“Less” by Andrew Sean Greer | Gay, Lonely, and Hilarious

“Less,” the Pulitzer-winning novel by Andrew Sean Greer, is a funny account of a lonely gay man.

The story follows Arthur Less, a 49-year-old middle-of-the-road writer, who has lost his flow, his standing, and his lover of nine years. When that same lover, Freddy Pelu, invites Arthur to his wedding to another man, Arthur can’t bear to attend. Instead, he arranges a string of international trips paid for in-full by peculiar literature organizations, obscure university programs, and food writing gigs.

Off Arthur goes, escaping the reality of his heartbreak. But, as he lands in Mexico City, in Germany, in Morocco, in India, the heartbreak follows him.

Sporadically, memories of Freddy return to him (and thus to the reader). Tired and defeated, Arthur resigns himself to the idea that the romance was not meant to last. About to turn fifty, committed just to himself and finishing his next novel, he swats these memories away with a sigh.

In every country, he encounters the extraordinary—loyal fans, an impromptu lover, a desert storm. But he is so preoccupied with his sorrow that everything that happens to him becomes hilariously untimely.

The author, Andrew Sean Greer, comments on the novel’s comedic tone in an interview with PBS NewsHour.

“It was a funny novel about someone in pain,” Greer says. “[…] Comedy is usually from a sad story that you just decide to tell a different way. And that’s what happened. I spent about a year on it as a sort of poignant novel … and it just felt like another middle-aged guy novel, and I just thought it was absurd … [so] I decided to change it. And from there, it happened very fast, because that was the way into the book.”

Arthur Less’s dark nonchalance is hysterical—and this is the novel’s greatest strength. Midway through the second chapter, you feel like you know him. You start to predict how he will react, what he will say. The character is unique and well-developed. You learn more and more about him as the adventure unfolds.

As such, “Less” is one-part adventure story, another part coming-of-(middle)-age. It’s a queer story. It’s dark comedy at its finest. But what it’s not is a love story.

Yes, it is Arthur’s heartbreak that fuels the narrative. Yes, it is his sad failures at love that haunt him in each new city. And throughout, his love for Freddy is painfully obvious. But “Less” is neither a romance nor a tale of destined love.

“Less” is a story about a man at war with himself, trapped by his memories, unaware of his bravery, and scared of happy endings. And it’s that combination, supremely relatable, especially in the gay community, that makes this a book about acceptance—accepting oneself, accepting others, and accepting love as a viable, realistic option.

Greer goes on to comment on Arthur’s sexuality with PBS Newshour.

“I tried 20 years ago to write a book about a contemporary gay life, and I just couldn’t do it, couldn’t figure out how to write the story. And somehow, this time, maybe — maybe it’s the society that’s changed,” Greer says. “It certainly shocks me to see so many people reading this book about a gay man traveling around the world, and they never talk about [him being gay]. They talk about him as a character, and that really moves me. 20 years ago, I think this would have been in a certain part of the bookstore, and now it’s for everybody, and that really — it’s touching.”

The book is not anchored by Arthur’s gay identity. There is no coming-out story, no exploration of gay stigma, and characters are introduced with more meaningful descriptors. In this way, the book helps to normalize gay life.

The book, however, is definitely anchored by Arthur’s loneliness. And aren’t gay men—and queer folks at large—more susceptible to loneliness than other groups?

Through childhood and then adulthood, lacking the resources and proper rights, queer people have had to endure life solo, on the sidelines. Even today, blessed with community and pride and growing representation in books and on screen, loneliness is part of the queer experience from the start.

On the podcast, Gay Men Going Deeper, Michael Dilorio breaks down the four different kinds of loneliness.

• Emotional loneliness — lacking genuine closeness to another person (ex. a break-up)
• Social loneliness — lacking a sense of belonging to a community
• Situational loneliness — circumstantial and often temporary (ex. a global pandemic)
• Chronic loneliness — a compilation of the first three long enough that loneliness becomes part of one’s identity

Arthur Less experiences all four. So, perhaps the book is gayer than it seems.

Abandoned by Freddy, turned down by his publisher, and on a world adventure without any one person to share the whole ordeal with, Arthur keeps himself company with the memories of love lost.

So bogged down by the memories of his life, in Japan, he literally gets locked in a room full of items that trigger nostalgia. It’s only when he breaks down the wall with his fist that the novel can find its end. Here he escapes this room; here he escapes the solitude of his recollections.

He returns home, to San Francisco—one arm bandaged, a cast on his leg (he stepped on a needle in India). It’s almost as if the only way to distract from inner pain is to be inflicted with physical pain. At the very least it’s funny.

Exploring the world, Arthur Less explored himself. At times, he makes discoveries. In the end, he believes he is brave.

Content creator Kevin T. Norman, who specializes in literature and runs a publishing imprint, tells LATV that “Less” is a must-read for queer and non-queer readers alike. Check out our exclusive conversation on The Q Agenda below.