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"Yes, that is my son," the man says, identifying the body in the intensive care unit. Grief threatens to break his face into pieces, and then something closes shut inside of him. He has always had a very controlled nature, fearful of emotion and revelation, but now a true ice age begins, and after a year his wife tells him she wants a divorce. It is because he cannot seem to feel anything.

"The Accidental Tourist" begins on that note of emotional sterility, and the whole movie is a journey toward a smile at the end.

The man's name is Macon Leary ( William Hurt ), and he writes travel books for people who detest traveling. He advises his readers on how to avoid human contact, where to find "American food" abroad and how to convince themselves they haven't left home. His own life is the same sort of journey, and maybe it began in childhood. His sister and two brothers still live together in the house where they were born, and any life outside of their routine would be unthinkable.

Macon's wife ( Kathleen Turner ) moves out, leaving him with the dog, Edward, who does like to travel and is deeply disturbed by the curious life his masters have provided for him. He barks at ghosts and snaps at strangers. It is time for Macon to make another one of his overseas research trips, so he takes the dog to be boarded at a kennel, and that's where he meets Muriel Pritchett ( Geena Davis ). Muriel has Macon's number from the moment he walks through the door. She can see he's a basket case, but she thinks she can help. She also thinks her young son needs a father.

Macon isn't so sure. He doesn't use the number she gives him. But later, when the dog trips him and he breaks his leg, he takes Edward back to the kennel, and this time he submits to a little obedience training of his own. He agrees to acknowledge that Muriel exists, and before long they are sort of living together (lust still exists in his body, but it lurks so far from the center of his feelings that sex hardly seems to cheer him up).

The peculiarity about these central passages in the film is that they are quite cheerful and sometimes even very funny, even though Macon himself is mired in a deep depression. Davis, as Muriel, brings an unforced wackiness to her role in scenes like the one where she belts out a song while she's doing the dishes. But she is not as simple as she sometimes seems, and when Macon gets carried away with a little sentimental generalizing about the future, she warns him, "Don't make promises to my son that you are not prepared to keep." There is also great good humor in the characters in Macon's family: brothers Porter ( David Ogden Stiers ) and Charles ( Ed Begley Jr.) and sister Rose ( Amy Wright ), a matriarch who feeds the family, presides over their incomprehensible card games and supervises such traditional activities as alphabetizing the groceries on the kitchen shelves. One evening Macon takes his publisher, Julien ( Bill Pullman ), home to dinner and Julien is struck with a thunderbolt of love for Rose. He eventually marries her, but a few weeks later Julien tells Macon that Rose has moved back home with the boys; she was concerned that they had abandoned regular meals and were eating only gorp.

This emergency triggers the movie's emotional turning point, which is subtle but unmistakable. Nobody knows Rose as well as Macon does, and so he gives Julien some very particular advice: "Call her up and tell her your business is going to pieces. Ask if she could just come in and get things organized. Get things under control. Put it that way.

Use those words. Get things under control, tell her." In context, this speech is hilarious. It is also the first time in the film that Macon has been able to extend himself to help anybody, and it starts him on the road to emotional growth. Clinging to the sterility and loneliness that has been his protection, he doesn't realize at first that he has turned the corner. He still doubts that he needs Muriel, and when she buys herself a ticket and follows him to Paris, he refuses to have anything to do with her. When his wife also turns up in Paris, there is a moment when he thinks they may be able to patch things together again, and then finally Macon arrives at the sort of moment he has been avoiding all of his life: He has to make a choice. But by then the choice is obvious; he has already made it, by peeking so briefly out of his shell.

The screenplay for "The Accidental Tourist," by Kasdan and Frank Galati , is able to reproduce a lot of the tone and dialogue of the Anne Tyler novel without ever simply being a movie version of a book. The textures are too specific and the humor is too quirky and well-timed to be borrowed. The filmmakers have reinvented the same story in their own terms. The movie is a reunion for Kasdan, Hurt and Turner, who all three launched their careers with " Body Heat " (1981). Kasdan used Hurt again in " The Big Chill " (1983) and understands how to employ Hurt's gift for somehow being likable at the same time he seems to be withdrawn.

What Hurt achieves here seems almost impossible: He is depressed, low-key and intensely private through most of the movie, and yet somehow he wins our sympathy. What Kasdan achieves is just as tricky; I've never seen a movie so sad in which there was so much genuine laughter. "The Accidental Tourist" is one of the best films of the year.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

The Accidental Tourist (1989)

121 minutes

Kathleen Turner as Sarah

William Hurt as MacOn

Ed Begley Jr. as Charles

David Ogden Stiers as Porter

Geena Davis as Muriel

Amy Wright as Rose

Bill Pullman as Julian

Robert Gorman as Alexander

Bradley Mott as Mr. Loomis

Screenplay by

• Frank Galati
• John Williams

Photographed by

• John Bailey

Produced by

• Charles Okun
• Michael Grillo
• Carol Littleton

Based On The Novel by

Directed by.

• Lawrence Kasdan

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The Accidental Tourist

Where to watch.

Rent The Accidental Tourist on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

Generous with its characters' foibles and virtues, The Accidental Tourist is a thoughtful drama vested with insight into the complications of relationships.

Audience Reviews

Cast & crew.

Lawrence Kasdan

William Hurt

Macon Leary

Kathleen Turner

Sarah Leary

Geena Davis

Muriel Pritchett

Bill Pullman

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The Accidental Tourist

56 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-4

Chapters 5-8

Chapters 9-12

Chapters 13-16

Chapters 17-20

Character Analysis

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Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Summary and Study Guide

Anne Tyler’s The Accidental Tourist is a literary fiction novel that follows the character-driven story of Macon Leary, who must navigate life following the death of his son and the dissolution of his marriage. The Accidental Tourist was originally published in 1985 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. The Accidental Tourist is Anne Tyler’s 10th novel and one of her most recognized works. This study guide follows the paperback Berkley edition released in 1986.

