Book Description
This digital document, covering the life and work of Joe Pantoliano, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 1593 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Clinical Psychiatry News, published by Thomson Gale on June 1, 2007. The length of the article is 1646 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Joe Greco's story.(Canvas)(Movie review)
Author: Roland Atkinson
Publication: Clinical Psychiatry News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 35Issue: 6Page: 59(1)

Article Type: Movie review

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Amazon.com
Penzler Pick, April 2001: David Lindsey can write horrific thrillers such as Mercy, which ranks up there with such serial killer novels as By Reason of Insanity by Shane Stevens and The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. However, he is also the author of gentler tales--psychological suspense where the horror is subtle and comes from everyday and unexpected sources. Animosity belongs in the second category.

Ross Marteau is an American living in Paris, where he makes a decent living as a sculptor. After a particularly nasty breakup with his girlfriend of several years, he decides to return to his home in Texas and work from his studio in the art-friendly city of San Rafael. There he settles into a routine of working in the mornings on his next project and sharing conversation and a beer in the afternoons with his friend Amado Mateos. It is during one of these afternoon meetings that he notices a newcomer to the town.

Celeste Lacan is a beautiful woman who soon approaches Ross with a proposition. She would like to offer Ross a commission to sculpt her sister. Ross demurs--he already has a commission--but Celeste asks him to meet her sister before refusing, and when he does, he understands why Celeste is so insistent. Leda is not only the most beautiful woman Ross has ever seen, she is also the ugliest, and as a sculptor Ross knows that he will learn something new about beauty. As Ross begins working with Leda andmeeting Celeste in the afternoons, he becomes obsessed with the two sisters.Life is about to become a living hell for Ross Marteau, and the ending of thisstory about art and love is breathtakingly horrifying. --Otto PenzlerBook Description
American sculptor Ross Marteau, renowned for his sensual depictions of the female form, is in San Rafael to start a new commission. When he finally meets his new model, he is stunnedshe is, at once, the most beautiful and the most grotesque woman he has ever seen. Fascinated by her misshapen body and the incredible torment in her eyes, he accepts the challenge. But soon he is pulled deeper into their desperate world, and when someone close to them is killed, Ross finds himself ensnared in a web of dark secrets and deadly maneuvers.Download Description
Ross Marteau is the toast of the international art world for his sensual sculptures of rich and famous women. But when a long-term relationship breaks up badly, he retreats to his Texas hometown--only to have his newfound peace of mind permanently, and profoundly, shattered. One afternoon over lunch, Ross is approached by a woman to whom he feels an irresistible attraction. She introduces herself as Celeste Lacan and asks him to take on a new commission, a sculpture of her younger sister, Leda, promising that the job will present artistic challenges unlike any he has encountered before. Though reluctant, Ross can't help but be intrigued: by Celeste herself and by a photo of Leda's face, a portrait of incomparable beauty.

When he meets her, Ross is stunned to discover that Leda's body is as startlingly unique as her face is beautiful. Just as Celeste predicted, he becomes consumed with portraying the duality of her body . . . and, perhaps, her soul. At the same time, he becomes increasingly aware that the enigmatic depth he sees in Celeste is as mesmerizing as the fathomless torment he sees in Leda. Soon he's romantically involved with one sister; his relationship with the other is much harder to define. As Ross begins to sculpt, Leda vacillates between seductiveness and a mystifying aloofness, while Celeste begins to withdraw from his touch. Then a sudden, violent murder draws him deeper into their world. Too late, Ross will learn that his bond with the women is older, deeper, and more explosive than he could ever have imagined. With Animosity, the twin motifs of repulsion and obsession have never been more powerfully, or more compellingly, portrayed. Here author David Lindsey outdoes himself. You will not be able to guess the ending--nor will you ever forget it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

beautiful writing, unfortunate story
David L. Lindsey's writing in this book is fabulous: peaceful, detailed, lyrical. I thoroughly enjoyed the pace and the way Lindsey puts words together to convey descriptions and ideas. The actual story, however, left me cold. Another reviewer mentioned that the protagonist is passive. Worse, he's gullible and apparently completely unable to think for himself. Other characters repeatedly lie to him and he believes every outrageous thing he's told with very little questioning. I'm not sorry I read the book, but I did leave it in a hotel room - it's not a book I'd add to my collection.

