The Accidental Tourist (Masterplots II: American Fiction Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Anne Tyler
- First Published: 1985
- Type of Plot: Domestic realism
- Time of Work: The 1980’s
- Setting: Baltimore, Maryland
- Principal Characters: Macon Leary, Sarah Leary, Edward, Muriel Pritchett, Alexander Pritchett, Rose Leary, Julian Edge, Porter Leary, Charles Leary
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction, Domestic realism
- Subjects: Family or family life, Self-discovery, Traveling or travelers, Dogs, Love or romance, Authors or writers, Marriage, Alienation, Brothers and sisters, 1980’s, Divorce, Death or dying, Lifestyles, Loneliness, Life, philosophy of, Baltimore, Pets, Tourist trade
- Locales: Baltimore, MD
The Novel
Macon Leary learns to cope with the murder of his twelve-year-old son and separation from his wife in Anne Tyler’s The Accidental Tourist. With the assistance of Muriel, a flamboyant young dog trainer with whom he becomes romantically involved, Macon assuages his grief, learns to assume control over his life, and becomes more contented than ever before.
As the novel begins, Macon and Sarah are returning early from a vacation on the beach. Neither, it seems, “had the heart for it.” Nor have they had the heart for much else since the murder of their...
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