The New York Times on The Sopranos (Paperback)

by The New York Times (Author), Stephen Holden (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The double Emmy-winning US drama imported by Channel 4 is by turns violent and funny as it follows the trials and tribulations of Mob boss Tony Soprano and his "waste management" crew. This companion to the series contains indepth articles about the making of the show and the second season, which is due to be shown on Channel 4 later on in 2000. It also contains cast biographies and illustrations from the series.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: I Books (June 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743400216
• ISBN-13: 978-0743400213
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,676,133 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 101 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great material, lousy production! :(, March 7, 2000

By	Jose Miguel Chavez (Whitestone, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Although I found the essays (actually reprinted NY Times articles) very interesting and thought provoking, whoever was in charge of copy-editing this book should be handed his/her pink slip.

There are typos everywhere! For instance, it's noted that David Chase's mother died five years ago at the age of, get this, **34** ?

Here are some other zingers:

"One one side..." should be "On one side..."

"At one point, the assaults..." should be "At one point, he assaults..."

"like real life as its lived experienced in the United States..." er, who knows what that was supposed to say?

It's one thing for the occasional typo, but folks, I've only listed a few I could find in the first 5 chapters! It's enough to drive you to distraction. "What, ANOTHER mistake? Yeesh!"

More information: Yes, it's 160 pages, with an added 7 page introduction. However, it's set in BIG type, so I think we're really only getting about 100 pages worth of copy.

Since content is the most important aspect here, it's still a worthy read, but the publisher's rush to print this book forces me (and I would imagine some of you as well) to deduct a star based on such sloppy work.

-MC

41 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Who really cares what the Times has to say?, March 2, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The New York Times Guide to the Sopranos: Revised Edition (Paperback)

I can't believe they reissued this book. The first one was full of errors, looked horrible, printed on cheap paper, had horribly hand-drawn charicatures, and was obviously done just to capitalize on the show's popularity. This newer version isn't any better. The real problem is that the pieces are windy, insubstantial, and tepidly boring. If fans want to really immerse themselves in the world of the Sopranos, and get some fantastic writing and insight into the characters -- and the actors who play them -- and get the whole story of the Sopranos, then buy the official companion by Allen Rucker. It's awesome, worth every penny, and it looks like David Chase really had a hand in ensuring that the quality is every bit as good as his show.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good, but could use more editing, September 13, 2000

By	"mike_from_dc" (Jersey, Soprano territory.) - See all my reviews

It's somewhat obvious that the publisher rushed this book in attempts to capitalize on the incredible popularity of this series.

There are spelling and context errors, and a few general factual errors, that should have been caught in the first editing.

Overall, the information is germane, concise, and pretty well organized. I read the book through and through, and keep it around for when people have questions concerning the show.

A good read for Soprano heads, probably irrelavent to everyone else.