Customer Reviews

The Brotherhood of the Grape

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I have only one thing to say ..perfect.... I hate dead authors like John Fante.. Where will i find an author again like John Fante?

This is a beautiful book. Like some other readers, I got turned on to John Fante through mentions in Bukowski. Fante is from a different world, a different era, a different culture. He's tough, tender, fragile, romantic, and he writes some beautiful stories. There are some duds - naive and pathetic - but he knew that and didn't try to hide the fact that those facets were parts of him too. Brotherhood of the grape is a beauty. Artwork, at least the copy I have, is by Black Sparrow Press, and sends shivers down my spine every time I get it off the bookshelf. Just hold it and admire. You can read in in an afternoon, and it contains some astonishingly simple and beautiful lines. But beautiful. Why do it all fancy when you can just tell it how it is? Father and son, and all that this entails. This book is love, and it makes me tingle and brings tears of joy every time I so much as touch it. I first read it about 7 years ago and its effect has not diminished yet. I find it impossible that anyone could regret buying this book. It is, quite simply, beautiful.

This book is must reading for every red blooded Italian-American! It hits home with truth and wittiness that will make you laugh til' you cry. To read Fante is to love him.

The brotherhood of the grape consists of a group of men gathering at the Angelo Masso winery in San Elmo. There is Angelo himself, Cavallero, Zarlingo, Benedetti, Antrilli, Mascarini and Nicholas. During their meetings, they gamble, brawl and of course drink heavily. Nicholas Molise and his wife Maria brought up four children now in their fifties, Mario, Virgil, Stella and Henry, the latter being the narrator in Mr Fante's both tragic and funny tale. Nicholas is now 76 and he used to work as a contractor and he built many imposing buildings in San Elmo. A passionate man of Italian origin, the head of the family is described by Henry as "a judge, jury and executioner, Jehovah himself". He scorns his sons because, to his bitter disappointment, none of them became a stonemason. And now Nick pesters Henry to join him in an absurd project of building of a smokehouse up in the Sierra mountains...
It is both the funny and sad tale of a son watching his father age, wait, mark time and become increasingly lonelier. But there is anger too in Henry's memories when he remembers his father's ignorance, he who kept books out of Henry's range, despised them, ignored them. His ranting, threats, greed, bullying and gambling are hard to forget. Henry can't but despise his father's old bones and skin, his wine-soaked oldness, his sinful and sodden friends. He can barely contain his anger at being trapped on an absurd safari into the mountains because of his father's vanity, to prove himself he is still "a hotshot stonemason". Yet Henry is finally the only son who stands by his father's side as his final moment approaches...
The novel is brimming with love, violence, death, religion and also plenty of humour because the author's prose is honest, evocative and intimate.

I would probably never heard of Fante if it weren't for my Italian-American class. But I loved Brotherhood of the Grape and now I am going to read the rest of his books...who says you dont have time in college to do free reading?

This thing must catch like a disease. Let it spread. Go tell it on the mountain. May I be bold and say that John Fante is perhaps the most under-recognized, under-appreciated, and underneath all the rest of the garbage we have deemed nice. Make your lists you impotent scholars, but you are forgetting one quality writer here. Here is my obligatory millenial list...1) "A Fan's Notes", Frederick Exley. 2) "The Great Gatsby", Fitzgerald. 3) (tie) "Ask the Dust"/"The Brotherhood of the Grape", John Fante. Twentieth century this, twentieth century that. Blah, blah. Read and decide for yourself. My list might be drunken babble. Who knows? But as I dance into the next year (which happens to be some grand deal which begs for lofty evaluations)...there is my list.....may change tomorrow, but today it happens to be today. Reading resists death...at the end of time words will still be pretty darn endearing. I just hope my eyes don't break like Burgess Meredith's in the "Twilight Zone".

John Fante-or should I say...dad. John has made me smile and love my family so much more. I read this book again and now begin to see myself. I have every book written by John. Since 1989 I have been to California 12 times,and each time I come home I read this book . I'm still italian,hard headed,and love my family so much more---------thanks John, May God keep you by his side and watch over your famly