The Sopranos Sessions

By: Matt Zoller Seitz, Alan Sepinwall, David Chase, Laura Lippman - foreword

Narrated by: Joe Barrett

Length: 18 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

On January 10, 1999, a mobster walked into a psychiatrist's office and changed TV history. By shattering preconceptions about the kinds of stories the medium should tell, The Sopranos launched our current age of prestige television, paving the way for such giants as Mad Men, The Wire, Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones.

As TV critics for Tony Soprano's hometown paper, New Jersey's Star-Ledger, Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz were among the first to write about the series before it became a cultural phenomenon.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the show's debut, Sepinwall and Seitz have reunited to produce The Sopranos Sessions, a collection of recaps, conversations, and critical essays covering every episode. Featuring a series of new long-form interviews with series creator David Chase, as well as selections from the authors' archival writing on the series, The Sopranos Sessions explores the show's artistry, themes, and legacy, examining its portrayal of Italian Americans, its graphic depictions of violence, and its deep connections to other cinematic and television classics.

Contains mature themes.

©2019 Matt Zoller Seitz and Alan Sepinwall (P)2020 Tantor

Brilliant!

Excellent, gets better as it progresses. The synopsis of each episode is sometimes brief but there is a wealth of information and insight. The conversations in the second half of the book are very enjoyable and make you feel like you’re listening to “water cooler” conversations with the occasional “aha” moment of clarity for listeners who may have missed subtle clues!

A Mastpiece Companion

Loved it beginning to end. Superb narration, clarification, and presentation. Well worth a listen.

Closure

I'll be one to say i've always loved the show from start to finish. i now have a new found perspective on the finale.

A masterpiece

If you call yourself a fan of the sopranos this is a must listen. Literally breaks down each episode and brings things to your attention they may have missed. Gives multiple perspectives to the sopranos differing in what type of viewer you are. Great conversations with chase where he slips up about what happens to Tony and much more!

interview with chase

cuppa things stood out like the interviewer asked chse if Bobby was made he said he didn't know probably not but in 6 21 Tony is talking to June and said Bobby is a made guy. he also said Tony was only woth 1.2 mill but the house was1.2 mil and the boat was 3 mil... what we need is a prequel show with an up and coming Tony starting from the night he passed out and missed the job with his cousin.

A must-have for Sopranos fans

Even if fans may disagree with the author's takes on certain eps, I feel this is a book every Sopranos fan should own. A great history of the show, overview of all eps, and more features. Excellent narration as well.

Almost disappointed

I thought I was going to be upset because I wanted questions answered and all I was hearing was well the episodes all over again. But then it happened towards the end about 6-5 hours left a questions and answers happened, everything I wanted to know … So overall it was worth it.

Narrator should do EVERY book

This gentleman does not hesitate to pronounce every name and word CORRECTLY. There are narrators here (looking at you, Jake Gyllenhall, who can barely pronounce English.

Mr. Barrett, I salute you.

Bool is good, too.

Excellent

Deep dive into sopranos analysis. They got it mostly right, a few things I’d disagree with, but overall dead on.
Also I think this was Joe Barrett’s best narration. He’s not my favorite narrator, but he did a great job here.

Excellent!!

I did not watch the Sopranos during its initial run on HBO.
After catching a few episodes while my daughter binge watched the series at the beginning of the pandemic, I decided to start from the beginning and watch for myself. Well I can't tell you how many times I have rewatched the Sopranos from beginning to end since March 2020. For me, this book helped me to understand characters that I have come to loathe and love at the same time. I also have new insight into the people and power behind the characters. Thank you to all involved in the writing of this book and the creation of what I consider one of the greatest shows ever!!