Book Description
The Sopranos has captured audiences and awards with its portrayal of life in an Italian-American crime family. But it is more than just a mob show. It provokes us, excites us, and pries back the exterior to peek into the darkest parts of our souls. The plotlines and characters raise spiritual issues that leave us questioning our own beliefs. The Gospel According to Tony Soprano explores the many reasons why this hit series has connected so deeply with American culture and exposes the mysteries of faith, family, life, and God that permeate the show.
Published to coincide with the debut of the highly anticipated fourth season of the HBO series, The Gospel According to Tony Soprano is a fascinating book that looks through the violence and drama to the deeper moral issues. Spiritual teacher and writer Chris Seay analyzes the characters and their all-too-human behaviors, and helps us evaluate our own humanity, and ultimately our relationship with God.
Accessible, witty, and enlightening, The Gospel According to Tony Soprano is essential reading for every fan of the television show, and for anyone who wants to examine the larger questions of right and wrong.
Customer Reviews:
What A World, What A World.......2004-10-12
This is a good book that could have been a great book.
When David Chase created "The Sopranos" he intended to provide a lens by which we could examine our daily habits, values and aspirations. [Source: his interviews on the Season 1 DVD.]
Sort of like a mobbed-up Simpsons, I guess.
Chris Seay took the bait and used parts of the series' plot and characterizations to create a good philosophical primer for aficionados of the series. Some select observations:
A.J. may be the most spiritually mature character in the series.
Dr. Melfi ignores reality [Tony's evil nature] and places false blame while offering an escape from the truth.
Betrayal can only happen if yuou love.
Never say you hate life - that's blasphemy.
There could have been much more here...but, collecting these things in the way in which he does, Chris Seay adds to our awareness.
A Book for all fans of the Sopranos.......2004-03-06
The Gospel According to Tony Soprano is a guide for thoughtful reflection of this TV mafia drama. I enjoyed each chapter and am buying a copy for all the friends that watch the show with me each sunday. You will laugh, think, and even consider these characters in light of their moral dillemas and spiritual condition. Enjoy!
Considering "The Sopranos" as contemporary morality plays.......2003-03-31
I remember the original book in this particular sub-genre of American literature, "The Gospel According to Peanuts." Since Robert L. Short published that little volume in 1965 we have seen many similar efforts using such hot popular culture properties as "The Simpsons" and "Harry Potter." Of course, if you start from the premise that any and all narratives either conform to or violate scripture by definition. The corollary is that the more scripture you know, the more you can find relevant in any popular culture text you look at, whether it be a comic strip or a television show. However, even from that premise you have to admit that "The Gospel According to Tony Soprano" represents the extreme in this little genre since the Soprano crime family is about as godless as you can get on television.
Chris Seay is interested in exploring the many reasons why the hit HBO series "The Sopranos" connects so deeply with viewers (despite the title the volume looks at all of the characters on the series and not just Tony). The obvious answer, from my perspective, is because it is a well-written, well-acted television series and most of what is on the tube stinks. However, as a pastor Seay sees the hit series as exposing the mysteries of faith, family, life, and God. Consequently, Seay uses "The Sopranos" as a source of contemporary parables. However, what is surprising is that most of the analysis is done without explicit reference to scripture. When Seay does cite particular verses they are general declarations, such as "Love covers over a multitude of sins" and "He who loves [his son] is careful to discipline him." This is not a chapter and verse explication of the series from a Christian perspective heavy with annotations and scriptural citations; the endnotes are more likely to cite publications by "The New York Times" as the book of Proverbs.
Obviously the big issues here are the questions of what is right and wrong, and the moral conflict of the characters on "The Sopranos" is a large part of what makes it work. Morality is a large part of religion, but the terms are by no means equivalent. Consequently, I would challenge the idea that God permeates the show. Carmela Soprano's faith is a large part of her character, but from that perspective no other character in the show comes close. But saying that religion is not a big part of the characters on "The Sopranos" does not take away from Seay's ability to use the series for religious purposes. Still, in chapter after chapter it really seems to me as if the religious arguments Seay makes at the end of each chapter could have been made on non-religious terms as well. Ironically, readers who do not see themselves as being Christians may well enjoy this book more than those who do not, because the final revelation here is that "The Gospel According to Tony Soprano" really is more popular culture than religion.
On those grounds this is an interesting little book for fans of the series. I enjoyed the chapter on "Carmela Soprano: The Queen of the Castle" more than "Tony Soprano: A Neo-Solomon from New Jersey," but that is probably due in part to the fact I find her to be the more complex character. Livia Soprano is dealt with in a chapter entitled "Isolation: Ducks, Delusions, and Depression," but obviously an entire book could be devoted to this particular mother-son relationship; Dr. Melfi has been going at it for four seasons and look how far she has gotten with it in her sessions with Tony. I also thought the chapter "Psychology: Tomato Sauce for your Ass" had several interesting insights. Consequently, I would be happy to recommend this volume to fans of "The Sopranos" who would be interested in thinking about the series on a deeper level of meaning.
extraordinary idea... young writer.......2003-01-19
this book is a fabulous idea: to creatively enter the intertextuality of story and spirit... themes that are truly the most elemental issues of not only the sopranos, but each of our lives. i recommend it.
the author accomplishes the above with courage, authenticity, grace... and with the skill of a new writer. i think seay will be a major voice in the years ahead... and i look forward to reading him as he grows.
Clip this book.......2003-01-18
The author is more interested in gospel than "our thing". This book appears to be directed toward an interesting minority: soprano-watching bible-thumpers. A few interesting observations about the hit HBO series, otherwise, its for the choir.
Amazon.com
One of the great pleasures of moviegoing is seeing a beloved novel adapted for the screen; one of the big delights of novel reading is encountering a book that has been made into a favorite film. The Encyclopedia of Novels into Films is an expansive volume that will guide you through the rich history of film adaptation. Each entry falls into two parts: the first describes the original novel; the second assesses the film it inspired. Particularly interesting are records for books like Dracula, Les Misérables, Great Expectations, The Body Snatchers, and The Great Gatsby, which were each made into several radically different movies. Some entries may surprise you. Did you know that The Silence of the Lambs, Shaft, and Rear Window were bestselling books before they became famous films? Trivia like this, along with larger issues about how to transform literature into visual art are covered in this wonderful and informative guide. --Raphael Shargel
Book Description
Here is the only comprehensive reference to explore the many adaptations of the novel into film. Written by two acclaimed film scholars and authors, The Encyclopedia of Novels into Film examines the process and pitfalls of adaptation, providing readers with insights about how and why books are transformed for the silver screen.
Over 300 entries cover both American and foreign films, from classic works like Birth of a Nation and Gone With the Wind to contemporary hits, such as Sense and Sensibility and The English Patient. Spanning comedy, drama, film noir, science fiction, westerns, action, suspense, and children's literature, this encyclopedia also includes a wealth of photographs and portraits of selected authors.
Adaptations covered include: The Age of Innocence Babette's Feast Crime and Punishment Dracula From Here to Eternity Great Expectations Jaws Little Women Maltese Falcon M*A*S*H Portrait of a Lady Schindler's List Shaft The Time Machine Trainspotting Ulysses Valley of the Dolls Wuthering Heights Zorba the Greek
Customer Reviews:
Brilliant concept poorly executed.......2007-04-04
Entirely justified in its conception, now into it's second edition, "The Encyclopedia of Novels into Film" will stand the test of time. No doubt it will improve with each edition. As yet it is an incomplete encyclopedia.
The book will improve if the authors adopt some of the simple techniques of novelists. Such as reviewing their own work by reading aloud. The style is academic, with excessively long sentences and unfamiliar words. Not suited to the material of novels and films or its readership.
The Appendix is really a conclusion. Parts of it are almost intelligible on first reading. The same is true of the the Introduction. The first object of writing novels or making films is to communicate. The authors would do well to study the Forward by Robert Wise.
The substantial number of novels/films included are alphabetically listed. Cross reference by genre would be useful. A large number are classics of their day. Cross reference by popularity, sales and critical review would be useful.
No rational is given for the selection of novels made into film nor for the length of space devoted to each. By the authors own admission, a number of pertinent novels/films are omitted. All to often the synopsis of the novel and/or film is inadequate for the uniformed reader. The occasional gross factal inaccuracy must be embarressing for those portraying themselves as academic authorities presenting an encyclopedia.
