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Sutton

Sutton

by J.r. Moehringer

Hyperion | September 25, 2012 | Hardcover

Based on 83 ratings | Rate this | 12 reviews

Born in the squalid Irish slums of Brooklyn, in the first year of the twentieth century, Willie Sutton came of age at a time when banks were out of control. If they weren''t taking brazen risks, causing millions to lose their jobs and homes, they were shamelessly seeking bailouts. Trapped in a cycle of bank panics, depressions and soaring unemployment, Sutton saw only one way out, only one way to win the girl of his dreams.

So began the career of America''s most successful bank robber. Over three decades Sutton became so good at breaking into banks, and such a master at breaking out of prisons, police called him one of the most dangerous men in New York, and the FBI put him on its first-ever Most Wanted List.

But the public rooted for Sutton. He never fired a shot, after all, and his victims were merely those bloodsucking banks. When he was finally caught for good in 1952, crowds surrounded the jail and chanted his name.

Blending vast research with vivid imagination, Pulitzer Prize-winner J.R. Moehringer brings Willie Sutton blazing back to life. In Moehringer''s retelling, it was more than need or rage at society that drove Sutton. It was one unforgettable woman. In all Sutton''s crimes and confinements, his first love (and first accomplice) was never far from his thoughts. And when Sutton finally walked free--a surprise pardon on Christmas Eve, 1969--he immediately set out to find her.

Poignant, comic, fast-paced and fact-studded, Sutton tells a story of economic pain that feels eerily modern, while unfolding a story of doomed love, which is forever timeless.

Praise for Sutton:

"With a voice at once sentimental and muscular, Moehringer is like the kid brother of John Irving or Roddy Doyle. He brings a raconteur''s grace and rhythm to his first novel, Sutton, a stirring portrait of Willie ''The Actor'' Sutton. A-." -- Entertainment Weekly

"A captivating and absorbing read." -- Kirkus (starred)

"Moehringer relays, in electrifying prose, the highs and lows of Sutton''s dramatic life . . . Readers will be riveted by this colorful portrayal of a life in crime."-- Booklist (starred)

"A mesmerizing portrait of a remarkable man . . . The author''s eye for detail and sense of place make every stop on Sutton''s internal and external journeys resonate--from smoking a Chesterfield to Sutton''s first sight of the moon as a free man, every scene is saturated with life."-- Publishers Weekly

"In Moehringer''s more-than capable hands, the story has a life all its own beyond the historical fact." --The Daily Beast

"A moving and thoroughly absorbing novel. Filled with vibrant and colorful re-creations of not one but several times in the American past."-- Kevin Baker, author of Strivers Row

"In Willie Sutton, the greatest bank-robber of all time, thinker and lover, escape artist extraordinaire, [J.R. Moehringer] has found an historical subject equal to his vivid imagination, gimlet journalistic eye, and pitch-perfect ear for dialogue. The result is a terrific first novel by turns suspenseful, funny, romantic, and sad--in short, a book you won''t be able to put down."-- John Burnham Schwartz, author of Reservation Road and The Commoner

"Sutton presents a glorious romance, a riveting heist novel, a financial history of the 20th century, a loving portrait of New York, and an empathetic portrait of the bank robber as a young man, all in one crisp, sad, and often hilarious novel. It is an utter joy to read."-- Anthony Doerr, author of The Shell Collector and Memory Wall

