James Gandolfini

The Real Life of the Man Who Made Tony Soprano

By: Dan Bischoff

Narrated by: John Ventimiglia

James Gandolfini: The Real Life of the Man Who Made Tony Soprano is the first biography of the actor, who died in June 2013 at age 51, widely recognized as one of the best - and most defining - actors of his generation. The audiobook, as performed by Gandolfini's Sopranos co-star John Ventimiglia (Artie Bucco), is informed by fresh interviews with Sopranos actors, HBO executives, the star’s acting teachers and coaches, his childhood friends, buddies from his days as a nightclub bouncer, and Hollywood figures including the directors of his posthumously released films.

Bischoff decodes Gandolfini’s portrayal of mobsters and bad guys from his breakout role in True Romance with Patricia Arquette to the television series role that made his career, including his portrayals of real people like Leon Panetta in Zero Dark Thirty. Gandolfini’s personal life - from his marriages and family interactions to his deep friendships with his fellow cast members - enriches and enlivens this book, and deepens our understanding of the star.

James Gandolfini: The Real Life of the Man Who Made Tony Soprano is a fascinating look at Gandolfini’s complicated relationship to his roots, to the role that made him wealthy beyond his imagination, and to American notions of masculinity, power and fame. Even as he scaled the heights of his profession, creating a TV character as vivid as Carroll O’Connor’s Archie Bunker and as volcanic as Marlon Brando’s Stanley Kowalski, Gandolfini remained a reluctant celebrity dedicated more to his craft than to his career.

James Gandolfini: The Real Life of the Man Who Made Tony Soprano delivers a textured, multilayered portrait of the on- and off-screen life of a complex, talented man who rose from an Italian immigrant family in northern New Jersey to join the ranks of America’s most iconic actors.

©2013 Dan Bischoff (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

J.G.

Loved it. Well written and good Read by John V. Sounds like a guy we would all love to know.
R.I.P. MY BROTHER.

A Bit Flat and Empty

Is there anything you would change about this book?

This book had decent insight on the life and times of mega-talented Sopranos actor James Gandolfini. There are two main problems. One, John Ventimiglia (who played Artie Bucco on The Sopranos) comes across as extremely flat, dry, and snooze-inducing. He may be a good character and an insider on James' life, but as a voice-over actor or audiobook narrator he lacks the pizzazz to keep your interest. Two, the material provided by author Dan Bischoff kind of jumps around and does not follow a deeply-dive, highly-researched tact. Instead, you get a few good nuggets here and there but are wanting more.

Amazing book couldn't stop listening.

Great listen. I highly recommend this book for any fan of James Gandolfini and his broad range acting talent.

A little disappointing

Would you try another book from Dan Bischoff and/or John Ventimiglia?

Probably not.

Would you be willing to try another one of John Ventimiglia’s performances?

No

Was James Gandolfini worth the listening time?

Most of the time

Any additional comments?

The story dragged after the first couple of hours. The monotone of the reader was almost enough to make me turn it off, but I just hit FF for a bit.

Repetitive story but good narrator

Not a lot of content. Learned that Gandolfini was a generous and private man that made the author have to reuse the quotes and stories at more than one point in the book. This could have been told in a much shorter time but I did enjoy learning more about Gandolfini and I enjoyed the narrator, especially after binge watching the sopranos.

Very big fan !

I just loved and enjoyed this book about James, I highly recommend this great read !

Even more reasons why he will be missed

Lots of background biographical information. A real guy who didn't have to be. Sad his light is no more. Well written & voiced - like a friend telling the story.

A great listen. Worth your time.

The writing and narration were top notch. Although sometimes repetitive, the flow of Jim’s story was intriguing.

Jim and I were both from the same “hood” and only four months apart in age and his untimely death sorta hit home for me.

Buy it.

Great tribute

I really enjoyed this book about the wonderful James Galdofini. He was so much more than Tony Soprano, he was a kind man and he never forgot where he came from. He is missed dearly. Looking forward to seeing the many talents of his son Michael.

Blue Moon in your Eyes

A fine biography written from the perspective of many a review of Gandolfini’s theatre and movie actor and his decade long TV career as "Tony Soprano".

A young Italian boy who grew up in Parkridge, NJ in a small, but quaint cloistered town of blue collar middle class Italians. His father was a school janitor and his mother worked in the same school as a cafeteria worker (lunch lady). He went to school and played sports and did act in one play, but struggled to memorize his lines (a struggle he had his entire acting career).

He eventually went to Rutgers University at the bequest of his mother to make her happy and majored in journalism and communication. He did act again, but only once…but what was on the horizon for Mr. Gandolfini was more than he could ever imagine.

This book reveals with great transparency the life of a once unknown character actor who became a legendary and iconic part of pop culture. He left us way too soon. But, he left us a monstrous legacy of Hollywood films and a vastly popular television show that will last for generations.

He affected our lives. He was something. But, was it something he wanted to be? This book will tell you. And tell you it will.

A movie that he was in shortly before his death where he does the voice for an imaginary monster, “Where the Wild Things Are”…is a story about a young boy who throws fits when he doesn’t get his way…just a story of how stored up anger in this boy affects his psyche and how he managed to use it to get through his life. He controlled that anger in the fantasy world he created.

This movie was telltale story about the "good boy" and how an "monster" was revealed only the minds eye of the boy. it soothed his savage beast. Fellow Soprano actress, Lorraine Bracco, used the same words; "good boy" to describe who Jim was to everyone he met during her eulogy at his funeral.

A humble selfless man who was kind and giving, but still had to deal with monster inside. Something we all do, but Jim did it well or so we thought. Acting or not, the "monster" was always there and whether in the end or not it won over him to take his life directly or indirectly is not the issue. What was the issue was how unimportant he knew his life to be and the "man" that he always wanted to be was all that we should have seen. And that we did.

I listened to the audio book narrated by "Artie Bucco", owner and chef of "Vessuvios" on the Sopranos…the good friend of Jim, Johnny "V" Ventamelgia.