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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a great book by a highly underated author,
By syd (nottingham england) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Brotherhood of the Grape (Paperback)
Fantes characters are rarely heroic. They are flawed and often slightly ridiculous, but he writes in such a way that one cant help warming to them no matter what. In fantes world man is confused and irrational, struggling with catholic guilt and trying to make sense of an absurd world. Life is a tragic comedy in which the last laugh is very definitely on you. Although at times hilarious, at its core there is a lot of sadness, but what comes across most strongly is a warmth and compassion for his characters despite and maybee even because of their faults. His style overflows with energy and passion. There is a tremedous appetite for life. The book catches you up in its plot from page one and sweeps you along. This is an extremely enjoyable book, a strange and beautifully told story, profoundly moving and funny.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
First Impressions of Fante and This Book.,
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Brotherhood of the Grape (Paperback)
Well, so far, this was the first book I have read of John Fante's and I absolutely loved it. I finished it only a week ago and the images still stick with me pretty well. My first thought after finishing the book, was that I liked the fact that he used a simplistic style in his writing. There wasn't anything fancy or over-elaborate about it. It just comes from the gut. I don't want to ruin the book for anyone, so I'll avoid any heavy plot details, however the book hit a few emotional nerves in me that related to the story.
The characters are very likeable. The father in the story especially stood out to me. He is a drunkard (who is sometimes unfaithful and abusive to his wife). He's the kind of guy you'd like to punch in the face, and then hug him afterwards. You just can't hate the guy, regardless of how imperfect and angry he is. A highly recommended read.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb Storytelling,
This review is from: The Brotherhood of the Grape (Paperback)
Fante's book about a Catholic Italian family and their relationships with each other is a beautifully crafted book. It reads like Bukowski only not as funny. There are some funny moments and some poignant ones as well. Fante has a great ear for dialogue and his narrator's role as the dutiful son is very well executed. I could picture these people as people I have known. The relationships between the father and his children and his wife are very complex, and each one is explored throughout the course of the novel. The bonding of the narrator with his father is a very original "coming of age" story, because the narrator is in his fifties. This is a highly recommended book.
I came across the hardcover first edition of this book at the library, which said that the writer of Chinatown had written the screenplay version for Francis Ford Coppola which was supposed to be his followup to The Godfather. Evidentally the movie was never made, but it does turn out that the same screenwriter has adapted Fante's other book, Dago Red, and is currently directing the film. That will be one to look out for.
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