Book description
The Sopranos is recognized as the most successful cable series in the
history of television. The Washington Post has called the popular
series, winner of twenty-one Emmys and five Golden Globes, "the
television landmark that leaves other landmarks in the dust." In
every aspect -- narrative structure, visual artistry, writing,
intertextuality, ensemble acting, controversial themes, dark humor,
and unflinching examinations of American life -- The Sopranos has had
few equals.
Offering a definitive final assessment of the series, The Essential
Sopranos Reader aims to comprehensively examine the show's themes and
enduring cultural significance. Gender and ethnicity, the role of
dreams, the rebirth of HBO, the series' controversial finale, and
other topics come under scrutiny in this highly accessible, engaging
collection. The book concludes with an interview with Dominic
Chianese, who played Uncle Junior in all six seasons of the show.
""'The Essential Sopranos Reader' explores the series'
themes, its legacy, its unfrogettable characters and how its writers
and producers handled some of the most controversial subject metter
ever seen on American TV." -- The Farmville Herald" --
David Lavery, professor of English at Middle Tennessee State
University, is the editor of The Essential Cult TV Reader. He lives in
Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Douglas L. Howard, assistant academic chair and associate professor
in the English Department at Suffolk County Community College, is the
editor of Dexter: Investigating Cutting Edge Television. He lives in
Plainview, New York.
Paul Levinson, professor of communication and media studies at
Fordham University, is the award-winning author of several science
fiction novels as well as books on new media. He lives in White
Plains, New York.
