Our score
Excellent
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Less Audiobook by Andrew Sean Greer— narrated by Robert Petkoff
Less is Andrew Sean Greer's warm, witty comedy about a failing novelist who flees his ex's wedding by accepting every half-baked literary invitation around the globe: a tender satire of middle age, vanity, and heartbreak that turns out to be a love story in disguise.
Why the audiobook wins
Less is a comedy of a man running from his feelings across several time zones, and Robert Petkoff's narration is what keeps Arthur Less endearing rather than pathetic while he does it. Petkoff finds the self-deprecating wit under Greer's ornate, playful prose and never oversells the jokes, letting the humor land the way good comic timing always does, a beat behind where you expect it.
The novel's pleasures are almost all in voice, Greer's narrator (revealed late, and worth not spoiling) has a wry, affectionate remove from Arthur that Petkoff captures without tipping the twist early. That makes this one of the rarer audiobooks where the performance is doing real narrative work, not just delivering the prose. It's an easy, warm listen for a weekend trip, funny enough for the car and tender enough for the quiet parts after.
Greer's Pulitzer-winning comedy about turning fifty and getting left behind plays even better read aloud than read silently. One credit, and Arthur's ridiculous itinerary is yours for the ride.
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Audiobook questions
- Who narrates the Less audiobook?
- Robert Petkoff narrates the audiobook edition of Less.
- Is the Less audiobook worth listening to?
- We scored Less 4.1 out of 5. Less is a comedy of a man running from his feelings across several time zones, and Robert Petkoff's narration is what keeps Arthur Less endearing rather than pathetic while he does it. Petkoff finds the self-deprecating wit under Greer's ornate, playful prose and never oversells…
- Can I listen to Less free with an Audible trial?
- Eligible new Audible members can use a free-trial credit to listen in the Audible app. Eligibility and current offer terms are set by Audible.
