Tony Soprano's America : gangsters, guns, and money / M. Keith Booker, Isra Daraiseh.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Booker, M. Keith, author.

Daraiseh, Isra, 1988- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Sopranos (Television program).

Physical Description:

xviii, 237 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Maryland : Rowman & Littlefield, [2017]

Summary:

Widely regarded as one of the greatest television series of all time, The Sopranos is also considered one of the most significant achievements in contemporary American culture. The series spearheaded the launch of a new wave of quality programming that has transformed the way people watch, experience, and talk about television. By chronicling the life and crimes of a New Jersey mobster, his family, and his cronies, The Sopranos examines deep themes at the heart of American life, particularly the country's seedy underbelly. In Tony Soprano's America: Gangsters, Guns, and Money, M. Keith Booker and Isra Daraiseh explore the central role of the series in American cultural history. While examining the elements that account for the show's popularity and critical acclaim, the authors also contend that The Sopranos revolutionized the way audiences viewed television in general and cable programming as well. This book demonstrates how a show focused on an ethnic antihero somehow reflected common themes of contemporary American life, including ethnicity, class, capitalism, therapy, and family dynamics. Providing a sophisticated yet accessible account of the groundbreaking series-a show that rivals film and literature for its beauty and stunning characterization of modern life-this book engages the reader with ideas central to the American experience. Tony Soprano's America brings to life this profound television program in ways that will entertain, engage, and perhaps even challenge longtime viewers and critics. Book jacket.

Contents:

Introduction

It's HBO and it's complicated: The Sopranos and television history

The cultural logic of The Sopranos

Cut to black: sentimentality, nostalgia, and history in The Sopranos

Capitalism in The Sopranos

The Sopranos and the history of the gangster film

The comic incongruity of The Sopranos

Religion in The Sopranos

The Sopranos and the spread of the therapeutic society

The Sopranos and the decline of the American family

The Sopranos and the decline of American manhood

Women in The Sopranos

Representing the FBI in The Sopranos

The Sopranos and postethnic America

The working class and The Sopranos

Conclusion.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 229-232) and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Booker, M. Keith author. Tony Soprano's America.

ISBN:

9781442273221

1442273224

OCLC:

958798073