Arthur Less

Arthur Less is the protagonist of the novel. He is a 49-year-old novelist struggling with aging and the fading of his literary career. He lives in San Francisco, and when he receives an invitation to his ex-lover’s wedding, he decides to avoid the wedding by accepting invitations he has received for various events around the world. Less is still very much in love with his ex-lover, Freddy, although Less does not wish to admit it, and he uses his international trip as a way of distracting himself from Freddy’s impending marriage.

Arthur is portrayed as a rather hapless, insecure man who faces struggles both in his love life and his professional life. He was once part of a renowned group of San Francisco writers called the Russian River School, and his first novel was widely praised. He used to be in a relationship with Robert...