The Accidental Tourist

I went in expecting a light read, and while I mostly got that, I also didn't expect a sometimes tender, delicate portrayal of a middle-aged man struggling to cope with the failure of a marriage and the death of his only child. A bit overstretched for the most part; however, there's a really good novella to 200-page story here, but certainly not a 350-page one.

3.5 stars. Anne Tyler is brilliant. Her prose and use of dialogue is exquisite. Her characters are genuinely flawed and complex. The only reason I'm rounding this down to 3 stars instead of up to 4 is that I personally related to the characters in [b:Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant 77699 Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant Anne Tyler https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1401953526s/77699.jpg 75046] a whole lot more than this one. It's not that this book is any ‘weaker' in construction, subject or tone, but that I simply ‘liked' Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant more. Maybe this is just because I read that one first. I also wonder if Tyler regularly reuses recurring themes or similar character traits in her work. That's fine if you think of each novel as independent, but it may get repetitive if you attempt to read multiple novels by the author.

This novel is a subtle romance by an author who understands the complexity of human relationships. When Macon's wife Sarah walks out, he's stunned and slightly clueless. Sure, nothing was perfect in their marriage, especially lately. Very little in fact. After their only child died, they really were going through the emotions. Macon moves back in with his quirky siblings, bringing along his dog, Edward.

Edward seems as thrown by life events as Macon. So much so, he's started biting. Enter an unusual dog trainer, Muriel. Unlike Macon, Muriel has perfected rolling with the punches to an art form. When nothing really works out in your life, you start to accept that as normal and find a way to go on.

The book goes on to pose, and eventually answer, the question, who is Macon? Is he the stable, unemotional guy Sarah knows or is he the lover that Muriel invents? Anne Tyler's ability to give us all the clues we need to understand the answer is what makes her a remarkable author and a master observer of human behavior.

One of the interesting side notes of this book, is Macon's profession as a travel writer. It's Tyler's attention to deadlines and how he creates that makes him more believable. She knows whereof she writes in this case.

Pick up this book, sit down, and enjoy a little journey in your favorite armchair. You'll be glad you did.