A lot of the usual Murdoch tropes here, a cast of bizarre characters having strange interactions, partner swapping, relationship breakdown, family disagreements. Its quite dark but funny, with quite the trail of death and destruction following the 'main' character, Austin. There is also broken pottery and owl attacks. Its a good one.

No idea what whoever designed the cover was thinking. ( )

While the story of An Accidental Man opens with American Ludwig Leferrier and his British girlfriend, Gracie Tisbourne, getting engaged, the "accidental man" is actually middle aged Austin Gibson Grey. He is a hapless man followed by trouble with a mentally unstable wife.
As an FYI, the thing about Murdoch's writing is that there are a lot of other characters to keep track of and the plot is dark and convoluted, but after a while the characters become old friends which makes the plot easier to follow. Kind of like when you are stuck in an elevator and everyone becomes familiar by the time the doors open and you are freed.
There are a lot of tragic moments in An Accidental Man so it's surprising to think of it as a comedy. Take, for example, the scene of Gracie's wealthy grandmother dying. Her children are desperate for the doctor to speed up the process because they just want it to be over or do they want her money? the sooner the better. The doctor tries and tries to leave but the family keeps finding excuses to make him stay.
Or, when Austin, driving Matthew's car while drunk, hits and kills a child. Matthew helps cover up the crime because it was his automobile that struck the child. How they avoid detection from the police, I don't know.
Or when Mitzi and Charlotte attempt suicide...see what I mean? Dark, dark, dark! However, one of the best things about Murdoch's writing was how descriptive she could be with her characters. Grace Tisbourne is described as small calm radiant unsmiling. Just like that. It's the "radiant unsmiling" that grabs you.
One of the worst things about Murdoch's writing is how disjointed the story line could be. Because of the multitude of characters the plot jumps around a lot.
The message of the story is we all have to determine our moral obligation towards one another. ( )

There's a large cast of players in this novel. Gradually the reader sorts out who is who. The most important characters are given a deeper treatment than those on the periphery.
The novel is comic given the regular about-facing behaviour of the cast; it is also a merciless exposition of the troubles we get into through believing our illusions about ourselves and others.
There is nothing quite so absorbing, entertaining and thought provoking than an Iris Murdoch novel.

"Austin was a curious man. He inspired love. He inspired fear.",, 1 January 2015
By
sally tarbox (aylesbury bucks uk) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Accidental Man (Paperback)
My first attempt at Iris Murdoch's work, and difficult to review, as although I recognise that the quality of writing, the deeper messages on morality etc, mean it's probably worth at least 4.5, I didn't desperately like it.
Opening with the breathless engagement of an American draft dodger and his rather shallow British girlfriend, the narrative soon introduces a host of other characters that make up their circle, most notably Austin Gibson-Grey, with his skeletons in the closet, an estranged wife, and various nefarious activities...
Murdoch writes in a variety of styles, the usual narrative being interspersed with a series of letters, or an impression of a party given through two or three pages of one-line comments, giving everyone's news and gossip in a humorous way.
It's a far-fetched tale, though I think the author's depiction of lonely and unloved Charlotte Ledgard was convincing.
The characters seem to be largely bisexual, switching from feelings from one to the other.
Glad to have come to the end, although by no means unreadable. ( )

This novel is very philosophical which one can expect from Murdoch as that was her profession. It centres upon the engagement of a Gracie Tisbourne to American Ludwig Lefferrier. He has fled to Great Britain to avoid fighting in the Vietnam War which he doesn't agree with. In addition to this the milieu in which Luwig and Gracie abide is focused on and the various characters comprising it. Features is a married couple who for numeous reasons are living at different locations. HIs name is Austin Godwin Grey and he is the 'accidental man' of the title. He's ultra bizarre and it's fantastic how characters change their sexuality unexpectedly. ( )