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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
dark
tense
medium-paced
It could have been so much shorter. Too many details for much less of relevance actually happening
challenging
dark
sad
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:
Yes
dark
emotional
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
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-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:
Complicated
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
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
I’m not even sure if it is possible to review The Godfather by Mario Puzo at this point in my life. I have seen the movies so many time that the novel will forever be colored by the amazing 1972 movie by the same name. But here goes.
This novel released in 1969, became an immediate success for the author. I just don’t know if I enjoyed this novel because of the movie or not. The movie was so good. I pictured every character by the actor from the movie, even though their description was completely different in the book, especially Fredo. I enjoyed the expanded character of Johnny Fontaine and can see why Frank Sinatra reacted so negatively to the suggestion that he was the blueprint for the characters, a suggestion that Mario Puzo neither confirmed nor denied.
The criticisms for this novel are the same as for the book. This novel glorifies the crime, and that the novel is misogynistic towards women and racist towards blacks. Both accusations are correct, but with explanation.
Yes, this novel glorifies crime and violence. But what do you expect from a novel where the protagonist is the head of a mob family. And when you really sit down and read the novel, Vito Corleone has a moral code that he follows without exception, it’s just that it is not the same moral code the rest of society follows. He is a man with ethics, they are just not society’s ethics. That makes him an anti-hero.
Boy oh boy is this novel misogynistic towards women. There are only two types of women in this novel, the virgin and the whore. But in the time the novel was placed, the beliefs are correct. I dated an Italian American guy (IAG) for over ten years and there is a pervasive feeling that women were to be in the home taking care of the man who is the head of the house. Now my IAG never cooked for me and expected me to cook and keep the house. Now he was a “modern” IAG so he also expected me to work. Now he came about this belief naturally. When he was born his mother quit her job and stayed home to raise him (he was 17 years younger than his next sibling). So is the novel so out of line, probably not. As far as the attitude towards blacks, there did seem to be a deep rooted discomfort about Southern (Sicilian) Italian’s possible African heritage. At a party we attended onetime, someone brought up that the reason southern Italian have dark complexion and curly hair was because they were invaded several times by the Moors throughout history. That was the only time I thought I was going to have to pick my IAG up from the police station.
See I told you I would find it hard to review the novel.
In the end it was good that I read the novel, because it was a good read made into a great movie(s).
4.5 of 5 stars.
I’m taking ½ a point off because the phrase “Leave the gun. Take the Cannoli.” Was not in the book.
This novel released in 1969, became an immediate success for the author. I just don’t know if I enjoyed this novel because of the movie or not. The movie was so good. I pictured every character by the actor from the movie, even though their description was completely different in the book, especially Fredo. I enjoyed the expanded character of Johnny Fontaine and can see why Frank Sinatra reacted so negatively to the suggestion that he was the blueprint for the characters, a suggestion that Mario Puzo neither confirmed nor denied.
The criticisms for this novel are the same as for the book. This novel glorifies the crime, and that the novel is misogynistic towards women and racist towards blacks. Both accusations are correct, but with explanation.
Yes, this novel glorifies crime and violence. But what do you expect from a novel where the protagonist is the head of a mob family. And when you really sit down and read the novel, Vito Corleone has a moral code that he follows without exception, it’s just that it is not the same moral code the rest of society follows. He is a man with ethics, they are just not society’s ethics. That makes him an anti-hero.
Boy oh boy is this novel misogynistic towards women. There are only two types of women in this novel, the virgin and the whore. But in the time the novel was placed, the beliefs are correct. I dated an Italian American guy (IAG) for over ten years and there is a pervasive feeling that women were to be in the home taking care of the man who is the head of the house. Now my IAG never cooked for me and expected me to cook and keep the house. Now he was a “modern” IAG so he also expected me to work. Now he came about this belief naturally. When he was born his mother quit her job and stayed home to raise him (he was 17 years younger than his next sibling). So is the novel so out of line, probably not. As far as the attitude towards blacks, there did seem to be a deep rooted discomfort about Southern (Sicilian) Italian’s possible African heritage. At a party we attended onetime, someone brought up that the reason southern Italian have dark complexion and curly hair was because they were invaded several times by the Moors throughout history. That was the only time I thought I was going to have to pick my IAG up from the police station.
See I told you I would find it hard to review the novel.
In the end it was good that I read the novel, because it was a good read made into a great movie(s).
4.5 of 5 stars.
I’m taking ½ a point off because the phrase “Leave the gun. Take the Cannoli.” Was not in the book.