-
1 of 1 members found this review helpful.Painting the Invisible Man by Rita Schiano review by RD Larson
“ A Review by RD Larson
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-08-31.
of
Painting the Invisible Man
by
Rita Schiano
Opening this book is very like opening a gift. The gift is a gold link necklace. As you lift out each gold circle you learn more. You feel more. Slowly, as the mystery of Paulie Matteo's death becomes clear to his daughter, you come to know Anna Matteo and her life, before and after her father's murder. You can't help yourself and you begin to care for her deeply.
From a tough little kid to a strong woman who can cry, Anna takes your heart and leads you through the convoluted links of her life until the present. Her bravery, her sensitivity will inspire you and bring out your best feelings.
You get to know her parents, her friends and her loves. You meet the woman who may, just may, be the one love of her life. Gently but honestly, Anna's story is told as she tries to gather evidence and information. Always thinking and always striving, as she follows the nuggets of gold as grows as a person.
You, the reader, rejoices as though it were you. Anna is that strong of a character in this novel.
When the conclusion arrives, you will be astounded by the event.
I am a fan of Wally Lamb. I am always looking for books that have his depth of character and his honesty. This book has all of that as well as fine mystery.
Do not miss reading this book; you will learn from it and you will enjoy it more than many books that you have already read because it is masterfully written and gives so much to the reader.” -
0 of 1 members found this review helpful.
Just average...
“This book truly didn't do much for me. It wasn't bad but I just wish that had been more to it. Too me it was a bit pointless. There was a lot of jumping around in this book from past to present & that wasn't really a problem but I felt some areas needed more explaining. I don't feel that I really understand what happened to Anna's dad & why her brother did what he did & why Gloria didn't show up to the funeral. I was left with too many questions. Anna's choice in romantic relationships may have turned me off a tiny bit but I think only because there was no warning. I feel that some people may have issues with this & they shouldn't be hit with it 100 pages into the book.
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-08-13.
I read the whole book & can't say that I'd recommend it.” -
1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
Writer finds father was a mobster as she researches
“Living with a father for most of your years and never knowing he was a part of the mob would shake up anyone when they learned that fact. Anna Matteo lived this life and while she suspected some of father's friends that she met were not normal people, she still had not connected him to the Mafia. While researching for the writing of a new book, Anna ran across some information that made her cringe and deep think about things that occurred in the past between her family and her father. The more she researched, the more she had to dig and find out exactly how and who killed her father and why.
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-08-06.
Anna found much information from trial manuscripts, newspaper story microfilm's of the news from the trials of the man that was found innocent of her fathers murder, and through current and older friends that had knowledge of her father and his acquaintances during past years. The deeper she got the more wonderment she collected in her mind as to how her father could have done the things mentioned during those trials. As hard as this information was for her to digest, she figured it had to be true since so many people had the knowledge of the many activities of her father and his friends and acquaintances.
Anna also went to many of her family members to feel them out. She also had a personal life that was different knowing she actually liked the same sex and despite her feelings for years she wasn't always sure until she met "the" certain one. During the course of the story Jacqueline was that one. She had met her while researching in the library going through many microfilms and was thrilled to have the head librarian help her and love her socially. Many of the transcripts convinced Anna that her father had deep connections with the mob, many of whom she had met and had been given money here and there just because she was Paulie's daughter and they liked her so much. Several times she connected the dots and was startled now to realize what had been going on.
The story goes back and forth from Anna's days of youth and her life with her parents and other family members to current days as she researched the many files and met with all the connected people she could find. Painting The Invisible Man is an intriguing story that delves deep in the life of mobsters and what they are capable of doing. I enjoyed it quite well.
” -
1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
A compelling story; a good read
“Anna Matteo, a writer, lives by herself. Her life is rather uneventful and ordinary now, but it wasn't always this way. Anna is the daughter of a former mob boss, Paul Matteo, who was murdered about 20 years ago. Anna pays her bills by writing press releases, newsletters and brochures. She has tried to bury all the memories of her father's murder and put the past behind her. But while surfing the Internet, after printing out information for a client's press file, she types in her own name and gets one hit. Then, for some reason she can't explain, she types in her father's name, and ends up finding numerous articles about him. She learns the man who was acquitted of killing her father is now behind bars on a charge of conspiracy in relation of construction fraud and illegal bookmaking. And, he is bragging about "getting away with murder."
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-07-08.
Although she wants to keep her past in the past, she reluctantly pursues the story of her father's life and his murder. As Anna unravels the mysteries of her father's past, she learns things about him, as well as about herself. The title for the book comes from the idea that she discovered a side of her father that she didn't know about, making him the "invisible man" in the story.
As mentioned, Anna is a writer. The book starts out with her working on her newest novel. Although she has one novel to her credit, and has the second one started, she can't seem to finish the story. Real-life author Amy Tan is Anna's muse; Anna says every writer needs a muse. Amy "speaks" to Anna telling her to "write for you," to write for herself. Anna ignores the prompts, writing what people expect her to write, not what she wants to write. However, by the end the book, Anna is inspired to finish her novel.
For those who might be interested, Anna is a lesbian. Although this is part of the main character's makeup, it's not a major focus of the storyline. I have read several reviews of this book. None of them mention the fact that the lead character is lesbian. Just thought you might like to know that, though.
Oddly enough, the story is based on the author's life. Like Anna, the author's father was murdered. His killer was acquitted of the charges and bragged about getting away with the murder. While doing research for a client, the author inadvertently stumbled upon articles relating to her father's murder. Rather than write her story as a non-fiction memoir, the author decided to make it contemporary historical fiction, giving the author freedom to, as she says, "create a compelling story."
And she did. This one is well worth reading. 5 stars. ” -
1 of 1 members found this review helpful.
Mesmerizing
“Painting the Invisible Man by Rita Schiano will take you on an amazing journey through the eyes of Anna Matteo, both the girl and the woman as she comes to terms with the brutal gangland style murder of her mob affiliated father. Schiano's ability to tell this emotional story with conviction and incredable detail gives it an authenticity not often found in books of this genre. A must read; but beware: you will not be able to put it down until the last page has been turned. ”
An amazon user wrote this on 2009-06-21.
