Gomorrah
by Roberto Saviano
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Book Reviews of Gomorrah
Book Review: The Violence of Organized Crime
Summary: 5 Stars
"The first paragraph of this book grabs your attention and keeps it. Taken everything together, this is not an easy read. For me personally there is the graphic details of violence that is described in detail. Putting that aside, this would be a book for those who are interested in organized crime and how it spreads its tentacles into every part of our life. I think that the author took his life in his hands to find out all he did and I also wonder if he is safe even now that the book is published. I would certainly recommend this book if you are interested in organized crime and taking into consideration the graphic details." --Patricia (San Antonio, TX) This book I also reviewed for Bookbrowser.com
Book Review: Naples-- a place to avoid.
Summary: 4 Stars
I am a Sicilian by ancestry living in America. Despite what passes as common knowledge most Italians know Naples is the most dangerous city in Italy. This is true now and was true 40 years ago when my Mother who was visiting from the US was accosted on the street in daylight, knocked to the ground and her purse stolen. When reported, the attitude of the police was that it happens too oten to have expectation that the thieves will be caught. In reading "Gomorrah" I find the situation has become worse. Author Roberto Saviano's first hand account of the corruption indicates that it has become a major part of the social fabric of Naples. Anyone thinking of visiting Naples should read this book before going.Book Review: A real eye-opener
Summary: 4 Stars
"A feel-good mafia exposé? The author gives an insider's view of a monstrous system that is all the more disquieting because you're in there with him. Besides the titillation of so much blood and excess, what kept me reading was the intelligence and heart in the work. The tone sounds raw and cynical but it isn't without occasional touches of poetry and sentimentalism. The author never stayed in one mode long enough to get tiresome. I was shocked by what this book had to say. I don't know if I was convinced by the litany of the names and places or if I just sympathized with a good writer. His heart's in the right place. I hope it's still beating somewhere." --Bill (Louisville, KY)
Book Review: Content, riveting; writing, confusion
Summary: 2 Stars
Difficult to read because of the style: Sentences aren't. Unclear whether supplied by translator or original author. Get it? In other words, begin with a capital letter and end with a period. Structure be damned. Wonder what the sentence said, only to review what I'd just read and discover it wasn't a sentence, hardly strictly. Just a bunch of words strung together.
Maybe I'm just too old school for "dynamic" modern style, but the rat-tat-tat "writing" obscured content and impeded readability. I saw the film "Gomorrah" before picking up the book, and the text edition seems to be the writer's notes, a screenplay the anticipated product.
Book Review: A Hard HItting Reality
Summary: 5 Stars
I learned about this book while in Italy where more than one person told me it was a "must read." It is! (If Italian names trouble you, skip them -- see the couple of negative reviews). This is a hard-hitting book that reveals not only what's happening in Naples and other parts of Italy, but how the Camorra's operations are linked to crime and terrorism around the world. Saviano (the author) also provides an insider perspective on the relationship between crime and the world of high fashion and luxury products. You'll never be able to look at a knock-off the same way after you've read it. It is not sensationalism, just good, solid reporting.