something deep and true about the world. That up close, it makes no sense. Those of you who choose sensible people may feel secure, but I think you water your wine. The wonder of life is in its small absurdities, so easily overlooked. And if you have not shared somebody’s tilted view of the horizon, which is the actual world, tell me, what have you really seen?”