Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Less

A great read! Hilarious in an intellectual way. Recommended for those who love travel literature. I loved going into this character's world.

Favorite quotes:

"What does one ever ask an author except: 'How?'" (pg. 8)
"Once you've actually been in love, you can't live with 'will do'; it's worse than living with yourself." (pg. 15)
"Like a bad lay, a bad musical can still do its job perfectly well." (pg. 22)
"What was it like to live with genius? Like living alone. Like living alone with a tiger." (pg. 65)
"Was this why we all threw stones at the police, for weddings?" (pg. 78)
"He kisses...like someone who has just learned a foreign language and can use only the present tense and only the second person. Only now, only you." (pg. 113)

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spineofthesaurus's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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mostlyvoidpartiallystars's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I liked this book both more and less than I expected, somehow! I thought it would be more of an outright comedy - think Hitchhiker's Guide - but it was more lighthearted and amusing than laugh out loud funny. The tone was much more reflective than I expected. Honestly, it felt like a very gentle satirization of contemporary literature - I felt like it both had a lot of love for the genre, while also pointing out the many ways it can be elitist, privileged, and out of touch.

And, for my recurring section: Do they bury their gays?

no. The main character does not die, and there are many other queer characters who do not die. A lot of relationships do end, some more sadly than others, but none are outright tragic, and there are interesting reflections on queer happiness and love throughout. Neither primary romance of the story ends in tragedy or death.

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pastlifetragedy's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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skunze's review against another edition

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alexisgarcia's review against another edition

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hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

i was surprised by how much this disappointed me. i’ve heard a few rave about this book and it’s been nominated for and won many awards. i really didn’t understand the hype and felt like it was a pretty lack luster story. i feel like maybe i just didn’t understand it or something idk.

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leethrp's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

What an adventure of a novel!

This book grew on me the more I read it– my appreciation grew more with every chapter and, at last, came to a wholesome, satisfying hault with Less' ending. Initially, or around halfway through the novel, my preemptive review lingered around a 3 star rating, but upon finishing Less and turning the corners of the last few pages, this book sits at a solid 4 out of 5.

The writing is sweet, playful, and primarily lighthearted while still able to instill a serious impression when circumstances call for it. The dialogue is convincing, charming, and witty. Delicious figurative language litters almost every page and charming narration follows throughout.

There is a kind of soft unpredictability in all the right places in this novel, making it a comfortable read with the right amount of excitement that kept me engaged with Greer's writing.

It is hard to place what exactly kept Less from a perfect 5 star rating—possibly my preference for heavier content in my reads—but nonetheless, Arthur Less and his narrator were a joy to journey with around the world.

I'd highly recommend picking up this book if you're looking for queer contemporary fiction with a satirical spin, a book rich with description that will sweep you away to foreign countries with its protagonist, or a novel that candidly reckons with aging, break-ups, romance, and the tragedy of a birthday.

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katerinakr's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

This book would make a perfect Netflix show. More than perfect. Hopefully, we'll see one.

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