# The Extra Man

By Jonathan Ames

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/the-extra-man-fac84563/

Louis Ives leaves teaching after a colleague’s bra proves his undoing. In New York, he finds a roommate and unlikely mentor in Henry Harrison, an older playwright who escorts wealthy women. Henry can introduce him to society even while struggling to maintain his own cramped apartment.

## What makes it funny?

Henry has an improvised answer to almost everything: mascara for his hair, the shower for his laundry and the second half of a performance for a free night out. Art openings provide dinner. Louis watches this elaborate economy with admiration.

### The comedy at work

Henry maintains a gentleman’s dignity amid smells, clutter and financial necessity. Louis wants guidance, which lets their friendship grow through habits that another roommate might find intolerable.

### Try this if…

This is literary comedy for readers interested in unconventional friendship and social performance. Louis’s education includes Manhattan manners, longing and questions about his own desires.

### Good to know

Cross-dressing, sexual exploration and paid sexual encounters are part of the story. Kirkus notes that the sexual-identity strand remains unresolved.

## What to expect

- Genre: Contemporary & literary
- On the shelf: Coming of age
- Kind of humor: Situational comedy
- The atmosphere: Warmhearted
- Format: Novel

## A few distinguishing details

- A young newcomer learning Manhattan from an elderly social escort
- Grand manners on a freeloading budget

## Sources & further reading

- Publisher: [Publisher](https://pushkinpress.com/book/the-extra-man)
- Review: [Kirkus review](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jonathan-ames/the-extra-man)