The Accidental

By: Ali Smith

Narrated by: Heather O'Neill, Stina Nielsen, Jeff Woodman, Simon Prebble, Ruth Moore

Barefoot, thirtysomething Amber shows up at the door of a Norfolk cottage that the Smarts are renting for the summer. Amber doesn't know them, but she talks her way in, telling lies, and stays for dinner. Eve, an author, thinks Amber is a student her husband is sleeping with. Michael, an English professor, knows only that her car broke down. Daughter Astrid, age 12, thinks she's her mother's friend. Son Magnus, 17, thinks she's an angel.

Gradually, Amber insinuates herself into the family. Dazzled by her seeming exoticism, the Smarts begin to examine the accidents of their lives under the searing lens of Amber's perceptions. When Eve finally banishes her from the cottage, Amber disappears from their sight, but not, as they find when they return home to London, from their profoundly altered lives.

Fearlessly intelligent, disarmingly playful, The Accidental is a Joycean tour-de-force of literary improvisation that explores the nature of truth, the role of chance, and the transformative power of storytelling.

©2005 Ali Smith (P)2005 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

• 2005 Man Booker Finalist, Fiction

"Spectacular....Allusive, ambitious and formally acrobatic....Original, restless, formally and morally challenging." (The Times Literary Supplement)
"An outstanding novel....Exuberantly inventive....Beautifully formed and astringently intelligent." (The Sunday Times [London])
"Her simple, disquieting story lifts into brilliance." (Publishers Weekly)
"Acrobatic prose that seem in a perpetual state of acceleration....Mesmerizing." (Booklist)

accidental

very entertaining. interesting depiction of the characters and their intertwining lives

wow

I was initially concerned I had made a poor choice. By the end, I was disappointed it wasn't longer. I would almost compare this to Cloud Atlas, with out the fantasy. Great characters. This is the type of book that should be broken down and analyzed in a literature class. Well done.

Loved it! I guess I am out of the "mainstream"

What did you like best about this story?

liked the story and the narration from different characters point of view.

Any additional comments?

I really liked it. It was Closer to Gone Girl (in structure, not plot) than a lot of books and everyone loves Gone Girl.

Add to the positives

Wow - I was surprised to see how many people hated this audiobook - I thought it was great. My only complaint was the music that connected the sections/characters, which I found very annoying.

But the story was fascinating, and the changing perspectives given on the same events from different genders and different ages....I enjoyed it immensely, and the readers were great!

Could have been worse...

...I might have had to read it. I would have a harder time reading this book than listening to it.

I gave it three stars only because if I had read it I would probably have given it two.

Frankly, I'm not sure what this story really was about. People lying to themselves? People not believing when others speak the truth? People punishing others for living what they perceive as false lives? People punishing others because they are unhappy with the way their lives turned out?
Big Brother is everywhere? Big Brother turns a blind-eye to trysts in a church? Movie theaters are romantic?

I could go on and on and on - just like the book!

Almost worth it

This book did have meaningful core concept, and the writing was not too bad, but characterization seemed mechanical to me and the story was overly one dimensional. I particularly did not enjoy the numerous repetitious prose. The readers were all wonderful, but the overall experience was not quite worth the listen.

Excellent writing, thought provoking

This book was excellently written and narrated. I was amazed at the author's ability to write in the first person for 5 different characters, a mix of male and female, and have each character be distinct in "voice" and vocabulary. All characters were believable and well-wrought. Do not buy this book if you like to skim the surface or are uncomfortable with the unconscious energies that are there under the surface in all of us. If you want something sentimental or feel good on a superficial level, skip this. But if you want a book with great character development, a book that is thought-provoking and builds suspense through engagement with the characters inner lives, you will enjoy this book. Thank you audible for putting on something that is contemporary, unabridged and has got some substance!

Boring

The stream of consciousness narrative slowed to a trickle of drivel at times. While i managed to finish the book, I am too impatient to examine it further for any redeeming qualities. Blah. Take a pass.

Not for Audio

Although I suspect I would enjoy this book in written form, the audio version of this book was was actually painful to sit through. The pace tedious, the tone annoying.

boring as heck

I have tried to listen to this book on at least two occasions (probably three) and I never even get through the first chapter. This book is an abysmal bore.