Alexander Chiang’s Reviews > Less > Status Update

The book was finally starting to get interesting in Less French. For how insecure Arthur feels, it feels like all the good seats in finding a partner have been taken, and I’m sure any good connection he felt with Javier must be a lifeline for him. I think it only reinforced Arthur’s beliefs that he is invisible as a romantic partner.

“Strange to be almost fifty, no? I feel like I just understood how to be young.”
“Yes! It’s like the last day in a foreign country. You finally figure out where to get coffee, and drinks, and a good steak. And the you have to leave. And you won’t ever be back.”

Holy shit that’s so relatable…

Im sorry, but how are you going to write a gay version of Eat, Pray, Love, and still make it dry and bland as your counterpart? I’m halfway through this book, and Arthur Less simply uses his resources as a white, privileged man to travel around the world, without any self-reflection or growth of his constant fear of aging or his past relationships. All surface level conversations with no sense of vulnerability.