An Accidental Man

 Originally published in 1971, An Accidental Man was the fourteenth novel written by Iris Murdoch and the second one I've read by her, following The Sea, the Sea (which I wrote about fairly recently). 
 

Having been very impressed by The Sea, the Sea, I went into this earlier work of Murdoch's with certain expectations. Expectations, which I'm happy to say, were fulfilled. 
 

On the pages of this novel, the author presents us with a gallery of characters. Each one, whether admirable or deplorable, vividly drawn and believable. Special mention must go to Austin Gibson Grey, the self-styled 'accidental man' of the book's title. Austin is a sinister figure, a man who commits all sort of villainous acts, all while believing that the misfortunes he has suffered in the past (including a childhood incident which left him with a permanently damaged hand), absolves him of any real responsibility. 
 

In short, An Accidental Man is yet another fantastic novel from an author who is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

The Sea, the Sea

 Charles Arrowby, a famous theater director, decides on a whim to leave his old life behind. He settles in a cottage on the coast, where he intends to spend the rest of his days, far from the world in which he made his name.
 

It does not take long though, for Charles' self-imposed exile to be disturbed. First, by the intrusion of people he thought he'd left behind and then, by a chance encounter with his childhood sweetheart, Hartley, now married. As memories of their past relationship become more vivid, Charles becomes obsessed with the thought of winning Hartley back. No matter what. 
 

Originally published in 1978, The Sea, the Sea was the nineteenth novel written by British author and philosopher Iris Murdoch. It won her the Booker Prize and having read it, I have to say that it was well-deserved. 
 

The Sea, the Sea is told entirely from the point of view of Charles Arrowby, who shares with the reader his opinions on everything from Shakespeare to cooking. As the story unfolds, Arrowby becomes more and more dis-likable as his delusions takes a firmer hold on him and his treatment of the people in his life is revealed to the reader. That said, I never found him anything less than compelling and that goes for the rest of the cast as well. I particularly liked James, Charles' cousin, who serves as a foil throughout the novel.
 

Although mostly grounded, The Sea, the Sea contains some fantastical elements. To mention just one example, early in the book, Charles sees a monster rising out of the sea. It never shows up again and Charles later dismisses it as a residual effect from when he took hallucinogenics in his younger days. However, by that point, the reader knows Charles well enough to doubt his judgement. 
 

The Sea, the Sea is my first Murdoch novel and certainly won't be the last. A marvelous read, highly recommended.