K'Lynn 7.5
I had heard Lynn Neary on NPR review this book around Christmas and I put it on my list to read. The closer it came to my pick for Book Club I started to think this would be a good pick. He won the Pulitzer Prize for this book and it's so refreshing to have a book like this win the Pulitzer.
This book could be, for some, a been-there seen-that kind of a book. I found it richly written and I related to Arthur Less so much more than other books I've read. Flaws and all Arthur was my kind of person. The author and I are the same age . . . could be part of it.
I adored this book. And I'll explain why. I was surprised by this book. So many feelings and fears - love, loss, failure and happiness. Dreams and opportunities missed. Small beautiful moments. Self doubt and insignificant worries. And big worries. Again, loneliness, learning what's important.
This book has what I think makes for a great novel, and especially true for a Pulitzer winner. It is universal at its core. Yes, at first glance it appears as a light-hearted comic love story. It has current themes in American life. But that is just the outer layer of a very tender yet simple and beautiful story of an individual person. The depth of the story sneaks up on you gradually as you get to know the heart of Arthur Less.
I liked the tone of this book. It wasn't sappy or racy. It was fun but it wasn't silly. The writing was gentle and lovely. I loved traveling around the world to exotic places. I enjoyed the way the flashbacks into Less's past gradually filled in the picture of how he got to now.
This book made me feel good. It made me feel a lot of things. It made me think and question. I don't think that things always have to be on a grand scale or to be gimmicky or flashy and new to have greatness in them. This was just plain wonderful. The only things I didn't like about this story was I thought it ended too neatly. Freddy gets married, for one day realizes he's made a huge mistake and is back with Less. Could've ended more realistically. Also all the flashbacks to Robert. I thought in my mind Robert and Freddy were getting married. Throughout the book I kept thinking, Who's Robert? Which one is getting married? Why are we reading about Robert? That confused me and is why I'm not giving this book a 10. This book was rich for me. I borrowed it from the library and I definitely want my own copy.
Miles 8 Prediction 6
Thought that he wouldn't like it. The first two chapters Miles thought that Arthur was too flamboyant, but the writing was magnificent. Humorous and subtle. Liked reading about the world travel scenes and figured Arthur's outlook was how the author saw the world. A downside for Miles was Arthur's promiscuity. Miles described himself as a bit of a prude when it comes to reading about sex, gay or not. Wondered if it were a bit more promiscuous due to the characters being gay, wasn't sure but too much sexual flavor for him either way. Great metaphors threaded throughout every scene which felt a bit forced at times, but overall thought the writing style was head and shoulders above the characters.
I had heard Lynn Neary on NPR review this book around Christmas and I put it on my list to read. The closer it came to my pick for Book Club I started to think this would be a good pick. He won the Pulitzer Prize for this book and it's so refreshing to have a book like this win the Pulitzer.
This book could be, for some, a been-there seen-that kind of a book. I found it richly written and I related to Arthur Less so much more than other books I've read. Flaws and all Arthur was my kind of person. The author and I are the same age . . . could be part of it.
I adored this book. And I'll explain why. I was surprised by this book. So many feelings and fears - love, loss, failure and happiness. Dreams and opportunities missed. Small beautiful moments. Self doubt and insignificant worries. And big worries. Again, loneliness, learning what's important.
This book has what I think makes for a great novel, and especially true for a Pulitzer winner. It is universal at its core. Yes, at first glance it appears as a light-hearted comic love story. It has current themes in American life. But that is just the outer layer of a very tender yet simple and beautiful story of an individual person. The depth of the story sneaks up on you gradually as you get to know the heart of Arthur Less.
I liked the tone of this book. It wasn't sappy or racy. It was fun but it wasn't silly. The writing was gentle and lovely. I loved traveling around the world to exotic places. I enjoyed the way the flashbacks into Less's past gradually filled in the picture of how he got to now.
This book made me feel good. It made me feel a lot of things. It made me think and question. I don't think that things always have to be on a grand scale or to be gimmicky or flashy and new to have greatness in them. This was just plain wonderful. The only things I didn't like about this story was I thought it ended too neatly. Freddy gets married, for one day realizes he's made a huge mistake and is back with Less. Could've ended more realistically. Also all the flashbacks to Robert. I thought in my mind Robert and Freddy were getting married. Throughout the book I kept thinking, Who's Robert? Which one is getting married? Why are we reading about Robert? That confused me and is why I'm not giving this book a 10. This book was rich for me. I borrowed it from the library and I definitely want my own copy.
Miles 8 Prediction 6
Thought that he wouldn't like it. The first two chapters Miles thought that Arthur was too flamboyant, but the writing was magnificent. Humorous and subtle. Liked reading about the world travel scenes and figured Arthur's outlook was how the author saw the world. A downside for Miles was Arthur's promiscuity. Miles described himself as a bit of a prude when it comes to reading about sex, gay or not. Wondered if it were a bit more promiscuous due to the characters being gay, wasn't sure but too much sexual flavor for him either way. Great metaphors threaded throughout every scene which felt a bit forced at times, but overall thought the writing style was head and shoulders above the characters.
Sandy 3 Prediction 3
Sandy hated this book and skimmed like crazy. Found its stereotyping of gays annoying and he's a bad gay for writing it. Took offense to how stereotypical it was. The whole thing consisted of one adventure after another that turn into cute little capers where he winds up feeling more sorry for himself than he did before. Arthur had a whiny soul. A half dozen men try to find your wedding ring in the grocery store? Please, shut up. Get over yourself. The cover wasn't even original! It's a copy of Mad Men. You guys are making me feel like I have no sense of humor.
