Sopranos: The Book: The Complete Collector's Edition

by Brett Martin

Published to coincide with the airing of the series finale and packed with 200 full-color photos, "The Sopranos" provides an in-depth look into the details of the show's creation. Includes more than 50 original interviews with the cast, crew, and show producers.

Genres: Nonfiction, Tv, Coffee Table Books, Film, Crime, Reference

225 pages, Hardcover

First published May 15, 2007

About the author

Brett Martin is a Correspondent for GQ and a 2012 James Beard Journalism Award winner. His work has appeared in Vanity Fair, Gourmet, Bon Appetit, The New York Times, The New Yorker, Esquire, Food and Wine, and multiple anthologies. He is a frequent contributor to This American Life. He is the author of The Sopranos: The Book (2007) and Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution, From The Sopranos and The Wire to Mad Men and Breaking Bad (2013).

Reviews

[Paul Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

In memoriam - James Gandolfini 1961 - 2013.

I loved this actor, of course mainly for his performance of Tony Soprano, surely one of the most indelible characters in all of tv or film. His lightning fast mood changes, his complexities, his careening from grotesque brutality to soft concern and back again, his unpredictability, his terrifying physical presence - this was a dream marriage between the actor and the role and the writing, it was perfect. I was shocked to hear of his death, he was only 51. So here's my revived review of this book about the Sopranos with some great quotes from Tony. Can there be anyone who hasn't seen The Sopranos? If so, you couldn't do yourself a bigger favour. You will see fantastic performances and you'll get your heart broken in a number of places and you'll see what great fiction can be like, and how great tv is today's Shakespeare and James Gandolfini was its Italian American Macbeth.




******


We are coming to the end of our marathon rewatching of the entire Sopranos show, that's 86 episodes at 50 minutes each, a cool 71.6 hours or 9.5 days of viewing if you were putting in the standard seven and a half hour working day plus one hour for lunch. (It has taken us since Christmas in case you might think we have quit our jobs just to watch the Sopranos. Although I can see why some people would do that.)

My head tells me The Wire is the greatest tv show ever, but my heart says it's The Sopranos. The Wire's perspective is god-like - the cops observe the hoppers and we watch the watchers, and also we get to see how the great wheels revolve, how the schools mesh with politics, how that engages the media, how the police operate with the newspapers, how the unions deal with the politicians and the drug trade, wheels within wheels, cogs and circuits and little flickering lights, the vast machine and the tiny human parts to it, some getting squashed, some being the squashers, but all part of the universe called Baltimore aka the City aka our modern life, the one we built but didn't create, the one which creates us, our jobs, our homes and our possibilities.

The Sopranos is not like that, instead it's from the inside out, it builds from one single family and then it gets complicated. It's less lofty, less grand, and as you may know, when it isn't dealing in Macbethian tragedy and the horrible psychology of denial it's funny. And impossible to discuss without hauling out a few of the hundreds of favourite quotes. Tony Soprano has the usual problems with his teenage kids. He discusses the surly AJ, with his shrink Dr Melfi :

Tony: He tells me he's got no purpose.
Dr. Melfi: And how did you answer him?
Tony: I told him that it costs 150 grand to bring him up so far, so if he's got no purpose I want a fucking refund.

Tony discusses parenting difficulties with his wife :

Carmela: As a parent today, you are over a barrel no matter what you do. You take away her car you become her chauffeur. You ground her you've got to stay home weekends and be prison guards.

Tony: If you throw her out, social services will bring her back and we'd be in front of the judge. She's not 18 yet.

Carmela: That's your solution? To throw your daughter out?

Tony: All I'm sayin', with the laws today you can't even restrain your kid physically. She could sue you for child abuse.

Carmela: There has to be consequences.

Tony: And there will be, I hear ya okay. Let's just not overplay our hand. Because if she figures out we're powerless, we're fucked.


Some early morning family conversation :



Meadow: I don't think sex should be a punishable offense.