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Reviews of Sutton

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  • 7 months ago
    Great read!
    Pulitzer Prize-winning writer J.R. Moehringer makes his fiction debut with this delicious read about the life of Depression-era bank robber Willie Sutton. Willie Sutton (1901 - 1980) was kindhearted, hardworking, and inherently honorable. But from a young age, the goodness in him was beaten down and bullied out. At every turn his attempts to earn a living and live a decent life were thwarted. Banks loomed large in Willie's life, and he came to understand that the people who ran them were the worst dregs of society – immoral and greedy men who had no compassion for those who struggled to eke out a living. One pivotal humiliation turned Willie toward a career he could control: robbing banks. Notwithstanding his talent as a bank robber, Willie Sutton was no stranger to incarceration, or to extricating himself from jail. His charm and personality – as well as his creed of non-violence – made him a folk hero. In Sutton, the reader meets Willie as an old man just after his final release from prison on Christmas Eve, 1969. Within minutes of walking out, he is kidnapped by a reporter and photographer who have been waiting for hours for the big "get" – the first real interview with Willie Sutton. Willie obliges – but in his way. Over the course of the next 24 hours, Willie takes his captors through a chronological series of emotional flashbacks of the defining moments in his life. It is a fascinating story, loosely based on truth, and filled with memorable Runyonesque characters, including Willie's love, Bess. Like with Bonnie and Clyde, this story will draw you in and have you rooting for the bad guy all the way. Sutton is very much a book to savour.
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  • 3 months ago
    Sutton
    I don’t usually read bank robber stories, but I liked this book. I read it because J.R. Moehringer wrote it, and after Andre Agassi’s biography, Open, anything by Moehringer goes on my must-read list. Sutton is a historical novel based on the life of Willie “The Actor” Sutton, a man who reached folk hero status through his decades-long career as a bank robber. Sutton used make-up and disguises to fool his bank victims. He was “The Actor” in his role of robber of the banks that were robbing the people. A real-life event provides the skeleton for the book: Christmas Eve, 1969, Willie Sutton was set free from Attica Correctional Facility. The following day—Christmas Day—he spent with a photographer and a reporter driving around New York City re-living the story of his life. As with all things involving Willie Sutton, the details of the real day are fuzzy or contradictory, so Moehringer fleshes out this real-life occurrence with his novel version of what such a day could, maybe should, have been like. Moving back and forth between past and present, he unfolds the tale of how an ordinary man from the Irish slums of Brooklyn became one of the most notorious 20th Century bank robbers and escape artists. Moehringer deftly peals back the layers of his characters through subtle details. How reputable is the plastic surgeon? He misspells the word nasal. How does his friend, Eddie, view life? He yells out to a room full of newborn babies, “Welcome to earth, suckers. The whole thin’s rigged.” And Sutton? He speaks about himself in the third person. He casts himself in any role that will help him get through the next moment, and he casts those around him in roles as well. For him, the people who come into and out of his life don’t have names. They are Photographer, Reporter, Quack, Porter, Lawyer, Big Cop and Bigger Cop. “Willie reads that acting isn’t about what you say, it’s about what you don’t say, what you vividly withhold. The audience doesn’t want to know you, they want to feel that desire to know you. Since you never fully satisfy that desire, never come clean, acting is the opposite of confessing. Willie underlines this passage in pen.” The real Willie Sutton character appealed to the struggling masses of the early 20th Century, when banks were the Bad Guys. Moehringer’s novel Willie Sutton character appeals to a 21st Century audience interested in the extravagant, luxurious highs and violent, harrowing, solitary lows of a mythical bank robber. After reading Sutton, we don’t feel we know Willie “The Actor” Sutton, but we desire to know him.
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  • 4 months ago
    EXCELLENT
    Born on June 30, 1901 Willie “the Actor” Sutton was a notorious bank robber through the early part of the 1900’s. He died on November 02, 1980 after having spent more than half of his adult life in prison. He served time in several different penal institutions and managed dramatic escapes three times. Willie Sutton was a legend stealing more than $2 million during his career as a notorious bank robber. He became somewhat of a legend due to the fact that he never completed a robbery if a woman screamed or a baby cried and never hurt or killed anyone during his robberies. Willie was a gentleman thief, but also a smooth talker and a consummate liar so many versions of his escapades exist. Mr. Moehringer begins his book on the day of Willie’s final release from Attica on Christmas Eve, 1969. Wanting an exclusive story “Reporter” and “Photographer” (Willie never can remember their names) are sent to get the exclusive story of the murder of Arnold Shuster, who recognized Willie on the subway, thereby sending him back to prison for the final time. Willie agrees to the interview but on his terms. He wants to visit the important places in his life in chronological order, finally getting to the scene of the Shuster shooting. Although it means traveling back and forth across the city of New York several times “Reporter” and “Photographer” agree. Each stop is a story told in Willie’s voice, an important event in his life, a memory sometimes sad and sometimes humorous. Mr. Moehringer obviously did his research. I so thoroughly enjoyed this book I wanted to know a little more about Willie Sutton, so did a little more reading about his life. I believe Mr. Moehringer waded through the various stories and factual accounts and wove them into his narrative. The book starts and ends on Christmas Eve of 1969, but the one night is filled with Willie’s memories of decades. Unfortunately the ending is bittersweet for both Willie and the reader. This was my first read of 2013 and what a great way to start off the new year of reading. This is a five star book all the way. Mr. Moehringer does not go on to tell us about Willie’s life after his release, but my personal reading let me to believe that although he no longer robbed banks (???) and despite suffering from emphysema he still led a pretty interesting life. He became an advocate for prison reform, consulted with banks implementing anti-robbery techniques and even became a spokesperson for the New Britain Bank and Trust Company.
