De glorieuze reis van Arthur Less

More about the book

You are a failed novelist approaching fifty when a wedding invitation arrives: your long-time boyfriend is marrying someone else. Saying yes feels awkward, while saying no seems like defeat. On your desk are numerous literary invitations from around the globe, prompting the question: how do you skip town? The answer is to accept them all. Thus begins an adventurous journey for Arthur Less, taking him to Mexico, Italy, Germany, Morocco, India, and Japan, putting distance between him and the issues he avoids. Along the way, Arthur nearly falls in love in Paris, faces danger in Berlin, escapes a sandstorm in Morocco, and finds himself unexpectedly at a Christian retreat in India. He arrives in Japan too late for the cherry blossoms, encountering a mix of science fiction fans, academics, and exes. As he navigates these experiences, he turns fifty, reflecting on the second phase of his life, which he feels slipping away. Amidst the chaos, he will confront his first love and his last. This narrative is a love story, a satire of the American abroad, and a meditation on time and the heart, showcasing a writer at the height of his craft, exploring our shared human experience.