Considering "The Sopranos" as contemporary morality plays

books:


	• The Gospel According to Tony Soprano: An Unauthorized Look into the Soul of Tv's Top Mob Boss and His Family Chris Seay Relevant Books, 2002 - 165 pages average customer review:based on 14 reviews view larger image
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A Book for all fans of the Sopranos

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!

extraordinary idea... young writer

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.

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What A World, What A World

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.

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Considering "The Sopranos" as contemporary morality plays

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.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

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.

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