Mario Puzo

50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION—WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA Mario Puzo’s classic saga of an American crime family that became a global phenomenon—nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read. With its brilliant and brutal portrayal of the Corleone family, The Godfather burned its way into our national consciousness. This unforgettable saga of crime and corruption, passion and loyalty continues to stand the test of time, as the definitive novel of the Mafia underworld. A #1 New York Times bestseller in 1969, Mario Puzo’s epic was turned into the incomparable film of the same name, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. It is the original classic that has been often imitated, but never matched. A tale of family and society, law and order, obedience and rebellion, it reveals the dark passions of human nature played out against a backdrop of the American dream. With a Note from Anthony Puzo and an Afterword by Robert J. Thompson

50th Anniversary Edition

The Godfather

Tyrant, blackmailer, racketeer, murderer - his influence reaches every level of American society. Meet Don Corleone, a friendly man, a just man, areasonable man. The deadliest lord of the Cosa Nostra. The Godfather. A modern masterpiece,The Godfather is a searing portrayal of the 1940s criminal underworld. It is also the intimate story of the Corleone family, at once drawn together and ripped apart by its unique position at the core of the American Mafia. Still shocking forty years after it was first published, this compelling tale of blackmail, murder and family values is a true classic.

Isha Sharma 

He had long learned that society imposes insults that must be borne, comforted by the knowledge that in this world there comes a time when the most humble of men, if he keeps his eyes open, can take his revenge on the most powerful. 

Ruby Long

Imagine the chaos that would happen if this book came out today...

Wataru N.

Ali Saleh

Raihan Khan

Mario Puzo is a master and this book is a masterpiece.😊 


"The lawyer with the briefcase can steal more money than the man with the gun."

"Behinde every successful fortune; there is a crime."

"There are things that have to be done and you do them and you never talk about them. You don't try to justify them. They can't be justified. You just do them. Then you forget it."

Its Amazing the way he plot a scene and tells a story.
Sometimes you feel like you too are in the story and is inspecting everything by yourself.

Loved it.👍

Vivek Chand

Still a classic. Read it second time after decades. Loved it as a an easy read, thriller.

Cheri Fuller

Enjoyed it very much! The films (1&2) stuck very closely to the book and it was great getting more details. I think any fan of the movies will love the book.

Yulande Lindsay

A good book. I first read The Godfather when I was fifteen, NOT ideal reading matter for a teenager. Reading it now, twenty+ years later, I realize just how good the movies based on the book were. The book is good, but simply that - good. The movies are classic in their execution and story-telling. I have to say, as a person of colour I feel a great deal of ambivalence if not antipathy towards many of these characters as they express deep seated racism towards "coloured" folk. But put that aside and it is a rollicking good story about the evolution of a family.

Barbara Williford

If you’ve seen the movie then you know exactly what the book is about. So many times the books are better than the movies, aside from a few more character details this was exactly as the movie. 

Personally it was a slow read for me (took me 2 months and used it to get me to sleep). It did pick up closer to the end of the book. Typical Italian mob book with Italian family traditions, gangster activities, “family” competition, mob hits, etc. Follow the Corleone Family through generations of Mob Family activity that leads them to be the number one mob family in the U.S.

**Warning: it does have adult content, language, violence, pediophilia, etc

Madhuri Sridhara

3.5 rounded off

A book I should've read long time ago but I was put off because it was "old" or a "classic". I liked it but I also had issues with it. The mob parts of the books are amazing and the good parts are unforgettable. But the bad parts are unforgettable too. Casual racism and sexism, too many subplots that feel unnecessary, women basically being reduced to brainless objects are very hard to ignore especially at a time where people are trying to be better. Yes, it's old but we still shouldn't romanticise these ideas in any way. 

But what I did enjoy were the characters of the Don, Tom Hagen, Mike, Sonny. You can feel the power and savagery in come off the pages. The rich details Puzo provides makes us build up a universe where every scene is vivid and every character real. This book should be read cause it's a legend.

B.H. Pitt

a dirtier, pulpier early draft of the cinematic classic we all know & love.

Nina 

This book is obviously great, so well written and gripping. This is the unabridged version. Unsurprisingly it's one of those books where u have to ignore violent misogyny to enjoy it lol. It gets a little exhausting but it's still good. My favourite part was the last page from Kay's POV.

Daniel Arnott

The film is one of my favourites and the novel does not disappoint. The timeline is easy to follow and there are expansions of scenes that were briefly seen on screen. I was amazed at how closely the films dialogue reflects the novels writing. If you’re a fan of the film, you need to read the book.

El padrino

Emir Andrés Ibañez

Muero porque llegue el día en que pueda usar la frase "Le haré una oferta que no podrá rechazar" en la vida real.

Tomasz

Wspaniała powieść w której wszystko się ze sobą zazębia a antywartości są wartościami.

Ana Paula Camacho Perez

Full review in my blog:  Books That Shape Us 

“Italians have a little joke, that the world is so hard a man must have two fathers to look after him, and that's why they have godfathers.” ― Mario Puzo, The Godfather

Being the most accurate depiction of the underground world of the mafia ever written, there is no doubt The Godfather is the classic by excellence.
Set between the 1940’s and 1950’s, this book tells us the story of the Corleone family, the most powerful and respected of the Five New York City Mafia Families. Don Vito Corleone, whose influence even reaches the government, is the head of the family and is the one known as “The Godfather”. He is not a Mafioso such as those we normally hear about, for what he learned while he lived in Sicily, is that the mafia should be the people who bring justice to those who’ve been wronged and won’t get help from the authorities. Through illegal methods, he helps those in need as if he were their second father. As he says: “Friendship is equal to family.” 

The novel completely changed my perspective about the mafia. It still portrayed it as violent and brutal, however, I didn’t know how important honour was to them. At first, I didn’t understand why they didn’t give the same treatment to their Irish-American lawyer as to other members of the Family, but later on, I found out they cared about always keeping Italian values. What was shown about Italian tradition throughout the book greatly fascinated me. How Vito acted during his daughter’s wedding, how important Godfathers are seen among them, how family plays an important role, and also Vito’s wife’s participation impacted me. Mainly because all that Michael Corleone (Vito’s son) lived during his stay in Sicily is why it’s now on my list of places I want to visit.

I give The Godfather by Mario Puzo 5/5 stars, and recommend it for people who are 17+ because of some strong themes it contains.

Dearna Mulvaney

Sonia Flores

2017 PopSugar reading challenge #31 A book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you

Tenía cierto temor de que el haber visto la película me arruinara un poco la experiencia de leer el libro. Bien, en un principio lo hizo un poco, y por eso lo dejé en pausa, para dejar correr un poco más de tiempo, y finalmente logré disfrutarlo como era debido. Este tema a mí me emociona un poco demasiado y no sé por qué, pero la cosa es que el que esté tan bien trazado me hace pensar que no existe libro que iguale o supere a Puzo en este aspecto. Los personajes son tan crudos a la vez tan reales que como sea es inevitable la familiaridad del lector para con ellos. Es una narración bastante simple, pero exacta para abordar este tema tan complejo que representa la mafia.

Se convirtió en uno de mis libros favoritos desde que lo empecé a leer, no hay duda. Y la película es de las mejores que he visto en mi vida.

Tessa Francis 

A modern masterpiece, The Godfather is a searing portrayal of the 1940s criminal underworld. It is also the intimate story of the Corleone family, at once drawn together and ripped apart by its unique position at the core of the American Mafia. Still shocking forty years after it was first published, this compelling tale of blackmail, murder and family values is a true classic.
--back cover

The Godfather 50th Anniversary Edition

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