With sequels, come skepticism, and when the first in the series won the Pulitzer Prize, it’s tempting to expect just a replay of what worked well before. One critic called for a better evaluation of American Life; others said it’s a mixed blessing of a book. I’m in the other camp – with those who love this book’s ability to balance funny bits with powerful observations, including references to Shakespeare, Don Quixote, Elizabeth Bishop, the Odyssey, in scenes that can only be called slapstick. This wonderful book is about two interdependent journeys of self-discovery, and it’s unexpectedly complicated and moving.
Greer, Andew Sean. Less Is Lost. Little, Brown and Company, 2022, p. 7.