Nevertheless "...Novels into Film" should be a valuable resource for novelists who want their stories to transfer to film and film makers who want to enact use novels as a resource for stories. It is a fascianting account of the frequent disagreements between novelists and film makers on how a story should be told.
just Jack
Does Decent Job in Discussion, Commits Serious Mistakes in Details.......2006-12-22
This is a review of `The Encyclopedia of Novels into Films" Second Edition (Paperback Copyright 2005), by John C. Tibbetts and James M. Welsh.
The first entry of the second edition doesn't look good; you will see these on p. 1 of the book:
ADAPTATION (1876)
See THE ORCHRD THIEF
What??? The source material for the Nicholas Cage film was written in the 19th century? But hadn't Susan Orlean contributed her original article to New Yorker like 10 years ago? ...
No encyclopedia is proof against the accusation of omission. I know some things must go if others should remain. But there is still something we can do to make our books better, something like proofreading. I thought it might be helpful to read this book for I am working on my homepage where I need information about films and novels. Maybe I am mistaken.
In each entry the book's contributor(s) discuss the novels and the films based on them. The methods of discussion are not always the same, but they are mainly about the differences between the book and its adaptation with summery of the plot. Brief references are attached to each of the discussion, but not much, and sometimes the discussion seems too intent on pointing out the changes done to the original boo, but that is not a big problem. Any encyclopedias, even Wikipedia, are only a starting point for further research, and basic data will do. And it is certain that the summery of the novels and films comes in handy when you read or saw them long time ago.
What I disagree with this encyclopedia is that it omits most of the made-for-TV adaptations. The decision would be understandable if the book is written strictly for academic purpose, like the hard cover study published by university press. Scholars have to narrow down the theme, and there is a difference between `film' and `TV.' But as I said, this is an encyclopedia, gateway to more information and wider perspectives.
However, the book does not list many important works. In `Pride and Prejudice' the writer mentions briefly the outstanding Colin Firth version, giving only one phrase, which is `a 1985 British Broadcasting Corporation adaptation' (p. 360) That's it. And look, 1985? The correct year is of course 1995 (or the same company's older 1980 version). Either way, this is another incredible mistake and negligence that are unforgivable. In the page `How to Use This Book' the book goes: "Not only many of them (made-for-TV adaptations) of inferior quality, but they are usually difficult to obtain (either for general viewers or researchers). Both statements are absolutely wrong. As to the quality of some of the made-for-TV adaptations, I don't have to add anything more; as to the availability of the material, perhaps some people have never seen the receently released titles of DVDs.
But what I disliked about the book is ... I cannot find the right word, but ... its lack of enthusiasm, See the column of `Oliver Twist' for instance. About the Monogram version made in 1933, the books says, `Prints are not available for viewing" (p. 329) but this is not simply true VHS is available for nearly 9 years, and I obtained a copy of several years ago. Of course this alone is not a big mistake, but if considered together with some other omissions, misprints (or misinformation) and questionable policy of the editing, it starts to look much bigger. Did they really do thorough research? Are they really thinking about the possible readers or researcher who might rely on the book?
I admit I got some information from this book, and that's the reason for giving three stars. But I was not impressed. I was and am more impressed with the numerous reviewers you can find at IMDb, whch might have already superseded this kind of book.
A College Course in Literature.......2006-01-25
Generally, I am suspicious of "encyclopedias" of film because they tend to be superficial or boring. Not so with this big book.
The authors begin by discussing a selected novel's plot, then assess the novel's strengths and weaknesses. After explaining the novel, the authors discuss whether the film was faithful to the novel - not only in the story but in mood and characterization. Of course, some will argue that "this movie should be included, that shouldn't." The book focuses on the most important novels OR the most important films based on novels. (For example, I loved the movie based on the novel, The Pearl, but this film is not generally available. Overall, it is a very interesting resource for literature or film courses. Don't be afraid to buy it.
With a different title the right audience may have bought it.......2003-06-21
If this book had a more relevant title I think it would reach more of its target market and people not interested in its content wouldn't purchase it by mistake and be dissatisfied.
This huge book isn't an encyclopedia of every novel written which has had a film made from it or even every type or decade of literature.