Plot Summary

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Macon Leary is a writer based out of Baltimore who creates travel guides for people who must travel on business but do not want to be bothered with discomfort or unexpected experiences. Macon is an expert at finding the most comfortable and convenient solutions to average problems. While driving back from a beach vacation, Macon’s wife, Sarah , informs him that she wants a divorce. It’s been a year since their son, Ethan, was unexpectedly killed, and the two have grieved in very different ways. After Sarah moves out, Macon restructures their house, creating a multitude of systems and contraptions to maximize comfort and convenience. When it comes time for Macon to go on his next trip for work, he goes to board the family dog, Edward . He learns Edward is blacklisted from the vet for biting a worker last time he was boarded. Desperate, Macon finds another vet, where he meets Muriel Pritchett. Muriel is talkative and great with dogs. She agrees to let Macon board Edward and proposes that she give Edward obedience lessons. Macon declines and goes on his trip. When he returns, he commits to more systems to run the house. As these systems break down, Macon has an accident, resulting in a broken leg.

Macon moves in with his siblings, Rose , Charles, and Porter, while his leg heals. The Leary siblings are as peculiar as Macon with their habits, rituals, and organizational tendencies. They don’t answer the phone, eat baked potatoes often, and play the same made-up card game they’ve played since they were children. Macon’s siblings complain about Edward’s behavior, but Macon struggles to do anything about it because Edward belonged to Ethan. Finally, after being bit on the hand, Macon reaches out to Muriel, who has persistently tried to get Macon to hire her ever since they met. Muriel is great with Edward and helps Macon teach Edward things like sitting, staying, and walking on a leash. Edward struggles to learn to lie down, so Macon calls the vet. The clerk informs Macon that Muriel is out that day because her son is sick. The next time Macon sees Muriel, he asks how her son is, and she loses her temper because he wasn’t supposed to know about her son yet. Macon fires Muriel in the same scene because she harshly punishes Edward. As Macon’s leg heals, he struggles to overcome his grief from Ethan’s death and his separation from Sarah. When Sarah invites Macon to dinner, he proposes they have another baby to resolve their marital issues, but Sarah instead tells Macon she wants a divorce and cites his seemingly callous reaction after Ethan’s death and lack of comfort to her as her reason.

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After Macon gets his cast off, he flies to New York for work. He visits a skyscraper restaurant, where he has a panic attack after realizing he’s distanced himself from everyone he’s ever cared about. He calls home to ask for help despite his siblings being states away and learns that Edward is misbehaving and has cornered Charles in the pantry. Macon has no one else to call to help Charles and take Edward, so he calls Muriel and asks for her help. Not only does Muriel agree to rescue Charles, but she also comforts Macon and talks him down from his panic. When Macon returns from New York, he allows Muriel to begin training Edward again, and the two begin to spend a lot more time together. Muriel tells Macon all about her life and her son, Alexander. She invites Macon to come to dinner at her house, but Macon is afraid to do so, thinking it will feel like he’s finding substitutes for Sarah and Ethan.

When Macon goes to deliver a letter to Muriel to explain why he won’t have dinner with her, she surprises him with her tenderness, and Macon opens up about his grief regarding Ethan and the way he’s distanced himself from everyone. Muriel invites Macon to sleep in her bed, and he allows her to lead him to her room and tuck him in. Macon begins to spend much more time with Muriel and Alexander, eating dinner with them, helping Alexander with his homework, and joining them at Muriel’s parents’ house for Christmas. Macon’s relationship with Muriel heals him and helps him become less distant from the people around him. He moves in with her and gets to know the people of her street better than he ever knew his own neighbors. He forms a special bond with Alexander, teaching him to fix household items and taking him shopping for clothes.

Eventually, Muriel’s tendencies begin to wear Macon down. He is bothered by her misuse of words, her persistence, her insecurities, and her chaos. Muriel tries to convince Macon to take her to France, but Macon tells her no. Muriel presents Macon a calendar for the current year to show him she’s picked out a wedding day for them. Macon tells her he’s not interested in marrying again because he thinks only perfect couples get married, which leads to an argument and more tension between the couple as time passes.

After encountering Sarah at a wedding, Macon finds Sarah reaching out to him more and more during a trip to Canada. Sarah calls him in every city, at first asking if she can move back into their house because her lease is ending, then just wanting to talk about the weather. She hints that she wants to get back together with Macon and tells him she wishes she were with him in Canada. When Macon lands back in Baltimore, he drives home to Sarah instead of driving to Muriel’s house. They rekindle their relationship, much to Muriel’s heartbreak. Macon and Sarah begin to put their lives back together, buying new furniture and reassembling the house after it was damaged in a snowstorm during Macon’s absence. When Sarah is not around, Macon finds himself longing to talk to someone. He calls Muriel to ask about Alexander’s allergy shots, and Muriel scolds him for having the audacity to contact her about Alexander after abandoning them.

When Macon leaves for France, Muriel shows up on his same flight, having booked the same hotel. Muriel insists that Macon needs her, and Macon feels Muriel will be extremely unprepared to travel in Paris. Macon does his best to avoid Muriel, and she gets along fine without him. He eventually agrees to have dinner with her at a Burger King in Paris, where Muriel fills Macon in about the people on her street. She asks him to come to bed with her, but Macon declines. After several days in Paris, Macon starts day trips to other cities. When he goes to invite Muriel to join him, he throws his back out and becomes incapacitated. He calls his publisher to inform him of the delay, and word gets back to Sarah, who shows up in Paris to take care of Macon. She informs Macon that she saw Muriel, and he tells her that she followed him to France on her own accord. Sarah becomes excited about having a second honeymoon with Macon while they’re in France. One night, she asks Macon why he didn’t do anything to stop Muriel from getting on the plane with him. Macon doesn’t have an answer and realizes he’s never made any major life decisions on his own. Everything that has happened to him has resulted from passively accepting things. He stays up all night thinking and eventually decides to return to Muriel, realizing she is better for him.

