Pisaries Creator

Publisher: Lee Boudreaux Books

Publication Date: July 2017

Number of Pages: 272

I picked this book up at a used bookstore. The chance of winning a Pulitzer is higher than winning the lottery but still relatively low when it comes down to it. That’s why I found it a little humorous to read some of the negative reviews after I read the book. The best one was someone asked how this book ever win the Pulitzer. Let’s not go down this alleyway. There are movies that never should have won the Oscar for Best Picture. Yet, the movie was a hit due to factors seen and unseen. Regarding this book, I see the Andrew Sean Greer as deserving of this award as past winners, but the book will not be for everyone due to the subject matter. If you take the fact it is written by a gay man about a gay character out of the equation, this book is a great read. The first thing I noticed is the narration and how it weaved back and forth between perspectives. I never knew who the secret storyteller was until the end, but it didn’t matter. Less was written in third person (omniscient). The substance of this book is sort of built around a mid-life crisis of a middle-aged man while he sorts out his past choices during his present travels to different countries. Most of the chapters Arthur Less is in a new country for different reasons and in each country discovers himself and reflects on his past friends, family, and romantic partners. In each new country, he discovered and accepts his life as it is now. This book wouldn’t have been as impactful if it wasn’t rooted in humor, realism, and honesty. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who identifies with aging and the questions that appear when you can’t get up as easily as you once did among other things age does to a person.