Tony: You know honey, that's where I agree with you. I don't think sex should be a punishable offense either. But I do think talking about sex at the breakfast table is a punishable offense. So no more sex talk, okay.

Meadow: It's the 90s. Parents are supposed to discuss sex with their children.

Tony: Yeah, but that's where you're wrong. You see out there it's the 1990s but in this house it's 1954.

Tony on his hippy sister :

Whatever her scam is, I'll be five thousand dollars lighter before she raindances back to the commune.

Dr Melfi on Tony's mother:

You know your mother is always talking about infanticide.

Tony and his Russian girlfriend:

Tony: What is that?
Irina: Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Tony: You should read Tomato Sauce for your Ass. It's the Italian version.

And of course there is usually some business to be conducted:

Richie: You called to complain yesterday? That's our policy, it's written on the side of our trucks. Double your garbage back if you're not satisfied.
Siraj: I complained because you didn't make full pickups on 12/16 and 20, and then I get charged double! You charged me for pickups you missed.
Richie: My dispatcher asked you: if you're not satisfied, did you want your garbage back?
Siraj: Of course I don't want garbage back!
Richie: Then you're satisfied!

And as they're very strong Catholics, sometimes they wonder if they're going straight to hell. Here's Paulie explaining what Purgatory is to a nervous Christopher:

You add up all your mortal sins and multiply that number by 50. Then you add up all your venial sins and multiply that by 25. You add that together and that's your sentence. I figure I'm gonna have to do 6,000 years before I get accepted into heaven and 6,000 years is nothin' in eternity terms. I can do that standing on my head.


Uncle Junior on the state of his life:



I got the Feds so far up my ass I can taste brylcreem.

I would also like to celebrate the many great malapropisms the guys spray around – "we should create a little dysentery in the ranks", "don't worry about it, there's no stigmata", "Quasimodo predicted all of this", "we're in a fucking stagmire"... Dickens would have loved this show. Also Freud!

This book here is a gorgeous piece of fan fodder, recommended for all fans.

Postscript:

This book is written by Brett Martin, it's on the title page, but for some reason I can't fathom his name does not appear on the cover or the spine. What's that all about, Melcher Media Publishers? Fuck you! Name the author on the damn cover! He wrote it!

[Jevron McCrory · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is NOT an analytical treatise on the series.

This book is a CELEBRATION of the series and for that, it scores HUGE!

Uninterrupted interviews with cast members, lavish full page, full colour photographs of scenes and locations, articles zeroing in on themes through the show, etc, this is an absolutely essential hard back for the Sopranos fan!

I utterly adore this book!

So WHY DIDN'T WE GET A BOOK LIKE THIS FOR BOARDWALK EMPIRE?

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was great to read this - all those years later - in conjunction with the new podcast. Great memories of and insight into one of the most important TV shows of all time. A game-changer.

[Alix · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful way to have a look behind the scenes of The Sopranos , to get to know the actors and the writers. The interviews were so much fun; I found myself laughing out loud many times. Lorraine Bracco, who portrayed psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi in the series, is a very interesting person, with a great sense of humor and a love for mischief.
The photography is amazing, and I was very impressed by the production team's attention for details.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb read for fans of The Sopranos. If you have not watched the entire series, it is best to avoid this book, as there are spoilers throughout, but for those itching for more Sopranos after the end of the series, this is a great book.

[miss ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

i still remember the christmas morning my mom got a copy of this book. she loooooves the sopranos and now, more than ten years later, u know who else loves the sopranos??? ME. watched for the first time about a year ago, thought it was really good, but i’ve been rewatching recently and getting way more into it than before. who else likes ralph cifaretto (most evil character) a dangerous amount 🤕. anyway. asked my mom if i could borrow it and now here we are 😋. this is a really cool collection of extra sopranos information. the layout is really cool, and i especially love the pages where the actors talk about the characters they play. the huge pictures of the locations were awesome as well i loved those. definitely an enjoyable read for sopranos enjoyers everywhere i will say that. maybe one of the most awesome coffee table books ever.

