November Publication

Though promoted as fiction by the its publisher, Pocket, Michael Gambino's The Honored Society reads like a memoir, an impression enhanced by the preface from the author's mother, Carmella Gambino, and by the author's own introduction ("My dad, Vito Gambino, was a career gangster whose father before him was also a gangster") and author's note. In fact, anyone who knows a bit about the Mafia will recognize the Gambino name (John Gotti was/is head of the Gambino Family). This book then seems to be, under the cloak of fiction, the story of the author's rise and fall within the Mob. While it offers a deep insider's view of the Mafia, it provides little that fans of The Godfather, The Sopranos and numerous Mafia memoirs haven't seen or read before. Gambino's tale is extremely violent, and will prove rough reading for many, but the directness and honesty of its recounting are notable. ($25 288p ISBN 0-7434-4279-2; Nov. 13)

Correction:Joyce Carol Oates's Beast (Forecasts, Oct. 22) is hardcover, not paperback, and its price has been raised by the publisher to $15.95 from the $14 indicated on the galley sent to PW for review.