- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC; New edition edition (29 Mar 1999)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0747543240
- ISBN-13: 978-0747543244
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 971,528 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
GoodFellas (Bloomsbury Film Classics)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Welcome to the world of New York organised crime; of heists, extortion, family, gambling, molls and casual violence. This is the book that inspired the film, written by Nicholas Pileggi in 1985 and originally entitled Wiseguy. Martin Scorsese read it, contacted Pileggi who apparently "had been waiting for this phone call all my life", and between them they wrote the screenplay for the hugely popular 1990 movie. The resulting blend of snappy dialogue, snappier editing and superb ensemble acting tended to overshadow Scorsese's dubious ambivalence towards violence, but the audience was blown away more spectacularly than one of Tommy De Vito's victims.
Pileggi's book was written with Henry Hill, whose life it describes. The narrative switches between Pileggi, Hill, and Hill's wife Karen, all delivered with the smooth action of a well-polished Magnum. It proves utterly compelling, breathlessly serving up an action-fuelled life of criminal excess with Henry starting as an aspirant 12-year-old errand runner ("To be a wiseguy was better than being president of the United States. To be a wiseguy was to own the world"), and progressing to such a status within the Mob that when he is finally nailed he turns Federal witness to implicate his former cronies, a move that represents his only chance to save his family's necks. The irony for Hill is that his fictionalised life story has been seen by millions, but he cannot tell anyone without jeopardising his new identity, which means he gets "to live the rest of my life as a shnook". As a source the book runs very close to the film, and someone who know the film will find it hard not to picture Scorseses's stylised realisation as they read, while those who don't will discover a grittily related, authentically grim amorality tale of a life shot through with brutality and survivalist scheming that stands on its own without the Big Screen treatment. Surprisingly bleak. --David Vincent
Review
'Absolutely engrossing' New York Times 'The best book ever written on organised crime' Cosmopolitan 'A riveting account of organised crime as a way of life ... extraordinary' Publishers Weekly 'This book chronicles Hill's criminal successes ... smuggling, hijacking, union racketeering, credit card fraud, robbery, bribery, drug dealing, prison, marriage, and assorted girlfriends ... faithfully portrayed' Library Journal
--This text refers to an alternate
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Getting into the fictional side of the Mafia is well and good, but this book is something else. After stumbling upon it by chance and not realising that goodfellas was about it, what unfolded was a feat not often acheived by biographical stories a book that was a hundred times better than a multi award winning motion picture, the indepth analysis of prison life, of the basket spread betting. You will enjoy this book if you are truly interested in how the whole machine of smalltime mafia units ran, rather than the top of the families as the godfather, an absolute must!
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Equally as good as Wiseguys is Nicholas Pileggi's 'Casino' (the book that came before the film) Also, try Bruce Porter's 'Blow - How a small town boy made $100 million with the Medellin Cartel and lost it all' (another book that has recently been made into a film starring Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz)
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Being a huge fan of the film, I was very excited when I eventually found the book on Amazon. Its a fantastically written book and fills in most of the holes the film leaves out. Right from page one, I couldn't put it down, even though I new most of the events that happen in the book, from watching the film many times. I think in this case it definitely helps if you have seen the film, as I found it easier to imagine the places, faces and situations whilst reading the book, particlarly Jimmy (Robert De Niro) and Tommy (Joe Pesci) and of course Henry ( Ray Liotta). The book, in places is written as if Henry is narrating ( just like the film), and its not long before you find yourself reading just like he talks in the film. Like a real wiseguy !! A definite must have for any fan of the film.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
True Crime
Having watched the film, I was pleased to find this book given out free in one of the film magazines I read. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Glosblue
Not brilliant
I bought this book on the strength of some of the other reviewers. However, I wasn't all that impressed. I do like the American gangster genre but I have read many better. Read more
Published on 21 April 2010 by W. R. Robinson
Stunning crime read
This is a great book, completely riveting and will be finished in very quick time. The narrative flows so well it's like having a major criminal sit down and tell you his life... Read more
Published on 11 April 2010 by Dave's Magic Codpiece
Top notch real life crime writing
This is one of the best real life crime books I've ever read. It's exhilarating, powerful stuff - not at all hard to see why it made such a good film. Read more
Published on 20 Jun 2008 by CJ
This is the script of the film goodfellas not the book wiseguy by...
Will everyone stop going on about how good Wiseguy is by Pileggi when this book is the script and screenplay of the film goodfellas
Published on 25 Feb 2008 by L. M. STOCKLEY
Could this be better than the film adaption
"Goodfellas" (originally "Wise Guys") by Nicholas Pileggi from the moment i started becoming engrossed, made me ponder something-could this actually be superior to the quality of... Read more
Published on 27 Aug 2007 by I. Thomson
Ever since i was young i always wanted to gloryfy myself..
This book for me was a mixed can of worms. Although i thoroughly enjoyed it and didnt put it down (as im a massive fan of the film) at times i became very bored. Read more
Published on 27 July 2006 by James Williams
stop writing the same review several times
Perhaps if Amazon could prevent the same individual writing the same review repeatedly then it would be more useful to customers such as myself who are thinking of making a... Read more
Published on 29 Mar 2005
Outstanding.......
Having seen the film and loved it I decided to buy the book after hearing from some friends that it was really good. They were not wrong, I thought this book was fantastic. Read more
Published on 14 Jan 2005 by Stu
Still fantastic
Since reading Goodfellas, I decided to read several other true 'wiseguys' stories, finding some equally great books. Read more
Published on 7 Sep 2001 by "dammo"
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