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The Accidental Tourist

• An emotionally distant writer of travel guides must carry on with his life after his son is killed and his marriage crumbles.
• After the death of his son, Macon Leary, a travel writer, seems to be sleep walking through life. Macon's wife, seems to be having trouble too, and thinks it would be best if the two would just split up. After the break up, Macon meets a strange outgoing woman, who seems to bring him back down to earth. After starting a relationship with the outgoing woman, Macon's wife seems to think that their marriage is still worth a try. Macon is then forced to deal many decisions — Justin Sharp <[email protected]>
• After the murder of their young son, the marriage between Macon and his wife Sarah disintegrates, and she moves out. After a freak accident puts him on crutches, Macon goes to stay with his quirky siblings at the family home, where he meets the spirited Muriel, a dog trainer with a young son of her own, with whom he begins a friendship. When Sarah learns about this, she attempts a reconciliation and Macon is forced to make a decision. — Jwelch5742
• Macon Leary is the author of a travel book for people who want to travel with the minimum fuss and as little impact as possible on their lives. Arriving back from a working trip, his wife announces she can no longer deal with the fact that he is dealing with the death of their son the same way that he travels: with minimum impact. Macon subsequently meets the quirky Muriel, who it seems is just the opposite to Macon. — Murray Chapman <[email protected]>
• Macon Leary (William Hurt) is a Baltimore writer of travel guides for reluctant business travelers, which detail how best to avoid unpleasantness and difficulty. His marriage to his wife Sarah (Kathleen Turner) is disintegrating in the aftermath of the murder of their 12 year-old son, Ethan (Seth Granger). Sarah feels living with Macon she is losing the will to live and wants to reset her life. Sarah is also angry that Macon has no passion or loud emotions, he is very subdued. Sarah eventually leaves Macon, moving out of their house and into an apartment. Macon has a bad back that keeps resurfacing. Macon is pursued by Muriel Pritchet (Geena Davis), an animal hospital employee (Macon had met Muriel when he had to leave his dog with her at her hospital for care-taking, when he had to go away on a business trip. Macon was desperate as his regular animal shelter had refused to take in Edward due to his biting habit) and dog trainer with a sickly son Alexander Pritchett (Robert Hy Gorman) (Alexander is allergic to many many things and is almost always at the doctor's). Muriel is very chatty, while Macon is the quiet, reserved type. After he falls down the basement stairs and breaks his leg, Macon returns to his childhood home to stay with his eccentric siblings. Rose Leary (Amy Wright), Porter Leary (David Ogden Stiers) & Charles Leary (Ed Begley Jr.). Rose is super organized and has kind of like an OCD. Macon eventually hires Muriel to put his dog Edward through much-needed obedience training (as it was Edward which led to Macon falling down the basement stairs in his house. Plus Edwars also attacked Macon's employer Julian Edge (Bill Pullman) when he came to visit him at his sibling's house) (Julin also reminds Macon that he is running very late with his guidebook). Although Muriel at first seems brash and unsophisticated (she thinks Rose is Macon's ex-wife or something till he corrects her that Rose is his sister), Macon eventually finds himself opening up to her and trusting her (She is able to train Edward and befriend Macon in the process). Muriel had got married because she got pregnant, but then something went wrong during the pregnancy and Alexander was taken out by c section early. Muriel can never have kids again. Julian, meanwhile is attracted to Rose and joins the family for dinner to spend more time with her. One day Macon criticizes Rose's cooking (she had cooked the turkey at a wrong temperature), in front of Julian. Rose gets real upset and she thinks Macon wants her to take care of the boys forever and is thus trying to drive Julian away from her. Muriel continues to pursue Macon and invites him over for dinner at her place.. Macon is very resistant and tries to get out of it by saying something came up. But Muriel confronts Macon and he reveals that just last yr he lost his son in a holdup at an hamburger joint. Hence he is not ready to socialize yet, nor spend time with Alexander. Muriel quietly hugs Macon and wins him over. She takes him to her bed and they snuggle. Macon spends more and more time at Muriel's and gets more involved in their lives. eventually Macon moves in with Muriel Macon completes his book and delivers it to Julian. Julian tells Macon that he is going to propose to Rose. Porter talks to Macon and tries to warn him and say that Muriel is not good for him.. Macon wouldn't have any of it, and instead finds himself bonding with Alexander (taking him clothes shopping and saving him from school bullies). Macon wants to put Alexander into private school and this upsets Muriel as Macon is not sure if he is committed to her for the next 10 yrs or not.. Muriel tells Macon that he is not sure of what he wants and wants him to get himself sorted. Macon says he doesn't want to get married and this upsets Muriel even more. Rose gets married to Julian. Sarah is Rose's Matron of Honor. When Sarah's apartment lease is up, she moves back into their old home and suggests to Macon that they start over. Macon leaves Muriel, and he and Sarah set up house once more. Meanwhile Rose has moved back as she worried about her brothers without her to take care of them. Macon suggests Julian that Rose has OCD and he should give her some organizing job that she can immerse herself into. When Macon visits Paris for research, Muriel surprises him by showing up on the same flight and stays in the same Paris hotel, recommended by Macon in one of his travel guides. She suggests that they enjoy themselves as if they are vacationing together. Macon insists he is there strictly for business, and although he shows concern for how Alexander is doing, keeps Muriel at arm's length. During Macon's last night in Paris, Muriel asks to go with him, and despite an early flight she tells him he doesn't have to reply just now. Waking up in the middle of the night Macon decides to call Muriel but his telephone malfunctions. Macon gets up and while trying to fix the cord, hurts his back and becomes bedridden. Muriel knocks on his door waking him up but before he can decide what to do Muriel assumes he has gone already and leaves. Mustering the strength to go to the front desk, Macon phones Julian (and finds that Rose is now working for Julian and organized the entire office) to inform him of his back pain. Sarah comes to Paris (This was also organized by Rose), to care and make day-trips for him in order to complete his travel guide. Sarah proposes that after finishing the day trips if he is feeling better they can go sightseeing, reschedule the flight for a latter date and make the trip a second honeymoon to which Macon agrees. However, Sarah tells him that she has run into Muriel when she arrived and as such continues to question Macon about his attraction to Muriel, angering Macon. The next morning, Macon dresses while Sarah still sleeps, then wakes her to tell her that he is going back to Muriel. On his way to the airport, Macon spots Muriel hailing a taxi and tells the driver to stop. Thinking the driver stopped for her, Muriel bends to gather her luggage and catches sight of Macon in the taxi. She smiles, and Macon returns the smile.