Leticia 7.75 - 8 Prediction 6
Agreed with everything K'Lynn said. It made her laugh a lot but had a slow start. Savored one chapter at a time. Dense with humor and great metaphors. She too found Art's promiscuity a little off putting. He was described as not attractive, but someone finds him attractive enough everywhere he went. Patches his trip together and sometimes deals with serious issues, but they were dealt with gentleness. Campy picture on the cover. Last name is Less . . . Less is more.
Carolyn 6 Prediction 5
Found it a mid-life crisis book with funny scenes. He doubted himself always and had white male problems that aren't really problems at all. How to avoid a wedding? Travel around the world, of course! Everywhere he would travel something funny would happen. He had lots of affairs and encounters. Was this stereotypical? Liked the bit with Zora in Morocco where she says she's given up smoking. Arthur points out she's smoking still and she says she's given it up several times. Also liked he was, "Well acquainted with humility, the one piece of luggage he hadn't lost." Identified with his feelings of being robbed at the end of a book when the 200 pages at the end of a Proust novel turned out to be the afterword. Thought it was good overall. It was interesting to think that his was the first generation to grow old post AIDS crisis.
Artie 5.5 - 6.25 Prediction 7
Waxed nostalgic about the old pink and gray double erasers mentioned in the book, noting the gray never really worked on ink the way it was supposed to. Took exception to a character's notion that us heterosexuals let sex die in our marriages after so many years. Liked the line, "Woke up introduced to a cup of coffee. Noted that this was essentially a travel novel. Liked Javier's idea that we should look for ways in life to say yes, because we might not get the opportunity again, although not necessarily to have sex. Not really being able to know how a person was before you knew them struck a chord as did the idea that the key to happiness is lowering your expectations. He found it a bit implausible that Arthur ran into people he knew all over the world.
Becky 4.5 Prediction 6.5
Had a hard time getting to know him. One minute he sounds dashing and charming, the next he's described as becoming overweight and balding. Good writer? Bad writer? He was elusive. Couldn't get a clear picture of him in a number of ways other than he liked to sleep around. Freddy? Robert? Which was the love of his life? When everyone was fainting and getting sick around him, what was the real point of that? Could picture his clothes more clearly than who he was or what he looked like. Was bugged that Carlos wanted his letters to Robert. He didn't get them, but kind of a big deal was made about it, and we never know why he wanted them. It was just dropped.
Pat 8 Prediction 7
I loved this story. Laughed out loud many times. I thought the writing was smart and funny without being too catty. The flashbacks worked smoothly. Kellie pointed out that he could be called: Art Less. Artless: without effort or pretentiousness; natural and simple. without skill or finesse. Pretty accurate description and maybe why as a character he's difficult to pin down. I figured out about 3/4 of the way through that Freddy must be the narrator. Thought the story lost some of its steam in Japan, but I enjoyed it very much overall.
Leticia 7.75 - 8 Prediction 6
Agreed with everything K'Lynn said. It made her laugh a lot but had a slow start. Savored one chapter at a time. Dense with humor and great metaphors. She too found Art's promiscuity a little off putting. He was described as not attractive, but someone finds him attractive enough everywhere he went. Patches his trip together and sometimes deals with serious issues, but they were dealt with gentleness. Campy picture on the cover. Last name is Less . . . Less is more.
Carolyn 6 Prediction 5
Found it a mid-life crisis book with funny scenes. He doubted himself always and had white male problems that aren't really problems at all. How to avoid a wedding? Travel around the world, of course! Everywhere he would travel something funny would happen. He had lots of affairs and encounters. Was this stereotypical? Liked the bit with Zora in Morocco where she says she's given up smoking. Arthur points out she's smoking still and she says she's given it up several times. Also liked he was, "Well acquainted with humility, the one piece of luggage he hadn't lost." Identified with his feelings of being robbed at the end of a book when the 200 pages at the end of a Proust novel turned out to be the afterword. Thought it was good overall. It was interesting to think that his was the first generation to grow old post AIDS crisis.
Artie 5.5 - 6.25 Prediction 7
Waxed nostalgic about the old pink and gray double erasers mentioned in the book, noting the gray never really worked on ink the way it was supposed to. Took exception to a character's notion that us heterosexuals let sex die in our marriages after so many years. Liked the line, "Woke up introduced to a cup of coffee. Noted that this was essentially a travel novel. Liked Javier's idea that we should look for ways in life to say yes, because we might not get the opportunity again, although not necessarily to have sex. Not really being able to know how a person was before you knew them struck a chord as did the idea that the key to happiness is lowering your expectations. He found it a bit implausible that Arthur ran into people he knew all over the world.
Becky 4.5 Prediction 6.5
Had a hard time getting to know him. One minute he sounds dashing and charming, the next he's described as becoming overweight and balding. Good writer? Bad writer? He was elusive. Couldn't get a clear picture of him in a number of ways other than he liked to sleep around. Freddy? Robert? Which was the love of his life? When everyone was fainting and getting sick around him, what was the real point of that? Could picture his clothes more clearly than who he was or what he looked like. Was bugged that Carlos wanted his letters to Robert. He didn't get them, but kind of a big deal was made about it, and we never know why he wanted them. It was just dropped.
Pat 8 Prediction 7
I loved this story. Laughed out loud many times. I thought the writing was smart and funny without being too catty. The flashbacks worked smoothly. Kellie pointed out that he could be called: Art Less. Artless: without effort or pretentiousness; natural and simple. without skill or finesse. Pretty accurate description and maybe why as a character he's difficult to pin down. I figured out about 3/4 of the way through that Freddy must be the narrator. Thought the story lost some of its steam in Japan, but I enjoyed it very much overall.
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