[David Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice accompaniment to the series. It's not deeply deeply analytical for those fellow filmmakers wanting to break apart the DNA for their own projects but it adds a nice bit of colour and understanding to what was a game changing TV show. Cast interviews and stunning photography are very prominent with the discussions being fairly general about the entire world and the choices Chase made to give us the final product we all enjoyed. Perhaps a book by Chase on his overall theories about filmmaking would be more interesting to me but I did really enjoy this work.

[Bridget]

My husband and I made our way through the show for the second time earlier this year. It really is one of the best shows ever on television. It's the best kind of character study, with characters who feel like they live and breath. So I read this after we finished the show, because I wanted to extend my time in that world. The writing is often a little too fan-boy, but I learned some things about the behind-the-scenes that I wouldn't have known otherwise.

[Daniel Pasternak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome book for Sopranos fans! Basically it is filled with chapters written by the cast of the show giving thier thoughts and experiences playing thier charecters. It is filled with interesting information about how the show was created and developed from the little details to big picture ideas. Must read for any Sopranos fan.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this look into the television series, which I'm watching in 2020 for the first time. Because I'm just starting Season 2, the book had some spoilers for me, but it was still quite entertaining. Fans of "The Sopranos" should give it a look.

[Michael Kwan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A heartfelt love letter to arguably the best show in television history. No incredible insights or big revelations, but a touching tribute all the same.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

greatest show of all time? greatest show of all time

[Donna Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to read this after just now finishing the last season of the Sopranos. Yes, I know, I am way late to the party on this one. This is a great companion book to the show.

[Chalchihut · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes people ask me why I love The Sopranos so much and I try to explain them with my poor words. Yet I don't think I can put it clearly to someone who hasn't watched it or didn't pay attention to it. Therefore reviewing the book gives me a similar feeling. I haven't seen any other book to which I can compare this one, so it makes this automatically the best I've read. Although I don't feel completely satisfied after reading the book to the end. I have no idea how I can explain it.

Let's start from David Chase. As the creator, the book gives the most credits to him and I can't say I don't agree, still not completely accept it. On the other hand, I think I used to like him more before reading the book. I don't agree with him about some points relating to the show and the audience: at some points the audience was underestimated, at least I felt so (still I have to say I don't always disagree with him). Even though the series is his creation, every single one who had a part in it, even the audience created the show all together. The book rather felt like The Sopranos of the David Chase.

This is my personal feeling and I don't force it on anyone. Otherwise I really liked to learn new things and the details I haven't realized so far about the show. It was nice to read comments from the people of the backstage, the environment of the sets and character analysis by the actors and actresses themselves. It's a unique source after all and I really enjoyed reading the book and all the time I ended up watching The Sopranos - best moments' compilation videos on internet.

In my eyes, this is the best series ever. I thank everyone who has been a part in it, but especially James Gandolfini (sorry Mr. Chase).

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

In some respects this is nothing more than a flashy coffee table book with minimal content, which of itself is not a bad thing. However the information supplied alongside the (mostly) wonderful illustrations and photos is good enough to give it more credence than a glossy picture book.

The most engaging aspects of the book when it comes to Martin's writing are the background sections on David Chase's processes and inspirations as 'The Sopranos' showrunner. His comments on how 'The Sopranos' came about, including the key plot device of a mobster with family issues undergoing counselling and how that related to Chases' own family are informative. There are some good chapters too on specific characters, settings and two of the most important episodes of 'The Sopranos' (i.e 'Pine Barrens' and 'Made in America').

I'm not sure enough voice is given to the actors who play the major roles in the show, and one of the problems with the book is that some of the actors' comments are barely distinguishable thanks to the problematic graphic design interfering with the text.

In summary this book would be a highly valuable addition to the library of any fan of 'The Sopranos', a somehow less important contribution to TV addicts' collections, and an almost meaningless book for anyone with minimal interest in either the show or popular culture in general.

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's 2015, and I just finished watching "The Sopranos." As our president once said, "So sue me."