95% of this book deals with either classic novels or black and white movies such as Huckleberry Finn, to Kill a Mockingbird, Wizard of Oz and that sort of thing. The modern era is severely neglected and the modern films mentioned seem there out of necessity so that the encyclopedia's facts are accurate. For example Emma is covered in depth, both the book and film with the same name but there are only a few brief paragraphs about the more modern version called Clueless. Reading these paragraphs you definitely pickup that the author wasn't too interested in informing us too much about the modern versions and doesn't consider them worthy of their time.
There are two Stephen King novels (why only two?) in here but that's about it for modern literature. These reports don't even compare the differences between the films and novels which make a lot of fans dislike the movie versions. Such as Carrie is a beautiful girl in the movie but in the novel was an ugly fat girl which made a lot more sense. With Misery the woman holding the author hostage cut off either his thumb or foot I can't remember which but in the movie only smashed it with a big hammer. This sort of controversial information is what I thought this encyclopedia would be full of.
This is a good book if you like literature or films from first half of last century but if you don't give this book a miss.
Average customer rating:
|
Ulysses (Ireland into Film)
Margot Norris
Manufacturer: Cork University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
History & Criticism
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
20th Century
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1859182933 |
Book Description
Margot Norris discusses the challenges that Ulysses, one of the greatest and most difficult novels of the twentieth century, posed to the filmmaker, along with the production and censorship problems that Strick encountered before the film was released to great contemporary critical acclaim.
James Joyce, interested in drama from his youth, encountered early Italian cinema in Trieste and subsequently worked to establish the first movie-house in Dublin in 1909. He eventually discussed his cinematographic writing techniques with the great Russian filmmaker, Sergei Eisenstein. But although Joyce considered the possibilities of filming his famous 1922 novel at various times in his life, Ulysses was not brought to the screen until independent filmmaker Joseph Strick released his adaptation in 1967. Margot Norris discusses the challenges that Ulysses, one of the greatest and most difficult novels of the twentieth century, posed to the filmmaker, along with the production and censorship problems that Strick encountered before the film was released to great contemporary critical acclaim. Though rigorously faithful to Joyce’s language, Strick’s decision to set the story in 1960s Dublin subtly shifted its political focus while producing an intensified humanistic interpretation of Joyce’s novel.
Average customer rating:
|
Ancient Jewish Novels: An Anthology (AAR Cultural Criticism)
Lawrence M. Wills
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
History & Criticism
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Literary Theory
| History & Criticism
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Classics
| Comic
| Contemporary
| Literary
Anthologies
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Classics
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Reference
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Judaism
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
jp-unknown1
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Collected Ancient Greek Novels
-
The Jewish Novel in the Ancient World (Myth and Poetics)
ASIN: 0195151429 |
Book Description
This volume brings together for the first time all of the ancient Jewish novels and fragments of novels. Written at about the same time as the Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament, but before the period of Rabbinic Judaism, these texts reveal the ambiguities and conflicts encountered by Jews in this period.
Average customer rating:
|
Films into Books
Randall D. Larson
Manufacturer: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Adaptations
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
United States
| Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
British
| Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Bibliographies & Indexes
| Publishing & Books
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Art & Photography
| Bibliographies & Indexes
| Publishing & Books
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
Literature
| Bibliographies & Indexes
| Publishing & Books
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0810829282 |
Book Description
Larson's work provides the first in-depth coverage of an often forgotten sub-genre of art--the movie novelization. This book includes many author interviews and discussion on what this genre is and how it came to be.
Product Description
Charles' tale is told in the third person, and relates his return to Staunton, where he learns his father is gravely ill. Told by the doctor that the shock of his return could be fatal to his father, Charles decides to leave his home to lessen the risk to his father, despite the fact that the family lawyer insists on telling the senior Mr. Rainier so he can change his will back and include Charles, who had been assumed dead. Shortly afterwards, Charles receives word that his father has died and returns home. The family gathers to pay their last respects, and included is 14-year old Kitty, step-daughter of Charles' elder sister Jill.
