Honor Thy Father

At first I found it difficult to read because of the interiority of the structure: the book is inside many of the characters. It bothered me for a while because I fond myself asking how can Talese be inside these characters? He didn't create them. They are real characters. The story is so good that I finally no longer cared.

In his engrossing "Honor Thy Father", Gay Talese proves that four decades ago, The Mafia was not what it used to be, which was basically a monopolistic almost exclusively Italian criminal empire. It is a strange nostalgia. Outside of a few loose canons (like Albert Anastasia), it was comprised of men who were dedicated to secrecy and, especially, order. The trauma that was Appalachia, and the exposures by the Kefauver Commission and Joe Valachi, permanently crippled The Mafia. It is at this point where Bill Bonanno grapples with his new-found and unasked-for position at the top of one of the major crime families of New York and the nation. When his father, Joseph, is kidnapped, the spotlight really falls on him and his family, and where Talese begins his narrative. Talese does a fascinating job juxtaposing the problems of the Bonanno family with the problems of The Bonanno Family. While Bill Bonanno tries to keep things together with lawyers, trusted "soldiers", contacts and his father's enemies, he is less successful with his ability to keep his wife and children secure and happy. The agonies and frustrations of Bill Bonanno's wife, Rosalie, is very poignant and credible. I felt sorry for her.And, it is at this level that the book really succeeds, even now as a history. This is not your typical "Mafia/True Crime" book. Although there are a half dozen murders and bombings described in the book, there are no detailed, graphic, for-the-thrill-of-it sequences of vendetta killings and murders. The violence is surprisingly low-key, except in one or two key passages. Talese was not in for the shock value. He was describing the frustrating, dangerous and, surprisingly often, tedious (in terms of constant waiting) existence of a mob boss during those years. The stress, the occasional frustrations, and rare moments of success are intriguingly written. There will always be debate about whether Talese's "New Journalism" is creating fiction out of history but there is no denying that the book rings true on many points. While one might wonder, "Did Bill Bonanno really remember what he was thinking twenty years ago?" when he told his story to Talese, there is little reason to think otherwise. The personal dynamic between Bill and Rosalie or the rest of the family members is given the same attention as that given to the criminal activity. This is what makes "Honor Thy Father" so unique in the genre.

This was fascinating. Talese broke through the family armor, and exposed the everyday life of some of these characters. The fact that most everyone involved in the story continued to dwell on this earth is miraculous.

Great reporting, great story and great prose, but: too much of. Gosh Talese goes on and on and on. There is a difference between 'detailed' and rambling: some of the segments are about the most tangental and uninteresting things. Worse: he repeats himself, often. A frustrating read.

it would have been more interesting if the book had focused on Joe Bannano, but Joe was a very smart man and kept almost all his actions quiet--not much jail time equals very little to write about. The book focuses on Joe's son and his relationship with his father and the life he lead because of his father. Very worth reading.

Four out of five stars. Recommended for those who'd like some insight into the Mafia and how it affected the lives of not only the members but also their familes. Slow-moving read, at times but interesting overall.

Are you tired of reading stories by reporters that bend the truth only to sell their paper , then read , Honor Thy Father ,by Gay Talese . In it you will find a son's account of life in the Mafia , and how rumor and gread brought over from the "old country" to America , either made you a man to be respected , or got you killed . The "old" traditions that once unified , La Cosa Nostra , were slowly chipped away , leaving the mob to crumble under the RICO ACT . .

I'm a Brazilian journalist and I had red all Portuguese translated books wroten by Gay Talese, but two of them, Unto the sons and Honnor thy father, I needed to read in English because it didn't have Portuguese version in Brazil. A liked booth a lot. Wonderful vision on the Italians in América and a vital historical analyse about the Máfia Bonannos family. I recomend.

Am an avid reader and this is excellent

Excellent profile of characters in story. Written very well concentrating on subjects. Insight to actual workings of Mafia plus good historical background.

excellent

Excellent in every way