What do readers think of Gomorrah by Roberto Saviano, translated by Virginia Jewiss? Write your own review.

A fascinating account of how the Italian mob in Naples and the Chinese merchandise triangle get us the clothes we wear everyday, as well as the merchandise we see on celebrities. It'll seriously make you reconsider the labels on your clothes.

This book is an extremely engrossing read about the real world of high stakes organized crime operating in and out of Italy today. It will have tremendous appeal to real life crime fighters and mob aficionados across the world, not to mention anyone with generational ties to Italy as a homeland. Well written and extremely informative, it engages the reader in a tell all approach of the extensive world wide implications of organized crime originating in and out of Naples today. Graphic and disturbing, it gives factual details only an "insider" would have access to. Particularly fascinating is the increasingly large part women play in the leading role of organized family clans. "The Godmother", if you will. One could only imagine a blockbuster film coming out of this information. This reader would have preferred more details about how the writer actually infiltrated "The System" but perhaps that will be a follow up to this this amazing read.

If Gomorrah were set in Chicago, I would have hung on every detail. Saviano, however, takes us to a Naples definitely not made for tourists. Peppered with the dark corners of unfamiliar alleyways, confused by scores of family names and lineage, I often just wanted to escape Gomorrah. Still, curiosity propelled me into the very current realities of the underbelly of moving drugs, jeans, and Barbie dolls around the world, of what "made in China" really means. And, behind the flood of family names was the peek inside the Camarrista and its women, including the ironically named Immacolata Capone. Perhaps most alluring was Saviano's very personal passion about his native neighborhood and - I can't help but wonder - his courage in naming its sinners.

In spite of an over use of metaphors and names and events that can be a bit confusing, this is a shocking piece of investigative reporting. It is an expose of the criminal activities of the Camorra {the system} in Naples. This book presents an engrossing and disturbing story not widely reported here in the States.

The first paragraph of this book grabs your attention and keeps it. Taken everything together, this is not an easy read. For me personally there is the graphic details of violence that is described in detail. Putting that aside, this would be a book for those who are interested in organized crime and how it spreads its tentacles into every part of our life.

I think that the author took his life in his hands to find out all he did and I also wonder if he is safe even now that the book is published. I would certainly recommend this book if you are interested in organized crime and taking into consideration the graphic details.

Roberto Saviano takes us into the underworld of Naples by infiltrating the operations of the Camorra. The majority of this book is an exposé on clan dealings and clan wars - think The Godfather or the Sopranos but more vicious and intense. The chapter on the Secondigliano War (the bloody Camorra turf war) is extremely graphic.

I was most interested when Saviano talked about Naples’ ports, China’s ties with the black market fashion industry in Italy and the illegal dumping of toxic waste, but these topics are covered only in the first and last chapters. Everything in between is soaked in violence. While the author does try to penetrate the criminal psychology of the Camorra, it is the brutality that will stay in your mind.


I’m glad I read Gomorrah for what I learned, but it was far too violent for my taste.

I knew corruption was rampant in the government, but this book rips open the wounds of ongoing and enmeshed organized crime at odds with building a fruitful and strong society. It's a tough read, redundant, and the author is clearly so close to the material it has made him sick. He names names endlessly that must mean more in Italy and I would guess has put himself in jeopardy. It is fascinating, though, because it challenges the idea that Italy is an enchanting, happy place. Globalization has not only helped the world economy, it has helped organized crime itself. This area alone would be a fascinating discussion. The history of the AK-47 is also immensely interesting. Very informative, frightening, and sad.

I really wanted to enjoy this book. With descriptive language like this review's title, how can Saviano's "personal journey" be only average? Well, despite its interesting topic, it didn't really feel like this book recounted a personal journey. We learn almost nothing about Saviano in this book, and when he does insert himself in situations to describe it in a first-person voice, it feels disjointed. As a reader, I could have benefited from a glossary of terms, some maps, and a visual organizational chart of the Camorra families and their interconnectedness. It was very difficult to follow all of the detail. Overall, I can't recommend this book to anyone; maybe someone who already has a strong working knowledge of Naples' organized crime system and to whom the more recent information provided here would be an update?