Less Is Lost (The Arthur Less Books Book 2)

Arthur Less, the protagonist from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Less, returns in this sequel. After the death of an old lover and a financial crisis, Less embarks on a cross-country road trip across America, accepting a series of literary engagements that take him from the West through the South to his mid-Atlantic hometown. Less travels with his black pug Dolly and a camper van named Rosina, accompanied by various writerly characters along the way. He adopts new disguises—growing a handlebar mustache, abandoning his gray suit, and attempting various costumes—though he continues to be mistaken for a Dutchman, the wrong writer, or worse. Throughout his journey across deserts, bayous, and coastlines, Less must confront his estranged father, his strained relationship with his partner Freddy Pelu, and his own privilege. The novel explores themes of love, identity, and American life through Less's travels and the stories he encounters.