Off the Back of a Truck

July 13, 2020
According to radio and TV producer Braccia, this grab bag of ephemera about HBO’s Sopranos “isn’t a guide, it’s a party.” That description is largely correct, given that the book does not march from season one to six, but jumps all over in its eagerness to study aspects of the show’s 86 episodes. He discusses the socioeconomics of the series (referring to the characters as “the Italian-American Mafia’s B-team at the turn of the millennium”), the history of director and producer David Chase’s career (he wrote for The Rockford Files), and the show’s influences (Chase drew from David Lynch to write the show’s dream episodes). The writing of Braccia and a couple contributors—chef Eddie McNamara’s passionate defense of Italian American “red sauce” cooking is a gem (“Food is my favorite character on The Sopranos,” he writes)—are vibrant and astute enough to avoid full fanboy gushing. The throw-it-against-the-wall style doesn’t always work; the “Whack Attack” section’s dissection of each of the show’s 92 murders would be a slog even for the superfans who attend SopranosCon (an event that takes place in New Jersey). At its best, this book slices and dices Sopranos lore with humor, insight, and unabashed devotion.

October 15, 2020
A dynamic assemblage of dead-on insights and observations about The Sopranos. As producer and director Braccia notes, this book is not the place to start learning about the story arcs of one of the greatest TV shows of all time. However, if the phrase "cut to black" doesn't ring a bell, you owe it to yourself to watch it. For fans, this is better than a bowl of Artie Bucco's ziti. In the introduction, Braccia gives readers permission to bounce around, which is refreshing. "This book isn't a guide, it's a party," he writes. "With fuckin' ziti....It was conceived to feel like you're walking into an apartment filled with a collection of smart, fun fans of the show, each with their own areas of expertise and passion." Writing with "some friends of ours," the author begins with a breakdown of the various factions, analyzes the crimes committed in the course of the show, and takes a deep dive into the careful craft, touching on editing and cinematography, the incredible method acting employed by the cast, and more tenuous concepts such as the psychology, points of view, and metaphors that help shape the narrative. These chapters are kind of heavy, so Braccia breaks it up with interstitial interruptions about the music, the omnipresent cuisine, costuming, and Italian American culture. Examining many aspects of David Chase's genius, the narrative touches on the influences that form the show's DNA, among them other gangster flicks, Westerns, and TV shows ranging from Wiseguy to Twin Peaks. It would be easy to label this collection as fanboy material, but the writing--Braccia's "friends" include professors, psychiatrists, film and TV writers, and filmmakers--is incisive in its dissections of the show's elements. Wrapping up with a morgue's worth of the story's victims and the contributors' favorite episodes, the book organically ends with a group conversation about the show's most infamous episode, "Made in America." Cut to black. An entertaining and engaging virtual watch party for a show that changed TV forever.

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Starred review from December 1, 2020

Twenty years after the premiere of The Sopranos, HBO's pioneering show about depressed and anxious New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano, producer and director Braccia has gathered his friends and fellow fans together for a fast-paced, highly entertaining delve into the psychology of the show, its influences, and its profound mark on television history. Contributors reflect on such topics as the craft of the show, which includes the brilliant acting, artful cinematography, and the technique of dream sequences in many episodes. An enthralling chapter details the history of the real-life mob stories that influenced crimes committed by Tony and his cohorts. The section on food lists the show's "Top Ten Food Moments" and includes a mouthwatering recipe for breakfast spaghetti. Contributors also break down the songs played throughout the series and evaluate the wardrobes. The deaths over the course of the series are rated by "narrative impact," "killer performances," and "element of surprise," as well as by how "cinematic" they are. Braccia immerses himself in the culture, visiting New Jersey, interviewing a psychologist about the different therapy styles on the show and a professor on the Italian American experience, and attending the 2019 SopranoCon. VERDICT This love letter to the show is a must-read for all Sopranos devotees and TV history aficionados.--Lisa Henry, Kirkwood P.L., MO

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