A Tale of a Stupid Man
I have enjoyed David Lindsey's novels, but this one was a big disappointment. I firmly believed it should be renamed "A Tale of a Stupid Man".I came away with the impression that the main character, Ross Marteau, thought more with his male sex organ than with his brain, and this led him to an inglorious (and probably well-deserved) end.

Let's fit as many male sexual fantasies into one tale as we can...
The only person in the family that artist Ross Marteau doesn't shag in this tale is the mother.That's because she died before he got to her. I enjoyed this book. The writing is beautiful, but I was annoyed by how gullible Ross was over and over again.chocolatesleuth.com recommends this book though because it packs a lot of suspense.

Spellbinding and captivating!
Never have I been so transfixed by a story!Lindsey's protagonist, Ross Marteau, is an intense sculptor, whose relationships with women mirrored his passion.The consequences of the characters' animosity toward each other were astounding.They all became irrevokably dependent on each other as a web of deceit, malice, and evil unraveled all of their lives.

There was also an underlying theme to the story that I found intriguing.It highlighted the paradox in which beauty and ugliness can co-exist within the same person, both on a physical and an emotional level.

This book was seductive. I've never read anything like it.

this well written book is in the end only BLAH
I was very upset with Lindsey over this book. He managed to write with beautiful prose that created a very evocative sense of place. I felt like I was inside a classic MGM noir flick, watching characters delve towards the seedier side. But aside from the great writing, the plot here in the end became insulting and rather beside the point. Its as if Lindsey, with this book, were not writing a mystery or a thriller but putting up essences of emotions and places under the guise of a genre novel. So what you have here is something trapped in between a Jim Harrison tale that is biting in its glint edged fury and a David Lynch flick. And with Lynch, I am referring to his films as being nothing more than a grand pastiche of emotions or of moving paintings that really have no plot.

So this book does not work... try Jim Harrison for a tale that it seems Lindsey finds influence in. All of Harrison's books that I have picked up have been very good, so I don't think that you will be disappointed by any of them. Just skip this book, `Animosity,' and move on to something better.
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Book Description
Everyone knows him as Ralph Cifaretto on the HBO hit show The Sopranos. But before Tony, Carmela, Silvio, and Dr. Melfi took Sunday-night television by storm, Joe Pantoliano was one of America's busiest actors, giving unforgettable performances in such films as Memento, The Matrix, The Fugitive, and Risky Business. Now, the street-smart kid who grew up in Sinatra's hometown shares the stage with the eccentric and colorful wise guys from his family and neighborhood.

Fade in on the projects of Hoboken, New Jersey, during the fifties and sixties. That's little Joey, running numbers with his chain-smoking mother, Mary, so they can keep a roof over their heads. When he wasn't busy staying one step ahead of the bill collectors, he was learning the ropes from "Cousin" Florie: his "stepfather" and a wise guy whose connections to the Genovese family couldn't keep him out of jail for drug trafficking. Then there was Joey's real father, "Monk," a factory worker with a weakness for gambling at the track who was later reborn as a hearse chauffeur for the local funeral parlor.

