Yes, I agree. I see Edwin as a strong Myers-Briggs type I who would loathe suddenly being uprooted into a house as full and noisy as Trennels with all the family at home. Not to mention having to work out unusual relationships with teenagers who he can't quite dismiss as children because of their relationship to his wife. Not to mention the huge stress of separation - wife dying - rushed into second marriage - new job - new area...

I always feel that he
(a) started from the difficult position of being wildly prejudged by the younger Marlows
(b) and the even more difficult position of being caught up in Rowan's disapproval of Karen
(c) added to this with some tactical errors at the start due possibly to shyness, unfamiliarity with large-Marlow-type-family life, and general difficulty of the situation
(d) never had a way/found a way/tried to find a way of improving these relationships, not being a relationship type of person.

I don't think I'd have done too well faced with all that either.

But I do think that the children's relationship with him seems to me to indicate that in better circumstances he wasn't a bad father or husband. And the interaction with Nicola indicates something of this too. I always like his honesty about the children's pantomime and the touches of dry humour he lets slip from time to time.

I've forgotten - what does Giles make of him?