I haven't read it. Was given to me by a friend, with a bunch of others, to make room on her shelf. But since my shelves are also pretty full, I'll release this one.

"Austin Gibson Grey, the accidental man of the title, is fated to thrive on destruction. Abandoned by his wife, sacked by his employer and scorned by his son, he seems impelled to blaze a trail of havoc through the lives of those who try to help him."


Update on September 20th - Will be given to muzette

Folia did indeed give me this book. Have never read a book from Iris Murdoch, but have heard a lot about this author ever since the movie on her life came out.

What a bunch of depressed people. -- That was my very first reaction as I was reading the book. Gosh, honestly, who needs enemies when you have "friends" like them. They are looking for happiness, but always in someone else, not in them. I kept thinking: get a grip people.

I did feel the philosophy background of the author in this novel (my first from Murdoch) - and I think here she is reflecting on the idea of "luck". Is someone born lucky? Does one get truly unlucky? Or do we have a say in this? Can being unlucky be contagious? Some say that you make your on luck. Granted, we all have years where everything seems to be going wrong, but isn't luck also related to how we respond to things, to events, to people? Hapiness can be a choice.

I enjoyed the structure of the book, with the use of correspondance to have the plot move along. It was an interesting way of changing the pace and helping us understand what was going on while developping the characters at the same time. Life in this circle certainly isn't easy - people don't seem to communicate well… they talk and talk but the others don't necessarily listen. They all hope that someone else will save them, a dangerous way of living, when in reality they are all simply looking to love and be loved. The story of humanity I guess. We all long for that connection, and yet life takes many twists and turns - or accidents as it is referred in the book.

All in all, a book worth reading.

Left it on a coffee table on the second floor by the rooms