The Psychology of the Sopranos: Love, Death, Desire and Betrayal in America's Favorite Gangster Family [Hardcover]

Glen Gabbard (Author), Glen O. Gabbard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 9, 2002

Some have called it "The Sopranos Effect"--the quiet that descends just before a new episode of the hit TV series is aired. Stores are deserted, restaurants quiet--and for patients of distinguished psychoanalyst and author Glen Gabbard, desperate calls for help go unreturned. Why, Dr. Gabbard wondered, have the misadventures of a middle-aged thug won the largest audience in HBO history? What is it about the characters and their relationships that draws us in so completely? What can we learn about ourselves from going inside the heads of these outlaws from New Jersey? In The Psychology of the Sopranos Dr. Gabbard draws on his vast professional experience (and his near-obsessive preoccupation with Tony's two "families") to delve into the psychology of the characters, the show's depiction of therapy, and how "The Sopranos" dramatically showcases the psychological ambiguities and conflicts in our own lives. Indeed, part of the show's popularity, he argues, is the spotlight it throws on viewers' psychological issues--from panic attacks and existential angst to codes of honor and moral indiscretions. With his tongue planted only lightly in his cheek, Gabbard poses the questions so many of us have pondered on Monday mornings: Is Tony's therapy working? And how is it possible for him and his "families" to reconcile the mundane and the monstrous? His answers will surprise and delight loyal fans. This book was not prepared, licensed, approved, or endorsed by any entity involved in creating or producing the "Sopranos" television series.Mafia don Tony Soprano, his family, his work "associates," and his therapist, Dr. Jennifer Melfi, have captured the imagination (and the fanatical devotion) of more than 11 million viewers. The show has garnered rave reviews for its writing and acting and has won a loyal following of educated viewers, who appreciate the sharp wit, the Machiavellian plot turns, and the Shakespearean character development of this extraordinarily well-crafted drama. Find the answers in The Psychology of the Sopranos: Is Tony a psychopath--or is he an American everyman putting bread on the table in the best way he knows how? Is Livia a modern-day Medea or a victim caught in mob mentality? Is Carmella an accomplice or an innocent? Who's more corrupt, Tony Soprano or Father Phil? Is Tony doomed to desire women who make him feel as bad as Mom did? Can a man who commits bad acts still teach his children to be good?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Inside `The Sopranos'In The Psychology of The Sopranos: Love, Death, Desire and Betrayal in America's Favorite Gangster Family, psychoanalyst Glen O. Gabbard puts into words what millions of people discuss every week around office water coolers. In chapters titled "Bada Bing and Nothingness" and "Scenes From a Marriage: Godfather Knows Best," Gabbard who coleads an online Sopranos chat group on Slate.com that has an audience of over 100,000 analyzes the psyche of the mob family. Despite its lack of revelatory information (e.g., most viewers have probably already picked up on Tony's split personality), loyal fans will snatch this up.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A fascinating analysis of Tony's analysis." -- Richard D. Zanuck, Producer

'The mob version of Civilization and Its Discontents. ...clinically sensitive, poignant and funny book." -- Jonathan Lear, author, "Love and Its Place in Nature"

Any shrink, anyone who's ever been to a shrink, and...anyone who watches The Sopranos will love reading this book." -- Robin Green, Writer and Executive Producer, "The Sopranos"

Brilliantly captures the dynamics underlying both the depravity and the humanity of Tony and his mobster soldiers... A real winner. -- Irvin Yalom, M.D., author, "Love's Executioners"

Entertaining and insightful. -- John Landis, Director

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; 1 edition (July 9, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465027350
• ISBN-13: 978-0465027354
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #651,839 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Glen O. Gabbard, M.D., is Professor and Director of the Baylor Psychiatry Clinic at the Baylor College of Medicine and Training and Supervising Analyst at the Houston-Galveston Psychoanalytic Institute in Houston, Texas. He was previously Director of the Menninger Hospital in Topeka, Kansas.

Dr. Gabbard is the author or editor of more than fifteen books and currently is joint Editor-in-Chief and Editor for North America of the International Journal of Psychoanalysis. His numerous awards include the 2000 Mary Sigourney Award for outstanding contributions to psychoanalysis.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What I've Waited For!!!, February 8, 2003

By 

Sunshinetgo (North Wales, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Psychology of the Sopranos: Love, Death, Desire and Betrayal in America's Favorite Gangster Family (Hardcover)

Like most Sopranos fans, I don't start Monday morning at work until my colleagues and I have thoroughly analyzed the episode of the night before. We all have some psych in our background and the discussions are lively and, not surprisingly, clearly include individual projection. Now, an insightful book by a psychoanalyst! Pinch me! This is one of the panel of psychoanalysts who critiques and analyzes on "Slate" after each episode. He provides understanding to story lines and characters that were previously debatable; that is, if you accept that his analysis is the final word! And you may not always.

