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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
Probably when I first picked up this book and put it in my "to-read" pile, I read the back cover that clearly says that this is the story of Henry Hill. However, somewhere between then and now, I thought this book was going to be the story of an undercover cop in the mob. Yes, I believe I got the show and the book mixed up. I was quite surprised to find out I was reading the book Goodfellas was based on. (The edition I had was printed before the movie so there was no advertising to the fact on the cover.) Overall, a good look into the inter workings of a low level thug in an organization. I didn't really like Goodfellas, so this didn't capture my attention as much. I prefer the Valachi Papers for organized crime expose. Most of the best (and memorable) parts of the book are in the movie. Much like the movie, my favorite parts were when the point of view switch to Henry's wife. That dynamic and relationship is the best part of the whole book.
adventurous
informative
reflective
fast-paced
I’m glad I read this and learned the details of Henry Hill’s life. Everyone has their own unique mindset, and out of curiosity, it’s cool to get into someone else’s for a while.
That said, I never liked the film Goodfellas half as much as The Godfather. Yes, it’s a truer story—more violent, and not as sanitized for the purpose of storytelling. Totally valid point. However, I don’t love dry non-fiction, and this was pretty dry. The book was organized well and it wasn’t long, but it dealt with a seemingly endless string of murders and thefts, both of which don’t interest me in mafia stories.
I also feel that fictional accounts of the mafia work because they make the characters more dimensional. Also, I hate reading about infidelity, so at several points during this I felt very uncomfortable.
That said, I never liked the film Goodfellas half as much as The Godfather. Yes, it’s a truer story—more violent, and not as sanitized for the purpose of storytelling. Totally valid point. However, I don’t love dry non-fiction, and this was pretty dry. The book was organized well and it wasn’t long, but it dealt with a seemingly endless string of murders and thefts, both of which don’t interest me in mafia stories.
I also feel that fictional accounts of the mafia work because they make the characters more dimensional. Also, I hate reading about infidelity, so at several points during this I felt very uncomfortable.
fast-paced
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
I was expecting Goodfellas. This was no Goodfellas.
This book took me awhile to read because I went in and out of being interested and just not caring about the story-line. This isn’t the first Nicholas Pileggi book I’ve read; his writing is marvellous. However, I wasn’t looking for a biographical point of view but more of how the movie “Goodfellas” shaped out to be. I guess starting with a preconceived opinion of how this book “should” be threw me off.
adventurous
dark
informative
medium-paced
My girlfriend and I challenged each other to read three specific books this year, and this was one of her picks--a clear one, considering her mob knowledge and my history boner.
I'm always a bit slow with nonfiction, so I wasn't quite able to knock it out in one sitting à la Scorsese, but I still persevered through every wild chapter. Turns out, mob life is both tamer and wilder than most of us could imagine!
The edition I read was a 2011 re-release; Hill died the next year. I can't exactly RIP or Z"L a violent, cheating, philandering, self-centered bastard, but such a magnificent bastard still deserves some memorializing. In a field of wiseguys, you were the most wiseguy.
I'm always a bit slow with nonfiction, so I wasn't quite able to knock it out in one sitting à la Scorsese, but I still persevered through every wild chapter. Turns out, mob life is both tamer and wilder than most of us could imagine!
The edition I read was a 2011 re-release; Hill died the next year. I can't exactly RIP or Z"L a violent, cheating, philandering, self-centered bastard, but such a magnificent bastard still deserves some memorializing. In a field of wiseguys, you were the most wiseguy.