Atticus: A Novel [Paperback]

Ron Hansen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 16, 1997

Colorado rancher Atticus Cody receives word that his wayward younger son, Scott, has committed suicide in Resurrection, Mexico. When Atticus travels south to recover Scott's body, he is puzzled by what he finds there and begins to suspect murder. Illuminating those often obscure chambers of the human heart, Atticus is the story of a father's steadfast and almost unfathomable love for his son, a mystery that Ron Hansen's fiction explores with a passion and intensity no reader will be able to resist.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Demonstrating masterful versatility, Hansen, whose acclaimed Mariette in Ecstasy probed the spiritual experience?and its physical manisfestation?of a young, cloistered nun in upstate New York, writes here about Atticus Cody, a 67-year-old Colorado cattle man who goes to Mexico to retrieve the body of his younger son, an artist, alcoholic and, finally, a suicide. The story of Atticus, with elements of a murder mystery and a close focus on aspects of character generally considered to be male attributes, resembles Mariette, however, in its exploration of love in a purified and highly potent form. A deeply grieving Atticus meets Scott's friends in the town of Resurreccion and copes with the unknowns of a culture far removed from his ranch, where only recently "carrots of ice were hanging from the roof's iron gutters." As the Cody family history, which includes the death of Atticus's wife (mother of Scott, and his older, successful brother) in a car accident in which Scott was driving, is gradually revealed, Atticus comes to believe that Scott's death may have been at another's hand. Effectively employed contrasts?in setting and in character, especially between honorable, disciplined Atticus and the impulsive Scott and his circle, for whom love and failure seem intertwined?carry the story through its increasingly gripping plot. A few, though central, coincidences are the only improbabilities in a story that is stunning for the credibility of its cast and their actions. $50,000 ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The film version of the author's highly praised Mariette in Ecstasy will be out in time to boost sales of this mystery, set on Mexico's Caribbean coast.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (January 16, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060927860
• ISBN-13: 978-0060927868
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (120 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #615,854 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If all mysteries were like this one..., September 29, 2002

By 

Manola Sommerfeld (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Atticus: A Novel (Paperback)

Even though it is obvious and clear on the jacket, I picked up this book without the notion that it was going to be a murder mystery. I was more convinced that it was going to be a plain vanilla novel.

This is good, because I am not much of a mystery reader. For my taste, the willing suspension of disbelief that most mysteries require is too much to stomach, and I get disappointed way before the end.

Atticus is terrific. Not only it is a beautiful story about a father and his prodigal son. It is also an engaging murder mystery with an amazing plot. I was truly surprised at the resolution of the story. There was very little in the plot to suggest that this was how everything would end.

The writing was sincere and powerful. Such beautiful similes: "Awkward as a box full of shoes". What an evident and mundane thing to say, and how exquisite. "... the water was as tepid and clear as Perrier but from a distance had the turquoise color of kitchens in the fifties". The description of the wild Mexican landscape, the people of Resurrección, all done to perfection. This was a tactile novel, where you could see and smell and feel what the characters were experiencing.

The love that Atticus feels for his son Scott, no matter how messed up, rotten and selfish Scott has been, is so sincere and pure and beyond all reproach that it brought tears to my eyes in more than one occasion. This is one of the best books I have read this year. Do not let this one go by.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Worthwhile Read, December 20, 1999

By 

Darlene Simmons (Modesto, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Atticus: A Novel (Paperback)

I had never heard of Ron Hansen until I happened upon an article about him in the San Francisco Chronicle. I was intrigued by his spartan surroundings (he was pictured in his residence with only a crucifix on the wall for adornment), spiritual focus, and spare lifestyle. I found that "Atticus" was written with the sparse and discriptive prose so reminiscent of Steinbeck. The religious overtones found in this book also reminded me of Steinbeck. I loved the beauty of Hansen's writing more than the story line, although I did find his use of an elderly father as the main character a refreshing change. For those who cherish a writer who can provide vivid imagery using few words, this book is for you!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Engaging retelling of the Prodigal Son story, December 2, 2002

By 

Tim Drake "Author and Journalist" (Saint Joseph, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Atticus: A Novel (Paperback)

Colorado rancher Atticus Cody learns that his youngest son, Scott, has committed suicide. Thus begins Atticus' journey south to Resurreccion, Mexico to retrieve his son's body.

However, when he arrives, all is not what it seems. As Atticus puts the pieces of the puzzle together, he begins to suspect murder.

The first half of the novel unravels like an unexpected murder mystery, taking the reader along various paths and turns. The last half of the novel is written from a first-person perspective.

Hansen ably recasts the Prodigal Son story, helping bring a contemporary spin to the tale. By so doing, he allows the reader to imagine the "failings" of the son and the love of the father in a much clearer way. Hansen has a way with words even when he tends to over-describe at times.

His male characters are far better developed than his female. So obsessed with the physical beauty of Renata in the book's first half, she comes across as more of a stereotype than a character.

Overall, the novel is compelling. It's a nice mix of artsy-novel and murder mystery rolled into one.