This book flew under my radar til it won the Pulitzer. I read the synopsis and felt meh about it. So glad I read it anyway because I ended up loving it!

Less follows our protagonist Arthur Less, a moderately successful but not that successful almost 50-year-old writer who sees himself as a failure and others would describe as mediocre, as he journeys around the world to avoid his ex-boyfriend’s wedding. His adventures (or misadventures) are hilarious and the writing is quite witty and clever - I laughed out loud a lot while reading this, which is rare!

Arthur’s naivety and innocence make him a heartwarming character. He gets in his own way, and is seemingly bad at everything - bad at writing, even bad at being gay. Bad luck seems to follow him around, which makes for some seriously funny scenes. The author really ties things together in funny but charming ways.

I keep harping on how funny and clever this book is, but it’s also sweet and there’s a love story that made me tear up. I really grew to care about what would happen to Arthur Less.

If you’re looking for a plot-driven book, I’m not sure you’d love this one. This one is character driven, but fortunately the main character is relatable - not in that he’s an older gay man (obviously I am not), but in that he struggles with mediocrity, and his observations on life are easy to sympathize with.

Overall this book is just really enjoyable and lovely. I plan to reread it, as I think knowing the ending would give me more insight the second time around. Also, I’m sure I missed a ton of the subtle humor throughout. I see why this won the Pulitzer, and I’d recommend most people give this book a try.