Take a photo of a barcode or cover
arwenauthor 's review for:
The Accidental Tourist
by Anne Tyler
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's been a while since I read an Anne Tyler book (I think the last one was the marvellous [book:A Spool of Blue Thread|22501028] when it on the Booker shortlist) and I was quite excited to come to read this one! Reading an Anne Tyler book is like listening to Beethoven; you can relax because you just know it's going to be good and you can sit back and let the author take you places.
This novel follows Macon, whose wife Sarah leaves him a year after their son, Ethan, is killed in a drive-by shooting. (That's not a spoiler, don't worry). He's a quirky character, simultaneously sympathetic and irritable, adorably indecisive (though methodical) and a bit whiny.
After the break up, Macon moves back in with his siblings - two brothers (one divorced with children) and their sister Rose who is an 'old maid', staying behind to look after them, making sure they don't descend into a pigsty; no one has much confidence in their ability to be adults. The whole Leary family are in a kind of suspended animation, not changing, stuck in the same roles they were as children. Macon is so passive that he barely decided on his own marriage, and his job was something he 'fell' into - writing guides for business people who are forced to travel for work, but really would rather stay in America, hence 'The Accidental Tourist'. He tries to find the most American restaurants, diners and hotels so travellers can feel like they've barely left their homes.
Macon's life becomes quite neatly summed up by this quote from chapter 8, when he has had his leg put in a cast: 'It was hard to imagine resuming his travels. Sometimes he wished he could stay in this cast forever. In fact, he wished it covered him from head to foot. People would thump faintly on his chest. They'd peer through his eyehole. 'Macon? You in there?' Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. No one would ever know.'
Personally, I found Macon's view of the world quite relatable (though sad), but I'm aware other reviewers have found his inactivity a real put-off, which I can also understand. Into Macon's world walks out-going Muriel, with her strong opinions on everything, her very different background to Macon and her (gasp!) awful grammar errors. She doesn't fit into the Leary family, and nor does her young son. But she's decided very firmly to put Macon into her life and Macon is a natural follower.
It's a very human book: the characters feel real and, although there is humour, the novel feels like a low-level tragedy. Not an awful lot happens, and it's quite slow-paced, but the ending was a surprise - no spoilers ;)
A quiet, domestic story that tugs at the heartstrings, even though it feels dated at points.
This novel follows Macon, whose wife Sarah leaves him a year after their son, Ethan, is killed in a drive-by shooting. (That's not a spoiler, don't worry). He's a quirky character, simultaneously sympathetic and irritable, adorably indecisive (though methodical) and a bit whiny.
After the break up, Macon moves back in with his siblings - two brothers (one divorced with children) and their sister Rose who is an 'old maid', staying behind to look after them, making sure they don't descend into a pigsty; no one has much confidence in their ability to be adults. The whole Leary family are in a kind of suspended animation, not changing, stuck in the same roles they were as children. Macon is so passive that he barely decided on his own marriage, and his job was something he 'fell' into - writing guides for business people who are forced to travel for work, but really would rather stay in America, hence 'The Accidental Tourist'. He tries to find the most American restaurants, diners and hotels so travellers can feel like they've barely left their homes.
Macon's life becomes quite neatly summed up by this quote from chapter 8, when he has had his leg put in a cast: 'It was hard to imagine resuming his travels. Sometimes he wished he could stay in this cast forever. In fact, he wished it covered him from head to foot. People would thump faintly on his chest. They'd peer through his eyehole. 'Macon? You in there?' Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. No one would ever know.'
Personally, I found Macon's view of the world quite relatable (though sad), but I'm aware other reviewers have found his inactivity a real put-off, which I can also understand. Into Macon's world walks out-going Muriel, with her strong opinions on everything, her very different background to Macon and her (gasp!) awful grammar errors. She doesn't fit into the Leary family, and nor does her young son. But she's decided very firmly to put Macon into her life and Macon is a natural follower.
It's a very human book: the characters feel real and, although there is humour, the novel feels like a low-level tragedy. Not an awful lot happens, and it's quite slow-paced, but the ending was a surprise - no spoilers ;)
A quiet, domestic story that tugs at the heartstrings, even though it feels dated at points.