Customer Reviews

Atticus: A Novel

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(62)
3 star:		(23)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

I have been to enough book groups now that have chosen Hansen's masterpiece "Atticus," to realize that people are reading this book much too lightly. Because it has the form of a mystery, this does not mean that the novel is strictly a who-done-it. Book group members continually want to rewrite and edit Hansen's book rather than to see what he has done in writing a novel about forgiveness and unconditional parental love. Methinks part of the problem is that the father and son theme of this book takes readers where THEY do not want to go. Because father/son relationships are not externally emotional, readers have to work hard to understand Atticus and Scott, rather than Atticus and Scout of "To Kill A Mockingbird". Harper Lee had the easier job of dissecting father/daughter relationships and told the story from the girl's point of view. Hansen told it like it is when the father and son are at odds. Too bad some members of the reading public find that too painful to face and use Hansen as their scapegoat. "Atticus" needs to be taken seriously.

Being a high school student this book is an option for summer reading. Out of all the choices I thought that this book sounded the most interesting, and I feel that I made the right decision. This was a very good book, and I enjoyed reading it. Luckily it was an easy book to read, and it went by fast. The book started out a little bit slow,talking about the different characters, and their backgrounds, and explaining the plot. The first chapter of the book was a bit confusing, but as soon as it moved to chapter two, Mexico, the book picked up and became very easy and fun to read. I liked how "Atticus" was a mystery, and how it made you draw conclusions, and try to figure out what was happening as you read along. While I was reading this book I tried to figure out who the murderer might be or why Scott would want to commit suicide, but then the author turns the book around and makes you think even more. At this point I was a little bit confused, and didn't really understand what had happened, but then Hansen goes on to explain the story in the last couple chapters. By the end of the book the author did a good job tying everything together, and making the reader clear on what happened. Although Hansen explains the story, and fits everything together, you are still left at the end wondering a few things, which I feel makes a good mystery. This allows the reader to try and figure out how the story really ended, and what might have really happened. This was a very good book, that started out in one direction, and then ended in a completely different spot. It kept me wanting to read, (which is very difficult to do), and it made me start to analyze the book, and try to figure out who the potential murderer was. In conclusion I feel that this book is worth your time, and I recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries.

Ron Hansen's "Atticus" is an intriguing novel vividly describing a man's search for meaning in a murder mystery setting. Atticus Cody is sucessful Colorado rancher who has a troubled relationship with his son Scott. When Scott supposedly commits suicied in Resurreccion, Mexico Atticus leaves to bring his son's body home. Being an old fashioned man Atticus does not fit in to his son's rowdy town. He feels alone in a strange place. Instead of accepting his son's death he investigates it. He comes to the conclusion thathis son had been murdered. Hansen takes the reader on a wild ride as Atticus searches for his son's killer. Although Hansen's writing style is hard to follow at times, the mysterious story line keeps the reader hooked to the book. I recommend this book solely on its beautifully crafted story line, even though it is hard to follow at times.

