Book summary

This novel, set in Oxford and its surroundings, is a study of the games academics play with themselves, their wives, and their students. Central to the book and the reason for its title is the reflections of one of the central characters, philosoper-don Stephen, on what constitutes an "Accident." Written in an intensely poetic prose, the "Accident" is a profound meditation on marriage and infidelity, the relation between art and experience, and imagination and action. A harsh, but brilliant, portrait of life at the heights of British academe.

Media reviews

"[This is] a most brilliant and singular piece of work."