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The Accidental Tourist: A Novel Paperback – April 9, 2002

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• Print length 352 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Vintage
• Publication date April 9, 2002
• Dimensions 5.13 x 0.76 x 8 inches
• ISBN-10 0345452003
• ISBN-13 978-0345452009
• Lexile measure 890L
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From the back cover, about the author, excerpt. © reprinted by permission. all rights reserved., product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage; Reprint edition (April 9, 2002)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0345452003
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0345452009
• Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 890L
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.13 x 0.76 x 8 inches
• #4,751 in Family Life Fiction (Books)
• #14,833 in Literary Fiction (Books)
• #44,906 in Contemporary Romance (Books)

About the author

Anne Tyler was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1941 and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is the author of more than twenty novels. Her twentieth novel, A SPOOL OF BLUE THREAD, was short-listed for the Man Booker Prize in 2015. Her eleventh novel, BREATHING LESSONS, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1988. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

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by Anne Tyler

The accidental tourist study guide.

The Accidental Tourist is a novel written by the American author Anne Tyler in 1985. The novel revolves around a protagonist named Macon Leary, a middle-aged writer of travel guides. Macon and his wife of 20 years, Sarah , struggle to maintain their relationship after their son is tragically killed in a random murder at a fast-food restaurant. The couple decides to separate, sparking a deeply intense process for Macon in which he comes to terms with his grief and sense of purpose in life. For a while, Macon isolates himself, retreating into his old family home and avoiding contact with the outside world. But through a chance encounter with Muriel Pritchett —a younger woman who has volunteered to train his dog—Macon starts to come back to life. He especially finds comfort in serving as a surrogate father to Muriel's own young son, Alexander . Anne Tyler was inspired to write the story to illustrate to readers the grief of losing a child and how love can be regained in other ways.

The book was well-received by reviewers and readers alike, with critic Larry McMurtry of The New York Times commending the author on the clarity of her characters. The Accidental Tourist was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction in 1985. In 1988, the novel was also turned into a highly popular feature film, starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, and Geena Davis.

The Accidental Tourist Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Accidental Tourist is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Standing water in the road is compared to a wide lake.

A wide lake, it seemed, in the center of the highway crashed against the underside of the car and slammed it to the right.

How does Macon meet Muriel?

Macon meets Muriel when he hires her to train his dog.

How is Macon described in Chapter 1?

From the text:

He was a tall, pale, gray-eyed man, with straight fair hair cut close to his head, and his skin was that thin kind that easily burns.

Study Guide for The Accidental Tourist

The Accidental Tourist study guide contains a biography of Anne Tyler, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Accidental Tourist
• The Accidental Tourist Summary
• Character List

Essays for The Accidental Tourist

The Accidental Tourist essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler.

• The Accidental Acceptance: Family and Modernity in 'The Accidental Tourist' and 'Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant'

Lesson Plan for The Accidental Tourist

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Accidental Tourist
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Accidental Tourist Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Accidental Tourist

• Introduction
• Plot summary

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THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST

by Anne Tyler ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 11, 1985

How do "impossible" couples evolve? In this most recent, luminous novel by Tyler, a "fairly chilly" man, muffled in loneliness, learns that a man and a woman can come together "for reasons the rest of the world would never guess." One can leave the principality of self to tour another's—to love "the surprise of her. . .the surprise of himself when he was with her." Macon Leary, married to Sarah, is an author of travel books for businessmen whose "concern was how to pretend they had never left home"—who want safe and comforting accommodations and food, who want to travel "without a jolt." Macon and Sarah, devastated by the senseless murder of their 12-year-old son in a fast-food shop holdup, are about to part. Sarah will leave this man that she claims remains "unchanged," who refuses to argue with the knowledge that the world is vile. Immobilized by a broken leg (was that accident an unconscious wish?), Macon will settle in with the family he started with—two brothers (one divorced) and sister Rose—in ultimate safety, where like plump, brooding fowl, the four deliberate in soothing converse, rearrange the straws of domesticity, Enter the "impossible" Muriel Pritchett, shrill as a macaw, single mother of a pale, wretched young boy, scrabbling for a living at various jobs, and existing messily on a cacophonous Baltimore street. Muriel has arrived at the Leary compound to whip into line Edward, Macon's pugnacious Welsh corgi who's fond of treeing bicyclists and family members. Muriel cows Edward while talking nonstop, and gradually Macon will find himself in "another country" of noise and color, where red slippers with feathers are necessary accessories to a woman in the morning. From a perspective where Macon feels he's a "vast distance from everyone who mattered" and a marriage where he and his wife seem to have "used each other up," Macon will find in foreignness his own "soft heart." Again in Tyler's tender, quiet prose, a delicate sounding of the odd and accidental incursions of the heart. Tone-perfect, and probably her best to date.

Pub Date: Sept. 11, 1985

ISBN: 0345452003

Page Count: 356

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: Oct. 6, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1985

LITERARY FICTION

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More by Anne Tyler

BOOK REVIEW

by Anne Tyler

THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD

by Claire Lombardo ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 25, 2019

Characters flip between bottomless self-regard and pitiless self-loathing while, as late as the second-to-last chapter, yet...

Four Chicago sisters anchor a sharp, sly family story of feminine guile and guilt.

Newcomer Lombardo brews all seven deadly sins into a fun and brimming tale of an unapologetically bougie couple and their unruly daughters. In the opening scene, Liza Sorenson, daughter No. 3, flirts with a groomsman at her sister’s wedding. “There’s four of you?” he asked. “What’s that like?” Her retort: “It’s a vast hormonal hellscape. A marathon of instability and hair products.” Thus begins a story bristling with a particular kind of female intel. When Wendy, the oldest, sets her sights on a mate, she “made sure she left her mark throughout his house—soy milk in the fridge, box of tampons under the sink, surreptitious spritzes of her Bulgari musk on the sheets.” Turbulent Wendy is the novel’s best character, exuding a delectable bratty-ness. The parents—Marilyn, all pluck and busy optimism, and David, a genial family doctor—strike their offspring as impossibly happy. Lombardo levels this vision by interspersing chapters of the Sorenson parents’ early lean times with chapters about their daughters’ wobbly forays into adulthood. The central story unfurls over a single event-choked year, begun by Wendy, who unlatches a closed adoption and springs on her family the boy her stuffy married sister, Violet, gave away 15 years earlier. (The sisters improbably kept David and Marilyn clueless with a phony study-abroad scheme.) Into this churn, Lombardo adds cancer, infidelity, a heart attack, another unplanned pregnancy, a stillbirth, and an office crush for David. Meanwhile, youngest daughter Grace perpetrates a whopper, and “every day the lie was growing like mold, furring her judgment.” The writing here is silky, if occasionally overwrought. Still, the deft touches—a neighborhood fundraiser for a Little Free Library, a Twilight character as erotic touchstone—delight. The class calibrations are divine even as the utter apolitical whiteness of the Sorenson world becomes hard to fathom.

Pub Date: June 25, 2019

ISBN: 978-0-385-54425-2

Page Count: 544

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: March 3, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2019

LITERARY FICTION | FAMILY LIFE & FRIENDSHIP

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New York Times Bestseller

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NORMAL PEOPLE

by Sally Rooney ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 16, 2019

Absolutely enthralling. Read it.

A young Irish couple gets together, splits up, gets together, splits up—sorry, can't tell you how it ends!

Irish writer Rooney has made a trans-Atlantic splash since publishing her first novel, Conversations With Friends , in 2017. Her second has already won the Costa Novel Award, among other honors, since it was published in Ireland and Britain last year. In outline it's a simple story, but Rooney tells it with bravura intelligence, wit, and delicacy. Connell Waldron and Marianne Sheridan are classmates in the small Irish town of Carricklea, where his mother works for her family as a cleaner. It's 2011, after the financial crisis, which hovers around the edges of the book like a ghost. Connell is popular in school, good at soccer, and nice; Marianne is strange and friendless. They're the smartest kids in their class, and they forge an intimacy when Connell picks his mother up from Marianne's house. Soon they're having sex, but Connell doesn't want anyone to know and Marianne doesn't mind; either she really doesn't care, or it's all she thinks she deserves. Or both. Though one time when she's forced into a social situation with some of their classmates, she briefly fantasizes about what would happen if she revealed their connection: "How much terrifying and bewildering status would accrue to her in this one moment, how destabilising it would be, how destructive." When they both move to Dublin for Trinity College, their positions are swapped: Marianne now seems electric and in-demand while Connell feels adrift in this unfamiliar environment. Rooney's genius lies in her ability to track her characters' subtle shifts in power, both within themselves and in relation to each other, and the ways they do and don't know each other; they both feel most like themselves when they're together, but they still have disastrous failures of communication. "Sorry about last night," Marianne says to Connell in February 2012. Then Rooney elaborates: "She tries to pronounce this in a way that communicates several things: apology, painful embarrassment, some additional pained embarrassment that serves to ironise and dilute the painful kind, a sense that she knows she will be forgiven or is already, a desire not to 'make a big deal.' " Then: "Forget about it, he says." Rooney precisely articulates everything that's going on below the surface; there's humor and insight here as well as the pleasure of getting to know two prickly, complicated people as they try to figure out who they are and who they want to become.

Pub Date: April 16, 2019

ISBN: 978-1-984-82217-8

Page Count: 288

Publisher: Hogarth

Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2019

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2019

More by Sally Rooney

by Sally Rooney

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• CBSE Notes For Class 9
• Class 9 English Notes and Summary
• Supplementary Chapter 9 The Accidental Tourist

The Accidental Tourist Summary & Notes - CBSE Class 9 English Moments

According to the CBSE Syllabus 2023-24, this chapter has been removed from  NCERT Class 9 English (Moments) textbook .

Summary of The Accidental Tourist

The Accidental Tourist is a story which reflects the humorous travel experiences of the author. He encounters unexpected hassles while travelling that call for trouble and embarrasses him immensely. Read the prose summary of CBSE Class 9 English Prose Notes – The Accidental Tourist in CBSE English Notes Class 9 format here to explore in detail. We hope this summary will help students to understand this chapter easily and prepare for their English exam with confidence.

Students can also learn how to write an effective essay by going through the essays to increase marks in Class 9 English papers.

CBSE Class 9 English The Accidental Tourist Summary

The Accidental Tourist is an entertaining story written by Bill Bryson, where he reflects on his travel experiences humorously. He casually describes the various incidents that took place while he was travelling to different places. He often acts clumsily and finds it difficult to manage things systematically. He wonders how other people do their regular work easily without any difficulty. A couple of times, he fails to locate the washroom in the movie theatre and ends up standing in a narrow passage of the door that locks by itself. He has a hard time living a normal life like other people and wonders how others do it so effortlessly.

Once, the author was travelling to England with his family during Easter. After reaching Logan Airport in Boston, while they were checking in, he abruptly remembered that he had joined the British Airways’ frequent flyer programme. He recollected that he had put the card in the carry-on bag that was dangling around his neck. When he tried opening the bag, the zip was clogged, and he exerted pressure to open it. In the process, the zip snapped, and everything that was kept inside the bag started spilling all over the place. Meanwhile, the author also noticed that his finger was injured and trapped in the zip. He was terrified at the sight that his finger was bleeding extensively.

Further, the author mentions the unexpected troubles that he encounters while travelling. In one such instance, while travelling in an aeroplane, he leaned over to tie his shoelace. Unfortunately, he was stuck when the person sitting ahead of him fully reclined his seat. With great difficulty, he freed himself from that cramped position. In another instance, he spilt some soft drinks on his co-passenger. Although the flight attendant cleaned up the mess, the author spilt another drink on the same passenger again. The lady was completely drenched and annoyed at the author for the inconvenience he caused her.

However, his worst experience on a flight was when he was writing in a notebook, and he sucked on the tip of the pen. At that time, he was also talking to a lady. Later when he went to the washroom, he saw that the pen had leaked unknowingly and ended up colouring his teeth, tongue and mouth in blue colour ink. He ended up feeling awkward for being so clumsy. Although the author is a gentleman, he always ends up in some cumbersome situation. His wife was well aware of his clumsiness. So, whenever food was delivered on the flight, she would instruct her children to remove the lid off the food for their father so that they could avoid any mishap from happening.

Nonetheless, the author clarifies that such unforeseen situations occur, particularly when he is travelling with his family. Whenever he travels alone, things work perfectly as he quietly sits on his seat and avoids tying his shoelaces if required. He avoids making mistakes while he is travelling on his own. He admits that he has been careless in updating his frequent flyer card due to time constraints. On multiple occasions, he either forgot to request the air miles from the airline authorities, or sometimes the airline didn’t record it on time. Furthermore, he mentions that there were instances when the airline informed him that he was not entitled to use air miles. Once due to a mismatch in his name on the ticket, he could not use his air miles and was left ineligible to travel to Bali on a first-class ticket.

Conclusion of The Accidental Tourist

The chapter – The Accidental Tourist teaches students that it is important to be organised and systematic in our lives, especially while travelling. We should be well-prepared; otherwise, we are likely to encounter unexpected mishaps like the author. Here, we brought you the CBSE Class 9 English Moments Prose Summary of The Accidental Tourist that will help students to have a solid insight into the chapter.

Besides, BYJU’S offers a huge collection of resources such as CBSE Notes and CBSE study materials . They can download BYJU’S – The Learning App and also check out CBSE sample papers and question papers.

Frequently Asked Questions on CBSE Class 9 English The Accidental Tourist

Why is it important for a student to be organised in life.

For students, being organised is particularly important since it helps them learn how to prioritise activities, set and achieve goals and reduce stress.

How should one be conscious and aware during travel?

1. Don’t drink bottled water from unknown shops/people 2. Avoid the tourist trap locations 3. Travel in off-season 4. Choose proper accommodation

What is the meaning of ‘unforeseen situation’?

Any situation that is not anticipated or expected is called an ‘unforeseen situation’.

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40 facts about the movie the accidental tourist.

Written by Cynthie Thibodeaux

Modified & Updated: 05 Mar 2024

Reviewed by Sherman Smith

The Accidental Tourist is a captivating film that has left its mark on the world of cinema. Released in 1988, this thought-provoking drama, based on the novel by Anne Tyler, tells the story of Macon Leary, a travel writer who experiences a tragic event that leads him to isolate himself from the world. Directed by Lawrence Kasdan and featuring an all-star cast including William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, and Geena Davis, the film effortlessly combines elements of love, loss, and personal transformation.

In this article, we will delve into the fascinating world of The Accidental Tourist and uncover 40 intriguing facts about the movie. From behind-the-scenes details to interesting trivia, we will explore the development of the film, its impact on audiences, and memorable moments that have made it a beloved cinematic gem. So, grab your popcorn and get ready to embark on a journey through the captivating tale of The Accidental Tourist.

Key Takeaways:

• The Accidental Tourist is a movie based on a popular book, exploring themes of grief, change, and the power of love, with captivating performances and a timeless quality that still resonates today.
• The film’s emotional depth, rich dialogue, and poignant exploration of human resilience make it a thought-provoking and enduring piece of cinema, leaving a lasting impression on viewers.

The Accidental Tourist is based on a best-selling novel

The movie is an adaptation of Anne Tyler’s novel of the same name, which was published in The book received critical acclaim and won the National Book Critics Circle Award.

Lawrence Kasdan directed the movie

The Accidental Tourist was directed by Lawrence Kasdan, known for his work on other critically acclaimed films such as The Big Chill and Body Heat.

The movie stars William Hurt

Academy Award winner William Hurt portrayed the lead role of Macon Leary, a travel writer who is struggling to come to terms with the death of his son.

Geena Davis won an Academy Award for her performance

Geena Davis gave a memorable performance as Muriel Pritchett, a quirky dog trainer, and received an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

The film was a commercial success

The Accidental Tourist was not only critically acclaimed but also a commercial success, grossing over $32 million worldwide against its $18 million budget.

The Accidental Tourist was nominated for four Academy Awards

In addition to Geena Davis ‘ win, the movie was nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score.

The film explores themes of grief and healing

The Accidental Tourist delves into the emotional journey of its protagonist, delving into themes of loss, grief, and the process of healing.

The movie depicts the struggle between routine and change

Macon’s character in the film represents the conflict between sticking to his set routine and embracing the unexpected changes that life brings.

The Accidental Tourist was filmed in various locations

The movie was shot in cities such as Baltimore, Washington D.C., and Paris, giving it an authentic and diverse backdrop for the story.

The film showcases the power of animal therapy

Muriel’s profession as a dog trainer highlights the therapeutic effects that animals can have on individuals going through difficult times.

The Accidental Tourist was praised for its screenplay

The screenplay, written by Frank Galati and Lawrence Kasdan, effectively translated the complex emotions and relationships from the novel to the screen.

The movie features a talented ensemble cast

In addition to William Hurt and Geena Davis, the film also stars Kathleen Turner, Amy Wright, and Bill Pullman , who all deliver captivating performances.

The Accidental Tourist received positive reviews from critics

The film received widespread critical acclaim, with praise for its performances, screenplay, and sensitive portrayal of grief and healing.

The movie’s soundtrack enhances the storytelling

The Accidental Tourist’s soundtrack, composed by John Williams, beautifully complements the emotional tone of the film, adding depth to the storytelling.

The Accidental Tourist explores the complexities of human relationships

The movie delves into the intricacies of familial and romantic relationships, illustrating the challenges and rewards of human connection.

The film received several award nominations

Aside from the Academy Awards, The Accidental Tourist received nominations for the Golden Globe Awards, British Academy Film Awards, and Writers Guild of America Awards.

The movie’s title reflects the protagonist’s journey

Macon Leary’s transformation from a travel writer who avoids emotional attachments to someone who embraces the unknown mirrors the idea of becoming an “accidental tourist” in his own life.

The Accidental Tourist showcases the beauty of everyday moments

The film captures the beauty found in mundane daily experiences, emphasizing the importance of finding joy in the ordinary.

The movie was a collaboration between Warner Bros. and The Geffen Film Company

The Accidental Tourist was jointly produced by Warner Bros. and The Geffen Film Company, combining their expertise to create a powerful and thought-provoking film.

The Accidental Tourist addresses the fear of change

Macon’s fear of change and his struggle to adapt reflect the universal human fear of stepping out of one’s comfort zone.

The film’s cinematography is visually captivating

The Accidental Tourist’s camera work, helmed by John Bailey, captures the essence of the different locations and adds to the overall immersive experience.

The movie explores the process of self-discovery

As Macon embarks on a journey of self-discovery, the film prompts the audience to reflect on their own paths to finding purpose and happiness.

The Accidental Tourist emphasizes the importance of unconventional friendships

Macon’s unexpected relationship with Muriel challenges his preconceived notions and teaches him the value of embracing unexpected connections.

The film’s screenplay beautifully captures the essence of the book

Despite the challenges of adapting a beloved novel, the screenplay manages to maintain the spirit and depth of the original source material.

The Accidental Tourist explores the concept of home

Macon’s struggle to find a sense of home and belonging mirrors the universal longing for a place where one feels comfortable and rooted.

The movie showcases the power of transformative experiences

Through Macon’s journey, The Accidental Tourist shows how stepping out of one’s comfort zone can lead to personal growth and transformation.

The Accidental Tourist presents a nuanced portrayal of grief

The movie deals with grief in a sensitive and realistic manner, portraying the different ways people cope with loss.

The film’s performances are emotionally resonant

The actors’ portrayals of their characters’ inner struggles and emotional journeys leave a lasting impact on the audience.

The Accidental Tourist is a thought-provoking exploration of identity

As Macon navigates through his own identity crisis, the film invites viewers to reflect on their own sense of self and the factors that shape it.

The movie explores the role of escapism in coping with grief

Macon’s profession as a travel writer gives him an opportunity to escape his reality and avoid confronting his emotions.

The Accidental Tourist has a timeless quality

Despite being released in 1988, the film’s themes and emotional resonance continue to resonate with audiences today.

The movie was considered a departure for Lawrence Kasdan

The Accidental Tourist marked a departure from Kasdan’s previous films, which were often more lighthearted and comedic in nature.

The Accidental Tourist is a testament to the power of love

The film shows how love and human connection have the ability to heal and transform even the most broken individuals.

The movie’s success led to renewed interest in the novel

Following the film’s release, Anne Tyler’s novel saw a surge in popularity, with readers eager to experience the story in its original form.

The Accidental Tourist is a character-driven film

The focus of the movie is on the complex and compelling characters, whose journeys captivate the audience from start to finish.

The film’s pacing adds to its emotional impact

The deliberate pacing of The Accidental Tourist gives the audience time to fully immerse themselves in the emotional depth of the story.

The movie’s screenplay was nominated for a BAFTA Award

Frank Galati and Lawrence Kasdan’s screenplay adaptation garnered recognition from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

The Accidental Tourist is a poignant exploration of human resilience

The film highlights the power of the human spirit to endure and find hope even in the face of overwhelming challenges.

The movie’s dialogue is rich and thought-provoking

The conversations between the characters in The Accidental Tourist are layered with meaning and provide valuable insights into their inner worlds.

The Accidental Tourist leaves a lasting impression

The film’s combination of compelling storytelling, exceptional performances, and thought-provoking themes makes it an enduring piece of cinema that continues to resonate with viewers.

In conclusion, The Accidental Tourist is a captivating film that combines elements of drama, romance, and comedy to tell a unique and thought-provoking story. With a brilliant cast, superb direction, and a deeply layered screenplay, it offers a deeply emotional and introspective journey for both the characters and the audience. The film explores themes of loss, grief, and the complexities of human relationships, leaving a lasting impact on viewers.With its engaging storyline, memorable performances, and insightful exploration of human nature, The Accidental Tourist remains a must-watch for movie enthusiasts. Whether you’re a fan of heartfelt dramas or simply enjoy a well-crafted film, this movie will not disappoint. So grab some popcorn, sit back, and embark on an accidental journey that will tug at your heartstrings and make you reflect on the unexpected twists and turns of life.

1. Who directed The Accidental Tourist?

The Accidental Tourist was directed by Lawrence Kasdan, who is known for his work on films like The Big Chill and Silverado.

2. Is The Accidental Tourist based on a book?

Yes, The Accidental Tourist is based on a novel of the same name by Anne Tyler. The film adaptation was released in 1988.

3. Who are the main actors in The Accidental Tourist?

The film features a talented cast including William Hurt, Kathleen Turner , and Geena Davis in lead roles.

4. Where was The Accidental Tourist filmed?

The film was primarily shot on location in Baltimore, Maryland, which is the setting of Anne Tyler’s novel.

5. Did The Accidental Tourist receive any awards?

Yes, The Accidental Tourist received critical acclaim and was nominated for several awards, including four Academy Awards.

6. What is the genre of The Accidental Tourist?

The Accidental Tourist is a romantic drama film with elements of comedy and introspection.

7. Is The Accidental Tourist a tearjerker?

The Accidental Tourist deals with themes of loss and grief, which may elicit emotional responses from viewers. However, it also has moments of humor and hope.

8. What is the significance of the title “The Accidental Tourist”?

The title refers to the main character, Macon Leary, who writes travel guides for people who don’t like to travel. It reflects his own personal journey of rediscovering himself and finding unexpected love.

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Revisit: the accidental tourist.

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The late, great Roger Ebert once called Lawrence Kasdan’s 1988 drama The Accidental Tourist , the most delightful film of the year, but “also seemingly one of the most depressing.” That’s an accurate description of this gentle and sympathetic comedy about a man mourning the loss of his son. Kasdan’s film is so impossibly well-managed tonally that one finishes it in a kind of daze. Scenes of purely human comedy and tragedy with a tempo as relaxed and unpredictable as life itself play against the backdrop of a story about grief and, in some ways, coming back to the land of the living.

Kasdan, the great filmmaker behind 1983’s The Big Chill and 1991’s Grand Canyon , is the reason for this expertly executed tightrope walk. Adapted from Anne Tyler’s novel of the same name, the film follows Macon Leary (William Hurt), an author of travel guidebooks whose marriage to Sarah (Kathleen Turner) is slowly disintegrating a year after the murder of their son Ethan. Ethan was the lone victim of an armed robbery, and Macon is still haunted by the fatherhood of which he was cheated by total chance. To put the nail in the coffin, Sarah announces one morning that she is leaving Macon and has rented an apartment in the city.

