The Accidental Tourist
General Musings: I want to thank everyone kind enough to email, phone, or tweet me about the Thin Skin of Culture. I am happy that people have read it--it makes me feel kind of like a writer.
Also, I've had a few people offer me books and recommendations for the 501 list and I just want to review that aspect of the rules again. My 501 books that I am reading are all exclusively from the book 501 Must Read Books. This forces me to read books I've not read, many I've never considered reading, and these books are lauded by experts as having some quality that makes them exceptional. I'm not going to substitute, omit, abridge or expand the list. I do appreciate recommendations and books but my focus is on the 501 list and it is pretty demanding and very daunting.
Which leads me to a question, how do you decide to read a book? Drop me a line. Be honest. I've read books because of intriguing titles, beautiful covers, blurbs, award stickers, and bestseller lists--all rotten reasons. Word of mouth, reviews, required course reading, and zealous book fans have also figured largely in my choices--much better reasons to read a book. Isn't it odd that we (I assume you are as reckless in your reading habits as me) use our most powerful technology in human development so capriciously?
Running Page Count: 3,650 (adjusted due to book juggle--don't worry it will all work out this week)
Today's Title (Modern Fiction): Anne Tyler's The Accidental Tourist
Preface: Written in 1985 The Accidental Tourist was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and won the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction. When I first began reading the story I felt the protagonist was thoroughly unlikable and I didn't understand him. By the end of the book I was haunted by the similarities between the two of us. I have made some changes in my life as a result of the book and have been thinking awful hard about the implications of the odd title.
The Book: Macon, I rhyme his name with bacon (reader's phonetic prerogative), is a middle aged man and unlikely travel writer who is in mourning for a son killed in a fast-food restaurant robbery. When Macon's wife leaves him he begins a crazy experiment in making his life as efficient as possible. The experiment leaves him injured and he returns to his childhood home in the care of his neurotic siblings. Macon's dog's aggression leads Macon to hire a dog trainer and he finds himself, despite his best intentions, falling for her. Macon's friends, family, girlfriend and wife all prove to be as quirky, screwed up, and complicated as he is.
Grade: A+
Observations: A great book that made me laugh out loud and cry in turns. My favorite scene is when Macon has a relationship epiphany in Edmonton--that's right Macon visits Canada and makes a crucial decision in the city of champions.
Segues: There is a movie of the same name (1988) with William Hurt, Geena Davis, and Kathleen Turner. I used to see it all the time at the library but I can't find it now for the life of me. I know a travel writer and I think I prefer Marcello Di Cintio's travel writing to Macon's. He has a great blog and a new book coming out this year about walls (seriously!).
Tomorrow's Book (Science Fiction): H. G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau 13/501
