Jimmy Breslin's New Book, "The Good Rat"

It is a great occasion for any reader, particularly New York readers, when Jimmy Breslin writes something new. His new book, The Good Rat, was released this month. It's a true story of the demise of the Mafia and changing times in the streets of New York.

The saying goes that change is the only constant in New York. No one gets it right like Breslin, who has been writing the life of the city for four decades.

For "Sopranos" fans lamenting the end of the TV series, this book could help, although what it really does is show the contrivance of the show, where stereotyped scenes and weird turns of plot were deemed necessary to provide drama. Breslin shows that the deepest dramas in life come from the most mundane circumstances, with desperation at the root. He relieves the tension with humor that is both deadpan and sparkling.

The Good Rat is available at the Bookery in the Dewitt Mall, a great local outfit that accepts local coin, Ithaca Hours.

Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog