Less is writing a book about a middle-aged white American, a Flâneur of sorts. The novel’s self-awareness didn’t stop me from wanting to criticise it. I wasn’t interested in the characters or in our protagonist’s self-discovery…in spite of its short length this novel bored me. There are many instances were emotional depth was lost to satire. The countries themselves blend together and combine into an irrelevant landscapes that only once succeeds in stirring some emotion in Less (and after this moment of being affect by his surroundings follows a silly joke). The story as such consists in a series of mini misadventures, where Less travels from country to country ( trying to ignore his age, career, and love life) misunderstands, time and again, everybody around him. I would felt much more connected to Less if the story had been told directly through his pov or in a way that allowed us to glimpse his feelings and thoughts. Which might have worked if the narrator didn’t turn out to be (view spoiler).
Although for the most part it is narrated in 3rd person, we soon discover that the story is actually being narrated by an omniscient narrator.
One of the things that distanced me from the story and our main character was the narrating style. Not only does Greer lampoon the literary world but almost every scene ends up being satirical of someone or something. I’m sure I won’t be the first or last person to find Less to be a bit less than expected.Īlthough it had its moments, for the most part I found myself annoyed by its employment of satire.
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