After being told that I write reviews on too many obscure books, I have decided to give reviewing a classic, a shot. This is the book that spawned three movies, two of which were classics and Oscar legends. I understand that everyone has their opinion about this book, and I wish to tell you mine.
I was one of those fortunate souls who did not watch the movie before reading the book. I have always had the opinion that whatever you do first is what you tend to like more. But as an exception, I think the book and the movies are both excellent. Godfather Part II is absolutely fabulous, but then, that?s another review.
Back to the book: My heart was set on reading this for some time before I actually did and I thought I might be disappointed as is wont to happen when you wait too much for anything. But to my surprise, the one emotion that I really felt was of being entertained. Completely entertained. Whatever my wish, the book fulfilled. I wanted a great story, I got a brilliant one. I wanted macho, suave men, I got my fill. I wanted action, hey, there?s enough to go around for two readings. I wanted intelligent dialogue and situations, they abound. Most of all, I wanted an engrossing saga, and boy, did this book deliver!
This is not a chick book (not meant in an offensive sense). It?s not a romance, and whatever sex it has in it, is strictly toned down. The book is about the mafia. Though the book does go into great details about their dealings and power games, its core story is about the importance of family for these people. Mario Puzo?s agenda is quite clear from the start. He wants to present a clear picture of the lives of Sicilian Americans. These are a people that are displaced and furiously wish to stick to their values of family, loyalty and omerta in a white world. Puzo takes us into their houses and gives us an insight on how they manage to keep traditions alive and how they have built a system to cope with the changes.
The book is mainly about one family. The Corleones. This is a family of great power in New York. The head or Don of the family is one Vito Corleone, who besides being shrewd and business headed is also wise and just. Vito has three sons Sonny, Fredo and Michael and one daughter Connie. His lawyer and main man is one Tom Hagen, an orphan who was brought into the family by Sonny. Vito is a man of great power and honor. Under the cover of an olive oil manufacturing business, he runs many gambling cartels and book keeping offices. He is shrewd and careful and has many contacts, even in the government and thus keeps his business floating. The Don has suave ways and at his core is a reasonable person. Sonny and Fredo have come to terms with the family and help out with the business. Michael however despises everything his father has done and volunteers to go to war against his father?s wishes.
This is the state of affairs when the book begins. Though the Don is an important character, the book is about Michael and his life. It depicts how Michael is inexorably drawn into the family affairs and ends up knee deep in complications after having killed a dirty cop and an enemy. Michael begins to understand (and you along with him), that blood ties matter, that he has a flair for the business and discovers in himself ruthlessness and a cold blooded mind that can analyze and deal with affairs of myriad complications. By introducing Michael?s white girlfriend Kay Adams in the picture, Puzo shows with great skill how Michael is torn between two worlds and how his own changing character affects his life.
The book is written beautifully. The prose has a great flow and you can turn one page after another without realizing it. The scenarios are well crafted and evoke precise images. The characters are also beautifully fleshed out and all of the people, right from the Don himself, to Luca Brasi and even the brash Sollozo have histories attached to them and are given their due. The pace does not flag at all and there is a consistent thread of logic running through the narrative. The plot is intelligent and stimulating. The action is brilliant and though sometimes gory is highly logical. Puzo has a great ability of weaving in sub-plots into the book without in anyway harming the main narrative. These subplots are entertaining and add to the readability of the book. The book has a very distinctive Sicilian flavor. Puzo describes their customs and traditions with flair and affection.
The book is not a great book for feminists. Women are relegated to the background. Though Puzo does tell us a good deal about the stories of the women in the family and how they affect the men, he makes it clear that these women take a backseat in matters of family and business. The book is like a celebration of masculinity and as Tom Hanks put it in ?You Got Mail?, The Godfather teaches men everything, even the days of the week.
On the flipside, a few sub-plots are a little sketchy. The one about Sonny and Lucy and Lucy?s ultimate role in the book, is something the book could have done without. The movie very smartly does away with this plot. Other then that, I have nothing bad to say about this book.
Please do read the book, whether you have or have not watched the movie. It is a brilliant entertainer with a fabulous story. The movies have their own brilliance and to date I get weak knees when I think about Al Pacino and Robert De Niro?s roles. Also, if you like this, then read ?The Sicilian? by the same author, it rivals The Godfather?s brilliance.
Hope the review was not too longwinded. Do take time out and rate and comment. That?s always great.