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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
This is the story of Henry Hill, a close associate of Paul Vario, a capo in the Lucchese crime family in New York City. It impresses not in the criminal achievements of Hill, but rather in the breadth of knowledge which Hill provides of the mafia way of life - what is entailed in living the life of a wiseguy.
Comparisons with the film of the same name are inevitable but I tried to avoid this common pitfall. the film is slick, star studded, well acted and with innovative and highly effective camera work. The book on the other hand, does not try to paint a pretty picture of Mafia life. By the end, Hill is on edge, constantly looking over his shoulder in the expectation that he will be "whacked" by one of his closest friends and associates, the deadly psychopath, Jimmy Burke. The tension Hill felt is demonstrated well in the text and clearly conveyed to the reader
A good book, although I think there are better gangster books, e.g. Donnie Brasco and Mafia Son.
Comparisons with the film of the same name are inevitable but I tried to avoid this common pitfall. the film is slick, star studded, well acted and with innovative and highly effective camera work. The book on the other hand, does not try to paint a pretty picture of Mafia life. By the end, Hill is on edge, constantly looking over his shoulder in the expectation that he will be "whacked" by one of his closest friends and associates, the deadly psychopath, Jimmy Burke. The tension Hill felt is demonstrated well in the text and clearly conveyed to the reader
A good book, although I think there are better gangster books, e.g. Donnie Brasco and Mafia Son.
I have never been very interested in the crime genre, both fiction and non-fiction. That being said, I could not put this book down (figuratively, since I listened to it). This book was recommended to me by my cousin, and even though it is non-fiction it read like a novel. It's crazy thinking that this is actually the story of someone's life.
This is the story of Henry Hill, who was part of the mob in New York City from the 1950s-80s until he was arrested and became an informant for the FBI. This book chronicles Henry's involvement with the mob, how he got in, how he became successful, and how he got out. He is oddly likable and it's funny because even knowing he was basically a crime lord, I was very disappointed in him when he started cheating on his wife.
This book was very well-written, and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it.
This is the story of Henry Hill, who was part of the mob in New York City from the 1950s-80s until he was arrested and became an informant for the FBI. This book chronicles Henry's involvement with the mob, how he got in, how he became successful, and how he got out. He is oddly likable and it's funny because even knowing he was basically a crime lord, I was very disappointed in him when he started cheating on his wife.
This book was very well-written, and I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed it.
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
I know the book came before the movie, but having seen the movie first…this book reads exactly as the movie is seen. Very witty, charming, and intriguing. Brilliant read.
This book was a really interesting look inside a mafia family. Not surprisingly, there is an awful lot about the mafia that I don't know. I really enjoyed reading this book, although I didn't like how easily the people committed crimes. Also, it seems like a lot of work--you always have to have several jobs going on, and since Henry Hill didn't have a bank account, there was either money or there wasn't, but there was never anything saved up. And, evidently, I"m a rather square person, because how did they have insurance? I guess through their no-show jobs. At any rate, the book was an interesting and easy read about a lifestyle that is foreign to me.
I've read a lot of books on mobsters telling the story of their lives in the underworld, but something about Henry Hill and his telling feels so much more genuine then the rest. Pileggi did an amazing job, and a huge thank you to him for making Goodfellas possible!
This was a great book on the workings of the mafia in NYC. I zoned out a bit too much, and there's lots of testosterone going on (haha). It was always nice when the male narrator stopped and the female narrator began. I'd recommend it if you're interested in true crime.
challenging
dark
informative
tense
slow-paced