Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
How I love revisiting old favourites. And when the film of the book is also in your top 10 - even better. The story is so well known there is no point in detailing that. But one can't help compare the film with the book, the book with the film, how some parts of the book are better than the film, and vice versa. The beheaded horse in the bed is one of those images that is forever associated with the movie, so visual, so graphic, so horrific. And yet I found the way this whole scenario was written about - the lead up to it, the personalities involved, the slow applying of the screws, the inevitability of what was going to happen - far more frightening and evocative on the page than it is on the screen. I also loved how Vito Corleone's early life in Sicily, his escape to New York and the beginnings of the family powerhouse are narrated and developed. How Vito and then in turn Michael put the Family before everything else, how they come to this realisation and then act on it. The movies and the book are absolutely interchangeable with each other. Perfection.
A book about the Sicilian Mafia will undoubtedly have an exciting plot line, and this book does deliver this. However, it is hard to enjoy the suspenseful events due to the fact that the book is APPALLINGLY written. Puzo's style is clumsy, juvenile and lacks any kind of sophistication or finesse. The sex scenes read like they're written by a pubescent child and the majority of the characters lack any kind of real depth. I found that I did not care in the slightest what happened to any of the main characters. Add to this the incredible number of grammatical errors, misused words and TYPING ERRORS (at one point, Puzo uses the wrong character name, it is very obvious he is talking about someone else), and you end up with one of the worst books, in terms of writing style, that I have ever read. If this is Puzo's best work, I shudder to think what his other books are like. Awful.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
If I hadn't read The Godfather I would never have known that a huge section is devoted to the first vaginoplasty! The parts you know from the movie are awesome, too.
Incredible, and totally unexpected. I started the book feeling it was written in more of a documentary style - not much dramatic flair common to mafia/crime genre books of the early 90s, but with such insight into the opening wedding scene and all that was happening in the background - enough to satisfy a mind bent on voyeurism into the secret lives of others.
Then it got downright awesome. It was better than Godfather I and II movies (not worth mentioning III, which was a disaster), which is not at all a cut to movies; rather it's me saying one should always approach movie-book duos; always see the movie first, then read the book; the book will be made that much more awesome for you.
No sense giving it away, but I will say Mario Puzo is a great storyteller; you don't feel like his presence is disturbing the story being told; it is as if, as I said earlier, he is simply documenting the actions and thoughts as they occurred.
I also love that Kay's character has more, well, "character" in the book than in the movies. Her portrayal and understanding (or lack therefor at times) of the events of Michael Corleone help to resonate with the reader, the outsider; she herself is a pawn as well, her thoughts and life manipulated despite her wishing to avoid it; like everyone else in the book, I suppose.
I'll be rereading this one for sure.
Then it got downright awesome. It was better than Godfather I and II movies (not worth mentioning III, which was a disaster), which is not at all a cut to movies; rather it's me saying one should always approach movie-book duos; always see the movie first, then read the book; the book will be made that much more awesome for you.
No sense giving it away, but I will say Mario Puzo is a great storyteller; you don't feel like his presence is disturbing the story being told; it is as if, as I said earlier, he is simply documenting the actions and thoughts as they occurred.
I also love that Kay's character has more, well, "character" in the book than in the movies. Her portrayal and understanding (or lack therefor at times) of the events of Michael Corleone help to resonate with the reader, the outsider; she herself is a pawn as well, her thoughts and life manipulated despite her wishing to avoid it; like everyone else in the book, I suppose.
I'll be rereading this one for sure.
If you've seen the movies, it's probably in your interest to read this book, too. Many of the side characters are much more developed (naturally), and it's significantly easier to keep track of the political situations between the Five Families and Dons from other cities. There's a lot more going on in Vegas and Hollywood, and most of it works a nice contrast to what's happening in New York and Sicily.
I was a bit surprised that this book was as easy of a read as it turned out to be. The language is very plain and direct - almost disarmingly so. There aren't really any stand out phrases or overtly literary qualities to the language, but the characters and plotting are top notch and you'll definitely find it difficult to put it down at the end of a chapter.
I was a bit surprised that this book was as easy of a read as it turned out to be. The language is very plain and direct - almost disarmingly so. There aren't really any stand out phrases or overtly literary qualities to the language, but the characters and plotting are top notch and you'll definitely find it difficult to put it down at the end of a chapter.
dark
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Godfather by Mario Puzo is a timeless masterpiece etched in the annals of literature and film history. Published in 1969, it immerses readers in the Italian-American mafia's dark and captivating world, brimming with intrigue, power struggles, and unforgettable characters.
At its core, it's a story of family, love, loyalty, and the corrupting influence of power. Puzo masterfully crafts the narrative around Don Vito Corleone's life, from humble immigrant to cunning mafia boss, set against post-World War II America. Characters like Michael Corleone, Tom Hagen, Kay, and many others come alive with depth and complexity.
What sets it apart is its ability to humanize characters engaged in criminal activities, blurring moral lines. The portrayal of organized crime's dynamics is both fascinating and chilling. Beyond a crime novel, it explores the American dream, immigrant experiences, and the price of success.
This classic is a must-read.
Read the detailed review here- Books Charming
At its core, it's a story of family, love, loyalty, and the corrupting influence of power. Puzo masterfully crafts the narrative around Don Vito Corleone's life, from humble immigrant to cunning mafia boss, set against post-World War II America. Characters like Michael Corleone, Tom Hagen, Kay, and many others come alive with depth and complexity.
What sets it apart is its ability to humanize characters engaged in criminal activities, blurring moral lines. The portrayal of organized crime's dynamics is both fascinating and chilling. Beyond a crime novel, it explores the American dream, immigrant experiences, and the price of success.
This classic is a must-read.
Read the detailed review here- Books Charming