|
The Godfather (Signet) (平装)
by Mario Puzo
| Category:
American fiction, Crime novel, Gangsters |
| Market price: ¥ 108.00
MSL price:
¥ 98.00
[ Shop incentives ]
|
| Stock:
In Stock |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
MSL Pointer Review:
A classic american crime novel. An offer you can't refuse...
|
| If you want us to help you with the right titles you're looking for, or to make reading recommendations based on your needs, please contact our consultants. |
|
| |
AllReviews |
1 2   | Total 2 pages 13 items |
|
|
Mikels (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-02 00:00>
I first read Mario Puzo's The Godfather three decades ago, and the impact it had on me was overwhelming. Here was a rare novel that hooked the reader from the very first page, a novel to be savored and absorbed by the author's grim yet masterful prose.
Through the pages of this book the reader is introduced to the shadowy world of organized crime - more importantly, to the fiercely interdependent workings of the mafia. Deeply embedded in its Italian heritage, it was a culture of unspeakable violence, but it also fostered family, honor, community, loyalty, friendship. Vengeance. If you are downtrodden, or unfairly victimized, all you need do is approach one of the "families" and request a "favor." Proclaim your devotion and friendship, the favor will be granted. And then - even though it may never happen - you must be willing to return the favor.
Or suffer the consequences.
Puzo's novel brings to life the Corleone family, headed by its aging patriarch, Don Vito Corleone. In post-World War II New York, Corleone faces a changing world, but he is still plagued by the relentless "turf wars" with the other major families. Intense pressure is brought to introduce narcotics to the list of "services" provided by his family - pressure that Corleone emphatically resists, to the bleak detriment of first himself, and to those he loves. The subsequent development of the story - of the Corleone's strategy, of the emergence of one of the Godfather's sons to perpetuate the family's power and considerable clout - is spellbinding.
Few novels of the last thirty years have had any lasting effects on our cultural lexicon. The Godfather is one of them. Highly recommended.
|
|
|
Mok (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-02 00:00>
The canonization of Francis Ford Coppola's two-part adaptation of this book in the film world has made us forget that, upon its release, The Godfather (the novel) was actually considered quite pulpy, and not of the high-art status that the films have achieved.
Personally, I couldn't care less - Mario Puzo is an entertaining storyteller, and the characters he created were marvellous - the seemingly docile Michael Corleone; hothead Santino; Tom Hagen, the brilliant lawyer with an identity crisis; Luca Brasi (underused in the film version), the subhuman brute; Albert Neri, a man driven by circumstances into the world of crime; and of course Vito Corleone himself, the elegant mastermind, a man with a dream, a romanticization of the crimelord as a patriarch of King Lear proportions.
The novel benefits from its chosen form. A scarcely acknowledged fact about the Godfather pictures is that much-needed exposition often had to get excised because there was so much back story to each character set up in the book that the film form couldn't handle adequately. You might notice in the Godfather films how Michael's return to America is completely unexplained; Luca Brasi's power and strength are never shown onscreen (he appears at the wedding, then dies in the bar at the hands of the Tattaglias); Paulie Gatto becomes a skimpish character; Genco Abbandando disappears; and Tom Hagen's conflicts about being consigliere are minimized. Even given two three-hour films, the amount of information in the one source novel couldn't be disclosed properly, resulting in huge gaps of information. Puzo's novel does it well, with exaggeratedly elevated language, character behaviour, and third-person narrative. It works beautifully, even given its trashier inclinations (eg. commentaries on Lucy Mancini's anatomy, and the large Johnny Fontaine/Nino Valenti subplot).
Small wonder that this larger-than-life novel spawned the most famous film series of all time, the first entry of which has been called the best film ever made (I have contentions with that). The Godfather can be read as pure entertainment and, if so desired, as literature.
|
|
|
Hank Robbins (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-02 00:00>
Before I even realized that there had been a book, I was an avid fan of The Godfather and loved the characters of Sonny, Michael, Vito, Lucca Brazzi, Peter Clemenza, and the other unforgettable faces that made the film great. Then, one day I came upon a first edition of the novel at an antique shop and bought it. I read it quickly (the book travels at a breakneck speed) and with much relish, and when I was done I was satisfied. The movie was good, but the novel was BETTER. Puzo's Corleone family is a well-illustrated, clearly defined group, each member with his own strengths and weaknesses. The storytelling is gripping, the dialogue brilliant, the characters charming. Puzo, in addition to the main bent of the story, delves into the shady side of old-school Hollywood and makes an interesting read of it. For any lover of the Godfather saga, this book is a must read. Check it out, and enjoy!
|
|
|
Jared Smith (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-02 00:00>
Don Vito Corleone continues to be a fictional figurehead of the American mafia's underworld. He is the portrait of a modern mafia boss, despite being thirty five years old and set in the 1940s. The Godfather is about power. Don Corleone's insatiable desire for power combined with a total refusal to play by someone else's rules-i.e. the government, created an amiable but villainous Don in control of the greater part of New York City's underworld. He is heralded as an angel-granting alms, help, justice, equity, protection, citizenship and whatever else you can imagine. Puzo makes you revere Don Corleone, like all of those poor people whom he has helped over the years of his reign. Granting favors is how he remains with so much power, innumerous people owe him for the "good deeds" he has done them.