Cognizant that the ending of "The Sopranos" was controversial or ambiguious, I've avoided Sopranos knowledge, imploring those who've watched it not to reveal the end to the final episode, as if it was a football game already played and I was about to watch it on DVR. I've seen the end (no comment), and now I can read the books. I've gone through several, they're all about the same.

The books do clarify a few things. And helped me understand the creator's intentions more. But the books were also kind of a let down compared to the performances of the actors, who really spilled their guts (figuratively and in gory, a show biz-like fashion).

Usually the book is better than the movie. And this book was only supposed to supplement the movie -- not replace it. But after watching "The Sopranos," this book was a letdown nonetheless.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, I confess, I love the HBO show The Sopranos, primarily because the characters are so well developed.

Just when you think Tony Soprano is a kind, sensitive guy, babba bing, he "wastes" a rival. Just when you have compassion for Pauly Walnuts, slam bang, he dumps a body in the New Jersey pine barrens. Just when Carmela appears to be a conflicted soul regarding her husband's profession, whalla, her shallowness is manifested by the cushy life style she embraces.

This coffee table sized book is replete with great photos of the scenes and characters of the six-season series. There are wonderful personality descriptions. There are behind-the scenes descriptions of the music, the language, the food and the in depth portrayal of the characters.

If you followed the series, you will enjoy this book.

[Pug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intrigued after flipping through (and disappointed by) "Difficult Men," I decided to look through this book instead. The Sopranos was really the only show from Difficult Men I wanted to read about, anyway.

It was worth it, as this book was much better: lots of color photos and articles about all aspects of this fascinating show. (And without completely bogging it down with the creator. David Chase has some major issues.)

I'd love to revisit the show, if it wasn't so violent and vulgar. Nevertheless, I had such good memories of watching it with my family (not "the family" - haha) so long ago. It was a good time.

[Hecka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goes into detail about how the series was written, casted, filmed, edited, the post production, how the set locations were found or created @ Silvercup Studios, the lighting, how the source music/score was selected, the attention to detail in the costumes and catering and the props that are stored in a huge warehouse. Basically this book is an easy read, with very rich images. Not only is is an easy read, but here you have a collection of the school of thought that went into creating my favorite television series of all ever and again. Sopranos Porn!

[Terryann Saint · Rating 2 out of 5]

The color choices in printing make it hard to read, black on gray, and ick - red on gray - almost impossible. Also, the words behind words is cool visually...but they should have upped the font size of the paragraphs to make them legible.

Cool pics, good coffee table book, I got way bored and left it about for a bit...but then went back and devoured it. I want to watch the whole series again, so I guess it's effective! I especially enjoyed the Episode Guide in the back.

[Ross]

As a fan of the show (and a native Philadelphian), this show hit close to home. Seeing Tony travel on the same roads I did as a kid, to trips to New York, to the accents of the characters, this show brought me home.
Good writing & supurbly acted, it'a great reference to one of the best series ever.

[Jono Carney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant book that you can either just look at and admire for the sheer beauty of its design and the great photos or read and find out some really great information and anecdotes about the greatest TV show ever made. An essential book for any true Sopranos fanatic.

[Terry Ravenscroft]

Excellent behind-the-scenes look at how possibly the best TV series ever (vying for first place with Breaking Bad) was put together. Lots of insights into the characters, the actors who played them and the writers who created them.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously not a great literary work, but if you were into the Sopranos it has some really cool anecdotes and insights into some of the imagery within the episodes.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ultra-cool behind-the-scenes look at the world created for The Sopranos.

[Danae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Libro ultra completo sobre todas las temporadas de mi serie favorita, The Sopranos. Tiene tremendas imágenes y mucha trivia que cualquier fan amará.

[Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very nice and lavish large format book, not detailed but rather a celebration of the completed show,

[Nefertari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only complaint - they should have waited until the series was completely over to write this - might have helped with a lot of the overarching concepts and storylines.

[Hugo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The books is a great collection of production photographs, along with interviews and character bios.
perfect for a Sopranos fan.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I really did read this from cover to cover. I only wish it had been longer.