Less

Since I will not be able to go on holidays this year (I don’t need to mention the cause for this as we all know it), I have lately sort of been indulging myself by getting new books. Just the books I mainly read about recently and that I would like to read RIGHT NOW. For myself I have sort of started to call this The Summer Of Reading Whatever The Hell I Want – so to leave the challenges and ROOTS and ARCs be for a bit and just pick up whatever books screams loudest at me.

This is what brought me Less – no pun intended. Pulitzer winner of 2018, it was described to me as the ultimate feelgood book. Having just finished The House in the Cerulean Sea, another ultimate feelgood novel, I was ready for another one.

Less, the main character who I suppose doesn’t coincidentally happen to go by the name Less, is almost fifty and facing a crisis. His biggest accomplishment so far in his life has been his relationship with a famous poet. When he is invited to the wedding of another ex-boyfriend, he takes all the invitations from around the world that he has lying around and embarks on a journey where he will have to come to terms with the situation and himself.

This was indeed a feelgood in that you know it will end well and all, but somehow I was hoping for a little bit more. There is the tragedy sure that Less might not have fought hard enough for the things he wanted and he fears it is too late, but I was missing some real growth for the character. Even the ending had less to do with Less and his journey. Also, the writing was in a particular style which didn’t really resonate for me. However, it was a very quick and uplifting read.