Unlike other mafia novels, Puzo ensures that the blood and the gore take second stage to the decision to exercise power. After reading the explanations and unfortunate circumstances that these characters find themselves in, there is no choice but to exercise power by making their enemies "an offer they can't refuse." Why and when Corleone exercises power is the interesting point in The Godfather, because it demonstrates how and in what circumstances he loves possessing power.
With all of the talk of Don Vito Corleone, he is not the true protagonist. Michael is. Michael Corleone, the third son and most like his father. The second key theme of the novel is the importance of the family. Michael was an idealist, not interested in working in the "family business." But after unfortunate circumstances of Don Corleone's attempted assassination, Michael must step up and fill the vacancy in his father's war room. He is essentially forced into his crimes through loyalty to his family. This loyalty is instilled in him at an early age by his father, learned as an age-old Sicilian adage and necessity.
Michael's internal conflict between desiring a legitimate life and following his father's footsteps is the main conflict of the book. Unfortunately, Puzo does not develop Michael enough to fully leverage this conflict into powerful writing. The plot points which drive Michael to eventually become Don Corleone himself are sufficient to explain why he made the decisions he made. For example, the necessary hit of Sollozzo and the assassination of his new bride drove him deeper into the family business. But Puzo lacks clear manifestations of an ongoing internal struggle that he set up Michael to have: he wants to be legitimate-he wants to live a normal life but can't because he is a Corleone. Puzo's only good example of Michael's desire for legitimacy is how he tries to withdraw the Corleone's from New York and take them to Las Vegas. But this seems more of an idea of Don Vito's than Michael's. Without directly writing Michael's internal dialogue, Puzo could include more conversations and evidence that he is truly struggling with his decision.
As the all-time bestselling novel in publishing history, The Godfather has an intricate plot with many distinct and intriguing characters that keep you guessing what happens next.
|
|
|
Chris Meesey (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-02 00:00>
Not many works of fiction can claim to have significantly changed the face of American culture; Mario Puzo's classic novel The Godfather is surely one of those. Look at the evidence: This book (and the wonderful cinematic counterpart) reintroduced the gangster as an American icon. It helped to spawn entire new genres in fiction and films. (Some critics suggest there should be an entirely new designation for this genre and have dubbed it "The Eastern".) Of course, it introduced that classic catchphrase "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse." Finally, it introduced one of the great heroic criminals into literature in the person of Don Vito Corleone (a character reportedly based on Puzo's own mother). Yes, it is true that the movie and not the novel must take much of this credit, but this work is hardly the two-star pulp trash that a few misguided critics have made it to be. It's solid all the way through, particularly the fabulous portrayals of the ruthless gentleman Don Vito and his family, epecially the sons: hotheaded Sonny (whose penchant for needless violence proves fatal), cowardly Freddie (who is spooked by the Don's near-assasination and runs away to Las Vegas), and, most memorably, cool, reserved Michael (who, in the end, proves a tactical genius truly worthy to be called his father's son.) Also, don't forget the fabulous cast of supporting characters: singers Johnny Fontaine and Nino Valenti (read: Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin), and the many minor players such as Luca Brasi and Amerigo Bonserai, who literally owe their very existence to the Don's generosity. And the women!!! Such marvels of strength, tenacity and character presented in blindly obidient Connie, questioning Kay, and the Don's own wife, who knows much more than she reveals. Her tutoring of Kay into the Sicilian way of life ends the book on a high note. Puzo makes these character studies work because he gives each person his own little spotlight; by chapter's end, you know why each one has chosen to become a family member or confidant. The chapters showing the Don's rise to power, subsequent fall, and rebirth are the highpoints of the book, as the newer, more ruthless families seek to destroy the Corleone's sacred honor by forcing them into trafficking drugs. Yes, in the end, it is Michael who prevails, but the action is so good that the climax is not spoiled by knowing the outcome in advance. The reader will want to visit this novel time and again for it's unique perspectives on honor, justice, and The American Dream.
|
|
|
David Zampino (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-08 00:00>
Mario Puzo, an otherwise quite forgettable author, has penned in The Godfather not only the greatest crime novel of the 20th century, but in reality, one of the greatest novels of any genre in the 20th century.
The action opens quickly, there is good character development, excellent background material, triumph, tragedy, and love. Most of all, the novel demonstrates a type of Old Testament system of honor totally unknown any longer in modern society.