Customer Reviews:
200 Pages too Long.......2006-06-21
Random Harvest is heralded as James Hilton's finest work. I guess people in 1941 enjoyed long books that gave excruciatingly detailed accounts of the lives of people who did nothing out of the ordinary. Imagine reading about someone watching TV, going to work, and drinking beer for 300 pages, and all the while this person has amnesia; that should give you a good idea of what Random Harvest is about. The ending is, contrary to the rest of the book, extremely fast paced and rather unexpected. This surprise ending makes up for 200 of the 300 boring pages, but not enough to merit more than three stars. I highly recommend if you're going to actually buy this book to spend a little extra for the original hardcover version (though it's harder to find). You'll still be disappointed with the story but having a first edition should give you the sense that it's special somehow.
Book Description
First published in 1957, this seminal work of film theory analyzes the process -- "the mysterious alchemy" -- by which novels are transformed into films. Beginning with a discussion of the aesthetic limits of both the novel and the film, George Bluestone goes on to offer close readings of six films based on novels of serious literary merit -- The Informer, Wuthering Heights, The Grapes of Wrath, Pride and Prejudice, The Ox-Bow Incident, and Madame Bovary -- focusing on the additions, deletions, and other changes made by the filmmakers in adapting the source material for the screen. Based on both in-depth research into film archives and libraries and on interviews with the screenwriters, directors, and producers who worked on these films, Novels into Film concludes that because the novel lends itself to states of consciousness and the film to observed reality, the adaptation of one from the other produces a new and wholly autonomous art form.
Average customer rating:
|
Fantasy Fiction into Film: Essays
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Adaptations
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
History & Criticism
| Movies
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
20th Century
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Essays
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
History & Criticism
| Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Performing Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0786430575 |
Product Description
This work examines the symbolism of fantasy fiction, literal and figurative representation in fantastic film adaptations, and the imaginative differences between page and screen. Essays focus on movies adapted from various types of fantasy fiction--novels, short stories and graphic novels--and study the transformation and literal translation from text to film in the Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Howl's Moving Castle, Finding Neverland, The Wizard of Oz, Wicked and Practical Magic.
Book Description
For the Achi, one of the several Mayan ethnic groups indigenous to Guatemala, the music of the marimba serves not only as a form of entertainment but also as a form of communication, a vehicle for memory, and an articulation of cultural identity. Sergio Navarrete Pellicer examines the marimba tradition—the confluence of African musical influences, Spanish colonial power, and Indian ethnic assimilation—as a driving force in the dynamics of cultural continuity and change in Rabinal, the heart of Achi culture and society. By examining the performance and consumption of marimba music as essential parts of a system of social interaction, religious practice, and ethnic identification, Navarrete Pellicer reveals how the strains of the marimba resonate with the spiritual yearnings and cultural negotiations of the Achi as they try to come to terms with the violence and economic hardship wrought by their colonial past.
Includes CD.
Books:
- The Haunted Screen: Expressionism in the German Cinema and the Influence of Max Reinhardt
- The Importance of Being Barbra: The Brilliant, Tumultuous Career of Barbra Streisand
- The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey
- The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology, Revised Edition (Star Wars)
- The Oxford History of World Cinema
- The Parade's Gone By
- The Piano
- The Rough Guide to Horror Movies
- The Thin Red Line
- The Ufa Story: A History of Germany's Greatest Film Company, 1918-1945 (Weimar and Now: German Cultural Criticism, 23)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- History: Fiction or Science
- Beyond Valor: World War II's Ranger and Airborne Veterans Reveal the Heart of Combat
- Taking Sides: Clashing Views in Business Ethics and Society
- Three Blind Mice: How the TV Networks Lost Their Way
- Today Matters: 12 Daily Practices to Guarantee Tomorrows Success
- An Indian Summer: The 1957 Milwaukee Braves, Champions of Baseball
- Airline: A Strategic Management Simulation
- Accounting in Socialist Countries
- The Korean Economy at the Crossroads: Triumphs, Difficulties and Triumphs Again
- I Can Read About Baby Animals
The Psychology of the Sopranos: Love, Death, Desire and Betrayal in America's Favorite Gangster Family
The Sopranos and Philosophy: I Kill Therefore I Am (Popular Culture and Philosophy)
Tony Soprano on Management: Leadership Lessons Inspired By America's Favorite Mobst
Leadership Sopranos Style: How to Become a More Effective Boss
This Thing of Ours
