Review: The Godfather by Mario Puzo

4 stars for The Godfather by Mario Puzo.

I dare say with certainty that I will not have considered nor persisted beyond chapter one of this book if not for the good words put forth by two highly reliable sources. Friends who know me well are aware that I am no big fan of books written in third person narratives. So, I am seriously doing Bro Sly and Buddyson Sean a favor by reading and reviewing this book.

Jokes aside, before I plunge headlong into The Godfather, I actually worry about it being outdated. This book is, after all, first published in 1969, which makes it a what? 48-year old novel! Suffice to say, though it may belong to an era, at heart, the story is timeless.

In my opinion, a good book leaves you with many experiences, slightly exhausted at the end, and you live several lives while reading it. As it is, at halfway mark, already I feel like having lived several lives, that of Don Vito Corleone, his three sons, Sonny, Fred, Mike, his Consigliere, Tom Hagen, and his godson, Johnny Fontane, to name a few.

The beauty of this storytelling is that the characters are rich, not in the literal sense of considerable wealth, but the notion of going beyond skin deep, painted with details so rich that it brings even the worst of the characters to a different level of vibrancy. The author leaves no stone unturned in his research of the mafia families and style. With so many characters running amok, it is equally amazing that there are no loose ends; everyone and everything is accounted for right to the end. And without a doubt, my favourite character is the Godfather, Don Corleone, a man to whom everyone goes to for help and never gets turned down nor disappointed. He certainly lives up to his name.

Having finished the book, I can now understand why it hovers on the New York Times bestseller list for sixty-seven weeks and proceeds to become the number one book all over the world, transforming author Puzo from a penniless writer to an international celebrity.

..And yes! This is the first of a book that I manage to entice my significant other to buddy read with me. His take on the book? Let's just say great minds think alike.


Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication date: 10 Mar 1969

*** Favourite quote 1 ***

Only a Sicilian born to the ways of omerta, the law of silence, could be trusted in the key post of Consigliere.

*** Favourite quote 2 ***

Lawyers can steal more money with a briefcase than a thousand men with guns and masks.

*** Favourite quote 3 ***

...you know my father. He’s a man who goes deaf when somebody says the word no to him. And he doesn’t get his hearing back until they answer him with a yes...

~ The Godfather
Mario Puzo

@}--->>--->>-----

The Godfather — the epic tale of crime and betrayal that became a global phenomenon.

Almost fifty years ago, a classic was born. A searing portrayal of the Mafia underworld, The Godfather introduced readers to the first family of American crime fiction, the Corleones, and their powerful legacy of tradition, blood, and honor. The seduction of power, the pitfalls of greed, and the allegiance to family — these are the themes that have resonated with millions of readers around the world and made The Godfather the definitive novel of the violent subculture that, steeped in intrigue and controversy, remains indelibly etched in our collective consciousness.

*Blurb from Goodreads*

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