This is a book about love at its most healing. Atticus Cody starts out with a crazy son and comes to believe that he is ending up with a dead one. The quiet fight he undertakes to recover his lost son is hallmarked by the ferocious love of the parent for the child, which mirrors that of the Redeemer for the sinner. The action takes place in a town aptly named Resurreccion, and there the father, powerless in many ways, takes on the terrible business of recovering what he believes is his murdered child. The madness which has burdened Scott throughout the whole of his adult life and rendered him unable to function usefully is that of intense guilt. We find out in flashbacks through the eyes of both father and son that since the day that the car Scott was driving crashed and killed his mother, himself and his father have been painfully estranged. On that day also Scott began the descent away from reality. Atticus is a rich man. As he sets out for his son's house, (number 69 on the block), to solve the mystery of his son's murder, he reflects in the taxi that it was the day he discovered his sixty ninth oilwell, that he figured his family were going to be alright. His quest for a son first apathetic and then dead, seems futile. Ron Hansen tells the story of this painful history delicately, as though he is as fearfully treading the unfamiliar, guilt-laden, mad territory that Scott inhabits as is Atticus. He steals up on the story, dropping a hint here and a fact there. We find that the son was bright, and went to Stanford. We find that there was a time when he was lively and interested. We get a strong impression throughout of the father's sense of powerlessness, and an even more powerful impression that his crusade is fuelled by nothing more than simple, overwhelming, unconditional parental love. The beauty is in the telling. Through the genius of Hansen's deceptively simple writing, we come to understand how it is that the father would undergo anything if only he could get his son back. The absent mother poignantly lives in the memory and in the love of both men. Just three words she is remembered to have said express the enormous love she felt for the son even at the moment he was crashing the car which killed her. `Oh, honey, no', was the simple endearment which became the last phrase she ever uttered. The guilt and remorse the son feels for her death is never stated, and neither is the deep conflict of the father, as he mourns first his wife and then the son who killed her. But these deep emotions run through the book as a great tide, informing every action the characters take. Redemption comes, and it is love which brings it, the love of the parent for the child.A plausible story wrapped up in an almost implausible plot, to my mind, `Atticus' is even more compelling than Hansen's bestseller, `Mariette in Ecstasy'.

Atticus is an interesting and suspenseful read. At first, it seemed a little slow with the description of Atticus, a Colorade oil man, and his quiet life. But when his son commits suicide, he starts to question the small details surrounding the event. Atticus begins to realize that his son was murdered. I came up with several different theories as to who had killed Scott and when the first half of the book ended, I found myself completely shocked with the turn of events. This is a well-drawn and compelling mystery as well as an in-depth look at the lengths a parent will go to for his/her child. The writing style is descriptive enough that vivid pictures come to mind, without being flowery or excessive. I recommend this book to anyone who like a little bit of mystery and suspense along with an exploration of parent-child relationships.

With strong, detailed character development, Ron Hansen creates an incredibly detailed story full of many shocking twists and turns. The story, which revolves around the unconditional and ever lasting love of a parent, is about a father who tries to investigate his son's mysterious, obscure suicide. It begins in Colorado, and moves to the perfect setting of Resurrección, Mexico. The great character development supported by the minute yet later important details are the strong points of the novel. Scott Cody, a former mental patient, is the ideal choice for the focus of the novel because of his complicated history, alcoholism, lack of communication with his family, and difficult to decipher personality. Although very slow in the beginning, the novel turns out to be what the reader least expects. While the ending involves many almost impossible coincidences, the novel is one of the best that I have ever read.

Atticus, the story of a 67-year-old cattle rancher from Colorado and the search for his thought-to-be-dead son, not only exceeded my expectations, but has proven to be an exceptional mystery novel. When Atticus Cody receives the call that his artist son, Scott, has committed suicide, he travels to Resurrection, Mexico only to find something amiss. There to search for answers to his son's alien lifestyle and clues to his sudden death, Atticus Cody gains new knowledge concerning his son's demise; he was not suicidal, but rather the victim of murder. Exposing this new plot twist, Ron Hansen takes the reader for a ride, packed with exciting new revelations on every page. Full of countless twists and turns, the gripping narration keeps the reader glued to the story, ultimately leading to the biggest shocker of all. Though slow to start, the pace gradually increases with the realization of Scott's murder, but fluctuates throughout the remainder of the novel. The story concludes in a most unexpected fashion, so be prepared for a big surprise; the ending itself makes up for much of the frustration and confusion created regarding setting and characters. The abundance of detail and wealth of information can lead to some misunderstandings concerning plot particulars, though the story becomes much clearer once finished. Although the complexity of the characters can be seen as a nuisance at times, I see it as one of the novel's strong points; the skill required to add so much color and life to a story is indeed praiseworthy. The novel is presented from the viewpoints of both father and son, which both answer various questions that form when reading the book; the dual perspectives help give the story more depth, which in my opinion, allow more room for satisfaction (which is always a good thing.) Overall, this book provided an enjoyable read, though proved to be almost too informative at times (especially in the beginning), making it hard to follow. Though definitely not the most exciting reading experience I've had, I definitely recommend this book to others.