Arthur Less, a mildly successful author, has just learned that his former lover, Freddy, is going to be married. Still not quite sure how they broke up and determined not to attend the wedding, Arthur decides to take advantage of all the offers that have come his way in recent weeks. So he sets out on an around-the-world trip that will take him from a disastrous interview with a well-known science fiction author in New York City to Italy where he may or may not win an award for his writing. From there he'll travel to Berlin to serve as an artist-in-residence and on his way from there to Morocco he'll end up spending a longer than anticipated layover in Paris. But wait! Arthur isn't done traveling yet. After Morocco, he'll visit a writer's retreat in India before ending his journey in Japan to do a food writing review. And somewhere in there, he'll turn fifty.
Along the way and in-between adventures, he'll remember his first love, the renowned poet, Robert Brownward, and their relationship. And always in the background is Freddy and their life together.
Not much goes smoothly on this trip of Arthur's yet he always manages to make it from one stop to the next. Sometimes I wasn't sure if he would! Does he mature and grow along the way? Well, if I told you that, I might ruin the book for you but finding out is both funny and heartwarming. Arthur is an endearing character and I enjoyed his journey a great deal.
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