Machel Shull's Blog - Posts Tagged "must-read-books"
Arthur Less, LESS book recommendation
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Less by Andrew Sean Greer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
SPOILERS-I have reached my limit on my top favorite 30 book shelf awhile ago..but actually this one belongs on the 'the books that made time stand still.'
Not all books that win awards end up being my favorite. But this book LESS, may be my favorite book since Life of Pi.
I found myself just reveling in each vignette, each country, each memory, each metaphor, analogy, Lessian Blue that revealed itself to us in a view across the Tahiti blue sea.
The narrator? I won't spoil that. But, I became overwhelmed with joy when I began to guess who was telling the story. I have to admit I did speed read the ending and then had to go back to read and drink in slowly.
The prose in the book reminded me of the beauty of detail, true writing and what it means to love a character. I predict Arthur Less becomes like Holly in Breakfast at Tiffany's; forever immortal in the words of literature.
BRAVO to ANDREW SEAN GREER.
My heart soared. My heart sank. My heart laughed with fondness and tenderness of Arthur's big midlife jaunt just to miss an ex's wedding. I loved the truths and the flaws of Arthur's character that kept revealing just a little more as we followed Arthur across the world just to forget Freddy.
But the scarf, the yellow one that showed up in Japan took my breath away. The the Goodwill box and the odds of it ending up there at that very moment at the end of his journey to reveal to him just how much Freddy had meant and how he was more than just a past beau.
A symbol and a memory sent to Arthur via his mother's yellow scarf that had been left behind and donated to charity after cancer had taken his mother away...that memory really pierced my soul.
The book starts off quietly with a simple task of taking a journey to author events and a teaching
stint in Berlin, but be forewarned-It soon gallops into your heart at full speed when the plane touches down in Mexico.
Of course, I love Mexico.
I loved the memories of Robert, the poet.
I loved the Skype session at the end...well, closing in toward the end of the book.
I loved the memories from different time periods scattered in and around the world on Arthur Less's journey to forget that he's turning 50 and he just lost the love of his life.
I love it more than I can write here.
This book reminded me of Life of Pi in some strange way and also of Evening by Susan Minot.
Characters reflecting on what was lost and time past and how to move forward anyway...whether that means to live another day, to die or to find out when you arrive home in the middle of the night after a trip around the world, someone might be waiting under the yellow light of your doorstep awaiting your return.
Do we get to return?
Does life go in full circle?
Somehow Arthur less finds himself for the first time as he reaches in a little deeper to reflect on what it means to love, lose and to love again.
View all my reviews
Less by Andrew Sean GreerMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
SPOILERS-I have reached my limit on my top favorite 30 book shelf awhile ago..but actually this one belongs on the 'the books that made time stand still.'
Not all books that win awards end up being my favorite. But this book LESS, may be my favorite book since Life of Pi.
I found myself just reveling in each vignette, each country, each memory, each metaphor, analogy, Lessian Blue that revealed itself to us in a view across the Tahiti blue sea.
The narrator? I won't spoil that. But, I became overwhelmed with joy when I began to guess who was telling the story. I have to admit I did speed read the ending and then had to go back to read and drink in slowly.
The prose in the book reminded me of the beauty of detail, true writing and what it means to love a character. I predict Arthur Less becomes like Holly in Breakfast at Tiffany's; forever immortal in the words of literature.
BRAVO to ANDREW SEAN GREER.
My heart soared. My heart sank. My heart laughed with fondness and tenderness of Arthur's big midlife jaunt just to miss an ex's wedding. I loved the truths and the flaws of Arthur's character that kept revealing just a little more as we followed Arthur across the world just to forget Freddy.
But the scarf, the yellow one that showed up in Japan took my breath away. The the Goodwill box and the odds of it ending up there at that very moment at the end of his journey to reveal to him just how much Freddy had meant and how he was more than just a past beau.
A symbol and a memory sent to Arthur via his mother's yellow scarf that had been left behind and donated to charity after cancer had taken his mother away...that memory really pierced my soul.
The book starts off quietly with a simple task of taking a journey to author events and a teaching
stint in Berlin, but be forewarned-It soon gallops into your heart at full speed when the plane touches down in Mexico.
Of course, I love Mexico.
I loved the memories of Robert, the poet.
I loved the Skype session at the end...well, closing in toward the end of the book.
I loved the memories from different time periods scattered in and around the world on Arthur Less's journey to forget that he's turning 50 and he just lost the love of his life.
I love it more than I can write here.
This book reminded me of Life of Pi in some strange way and also of Evening by Susan Minot.
Characters reflecting on what was lost and time past and how to move forward anyway...whether that means to live another day, to die or to find out when you arrive home in the middle of the night after a trip around the world, someone might be waiting under the yellow light of your doorstep awaiting your return.
Do we get to return?
Does life go in full circle?
Somehow Arthur less finds himself for the first time as he reaches in a little deeper to reflect on what it means to love, lose and to love again.
View all my reviews
