THIS THING OF OURS

As a work of popular culture, an innovative television series and a media phenomenon, The Sopranos has made an enormous impact throughout the world. Audiences within the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and Italy have come under its influence and contributed to the intense cultural conversation that it has generated. Some critics have condemned it for racial and sexist stereotypes, excessive violence and profanity; others, such as Ellen Willis (whose seminal essay in The Nation is reprinted in this volume), have called it 'the richest and most compelling piece of television … in the last twenty years.' This timely collection investigates both the wide appeal and controversial reception of this highly-debated television text. With its mix of lighthearted commentary, biting satire and serious academic inquiry including explorations of morality and redemption, representations of organised crime and the family, and characterisations of the psychoanalytic relationship, the contributors to this ground-breaking study present an exhaustive account of this landmark series in contemporary television.

January 2002
256 pages

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David Lavery is Professor of English at Middle Tennessee State University. He is the editor of Full of Secrets: Critical Approaches to Twin Peaks (1994), and co-editor of Deny All Knowledge: Reading The X-Files (1996), Fighting the Forces: What's at Stake in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2001), and Teleparody: Predicting/Preventing the TV Discourse of Tomorrow (2002).

‘A unique collection of essays … It mixes serious issues with light-hearted comment and explores the wider appeal of the series, discussing its themes while questioning the show’s morality and asks whether it really represents families within organised crime. For media students and Sopranos affectionados alike.’
– What’s On

‘It is a fascinating collection of essays that tackles … reactions to the show in Britain and Canada, issues of masculinity and feminism, and, most intriguingly, the meaning of food.’
– The List