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  • 4 months ago
    Talented writer
    This fictionalized account of bank robber Willie Sutton's life gave great glimpses of life in the 1920's to 50's. Loved how the author seamlessly went back and forth from Willie's interview on his final release from prison, to his life of crime and arrests and escapes. Toward the end, I found it dragged a bit and was somewhat confusing in its ending. A good read though.
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  • 5 months ago
    Good Book
    A good read and you slowly begin to really care about Sutton. Ending was a litte strange though.
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  • 6 months ago
    Okay
    I was drawn to this storyline based on the description provided. However, as I started to read this, I realized that it did quite meet my expectations. While I liked how the story flowed, I found about 3/4 of the way through the book I was saying to myself - am I done yet? It got pretty repetitive.
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  • 6 months ago
    A great book.
    Sutton, what a tough man who tore down banks with his dignity... Good language and structure.
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  • 6 months ago
    Enthralling
    The Good Stuff Was completely enthralled with the story and with Wilie Little hints throughout story grab you throughout the story and keeps you from wanting to put book down. Had a couple of late nights with this one - not to mention a couple of times I really didn't want to go back on the sales floor I was so engrossed Makes you think about so many things - especially about nature vs nurture How can you not love a bank robber who went out of his way not to kill people Need to know more about Sutton -- think I will be looking into some of the research Author obviously thoroughly researched Sutton Authentic & you feel like you are back in the era The characters love of the written word is delightful and gives you another reason to be intrigued by him The part with the psychiatrist really gives you pause for thought Get a real understanding of America during the depression Delightfully dark and funny at time I dare you not to fall in love with Willie and cheer him on - a moral quandary for sure, you know what he has done is wrong, yet you can understand what brought him to this place and think maybe just maybe if you were in the same place, you to0 might make the same choices An intriguing and unusual love story O.K. - enough - it's also a Heather's Pick. I'm usually not the type of girl that goes for the Oprah picks or Globe and Mail lists and definitely not anything literary - but man I think Heather and I have similar tastes Just go buy it - you will thank me The Not So Good Stuff A wee bit slow moving at times Still confused about one part (And damn you Moehringer - it just broke my heart if I get what happened) Favorite Quotes/Passages "Because Sutton robbed banks, the TV reporter says, and who the hell has a kind word to say for banks? They should not only let him out, they should give him the key to the city." "He invited death in with that suicide note. Once you let death in, it doesn't always leave." "Oh kid, it's all about confidence. That's the whole game right there. Whatever you do, do it with your nuts. That's how Ruth swung a bat - with his nuts. Rob a bank, date a girl, brush your teeth - whatever. Do it with boldness, with swagger, with nuts, or don't do it all." "A man is his job, kid, and I had no job, so I was a bum. A loser. America's a great place to be a winner, but it's hell on losers." Who Should/Shouldn't Read Not to be sexist or anything but this one will really appeal to men but at the same time most women will be as enthralled with the story as I was Perfect Christmas gift for pretty much everyone on your list -- there is something for pretty much everyone in this one Not for those who need things clear cut and fast paced One that you could give to both Non-Fiction and Fiction lovers 4.5 Dewey's Borrowed this one from our staff room library - basically a bunch of ARC's from publishers and we can borrow and pass around - another truly awesome part of my job
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  • 6 months ago
    Surprising!
    A poor, uneducated Irish boy in a disfunctional family growns up to become one of the most notorious bank robbers in American history. His escape attempts from the most infamous prisons makes him a legend. Lots of history mixed in with an interesting life story. I was surprised how much I liked Willie Sutton. Very enjoyable read.
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  • 7 months ago
    Couldn't Put it Down!
    This is the first book I've read by this author. I had good expectations for this novel -- but it beat them. It takes you back through the life of Willie (The Actor) Sutton and you get a feel for the nitty gritty bits of life in Brooklyn throughout the early 1900s. I'm also a die-hard romance fan, and I was happy to see that even a bank robber like Willie has a romantic side to him. Overall, great book. Definately a must-buy.
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  • 7 months ago
    Didn't do anything for me
    This book left me cold. It wasn't bad. It wasn't good. I'm not sure how it made it as a "Heather's Pick" but it was a disappointment. The writing was adequate but plain. Neither the story nor the characters engaged me one way or another and I was relieved when I was done.
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– More About This Product –

