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Top 6 Books About Gangsters
Six great gangster novels
By Rod Reynolds
Text/Rod Reynolds
Translation/Liu Jia
It’s not hard to understand the enduring appeal of gangsters in fiction. From the romantic notion of the outlaw antihero to the caricature of the psychotic mob boss, they have been portrayed in many different lights[1]; but the unifying theme is that they live by a set of rules alien to the law-abiding public, and that makes them fascinating. We want to know what makes them tick[2], to understand their world and to see it in all its bloody reality. It’s the essence of what makes a good thriller: showing us a violent existence from the safety of an armchair.
It is not difficult to understand that the gangsters in the novel have long been charming. From romantically imagining anti-heroes on the run to exaggerating depictions of crazy gang bosses, gang characters have their own faces; but the consistent theme is that the rules they follow are unknown to law-abiding people, and it is this that makes them unique. We want to know the reasons behind what they do, we want to understand their world, and we want to see the bloody reality of that world. That's the essence of a good thriller: the reader can get a glimpse of the world of violence without leaving the comfort of an armchair.
[1] In a different light from different angles, from different aspects.
[2] What makes someone tick the reason or motivation for someone to do something.
Here’s my pick of the gangster books I’ve read over the years:
Over the years, I have read a lot of books about gangsters, and here are a few to share:
The Godfather by Mario Puzo
Mario Puzo's The Godfather
An obvious choice, perhaps, but a reflection of how seminal it is to the genre. Francis Ford Coppola’s film adaptation is regarded as one of the greatest of all time, but the book is a classic in its own right. It introduced terms like Cosa Nostra[3] and omertà to a mass audience and defined the public perception of mobsters for decades to come.
Maybe everyone will choose this book, which also reflects its profound influence on this kind of novel. Francis Ford Coppola's film adaptation is considered one of the finest works of all time, and the book itself is a classic. It introduced a wide audience to gangster terms such as Caza Nostra and omertà, and defined the public perception of gangster characters over the next few decades.
[3] Cosa Nostra refers to the American Mafia; Italian, which means "our cause".
Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi
Nicholas Pylegi's The Thief has a Way
Adapted by Martin Scorsese as the film Goodfellas, Pileggi’s account of the life of mobster Henry Hill was the starting point for the modern-day depiction of the gangster. The book set the template for all that followed – from Casino and Donnie Brasco right through to The Sopranos.
Pyrrhi's book follows the life of gangster character Henry Hill and was later adapted into the film Good Guys by Martin Scorsese. The book is the starting point for modern depictions of gangster works. From "Casino Storm" and "The Traitor" all the way to "The Underworld Family", later works of this kind have taken the book as a model.
American Tabloid by James Ellroy
James Allroy's American Tabloid
Ellroy dedicates his masterpiece to “bad men, and the price they paid to secretly define their time”. Covering the period from JFK[4]’s election to his assassination, Ellroy takes us into the world of thugs, fixers[5] and killers on the fringes of power. It still amazes me that in 600 pages, the closest thing to a hero[6] is a hitman who by his own reckoning has killed more than 500 people. It was accused of glorifying criminals, but I prefer Ellroy’s own explanation: this is a story of three men crushed by the weight of their own evil.
Elroy dedicates the masterpiece to "the bad guys and the price they paid to silently shape their own times." Set between the election of John F. Kennedy and his assassination, the author takes us into the world of thugs, drug dealers, and killers, bringing us to the brink of power. What still amazes me to this day is that the only character involved in the 600-page story who has anything to do with the hero is a hired killer who has killed more than 500 people according to his own estimates. Some have accused the book of singing the praises of criminals, but I agree more with Elroy's own interpretation: the story of three men crushed by their own heavy sins.
[4] = John Fitzgerald Kennedy (John F. Kennedy, 1917–1963), the 35th President of the United States from 1961 to 1963.
[5] Fixers solve all kinds of tricky problems through illegal means.
[6] The closest thing to a hero Is the closest person to a hero in the case of a hero who doesn't exist at all.
The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow
Don Winslow's The Power of Dogs
Winslow’s novel chronicles the first 30 years of the US’s “war on drugs”. Epic in every sense, the book lays bare the violence, futility and hypocrisy of the policy, and is made all the more striking by its grounding in true events. But this is much more than a fictional exposé of recent history; as in The Godfather, it’s the personal relationships that drive the narrative as the friendship between DEA[7] agent Art Keller and narco kingpin Miguel Angel Barrera disintegrates into a blood feud.
Winslow's novel chronicles the first 30 years of America's "war on drugs." On every level, it is an epic work that unveils the violent and futile and hypocritical side of anti-drug policy. The novel is based on real events, so it is even more remarkable. But the book goes far beyond revealing that period of history in the form of a novel; like the novel The Godfather, the book's story progress is driven by the relationships between the characters, and the friendship between U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Art Keller and drug lord Miguel Angel Barrera gradually disintegrates and turns into a bloody dispute.
[7] = Drug Enforcement Administration Drug Enforcement Administration, commonly known as the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.
LA Confidential by James Ellroy
James Allroy's L.A. Confidential
For my money[8], Ellroy’s five-book run from The Big Nowhere to The Cold Six Thousand is as strong as any crime author has put together. LA Confidential focuses on the LA mob scene after Siegel[9], but takes in LAPD corruption, institutional racism, high-class prostitution and more. Sprawling and complex, yet exquisitely plotted, it’s the pathos Ellroy imbues in his tough guys that sets this apart. That and the fact that it features the villainous Dudley Smith at his absolute zenith.
In my opinion, from "The Endless Wasteland" to "Cold Six Thousand", all five of the works created by Elroy are of high quality, no less than the collections of any other crime fiction writer. "L.A. Confidential" focuses on the Los Angeles underworld forces after Siegel, but it does not ignore the corruption and degeneration of the Los Angeles police, institutional racial discrimination, and high-level sex trafficking. The novel is grandiose, intricate, yet well-laid out; It's the infectious tough guy in Allroy's character that sets the story apart. Another reason is that the evil Dudley Smith in this book is at the absolute peak of power.
[8] For my money I think.
[9] Benjamin Siegel (1906-1947), a famous gangster boss in the United States, took the lead in building a high-end hotel in Las Vegas, kicking off the prelude to the prosperity of the casino.
After Hours by Edwin Torres
Edwin Torres' Extraordinary Time
Torres’s work opens up the rarely featured world of Puerto Rican gangs in Spanish Harlem[10]. It is the second book in the series, and this time Carlito Brigante is older and wiser and looking for a way out of the life – and anyone familiar with the genre knows that never goes well. The book hums with authenticity, and Brigante is a standout character: a killer and a survivor, but smart and thoughtful with it.
Torres's work shows a world that rarely gets attention, namely the Puerto Rican gangsters in East Harlem. This book is the second in a series of novels. In this one, the gangster character Calito Brigant is a few years older and smarter, trying to escape his past life—and anyone familiar with this type of novel knows that such a choice never ends well. The book reads very realistically, and Brigant is an unusual character: both a tenacious killer and a clever man who is cautious in his words and deeds.
[10] Namely East Harlem, East Harlem, New York, puertoly spoken Spanish.
(Translated by the winner of the "English World Cup" translation competition)
(From)