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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
the playbook for men who do not know how to write women. But what a fun time, I get why men are like that™️ about this book and movie
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very minor situational spoilers.
It’s a great story, and I generally enjoyed reading it, but it’s the rare book that isn’t as good as the movie. There are a few reasons for this.
In no particular order, 1) while the racism and sexism in the book serve some narrative purposes, there are a few places where it’s unclear whether Puzo doesn’t share some of those views. This is most obviously problematic in Johnny Fontaine’s relationship to women as a gender, the framing of the insecurities of an entire class of aging Hollywood starlets, and the bizarre descriptions of sex between Michael and Apollonia. The sex writing is terrible throughout but Apollonia is barely recognizable as a human being. I could see using that relationship as a larger metaphor within the story, but it ties so closely with an essentialist Sicilian-ness that it’s just gross.
2) The book does provide some very welcomed broadening of characters less fleshed out in the film, like Al Neri, Mama Corleone, and especially Lucy Mancini (the bridesmaid, for movie fans), but there is a clumsiness with which he handles the Don’s brilliance. At times, Tom Hagen seems like a mobbed up version of Austin Powers’ Basil Exposition explaining how the Don planned this and that event. Some of it works, but when it doesn’t, it’s some of the most ridiculous dialogue in the whole book.
And 3) perhaps 2b), Puzo clubs the reader over the head with Michael and his jaw. It had the capability to be a really good plot device but then he explains it to death. Never has the writers’ directive “show don’t tell” been more clearly violated.
All that said, I’m glad I read the book—but it’s importance is the story and creating the American mobster as anti-hero, not the prose. For those reasons, I gave it three rather than four stars because when it stumbled it was really bad.
It’s a great story, and I generally enjoyed reading it, but it’s the rare book that isn’t as good as the movie. There are a few reasons for this.
In no particular order, 1) while the racism and sexism in the book serve some narrative purposes, there are a few places where it’s unclear whether Puzo doesn’t share some of those views. This is most obviously problematic in Johnny Fontaine’s relationship to women as a gender, the framing of the insecurities of an entire class of aging Hollywood starlets, and the bizarre descriptions of sex between Michael and Apollonia. The sex writing is terrible throughout but Apollonia is barely recognizable as a human being. I could see using that relationship as a larger metaphor within the story, but it ties so closely with an essentialist Sicilian-ness that it’s just gross.
2) The book does provide some very welcomed broadening of characters less fleshed out in the film, like Al Neri, Mama Corleone, and especially Lucy Mancini (the bridesmaid, for movie fans), but there is a clumsiness with which he handles the Don’s brilliance. At times, Tom Hagen seems like a mobbed up version of Austin Powers’ Basil Exposition explaining how the Don planned this and that event. Some of it works, but when it doesn’t, it’s some of the most ridiculous dialogue in the whole book.
And 3) perhaps 2b), Puzo clubs the reader over the head with Michael and his jaw. It had the capability to be a really good plot device but then he explains it to death. Never has the writers’ directive “show don’t tell” been more clearly violated.
All that said, I’m glad I read the book—but it’s importance is the story and creating the American mobster as anti-hero, not the prose. For those reasons, I gave it three rather than four stars because when it stumbled it was really bad.
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is an eminently readable book, and I’ll always have a fond spot for it because it gave me two of my all-time favorite movies. But Puzo clearly shines more as a script writer than a novelist, and so much of this book is bloated by secondary plots that are at best kinda useless, and at worst… well, you can’t really beat “I’m surgically making your vagina smaller so that I can fuck you better” on misogyny and pointlessness.
Overall though, Puzo created a cast of compelling characters that shine on the page and even more onscreen, so I’ll forgive The Godfather’s less appealing traits and close this by saying that overall, it was a very good time.
Overall though, Puzo created a cast of compelling characters that shine on the page and even more onscreen, so I’ll forgive The Godfather’s less appealing traits and close this by saying that overall, it was a very good time.
No me imaginaba que me fuese a gustar tantísimo. Reconozco que hacia la mitad algunas partes, sobre todo la vida de personajes concretos muy muy secundarios, se me ha hecho pesada y repetitiva. Aún así, cinco estrellas.
Qué libro tan lleno de tópicos terribles, todo tipo de crueldad, personajes desagradables al extremo, situaciones incómodas, misoginia, racismo y todo hilado con la historia de la sociedad y el dinero de manera magistral. La pescadilla que se muerde la cola.
Qué libro tan lleno de tópicos terribles, todo tipo de crueldad, personajes desagradables al extremo, situaciones incómodas, misoginia, racismo y todo hilado con la historia de la sociedad y el dinero de manera magistral. La pescadilla que se muerde la cola.
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The power-trip fantasy of a misogynistic, racist outsider, lacking in depth and nuance. Nevertheless, the narrative (though bland) was readable, and the pace sufficient to maintain interest throughout.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was really good.
I have heard many great things about both the movie and the book, but I wanted to read the book before watching the movie.
I was amazed at how well-written it was. It was easy to put myself into the story and could picture what each character looked like.
Prepare yourself for a lot of death. I mean A LOT of death in this book. Traitors get got, and other individuals you don’t expect to die do.
I’m excited to watch the movie and may continue reading the other books in this series.
I have heard many great things about both the movie and the book, but I wanted to read the book before watching the movie.
I was amazed at how well-written it was. It was easy to put myself into the story and could picture what each character looked like.
Prepare yourself for a lot of death. I mean A LOT of death in this book. Traitors get got, and other individuals you don’t expect to die do.
I’m excited to watch the movie and may continue reading the other books in this series.
3.5 stars
It's kind of hard to rate a novel beloved and copied as much as this one has since it's release. I can definitely see why is has remained so popular over the years, but the pacing wore me down too much. The subplots and backstories inserted between major main plot moments killed the momentum for me. The movie made a very wise decision by cutting these out completely. The author could have told a linear story, dropped the Johnny Fontane and most of the Carlo Rizzo bits, and still made a 300+ page novel that would have, in my opinion, been much better! Maybe even a favorite.
As it stands, I'd definitely recommend it to any male reader I know. I'd just tell them to feel free to skim the character chapters that they don't care about.
It's kind of hard to rate a novel beloved and copied as much as this one has since it's release. I can definitely see why is has remained so popular over the years, but the pacing wore me down too much. The subplots and backstories inserted between major main plot moments killed the momentum for me. The movie made a very wise decision by cutting these out completely. The author could have told a linear story, dropped the Johnny Fontane and most of the Carlo Rizzo bits, and still made a 300+ page novel that would have, in my opinion, been much better! Maybe even a favorite.
As it stands, I'd definitely recommend it to any male reader I know. I'd just tell them to feel free to skim the character chapters that they don't care about.