Sutton

Sutton

by J.r. Moehringer

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From the Publisher

Born in the squalid Irish slums of Brooklyn, in the first year of the twentieth century, Willie Sutton came of age at a time when banks were out of control. If they weren''t taking brazen risks, causing millions to lose their jobs and homes, they were shamelessly seeking bailouts. Trapped in a cycle of bank panics, depressions and soaring unemployment, Sutton saw only one way out, only one way to win the girl of his dreams.

So began the career of America''s most successful bank robber. Over three decades Sutton became so good at breaking into banks, and such a master at breaking out of prisons, police called him one of the most dangerous men in New York, and the FBI put him on its first-ever Most Wanted List.

But the public rooted for Sutton. He never fired a shot, after all, and his victims were merely those bloodsucking banks. When he was finally caught for good in 1952, crowds surrounded the jail and chanted his name.

Blending vast research with vivid imagination, Pulitzer Prize-winner J.R. Moehringer brings Willie Sutton blazing back to life. In Moehringer''s retelling, it was more than need or rage at society that drove Sutton. It was one unforgettable woman. In all Sutton''s crimes and confinements, his first love (and first accomplice) was never far from his thoughts. And when Sutton finally walked free--a surprise pardon on Christmas Eve, 1969--he immediately set out to find her.

Poignant, comic, fast-paced and fact-studded, Sutton tells a story of economic pain that feels eerily modern, while unfolding a story of doomed love, which is forever timeless.

Praise for Sutton:

"With a voice at once sentimental and muscular, Moehringer is like the kid brother of John Irving or Roddy Doyle. He brings a raconteur''s grace and rhythm to his first novel, Sutton, a stirring portrait of Willie ''The Actor'' Sutton. A-." -- Entertainment Weekly

"A captivating and absorbing read." -- Kirkus (starred)

"Moehringer relays, in electrifying prose, the highs and lows of Sutton''s dramatic life . . . Readers will be riveted by this colorful portrayal of a life in crime."-- Booklist (starred)

"A mesmerizing portrait of a remarkable man . . . The author''s eye for detail and sense of place make every stop on Sutton''s internal and external journeys resonate--from smoking a Chesterfield to Sutton''s first sight of the moon as a free man, every scene is saturated with life."-- Publishers Weekly

"In Moehringer''s more-than capable hands, the story has a life all its own beyond the historical fact." --The Daily Beast

"A moving and thoroughly absorbing novel. Filled with vibrant and colorful re-creations of not one but several times in the American past."-- Kevin Baker, author of Strivers Row

"In Willie Sutton, the greatest bank-robber of all time, thinker and lover, escape artist extraordinaire, [J.R. Moehringer] has found an historical subject equal to his vivid imagination, gimlet journalistic eye, and pitch-perfect ear for dialogue. The result is a terrific first novel by turns suspenseful, funny, romantic, and sad--in short, a book you won''t be able to put down."-- John Burnham Schwartz, author of Reservation Road and The Commoner

"Sutton presents a glorious romance, a riveting heist novel, a financial history of the 20th century, a loving portrait of New York, and an empathetic portrait of the bank robber as a young man, all in one crisp, sad, and often hilarious novel. It is an utter joy to read."-- Anthony Doerr, author of The Shell Collector and Memory Wall

About the Author


J.R. Moehringer, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing in 2000, is a former national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and a former Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. Moehringer is the author of the New York Times bestselling The Tender Bar and coauthor of Open by Andre Agassi.

Format: Hardcover

Published: September 25, 2012

Publisher: Hyperion

Language: English

The following ISBNs are associated with this title:

ISBN - 10: 1401323146

ISBN - 13: 9781401323141

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