With a winning blend of humor, charm, and pure showmanship, Pantoliano tells it like it was. From a connected Jersey street kid to a successful Hollywood actor who would, ironically, re-create his wise-guy boyhood in role after role, Who's Sorry Now is an irresistibly entertaining treat for anyone interested in this true-life "Soprano" and a real stand-up guy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Right on the money...
I'm a little late weighing in here, I just bought the book earlier this year and just now got around to reading it.Anyway, as an Italian American with an extended family that "got off the boat" in Hoboken, NJ, and as someone who ran some of the same streets that Joey once did, I can totally identify with the way Joe Pantoliano grew up and with the cast of "characters" that comprised his family, friends and neighbors. The book was extremely entertaining and written in a way that had me laughing out loud more than once.It's admirable that Joey expresses no bitterness or self-pity -- I think this is partially because people of his generation, in that place and time, just accepted the fact that family was the way it was, you didn't sit around feeling sorry for yourself, you just dealt and made a life for yourself! Also, in spite of the dysfunctionality, there was love there for Joey and I guess he chose to focus on that, whether it's just a trait he's been blessed with or if a little therapy helped him get there, it's still admirable and wonderful that he is able to see that & rejoice in it.I can understand how someone not from this subculture would see his mother and some of the other people in the book as complete monsters or animals but remember their shortcomings didn't come from an intention to be cruel, it came from the difficulties they faced as largely uneducated immigrants or children of immigrants starting with nothing in a new land. They were people who were weak and maybe more corrupt than most but not totally evil.If they knew better they would do better, so to speak.It's also nice to see the real, un-glamorized version of what it means to be a wise guy -- no mansions, Mercedes or limos for these connected guys.All in all, I enjoyed the book and read it practically in one sitting, the way the plot flowed was a little bit uneven and the writing style was a bit weak in spots which is why I give it a four instead of a five.But the story itself and the way Joe's viewpoint really came through, make it a good read for anyone who is fan of his work.

family life
The best part about this book is the author's unique voice. It's creative and to the point. The way he describes things carries the book.
The story itself is an interesting one, but it's more about his dysfunctional parents and their marriage than about the author. His mother is quite a trip. He had a rough time growing up but goofy as some of them were, his extended Italian family was a strong source of support and I think that's why he didn't drown in his parents' craziness.
This story is not about the mafia, although some people in it apparently have some bad connections. It's about a boy growing up in a close-knit, somewhat goofy family in 1960s New Jersey. And there's a lot of great insight into the family members and their peculiarities that makes it well worth the read.

A true Paisan'
I feel like I grew up with Joey Pants. His family is my family! I picked up this book because he played in one of my all time favorite movies, "Goonies," and I new his face, but not his name. He's just one of those kind of actors. I don't mind saying that I hate him in the Sopranos, 'cause who doesn't? But after reading this book, even I am proud of what he made of himself. And it has restored my faith in my own abilities. I now must write a book about my verbally abusive Italian-American man-hating mother. Although his family had problems, you still get the sense that in the end they all sit around toasting to love and family like the last scene in Moonstruck! It's a quick read and you'll love it!

Making it a love story
My brother got me this as a birthday gift - not something I would have bought myself.I figured it was one of those books where someone is cashing in on their current fame.It wasn't - it is an inner glimpse at a totally disfunctional family that I couldn't put down.Joey Pants was always one of those actors you love to hate - after reading this I can see where he got his inspiration - his nutsy Mommy (I have to admit I get a little uneasy reading about a guy in his 50's who still refers to his mother as Mommy).From this I have great admiration for Joey now - it is amazing what he overcame - the very things that would have caused most people to give up and accept their existance - inspired him to seek a better life.Anyone wishing to see the day-to-day live of a Goomba growing up in Jersey should grab this - a great read!

We are Joey ... sorry we bought the hype
I was lured by the bait of his Ralphie persona, the Imus interview and a good excerpt on Amazon, but the life of an insecure little fat kid is not charming.Mommy was a gangster's daughter who browbeat her poor husband and was ready to cheat anyone including her young son.Some of the "Cousin" Florie stories were ok, like hijacking the Seagram's truck from the Hoboken ferry, but a book?Fuggedaboutit! ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Semana, published by Spanish Publications, Inc. on September 5, 2002. The length of the article is 500 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Pantalla grande.(TT: Big screen.)(Reseña)
Publication: Semana (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 5, 2002
Publisher: Spanish Publications, Inc.
Volume: 8Issue: 496Page: 31(1)

Article Type: Reseña

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Book Description
This digital document is an article from Epoca, published by Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA) on July 12, 1999. The length of the article is 576 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Thriller en un universo electrónico: Matrix.(TT: Thriller in an electronic universe: Matrix.)
Author: Pedro Crespo
Publication: Epoca (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 12, 1999
Publisher: Difusora de Informacion Periodica, S.A. (DINPESA)
Page: 68

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