The Accidental Tourist | The Accidental Tourist

At a glance:

Author: Anne Tyler
First Published: 1985
Type of Work: Novel
Type of Plot: Psychological realism
Time of Work: The 1980’s
Setting: Baltimore, Maryland
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

Characters Discussed

Macon Leary, the protagonist and narrator. Macon Leary works as a travel writer for a series of books each containing “The Accidental Tourist” in the title. He hates traveling, but he enjoys writing about travel because he can manipulate descriptions into neatly controlled paragraphs. This need to control everything becomes more obsessive. Eventually, Macon withdraws from the world around him when he loses his son and his wife.

Sarah Leary, Macon Leary’s wife. Sarah is an English teacher who listened to rock music in the “old days” to keep...

The Accidental Tourist | The Accidental Tourist

At a glance:

Characters Discussed

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