Peter Nash, one of our English Department faculty members, has recently published his latest book, titled The Least of It. Opening one late spring morning in Mexico City, The Least of It tells the story of an American translator who is reunited with his longtime friend, a New York psychiatrist, after years of estrangement.
Spanning a single day, the novel follows the two characters as they tour a small museum, walk and talk through a vast and sprawling park in the center of Mexico City, finally making their way, just as evening is falling, to dinner in a local restaurant, after which they part ways for good. With its hints of Shakespeare’s Othello and of the late novels of Henry James, The Least of It is a story of jealousy and deception, of innocence and complicity, of the role of one man in the betrayal and destruction of another.
“Intrigued with the central plot of Shakespeare’s Othello, I decided to write a novel about three quite different characters who are also locked in a struggle of envy, love, and betrayal,” says Peter. “Central to the idea were the linked themes of architecture and Mexico City, one of my favorite cities on earth.”
His book has received much praise. “If you enjoy romantic intrigue, thinly veiled lust, poetic language, the occasional architectural reference, the madness of exiled empresses, and long walks through fascinating cities with brilliantly drawn characters, you will love this intricately knotted, fastidiously carved gem of a book. Peter Nash’s erudition and eclecticism, mastery of the written work, and skillful storytelling are all on full display here. The Least of It is a subtle, charming, impressive story of the sort that makes you want to dive into its pages and befriend the characters who dwell within them, if only to find out how to import some of their magic, some of Nash’s magic, into your life.” ~William Kowalski, author of Eddie’s Bastard and Somewhere South of Here.
You can find the book at online booksellers, the Academy Bookstore, or Simms Library.
