The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler
Macon is the author of a series of travel guides specifically for business travelers so they can make their limited time in a city as comfortable as possible. After the senseless murder of his 12 year old son, Ethan, while away at summer camp, Macon finds his marriage and his life falling apart. When his wife moves out of the house, Macon is left with Ethan's untrained dog, Edward, as his only company and when Edward's usual kennel refuses to board him because of his bad behavior, Macon ends up at the Meow Bow. There he meets Muriel, the quirky dog trainer, who attempts to get him back into reality.
Anne Tyler is the master of character development. As a writer myself, I've read other novels she's written just to study the characters. Macon and his siblings eat potatoes at each meal. All lack a sense of direction and usually become lost while running their regular errands. And then their mother shows up in her flowing caftan and armful of bangle bracelets. The family is a study in contrasts.
It's these kinds of things that I love about this book. The story is funny and often comical which serves to help the characters overcome the tragic loss of Ethan. But they never really can, the loss is too deep. Every author finds a way to either tie up the loose ends or leave the ending more open ended much like real life. I have to say however that I hated the ending. But in defense of a book that I mostly enjoyed, I have hated the ending of every Anne Tyler book I have read.
Like every book I read, I try to keep an open mind. Many of my friends loved the ending. The Accidental Tourist is full of interesting people, places and things. Find inside these pages a trip that appeals to you and leave the rest to critics like me.
Macon is the author of a series of travel guides specifically for business travelers so they can make their limited time in a city as comfortable as possible. After the senseless murder of his 12 year old son, Ethan, while away at summer camp, Macon finds his marriage and his life falling apart. When his wife moves out of the house, Macon is left with Ethan's untrained dog, Edward, as his only company and when Edward's usual kennel refuses to board him because of his bad behavior, Macon ends up at the Meow Bow. There he meets Muriel, the quirky dog trainer, who attempts to get him back into reality.
Anne Tyler is the master of character development. As a writer myself, I've read other novels she's written just to study the characters. Macon and his siblings eat potatoes at each meal. All lack a sense of direction and usually become lost while running their regular errands. And then their mother shows up in her flowing caftan and armful of bangle bracelets. The family is a study in contrasts.
It's these kinds of things that I love about this book. The story is funny and often comical which serves to help the characters overcome the tragic loss of Ethan. But they never really can, the loss is too deep. Every author finds a way to either tie up the loose ends or leave the ending more open ended much like real life. I have to say however that I hated the ending. But in defense of a book that I mostly enjoyed, I have hated the ending of every Anne Tyler book I have read.
Like every book I read, I try to keep an open mind. Many of my friends loved the ending. The Accidental Tourist is full of interesting people, places and things. Find inside these pages a trip that appeals to you and leave the rest to critics like me.
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