Customer Reviews

A Is for Atticus: Baby Names from Great Books

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a great idea--as an English teacher, I was very excited when I saw it. I agree with the other reviewer who said that the commentary blurbs are helpful and a nice break from the endless lists of names in other books.

That being said, I wish the author had paid more attention to "great books" and a lot less attention to TV. She mentions Grey's Anatomy regularly, which couldn't be further from a great book. At one point she mentions an exchange student she knew in high school--again, not at all the context I care about at all. Because she's spending time talking about her husband's great-aunt (who cares?) and contemporary TV, she basically just mentions the book that each name comes from. There's no explanation of the character's role or connotation.
She also misses a lot of great names (Ada from Bleak House, for instance).

I don't know if Lorilee Craker needs to read more or what, but I wish someone with a broader, deeper knowledge of literature had taken on this book. There might be more names with a more thorough and interesting discussion of the characters.

I was quite excited to read this book given all the hype, but it left me wanting. Though some of the descriptions are good, especially the "if you like y, consider x instead" comments, the overall list of names is too short and quite honestly, too far out in left field. I would say skip it.

My sister-in-law brought this book to my attention, and I'm thrilled that she did. It was a perfect book for me, and the one that helped solidify our choice for a baby girl's name (Evangeline). First of all I loved that it is unique; it's not just a dry list of hundreds and hundreds of names with a cursory description of meanings. Ms. Craker is selective in the names she has chosen to list, and not only does she tell you the names' meanings, but she also gives meaningful commentary on each. I loved hearing her personal opinions on baby names, many of which made me laugh out loud. The result was that I read the entire book, each name, rather than just scanning each page for a name here and there which might catch my eye. Most baby name books are like that, and are therefore overwhelming and easily forgettable.

No, Ms. Craker does not list EVERY important literary work; that would be absurd. The names listed in her book are names she thinks are ripe and ready for the current age in which we live, and therefore only those literary works from which the names hail are included. Some reviewers have been annoyed by the fact that the author also mentions names from currently popular TV shows and movies. I, for one, didn't find this annoying at all. No, these media are not great literary works, but they are a form of entertainment, and I don't feel it's a huge stretch to at least mention a few names from them. The mere mention of a TV show might date the book, but usually the names mentioned from these shows have timeless qualities about them, which make them appropriate for inclusion in the book A is for Atticus.

The bottom line is, if you are looking for something different, maybe slightly quirky, but not overly trendy - and especially if you are a book lover - this is the baby name book for you too.

I purchased this as a shower gift and it was quite a conversation piece. Everyone was interested in where specific names were derived in popular novels, (and then some subsequent movies). I would purchase again for the 'next' shower!

How refreshing to have new options for baby names! This should be the first book expecting parents get!

I'm having my first child in a few weeks, and though I've perused other baby name books, _A is for Atticus_ is the ONLY book I keep coming back to. Craker's whit makes this an enjoyable read - I love her sassy style and opinions on the names, rather than just listing their meaning and moving on. The names suggested range from classic to edgy to silly - and what's a good book without all of those things? If you love books, then you'll love this baby name book - not just for the name suggestions, but it's also a great read! I've already passed it on to other friends who are having babies.

I am hoping for a literature-inspired name for my babe-to-be since I am named for Ashley Wilkes (Gone with the Wind, Mom didn't mind that he was a man and I was a baby girl).

There are just not great books out there for literary-name inspiration. A is for Atticus is an interesting take, and perhaps the best book out there that tries to provide this type of guide. That said, the book is not as comprehensive as I had hoped (not much Dickens, for example). What I need is a memory jog for lesser characters from great books (Of course I can remember Hester Prynne, but who else was in The Scarlett Letter? Anyone with an interesting name?).

I have turned instead to more general encyclopedias of characters from literature for inspiration, and may have more luck there. Imaginary People is one I have purchased, but it is basically a dictionary. What I really want is a compilation of the "Character List" section from every book in the Cliff Notes library, but alas that does not seem to exist (yet).

Would be grateful for someone to write a book / compilation like this, in the meantime A is for Atticus is an interesting read with a few gems.