Less by Andrew Sean Greer
I picked up this novel when I saw it had won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction this year. The novel follows Arthur Less, a man who is nearly fifty, and is wanting to avoid going to the wedding of his recent lover. Arthur had had a long term relationship with an older man, Robert Brownburn, that started when he was twenty-one. Brownburn was a famous poet, and he encouraged Arthur to write as well. Arthur has had some success, but nothing like Brownburn.
In the fifteen or so years since his breakup with Brownburn he'd lived alone, having a series of lovers, including a nine-year relationship with Freddy Pelu, the nephew of Carlos Pelu, a man he's always had a sort-of competition with. Arthur doesn't feel up to attending Freddy's wedding, but he knows that if he just doesn't go, there will be much talk.
Noticing an invitation in his email, he suddenly decides that he will accept all the invitations to speak, go to awards ceremonies, teach seminars, and take on overseas assignments that he can, so that he can legitamately say that he is out of the country.
As we follow Arthur from his home in San Francisco, to New York City, Mexico City, Turin, Berlin, Morocco (a legitimate vacation), India, and Japan, we watch him leave his comfort zone, and experience life in ways he hadn't expected he could. We also watch as he begins to realize things about himself.
This a book that has humour, insight, and a great story. Loved it.
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