A Sitdown With the Sopranos: Watching Italian American Culture on Tv's Most Talked-About Series

by Regina Barreca (Editor)

Eight prominent Italian-American authors--including George Anastasia, Jay Parini, Regina Barreca, and five others--share their insights into and interpretations of HBO's award-winning series The Sopranos, discussing such topics as family, heritage, men, women, suburbia, organized crime, religion, and psychotherapy and how the show portrays these themes. Original. 25,000 first printing.

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 14, 2002

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice collection of essays that examine themes from the first few seasons of the Sopranos and how it relates to the Italian-American experience.

If you are looking for commentary on the show's plots, there are other books for that. But, if you are looking for insight into some of the criticisms that followed the show during its initial run, this book provides some context.

[Mason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of the essays are a little choppy and unstructured, but there are quite a few intriguing and important observations scattered throughout. I found Jay Parini's essay on "The Cultural Work of The Sopranos", an examination of the show's attitude towards American consumerism, especially enlightening, and famed crime reporter's George Anastasia piece on the show's historical accuracy is as superb and well-argued as you'd expect it to be. Overall, solid supplementary reading for a classic show. I'd recommend reading it after you finish season four, as it was published before seasons five and six aired.

FOR: Fans of the show, pop culture lovers

[Nicole C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A commentary on Italian American culture through the eyes of several Italian-Americans from various professional backgrounds. A great quick read. Topics include: the female characters and their strengths, Catholicism as portrayed in the series, masculine identity, and Italian culture as a whole.

[Kathleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring.