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155 reviews for:
Following Atticus: Forty-Eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship
Tom Ryan
3.95 AVERAGE
155 reviews for:
Following Atticus: Forty-Eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship
Tom Ryan
3.95 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this book. It made me laugh and cry. It also fed my deepest desire to get a dog. That being said, Tom Ryan is clearly a newspaperman. The cliffhanger nature of each chapter's end lent a serialized feel to the book--which grew tiresome quickly. "Soon we'd have a run of better weather, but would it be enough to keep us on track?" (Pg 234) Also, I felt that certain aspects of the spirituality detracted from my overall enjoyment of the Tom and Atticus's tale; I found that Hardy got too caught up in the majesty of the mountains and how it had changed him--it didn't help that he mentioned it almost every chapter.
If you have ever had a goal/quest and a dog this book will resonate. Appreciated Tom's honesty about his family relationships and sharing all that is good in communities.
A little long, and a touch overly emotional, but all in all a good read.
This book was not one I thought would be as good as it was: I'm not a dog person, and my enjoyment of books like The Cat Who Went to Paris and Marley and Me was minimal. Having been dragged on many hikes when I was younger, my preference is for curling up with a good book and reading. Despite those qualms, there were many moments reading this when I turned to my cats and just had to hug them.
Those of us with pets understand the unconditional love they give and Atticus' love for Tom goes above that: the two connected on some incredibly deep level. Tom's decision to hike the 4,000'+ White Mountain peaks (both during the summer and winter) with his dog seems to be something short of madness, but clearly this is one mountain-loving dog. It's also heart-warming to see how Atticus touched the lives of the people in Tom's life and what an integral part of Newberyport's community he became. For those that enjoy hiking, Tom's descriptions of the various peaks - and climbs - will whet your appetite for the next climbing season.
What dropped this from a 4 to a 3 (or 3.5, I'm vacillating) is that Tom falls into the same trap I've seen that most reporters-turned-book authors get snarled in: too much repetition of information. "Characters" are introduced and reintroduced, and in some cases whole paragraphs are repeated in more than one chapter. That might not bother some, but it irritated me.
This would be the perfect gift for any hiking or dog lover in your lives.
ARC provided by publisher.
Those of us with pets understand the unconditional love they give and Atticus' love for Tom goes above that: the two connected on some incredibly deep level. Tom's decision to hike the 4,000'+ White Mountain peaks (both during the summer and winter) with his dog seems to be something short of madness, but clearly this is one mountain-loving dog. It's also heart-warming to see how Atticus touched the lives of the people in Tom's life and what an integral part of Newberyport's community he became. For those that enjoy hiking, Tom's descriptions of the various peaks - and climbs - will whet your appetite for the next climbing season.
What dropped this from a 4 to a 3 (or 3.5, I'm vacillating) is that Tom falls into the same trap I've seen that most reporters-turned-book authors get snarled in: too much repetition of information. "Characters" are introduced and reintroduced, and in some cases whole paragraphs are repeated in more than one chapter. That might not bother some, but it irritated me.
This would be the perfect gift for any hiking or dog lover in your lives.
ARC provided by publisher.
This was a well written account of a man and his dog on the mountain trails. For the most part it maintained my interest but b bit repetitive .
Almost a 5 star for me, but I did find myself skimming in some places because there were a lot of extra words to tell the story. Atticus is an exceptional dog that changes the life of his owner. A small dog that hikes as many mountains as he did and overcomes so many different obstacles is an inspiration. Loved the story and it has also inspired me to spend more time hiking.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
This book was a delightful read when I was making my way through two 500+ page books about climate change and the end of the world. It follows the story of a man and his dog Atticus as he discovers an “Act 2” for his life climbing New Hampshire mountains. At times plotty (through mountain after mountain), there are these beautiful moments of rich meaning throughout when he shares his thinking from on top of those mountaintops.
I really enjoyed the story of this spunky pup and his person and their love of nature. I listened to the audiobook and loved hearing Tom Ryan's wonderful New England accent describe the mountains of New Hampshire.