In The Hand Of Dante by Nick Tosches

"Louie took off his bra and threw it down upon the casket." This book would deserve your attention if only because it has one of the great opening lines of all time, but there's much more to it than that.

If you are one of the many people who were forced to read The Divine Comedy in school and wondered why, In The Hand Of Dante will put everything in perspective. Publishers Weekly called it "outrageously ambitious" for good reason. Nick Tosches makes himself his own protagonist in a modern crime story with echoes to the past, where we find Dante contemplating the masterwork for which he is remembered. The voices in the two story arcs couldn't be more different but each is powerful in its own right.

The modern story involves the mob and clips along in keeping with any good gangster tale, but the brilliance in the Tosches-as-protagonist approach is the author's ability to deliver full-on rants on subjects ranging from the sad state of the publishing industry to the politically correct-infected healthcare system. His character is vivid, unapologetic and full of righteous bile that both shocks and inspires as it spews forth.

Rumor has it Johnny Depp has optioned this book for film. Read it before the movie comes out, though if any actor can pull this off, he might be the one. Because of the historical chapters and the heavy texture involved, this book isn't what I'd call an easy read, but once you find the rhythm you'll be glad you made the effort. Tosches is hands-down one of the finest writers out there when it comes to pugilistic prose, though known best for his nonfiction, especially the biographies of famous musicians. If you want a quick dose of his writing, pick up The Last Opium Den, a book in miniature that is really a bound copy of a magazine article he wrote. But read this book if you want something that bends your mind as it defies description.