The novel demonstrates that, even among the underworld of society, there exist many of the same problems that the rest of us deal with: family difficulties, desire for freedom, security (or lack thereof) and religious crises.
An outstanding read, well made into a series of good movies.
|
|
|
Merritt (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-08 00:00>
2004 lingo on the street: "Yo Man! Don't be dissin' me or I'll put a cap in yo ass."
1949 language of The Families: "If you disrespect me, you disrespect my family. If you do this, I may have to make you an offer you can't refuse."
See any similarities? You should.
Little do the "gangsters" of today know it, but they owe their backgrounds to the mafiosos of the early and mid-20th century who brought forth the American icons of such memorables as Bugsy and Capone.
In Mario Puzo's excellent novel, The Godfather, we are introduced to Don Vitto Corleone, a man with a powerful business base grounded on family, respect, favors and, of course, murder (or "sleeping with the fishes" if you prefer).
The rise of the Dons are brought into blindingly bright view as we see both the caring and compassion of the Dons, as well as their brutal methods for remaining in power and bringing in more business and respect to their families.
Sonny, Michael and Freddie are excellently drawn for us by Puzo's able hand as he reveals the strengths and weaknesses of each of Vitto Corleone's sons. Sonny, a hot-head who is difficult to control, but a loving son and caring family man who will ultimately be brought down by his own temper; Freddie, a coward but able businessman with connections in Las Vegas which will help launch the Corleone family into the West and onto an entirely new "empire"; and of course Michael, the silent and calculating son who will end up leading the family after the Don's death.
Some critics claim that Puzo created his own sub-genre (the "Eastern") when this novel burst onto the literary scene. I tend to agree. I've never read anything quite like it, and it deserves all of the attention it got (the films, the academy awards, the spawning of multiple TV and movie spinoffs like 'The Sopranos', etc.). Other critics have lambasted Puzo's prose for it's simplicity. Although there is some truth to this, I find it hard to imagine the book written any other way! But this isn't what draws the reader in; it's the characters and all of the terrible events they find themselves in. Will they find a way out? Can the families coexist without tearing each other apart? How can you (the reader) both hope that the Corleone family suceeds and cringe when they do by means that are less than appetizing?
This is a book that has changed the face of literature and our TV and movie worlds. It deserves our notice and will, with all likelihood, never go out of print. It is an American classic, like it or not.
|
|
|
Bobbewig (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-08 00:00>
I first read The Godfather in 1969, when it came out in hardcover, and I knew at that time that a classic was born. Today, I gave myself a 60th birthday present and finished my second reading of this book. After over 36 years, The Godfather remains a masterpiece of not only great crime fiction, but of modern literature. The Godfather introduced millions of readers (and later, moviegoers) to the first family of American crime, the Corleones, and their powerful legacy of tradition, blood and honor. The seduction of power, the pitfalls of greed and the allegiance to family are the themes that resonate throughout this excellent book, and continue to make The Godfather the definitive novel of the violent subculture that will remain etched in my consciousness forever. If you've never read the book, perhaps because you've seen the movie -- fuhgetaboutit! Do yourself a favor and read Mario Puzo's The Godfather. It is truly an American classic!
|
|
|
Blume (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-08 00:00>
As is usually true of books which have movies based upon them, The Godfather is better in print form, but this surprised me since I would rank The Godfather as one of the best movies ever. This book about the Corleone Family, really defines the mafia genre and has not been equalled in the 32 years since it was written. The character development is phenomenal, the story lines are very well woven together and conceived, and the ethical lessons contained within the text are sometimes complex, but fascinating. It shocks me how little Coppola had to alter the story or the characters to create his masterpiece and it will be apparent to all who read it, Mario Puzo's Godfather, is a classic in its own right. You will be disappointed when the story is over, because you are so caught up in the lives of the Corleones that you just want to follow them further. I really can not say enough about this book, but I would recommend it to everyone.
|
|
|
Eric Moye (MSL quote), USA
<2007-02-08 00:00>
Truly a work which cries out for more than five stars. The Godfather is without peer as a story of an American family.
Vito Andolini comes to America from the town of Corleone and supports his family in the only way left open for him. His sons alternately adore and emulate him; reject and rebuke him, and cannot live up to his greatness. Inevitably, his world becomes theirs.
It would be a particular treat to those who know the story only as a movie. Don't be misled: the movie, as great as it is pales in comparison to the book. This is a book to read and re-read. Each time I have gone through it, I find more; additional layers and items to contemplate.
It will make the most boring plane ride pass more quickly, or make the most beautiful beach in the world more comfortable. After dozens of times, it is a most valued travel companion.
|
|
|
|
1 2 | Total 2 pages 13 items |
|
|
|
|
|
|
