First Five: The Accidental Tourist

1. I was immediately drawn to Macon's relationship with his wife and their dealing with the loss of their son -- that part of the story feels so real. I actually think the first chapter is the most well-written; that's what got me hooked.

2. Anything with the dog or the dog trainer (Muriel) I find a bit annoying -- she's so over-the-top! Maybe I'm a little too much like Macon myself, so this wild woman just irritates me. Also, to me marriage is a sacred thing so I find myself rooting for him to figure things out with his wife.

3. Anne Tyler's writing is good enough but there isn't much that jumps out off the page -- I like my little golden nuggets popping up throughout a book, like were so prevalent in Let the Great World Spin. I'll keep my eyes open though and underline anything I find for further discussion.

4. I like that there is clear symbolism in this book (the dog, the house, etc.). Although perhaps a little too obvious and doesn't really teach us anything we didn't already know about Macon's character.

5. As I get further into this book I am getting a little annoyed at Macon and his passiveness. Even when life starts turning around for him he sort of just goes with it -- doesn't make any real moves or decisions on his own. (I don't want to say anything too specific about this in case you haven't reached this point yet).


What are your First Five impressions of the book?


Maybe we can use our First Five (and Midway Musings? haha...) to prompt us in our next meeting!