Off the Back of a Truck: Unofficial Contraband for the Sopranos Fan

According to radio and TV producer Braccia, this grab bag of ephemera about HBO’s Sopranos “isn’t a guide, it’s a party.” That description is largely correct, given that the book does not march from season one to six, but jumps all over in its eagerness to study aspects of the show’s 86 episodes. He discusses the socioeconomics of the series (referring to the characters as “the Italian-American Mafia’s B-team at the turn of the millennium”), the history of director and producer David Chase’s career (he wrote for The Rockford Files), and the show’s influences (Chase drew from David Lynch to write the show’s dream episodes). The writing of Braccia and a couple contributors—chef Eddie McNamara’s passionate defense of Italian American “red sauce” cooking is a gem (“Food is my favorite character on The Sopranos,” he writes)—are vibrant and astute enough to avoid full fanboy gushing. The throw-it-against-the-wall style doesn’t always work; the “Whack Attack” section’s dissection of each of the show’s 92 murders would be a slog even for the superfans who attend SopranosCon (an event that takes place in New Jersey). At its best, this book slices and dices Sopranos lore with humor, insight, and unabashed devotion. (Dec.)