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love_larry's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
melanieroyston's review
3.0
I would give this book 3.5 stars. While I love the character and how the book was written in flashbacks, it was a little too slow paced for a book about a high profile bank robber. The twist at the end was refreshing, though, and made me look at the story in a whole different light and for that, I say bravo. Though overall it could have been better, it has the potential to make a fantastic movie.
linzthebookworm's review against another edition
4.0
It took me a little bit to get into Sutton, but once I finally got there I couldn't put it down. The writing style is what made it hard for me initially. The way the dialogue is written makes it hard to tell who was speaking and the fact that the main character sometimes speaks in the third person didn't help. Overall, I found it an interesting story that depicted a really fascinating time in U.S. History.
To see my full review check out https://linzthebookworm.blogspot.com/2022/06/book-review-sutton-by-jr-moehringer.html
To see my full review check out https://linzthebookworm.blogspot.com/2022/06/book-review-sutton-by-jr-moehringer.html
chelseatm's review against another edition
1.0
I was underwhelmed by this book to say the least. It had rave reviews and a recommendation from a trusted source, but yet I was left with a distinctly unsatisfied feeling when I was done.
It was bland, flat and dull. It's clear that Moehringer conducted a good amount of research but I found that because I couldn't tell where the research ended and the fantastical imagination began, it took away. What was genuine? What was adding too much to the character?
He almost seems to canonize Sutton to sainthood, appealing to his non-violent history and his anti-hero persona. However, it didn't work. Just made him seem like a passive observer in his own world.
Overall, a book about a bank robber or a love story should be exciting. Except the love story seems to be entirely the creation of the author and the bank robberies are never discussed in depth - only the ramifications of them.
I would say pass on this book.
It was bland, flat and dull. It's clear that Moehringer conducted a good amount of research but I found that because I couldn't tell where the research ended and the fantastical imagination began, it took away. What was genuine? What was adding too much to the character?
He almost seems to canonize Sutton to sainthood, appealing to his non-violent history and his anti-hero persona. However, it didn't work. Just made him seem like a passive observer in his own world.
Overall, a book about a bank robber or a love story should be exciting. Except the love story seems to be entirely the creation of the author and the bank robberies are never discussed in depth - only the ramifications of them.
I would say pass on this book.
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Book on CD narrated by Dylan Baker
Everyone knows the Willie Sutton quote; asked why he robbed banks, Sutton purportedly said, “That’s where the money was.” Of course, this was later questioned, but it has remained part of the Sutton lore. In this historical fiction novel, Moehringer tries to explain why Willie robbed all those banks. In a brief author’s note Moehringer relates that after spending half his life in prison, Sutton was released from Attica on Christmas Eve 1969. He spent the entire day with a reporter and a photographer, retracing the steps of his personal history through the boroughs of New York City. The resulting article, however, was curiously sparse in detail. Moehringer writes: “Sadly, Sutton and the reporter and the photographer are all gone, so what happened among them that Christmas, and what happened to Sutton during the preceding sixty-eight years, is anyone’s guess. This book is my guess. But it’s also my wish.”
I wanted to like this. I remember the hoopla when Sutton was released in 1969, and I’ve always been fascinated by true crime works. I knew this was a novel, however, I expected something along the lines of other novels I’ve read that are “fictionalized biographies.”
The trouble I had here was Moehringer’s chosen device: following Sutton, the reporter and the photographer throughout Christmas day 1969, and then having Sutton recall one event after another from his past. It just didn’t work for me. I would be involved in the past and then yanked to the back seat of the car while Willie’s scarfing down donuts provided by the photographer. I also didn’t like the author’s choice to call his characters not by name, but by their roles in Sutton’s life: Photographer, Reporter, Left Cop, Right Cop, etc. It annoyed me.
On the plus side, I really liked the sections where we were living in Sutton’s past. Moehringer brought the 1920s and 1930s to life in his descriptions and scenes on the streets of Brooklyn, or in the prison cells in which Sutton was held. The text version of the book also includes a map of the route taken by Sutton and the reporter on Christmas Day; I found that helpful at times.
Dylan Baker does a credible job of narrating the audiobook. It’s difficult to follow at times because of the constant moving back and forth in time. The text version uses different fonts to give the reader a clue, but the person listening to the audio version doesn’t get any such clue. That’s not the narrator’s fault, it’s the author’s.
Everyone knows the Willie Sutton quote; asked why he robbed banks, Sutton purportedly said, “That’s where the money was.” Of course, this was later questioned, but it has remained part of the Sutton lore. In this historical fiction novel, Moehringer tries to explain why Willie robbed all those banks. In a brief author’s note Moehringer relates that after spending half his life in prison, Sutton was released from Attica on Christmas Eve 1969. He spent the entire day with a reporter and a photographer, retracing the steps of his personal history through the boroughs of New York City. The resulting article, however, was curiously sparse in detail. Moehringer writes: “Sadly, Sutton and the reporter and the photographer are all gone, so what happened among them that Christmas, and what happened to Sutton during the preceding sixty-eight years, is anyone’s guess. This book is my guess. But it’s also my wish.”
I wanted to like this. I remember the hoopla when Sutton was released in 1969, and I’ve always been fascinated by true crime works. I knew this was a novel, however, I expected something along the lines of other novels I’ve read that are “fictionalized biographies.”
The trouble I had here was Moehringer’s chosen device: following Sutton, the reporter and the photographer throughout Christmas day 1969, and then having Sutton recall one event after another from his past. It just didn’t work for me. I would be involved in the past and then yanked to the back seat of the car while Willie’s scarfing down donuts provided by the photographer. I also didn’t like the author’s choice to call his characters not by name, but by their roles in Sutton’s life: Photographer, Reporter, Left Cop, Right Cop, etc. It annoyed me.
On the plus side, I really liked the sections where we were living in Sutton’s past. Moehringer brought the 1920s and 1930s to life in his descriptions and scenes on the streets of Brooklyn, or in the prison cells in which Sutton was held. The text version of the book also includes a map of the route taken by Sutton and the reporter on Christmas Day; I found that helpful at times.
Dylan Baker does a credible job of narrating the audiobook. It’s difficult to follow at times because of the constant moving back and forth in time. The text version uses different fonts to give the reader a clue, but the person listening to the audio version doesn’t get any such clue. That’s not the narrator’s fault, it’s the author’s.
annalena2422's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
duparker's review against another edition
5.0
This is a phenomenal read. I loved it from the first page, and wish I could have devoted it quicker. The writing is crisp and has a texture to it. The period details and care taken to recreate the atmosphere of the times is rewarding to read. The story it self is well told and has a deliberate flow and pace to it. You can easily see Willie's world and understand the choices he makes, as well add those he lives, but does not "make" himself.
kruppam's review against another edition
5.0
Recenzia : http://cititoriferoce.weebly.com/blog/fascinatia-pentru-baietii-rai-j-r-moehringer-sutton
bethtmorris's review against another edition
4.0
Very entertaining read. I started the book because I liked the author's first book but stayed because it was a complex tale of a lonely and somewhat misunderstood 'antihero'. It was switched back and forth to his younger life in NY and the day he's released from prison. While what he did was wrong it was an interesting look at a high profile criminal. I thought the most interesting piece was Sutton's obsessed with reading and plant life, I have to wonder if that is Willie's obsession or the author's.
avkesner's review against another edition
4.0
Really fascinating read. Well- written and olive books where you question if the narrator is telling the truth...