BROTHERLY LOVE audiobook

The ironically named Brotherly Love is a cold, sparse and terrifying, an unrelenting plunge into a nightmare. There is Dexter’s scalpel sharp dissection of character and black humor along the way, but for the most part this the most relentless Dexter I have found yet. A tale of thirty or so years of two mob connected cousins in Philadelphia is told intimately, sparsely, and claustrophobic as opposed to sweeping. Brilliant narrative economy, dialogue, and character and I’m left with question of whether or not Dexter is a realist or a surrealist. Or his ultra magnified exploration of character revealing how much both sides of the coin are the same.

You know, I think I'm falling in love with Pete Dexter.

Como dijo un crítico refiriéndose a otra de las novelas de Dexter, "Train": cumbre del género negro.

This is a dark tale of two brothers (cousins, actually) who are born into Philadelphia mob life. One is reticent to participate in the lifestyle; the other relishes it. The story takes place over about 20 years, from the time when the boys are young until they've grown and have pretty much decided w

I've now read all but one of Pete Dexter's books and have been working backward rather than chronologically. With "Brotherly Love," you see all the hallmarks of later work, but perhaps a little less developed. A good book to be sure, but arguably not the greatness that Dexter achieves later with "Paris Trout" or "Deadwood." One of the reasons I read this book at this particular time was the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the feelings of powerlessness that currently pervade the nation. Dexter's work is always about quiet -- what some would call "manly" -- accountability where the protagonist must often take responsibility amid often too-troublesome circumstances to stand for what is truly right - no matter the personal consequences. And this novel achieves that in spades.

Dexter's fourth novel begins by telling us the fate of the protagonist: Peter Flood and his cousin Michael, members of the Pennsylvania Trade Union council, are killed in a mob hit. Then, the novel travels back in time, to when the lives of the sensitive, decent Peter and his brutal cousin become entwined. In the rough Philadelphia neighborhoods, each does his best to survive in the way he is more suited for. Other memorable characters, such as Jimmy Measles, pining for his youthful glory days on the "Bandstand" and Nick Di Maggio, owner of a boxing gym and an auto shop, provide insights into morality and courage. Dexter's tale has its share of horror and misery, and an elegiac element of early loss lingers on every page. As his other novels do, I expect this one to stay with me.

After reading Paris Trout, I was excited to read more from its a author. Brotherly Love did not let me down, and though it was less impactful in its message, it was generally more thrilling, which is what a good mob story should be. I felt like I was watching Goodfellas or Scarface but was twice as emotionally invested in the characters as either of those films could ever allow me to be. The tragedies in this story are hard to stomach at times, and the sheer brutality of the mob is equally so. I’d highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys mob movies like the ones mentioned before, because this is even better.

Two of my favorite writers are Pete Dexter and Richard Price. Although not exclusively, they both write books in the crime genre. Unlike many mystery writers who prioritize solving a crime, these two are interested in the personalities and motivations that inhabit the protagonists and the antagonists, and the frequently blurred lines between those two sides.Like several of Price's books, the plot is launched by a murder. In the case of Brotherly Love, it's the accidental death of a little girl by a police officer. His "connected" neighbor can't let it go, even though his associates beg him to. This leads to another murder, and then several more over the years as Italian and Irish mobsters fight to gain, and hold on to, supremacy in Philadelphia. The main character is the little girl's brother, Peter, who grows up with a sense of morals unlike his cousin, Micheal, who assumes the role of mob boss. Peter is never involved in Micheal's more nefarious activities, but he also can't fully extract himself from the family and its sordid business dealings.The book was a terrific read, but I was disappointed by the quick jumps in time to eight years ahead, or 14 years ahead. I would have preferred Dexter take his time and give us a 500- or 600-page book. Although the ending was satisfying, I kept hoping that Peter would somehow escape the "ties that bind", and that his motivation for staying with Michael would be more adequately justified.

Easy four stars but can't give it five. Not sure of my reason(s) but they include being hard to follow at times and especially the ending. Maybe I should have been left hanging but still doesn't feel good. To me not so much a story about boxing but this is certainly a part of it and was a learning experience. Rather a sick, sorry to say certainly true, account of life in the mob and it's very ugly affect those near it's edge. My second Dexter and will continue until finished. Sorry for not giving you five because you just might deserve it here. Some folks would ding you because of the insensitive truth. They have their own problems. Putting one's head in the sand will not find answers for ugliness. But they can simply read something else.

I read 200 pages the first day (OK, I'm retired), but still, that says a lot. I read The Paperboy before, so I already like Pete Dexter's writing.This one is sort of a cross between On The Waterfront and Rocky. And I mean that in the best way. Involves a boy who is raised by his uncle. The family is involved in some mob stuff and union stuff in Philadelphia. I really enjoy reading this. After finishing it I still loved it. I would also point out that there are elements of Sopranos in there too, especially the horse thread that reminds one of the Pie-O-My story line from Sopranos. I'm guessing one of the Soprano writers must have read this because Brother Love pre-dates it by about 10 years.

I'm not wild about books about the mob, but I hung in with this and really liked it at the end. It concerns a boy orphaned by grief, depression and revenge. His family is part of a mob that controls the unions in Philadelphia. After he is orphaned he is taken in by his uncle and is raised with his cousin. Both relatives are psychopaths. He tries to escape the sins of the family seeking punishment in a boxing gym, so the protagonists has issues of his own. In the end he must make a decision, support his family or go against it. Either choice seems a dead end road. The ending of this book is really good, enough for me to push it to four stars.

Narra la historia de vida de una familia de origen irlandés en Boston dedicada en los años 60 70 a los tejemanejes de los sindicatos y tonteando con la mafia italiana. Cuenta los sucesos que acontecieron a lo largo de sus vidas en esta familia: enfrentamientos, rivalidades, negocios, violencia, mujeres, boxeo. Vale la pena ver porque ahonda en las personalidades de cada uno de los protagonistas

Great book by a great writer. Read Pete Dexter articles in the Philadelphia Daily News (along with Larry McMullen and a great staff of Sports Writers) fr9n Day One. I lived the times depicted in the book and remember well those violent days.