My students selected this book for one of their lit circle books and I hadn't read it (based on a librarian's recommendation who I am friends with) so I had to read it fast! I am not familiar with Hansen's work and found myself underlining sentences and phrases as applicable to this old person's life. The book starts with a sun dog and interestingly yesterday afternoon we had the brightest one I had ever seen for the longest duration just as I was on the downward side of completing this book--emphasizing to me the double characters and plot points of this book. Its name has nothing to do with the To Kill a Mockingbird character as this Atticus is older than that novel and gets that question frequently to his chagrin. The mystery of the book is compelling and surprises me at times and at others I solved it before the author revealed the full story.Favorite quotations: "Let Reinhardt be me, be my sundog."A fake suicide note: "No one is to blame.""She seemed happy and tipsy and prepared to find a lot to laugh about.""There was a flood line so high on the house it would never be touched again." which caused tears for me because with the life I have lead, I knew the height he referenced. This is Hansen's line after Atticus has heard on tape his son's murder. And a reference to Moby Dick that I hadn't understood as completely as I did when I read it juxtaposed with this plot.
Atticus Cody is a Colorado rancher who lives a simple life caring for his animals. He is a widower and father of two sons, both adult, and so lives alone. One day he gets a message from Resurrección, Mexico that his youngest son Scott has committed suicide; he then travels to Mexico to retrieve the body. When he arrives he is greeted by Renata, Scott’s on and off love interest, and starts to uncover incoherent details. After a little digging, Atticus suspects that his son was murdered, and sets out to invoke justice.Everything about Atticus is wonderful. The plot doesn’t allow you to put the book down until you’ve read the last word, the characterization is solid, and Hansen’s writing style ties it all up with a nice bow. Atticus’ dedication and love for his son is incredible. He’s so likable that when he gets offended, you get offended along with him.When this book was first recommended to me I was a bit reluctant. The book seemed like it could be interesting; for some reason I kept pushing it farther down my list of books to read, but I kept coming back to it. Needless to say, once I finally picked up the book I couldn’t put it down.
What do You think about Atticus (1997)?
Atticus is very easy to read and flows very well. Ron Hansen has done a great job of telling an interesting story and made it very enjoyable but I found this book to be pretty predictable. The story was great but I felt like I knew the "twist" before each "surprise" was laid out in front of me. Hansen must have spent some quality time in Mexico because he had the scenes and the way of life pegged. This book reminds me a lot of the second Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series in the the story almost became unbelievable at times. I mean come on, a grieving rancher/oil man from Colorado flies to retrieve his dead son in Mexico and he turns into the next Sherlock Holmes. Don't get me wrong, I still liked the book but by the end I was thinking that Hansen pushed it a bit over the edge.
—Jason Carpenter
I bought this book simply because of the title. Atticus Finch has always been stuck in the back of my head ever since being forced to read To Kill A Mockingbird in the 6th grade. The story is ok. Some parts sneak up on you, which is usually good. But it may be becuase you don't find yourself fully vested and may simply not care what's going on. I did finish it with no problem and I never really hit a slow part or anything. So it can't be that bad, right? Maybe I was just hoping it was going to be something it wasn't. This is why I now read "blurbs" with a more skeptical eye and am relying on recommenations from LibraryThingers more and more!
—trav
I was very surprised with this book. The author writes in a compelling and expressive manner that allows the reader to paint a vivid picture in his/her mind throughout the entire story. This book was easy-to-read and offerred powerful insights into the depths familial love. Plus, the ending was incredible and further developed the characters from a different perspective. I truly enjoyed reading this novel and would recommend it to anyone interested in exploring the trials and tribulations of a father's love for his son.
—Stuart Drake
