Makaya Wiseley Brown
2206 Prather Lane
Austin, Texas 78704
(512)-673-2213
August 20, 2020
The Pulitzer Hall
2950 Broadway
New York, NY USA 10027
(212)-854-3841
Dearest Pulitzer Prize Judging Panel,
Less may be the title of the book but I expected more from a Pulitzer Prize Winner. My name is Makaya Wiseley Brown and I am a junior at Ann Richards. Although the storyline of Less by Andrew Sean Greer is intriguing at first glance, this book made the protagonist just plain uninteresting and annoying which shaped the book and plot to feel slow and simple.
There is no other way to put it, Arthur Less lives up to his name. He brings down the story with his dull characteristics and personality. While he does have some redeeming qualities they all disappear when he continues on the way he thinks and reflects on his life. Arthur Less tends to dwell on the past which makes his character quite frankly annoying. While he’s on this amazing life journey everywhere he cannot escape thinking about all his life mistakes and past. “Here, all this time, Less thought he was merely a bad writer. A bad lover, a bad friend, a bad son. Apparently the condition is worse; he is bad at being himself.” (Sean greer) It is so clear that Arthur Less has been somebody different to everybody else, he does’t even know who he is. His character has just bee deterioraing ove time and now is a dull, boring, and hollow version of who he used to be.
Arthur Less changes the way the story line was supposed to feel. The story line of a semi-successful author with unstable relationships and a life going downhill. This opportunity he was given to travel the world came at the perfect time with his ex’s wedding invite. With ups and downs in the plot and great love that’s unforgettable. “So many people will do. But once you’ve actually been in love, you can’t live with “will do”; it’s worse than living with yourself.” (Sean Greer) This quote shows how Arthur Less is a passionate lover. This story line is really unique and would draw most people in, but the protagonist Arthur Less changes the whole story by the combination between character and story line. And ruins the plot with his irritating personality.
The story line of Less by Andrew Sean Greer introduces the story in a captivating way, with ups and downs in the plot and great love that’s unforgettable but the protagonist Arthur Less dragged down the feel of the book, by his uneventful and poorly developed character. The combination of Arthur’s tiresome personality and good story line made the book fall short and didn’t live up to the expectations of an award as distinguished as the Pulitzer. The American Pulitzer Prize that this book won in 2018 was supposed to be a comedy but wasn’t funny at all. Everything felt drab and the word choice wasn’t exciting enough. The plot was good, up and down, wrapped up well but so repetitive. In conclusion, I don’t think that this book deserved a Pulitzer Prize.
Sincerely,
Makaya Wiseley Brown
Makaya's writing 