Reviews

An Accidental Man by Iris Murdoch

gabrielrobartes's review

4.0

Well. That was bleak.

tsefalofor's review against another edition

4.0

'I am an accidental man,' Austin had once said to her. 'What do you mean, Austin?' Aren't we all accidental? Isn't conception accidental? 'With me it's gone on and on.'

alright i've just finished it. it's certainly a brimming cast. when i started reading 'the sea, the sea' (yet in transitu - put it away) right after 'a word child' i thought these ridiculous names... and they bugged me but then i thought hillary burde? thomasina uhlmeister? i just hadn't really been aware but in a new setting they seemed crazy, and too: ludwig leferrier, mitzi ricardo, well she has fun with it and that's alright. it's nice and funny to see the little pleasures she takes, one feels connected. ("it's so easy to have a little fun" says charlie) but here: love, responsibility, normalcy, habitude, tragedy, fullness, comfort, the drama of the little and the large - from party prep to fine bone china to death and death - sitting in silence - nakedness - lots and lots and lots of whisky. i am a huge fan of her: humour and seriousness and 'sophy. my observation: in all 6 books i've read or begun (sea and severed head alack unfinished), there are consistently 2 characters who sit and discuss philosophy, or discuss philosophically, she stuffs it into fiction somehow anyway (great); and there is always a character who comments on another character's poor taste in interior design or decoration. super!

another good bit: "God, how I think one should leave other people's things alone and not crawl all over them. I see our dear Ps as two giant snails with waggling inquisitive eyes leaving long slimy trails behind. Do not let us be like them." patrick is totally amazing - wants more pagetime!

jasonlaw77's review

adventurous dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

ncghammo's review against another edition

dark funny sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide

besedaris's review against another edition

dark funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

trashlover91's review against another edition

dark funny relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.25

angharadmiller's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

panieldope's review against another edition

4.0

The characters in this book were so vividly realized, their emotional/philosophical entanglements so clearly and wholly etched, that reading it was seamless and oddly pleasant, despite how unpleasant the material could be at times. Austin is one of the most utterly despicable characters I have ever read. All too believable. Though Ludwig’s struggle of conscience over draft-dodging didn’t have any intrinsic interest to me (drafts should be dodged, every one of them), it made sense, I could understand his crisis, maybe because it didn’t have anything, ultimately, to do with the war. There is a kind of all-consuming sense of importance in the characters’ thoughts and philosophies and struggles, and then on the other hand a curiously gratifying sense of pointlessness. This is one of the strangest novels I’ve read in my life, I think. It’s definitely got under my skin. Looking forward to reading more of her work.

chaoticbookgremlin's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

shevek's review against another edition

4.0

What a doozy. I liked this a lot more than The Sea, the Sea for reasons that are difficult to pin down. For one thing, it's just more enjoyable to read in lots of parts—though other parts are fairly ponderous. I'll also admit that I was taken by surprise towards the end when I realized I was supposed to be taking some elements of the plot seriously that I hadn't been. Still, a lot to chew on from this one. Definitely not for everyone, but a very interesting book.