What do You think about The Accidental Tourist (2002)?
“Burying one’s child is against the flow of nature,” said the wife of the Speaker of the House (Philippine Congress) in her eulogy for her 16-year old daughter several years ago. Her only daughter got burned when their short-circuited Christmas tree went in flames. The clueless poor daughter was sleeping and got trapped inside her room. No one was with here in the house when that happened.This is one thought that, whenever it crosses my mind, I always whisk away immediately: the death of my chil
—K.D. Absolutely
First time I am reading this author. It's really well-written! I will read some of her other novels. The characters are all very imperfect, very touching, and I got attached to them to the point that I miss them when the book was finished. Above all, the author's style is really brilliant. She takes ordinary lifes and transform it into something very meaningful, and very poignant. Reading some comments here, I see that some people didn't like the book at all because "nothing happens". Fair, it's not a novel with a lot of action; it's a rather slow and introspective pace, and it describes the life of ordinary people; but they are facing important choices - it's about overcoming a child's death and getting on with life, it's about choosing the right parner despits his/her imperfections; it's about choosing security over risk and fun... I didn't find it boring at all. There are lots of interesting secundary characters and lots of really good dialogues. I would recommand it to people who enjoy reading English literature and enjoy discovering interesting characters.
—Catherine
I didn't know this was an old book until I began reading it and noticed some references that dated the book. I also didn't know it had been made into a movie! Neither of these facts influenced my mixed opinion of the book.I enjoyed the author's writing style and ability to illustrate the way seemingly tedious events influence the path of one's life as much as big events do. The author also did a wonderful job of demonstrating how difficult it is to break away from one's comfort zone and what the rewards can be once you do. I thought the characters, except one, were more akin to the tedious events than the big, interesting ones and often found myself struggling to get through the book. The character who initially attracted me to the book was a dog trainer. My high hopes for her were dashed as soon as the author noted her use of a choke collar, but still, I gave her a chance. In the end I was turned off by her over the top "uniqueness." I should note that her training techniques were typical for the mid-80's, but it did influence my opinion of her.Overall, I thought it was "okay" and helped to pass the time. It is not a book I would recommend, nor will I keep it on my bookshelf.
—Kara