Why didn't Tony "get" the rapist? Now I know. Why are we all so drawn to this series? Writing is great, sure, but the reasons are much more complex and personal. The relationships are examined and illuminated. Lines and images I've forgotten are brought back, and with clarification. Subtle inclusion of references to classic movies and literature in the lines or settings are examined. Our fascination with Tony is explained in context to what we struggle with personally daily. I now have a logical understanding of why I like this obviously psychopatic killer mobster!

My friends and I have a ritual of providing the best line of the night and we rarely mimic each other. The lines brought back in the book left a smile on my face. Some that I missed or forgot about were hilarious, and I even underlined passages.

This book was a gift from a fellow "Sorpranoette," Courtney Conlin. It fascinated and captivated me. If you are a Sorpranos fan, and especially if you are into analyzing the plots and characters, if you have unanswered questions, if you strive to learn more about human motivations, and most of all your own, you will not be able to put this book down!

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For psychology and Sopranos junkies, September 22, 2002

By 

Dr Cathy Goodwin (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Psychology of the Sopranos: Love, Death, Desire and Betrayal in America's Favorite Gangster Family (Hardcover)

This entertaining book actually enhanced my viewing experience. I watch the Sopranos on videotape -- gulping down three episodes at a time -- and I gone back to Season 1 with the help of this book. Gabbard picks up nuances that eluded me on first viewing.

Most interesting is Gabbard's portrayal of the therapist, Jennifer Melfi. Not surprisingly, he is pro-therapy. While acknowledging Jennifer's mistakes -- especially her problems with boundaries -- Gabbard insists that Melfi does, after all, recover from those mistakes. And I'm glad he, too, found some of Jennifer's scenes "improbable," such as her visit to her own therapist with her ex-husband and son. He shed some light on the mystery of Carmela's therapist, the man referred by Dr. Melfi who told Carmela to take the kids and leave. Apparently this therapeutic style is based on input from a real therapist who informally consults with the show.

I'm a little puzzled by Gabbard's references to A.J., Anthony Junior, who appears to be in middle school. On the one hand, Gabbard seems a little too forgiving of the psychologist in A.J.'s school, a man who has trouble communicating with laypeople. Telling the parents that A.J. has "five out of nine" symptoms of ADD doesn't help anyone. And I think Gabbard misinterprets a scene where big sister Meadow, from her infinite wisdom as a college student, helps A.J. interpret Frost's famous poem, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. Gabbard says the scene highlights the difference in their academic levels, but I've met few straight teenaged boys who were moved by poetry. If they understand symbolism, they're not willing to admit it.
Gabbard also picks up the verbal cruelty Tony inflicts on his young son: "If this is my male heir -- you want me to have a vasectomy?" Yet he ignores the father-and-son moments between Tony and A.J., such as the night they were squirting whipped cream directly from jar into mouth. And the family does get together for dinner just about every night -- more than a lot of households do.
Just the fact that I, like many readers, will be stimulated to argue and question Gabbard's book shows its strength: Gabbard's analysis is tough and thought-provoking. There was perhaps too much rehash of the Sopranos episodes (with some errors noted by other reviewers) and too little reflection on why television characters have so much influence.

For instance, men have been showing up in therapists' offices in larger numbers since Tony Soprano first met with Dr. Melfi. Do they identify with Tony -- or do they hope to find a gorgeous, brilliant female therapist who wears short skirts as she crosses her legs? And is there a message for female clients here? The women end up with graying, conservative males who'd put most of us to sleep. Next book, maybe.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and entertaining, July 28, 2002

By 

Diana "dianag825" (United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Psychology of the Sopranos: Love, Death, Desire and Betrayal in America's Favorite Gangster Family (Hardcover)

As a psychiatrist-in-training who admires Gabbard's writings aimed at mental health professionals, I was interested to see how this book would read. He has managed to write an analysis (pun intended) of the Sopranos that is highly enjoyable as well as enlightening. Although he is writing to a lay audience and has tried to avoid psychoanalytic jargon, this book is not at all dumbed down. You just might find yourself learning something about psychodynamic theory while plumbing the depths of Tony's psyche. I think TV fans and shrinks alike (not to mention those in both categories) will get much out of this book, and have a good time in the process.