The Sopranos : : Born Under a Bad Sign / / Franco Ricci.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter University of Toronto Press Complete eBook-Package 2014-2015
• VerfasserIn: Ricci, Franco,
• Place / Publishing House: Toronto : : University of Toronto Press, , [2018]; ©2014
• Year of Publication: 2018
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (336 p.)

Often hailed as one of the greatest television series of all time, The Sopranos is a product of its time, firmly embedded in the problems of post-industrial, post-ethnic America. In The Sopranos: Born under a Bad Sign, Franco Ricci examines the groundbreaking HBO series and its impact as a cultural phenomenon.Ricci demonstrates an encyclopedic knowledge of the series, the genre, and their social context in his analysis of the show’s complex themes and characters. He explores The Sopranos’ deep engagement with problems of race, class, gender, and identity, specifically in its portrayal of the Italian-American experience, consumer and media-driven society, and contemporary psychosocial issues. The series’ protagonist, Mafia boss and patriarch Tony Soprano, in many ways embodies the anxieties of our age. Focusing on Tony’s internal struggles and interactions with his therapist, family, and associates, Ricci traces this archetypal character’s existential conflicts and sheds light on his search for self, connection, and meaning.Comprehensive in scope and sophisticated in approach, The Sopranos: Born under a Bad Sign is richly rewarding reading for anyone with an interest in the popular television drama, both as entertainment and social commentary.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- THE SOPRANOS. Born under a Bad Sign -- Introduction. “Coming Heavy”: Revisiting, Rereading, Rethinking The Sopranos -- 1. Inner Sanctums -- 2. When I Grow Up I Want to Be an American -- 3. God Help the Beast in Me -- 4. Two Tonys: Drawing Conclusions from Mediated Mob Images -- 5. An Appendix of Verbal Bits and Visual Bytes -- 6. Conclusion -- Notes -- Suggested Readings -- Episodes Index -- Name Index -- Subject Index -- Title Index