The set-up perhaps doesn’t pass the smell test of comic potential, but as scripted by Kasdan and Frank Galati, the movie is a comedy about people rather than their situations. We chuckle and smile upon recognizing the natures of these characters and their witty and sometimes sardonic interactions, but we aren’t meant to guffaw at slapstick or scatology. Simply through the performances by Hurt and Turner, and Geena Davis as another significant character (as well as Amy Wright, David Ogden Stiers and Ed Begley Jr. as Macon’s idiosyncratic siblings), we fall into the unique and downright huggable rhythms of these people. This is most apparent in the first encounter between Macon and Muriel Pritchett (Davis), the canine trainer whose kennel boards Macon’s dog Edward when Macon must take one of his trips to write a new guidebook.

The chemistry between Macon and Muriel – between Hurt and Davis – is palpable right from the start, though the grieving Macon is unable to see it. We notice Muriel’s eyes and demeanor, though, immediately drawn to this handsome man and taken by his manner of speaking and his pure emotional honesty. In his grief, the man has let his guard down a little, and Hurt does an enormously effective job of differentiating the character’s interactions with this woman, whom he likes and is amused by but does not know, and with Sarah, whom he knows very well but no longer feels any connection to.

Davis, in an Academy Award-winning performance, is phenomenal in her reading of Muriel as a woman who falls quickly and desperately in love with this sad-eyed and bewildered man, technically abusing her position as his dog’s temporary caretaker to check in on Edward after their business relationship has ended and taking it upon herself to invite him to dinner. The relationship blossoms – not out of a sense of falsely romantic hullabaloo but out of a necessity on the part of these people, both having recently undergone divorces, to connect with another human. Almost serendipitously, then, Macon and Muriel have found each other.

As follows with the unpredictability of life, the movie has surprises in store – among them being the fact that romances can move more like rollercoasters than straight paths. Macon and Sarah reconcile after a realization of each person’s priorities, and they later fall apart again, not because the story needs them to but because the characters seem so real, so genuine, and so fragile. We come to realize that Macon and Muriel would have been better served to be together for as long as Macon and Sarah have, but through coincidence that places the latter pairing in their home once more, the characters also receive an opportunity to learn that lesson in a hard, truthful way.

In case one hadn’t realized just yet, The Accidental Tourist is not really driven by plot, though a pair of events does cause a minimal amount of drama as it enters its final third. A back injury handicaps Macon on his trip to Paris, where Muriel and Sarah (unbeknownst to each other) have followed him in order to win him back and to be his caregiver, respectively. This leads not to false drama or histrionics but to another hard truth for everyone involved. It’s also followed by a final scene that, with a nod and a reciprocated smile (and, for what it’s worth, almost no dialogue), perfectly caps a gentle, honest comedy about fundamentally good, flawed people.

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Tourist faces 12 years in jail after making 'innocent mistake' at airport on holiday

Ryan watson could face over a decade in prison after the discovery inside his hand luggage.

Dylan Murray

An American tourist is facing a lengthy prison sentence after a vacation to Turks and Caicos took a drastic turn.

40-year-old Ryan Watson was arrested on April 11 and is now stuck in Turks and Caicos following the 'accidental' error.

It all kicked off when he and his wide Valerie attempted to make their return to the United States after a family vacation to the Turks and Caicos Islands.

However, Watson was accused of being in possession of hunting ammo in his carry-on bag, something he claims was an accident and was not done on purpose.

The Transportation Security Administration dictates that firearms must be unloaded and that both the weapon and its ammunition must be included in your checked baggage and cannot be carried on you as you fly.

Upon getting flagged by TSA as he attempted to return home, Watson says he had left the hunting ammunition in his carry-on from a previous trip.

Unfortunately for him, not only was it illegal to travel with said ammo in your carry-on luggage, but the possession of guns and ammunition is highly illegal on the Turks Islands, meaning Watson was in strict violation of the law.

Watson spoke to NBC News ahead of his first court hearing: “I recognized [the ammunition] and thought, 'what a bonehead mistake. I had no idea that those were in there'."

Both Ryan and his wife, Valerie, were arrested and put in jail for several days, separated from their two kids who remained in Oklahoma City, the family’s hometown.

While Valerie was allowed to return home with her charges being dropped after 11 days, Ryan was not treated as kindly.

Instead, Ryan will now be subject to a criminal trial in which he could go to prison for up to 12 years.

“When I heard that, I immediately was terrified,” Valerie said in regards to the potential sentence. “We can't be in prison for 12 years, we have kids at home.”

'We were trying to pack board shorts and flip flops," Valerie added. "Packing ammunition was not at all our intent."

The consequences of Ryan's alleged mistake would not have been as severe even just a few years ago, as gun possession in Turks and Caicos was previously just subject to a fine.

However, in 2022, the mandatory minimum penalty for gun/ammo possession was 12 years in prison.

Beyond Ryan’s potential prison sentence, the expenditures that have been required to fight for Ryan’s innocence have already taken a major financial toll, with a GoFundMe having raised over $118,000 to help support the family through their legal struggles.

Topics:  US News , Crime

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Tourist plunges 250 feet to her death into active volcano while posing for photo.

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A tourist plunged 250 feet to her death in Indonesia after tripping while taking photos on the edge of an active volcano.

The woman, identified as 31-year-old Chinese citizen Huang Lihong, was with her husband on a guided tour of Ijen — a volcano park in East Java — when she tumbled into the crater Saturday, Hongxing News reported.

The couple had climbed to the top of the active volcano, which is known for its popular “blue fire” phenomenon, to catch the sunrise.

The tour guide later told authorities that Lihong had initially kept a safe distance from the edge of the crater after being repeatedly warned of the dangers while posing for snaps.

But she then started walking backward to inch closer — then accidentally stepped on her long clothing, tripped and fell into the mouth of volcano.

A photo circulating in local media showed Lihong apparently posing with her leg raised and clouds of sulfur gas behind her just before her deadly tumble.

It took rescuers roughly two hours to retrieve her body, according to authorities.

The tourist’s death has since been ruled an accident.

Her body was scheduled to be transported to Bali before being flown back to China, local media reported.

The Ijen volcano — among a cluster in the region — is known for its “blue fire”, which is caused by combustion of sulfuric gases.

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