Product Description
After Mario Puzo wrote his internationally acclaimed The Godfather, he has often been imitated but never equaled. Puzo's classic novel, The Sicilian, stands as a cornerstone of his work--a lushly romantic, unforgettable tale of bloodshed, justice, and treachery. . . .

The year is 1950. Michael Corleone is nearing the end of his exile in Sicily. The Godfather has commanded Michael to bring a young Sicilian bandit named Salvatore Guiliano back with him to America. But Guiliano is a man entwined in a bloody web of violence and vendettas. In Sicily, Guiliano is a modern day Robin Hood who has defied corruption--and defied the Cosa Nostra. Now, in the land of mist-shrouded mountains and ancient ruins, Michael Corleone's fate is entwined with the dangerous legend of Salvatore Guiliano: warrior, lover, and the ultimate Siciliano.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (59)

The Sicilian!
Better than The Godfather?? I really can't decide. Don't be fooled by people who Will tell you this is a sequel to The Godfather. It is NOT. While Puzo's Corleone family does exist in a large part of this novel, it is more of a side-car to Puzo's great mafia story. Michael Corleone is in exile in Sicily after avenging his fathers attempted murder. While there he becomes involved in a revolution in Sicily. Turi Guiliani is so much more than a bandit. Living in the mountains with his band of outlaws, he fights for Sicily's honor, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. Michael's job is to bring Turi to America to escape pursucution from the carabinieri, Italian police who are as corrupt as the Sicilian day is long.

Please read this book.

Good book
The sicilian was a good book, well written and very engaging plot. It tells the story of Turi Guilliano, one of the greatest bandits sicily has ever know.It is like the italian robin hood.Puzo does a nice job incorporating characters from his famed Godfather into the book. The most important message of the book, is the life lesson that Don Corleone teaches his son, and soon to be succesor Michael.

The Sicilian
For those of you still finding this book, I must warn you, this is NOT an extension of The Godfather. This is the story of what happens in Michael Corleone's life during his exile in Sicily from America after having done away with the police Captain and the Turk in the Godfather.

This was a very thrilling read with colorful characters, as you might expect, and sharp thrills that make you read on. There is a soul here, so for those of you wanting to read any old mafioso book I would suggest one by Nicholas Pileggi. This is a story, fiction, one that you must check your expectations (because of the news and what you might think how mafioso life should be) at the door and slip into the waters of this sometimes gentle, sometime rapid story.

I will not spoil the read with the contents of the book, but I will say that if you want a story with well rounded, well thought out characters, a sense that you are in sicily, hiding out in the mountains helping a guerilla revolution or in mama's kitchen enyoing the sicilian night life, you will enjoy this book. Like all else, it is entertainment. Some reviewers here are dissapointed because there is is no 'movie violence' every other story. Mario Puzo creates finese in a world of chaos. Something many writers and movie directors/studios do not know how to do these days. This is a gentlemans Sicily... Enjoy...

A little statid
The book has a moving story line at first. Corelone though is droped in the mid story and not even a consideration. Shows the corruption that is rampid in sicily. The main character is almost overblown and the story gets to be almost a biography in nature and is paced like one. I do like some of the characters, very intersting but overall I'd say it can get a bit dull here and there. Found myself chugging through a lot. The ending was a bit sudden and the betrayal didn't seem to be motivated by anyhting in pariticular but desperation. The main character was just as brutal as the Don was, so not to much difference there. I did like the way the plot did cover several points here and there. Not a bad book, just something to read on a slow day or something. The ending does mysteriously pick up but it is too sudden in movement.

The Sicilian
`So die all who betray Guiliano' is the verse that echoes in our ears time and time again once we finish reading the book of `The Sicilian' by Mario Puzo. The book released in 1984 is not surprisingly a Mafia based novel. This was the Italian master story teller's most beautifully crafted novel as he made the readers experience the beauty of love, the purity of friendship, the pain of betrayal and the power of wit. Not surprisingly, the character of the Sicilian Guiliano is the one which stood out in this novel. Right from his heroic act as a teenager in the town of Corleone to take on the Carabiniera to the point where he is shot by his closest pal, he just takes the breath away from the readers. Pisciotta is the name which would be most remembered in this novel. His betrayal of Guiliano to the Boss of Bosses, Don Croce comes in as a real surprise as no one expects such an act of disloyalty from him. The story takes a steep turn there. Again, Don Croce, the boss of bosses comes in as a massive image of power, wit and shrewd so as the uncle of Guiliano, Hector Adonis. Mario Puzo's Shrewd as a writer comes in right at the end when Don Croce Writes on Pisciotta's dead body the famous lines of Guiliano, `So die all who betray Guiliano'. This was a master stroke. As always Mario Puzo has taken the breath away from the readers with his wonderful portrayal of the small island of Sicily. This novel has every thing in it as Mario Puzo mixes in this novel all tastes of novel which made this novel a best-seller. Reading `The Sicilian' will not be just an act of eyes meeting the words of Mario puzo, I would be a one `close to life experience'. ... Read more

Product Description
efore The Godfather and The Last Don, there was Puzo's classic story about the loves, crimes and struggles confronted by one family of New York City immigrants living in Hell's Kitchen. Fresh from the farms in Italy, Lucia Santa struggles to hold her family together in a strange land. At turns poignant, comic and violent, and with a new preface by the author, The Fortunate Pilgrim is Italian-American fiction at its very best.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (40)

A Truly Classic Book
Mario Puzo considered The Fortunate Pilgrim to be his best work.Once you read this book, I have no doubt in my mind that you will agree with him, 100%.The Fortunate Pilgrim chronicles the life of a Sicilian immigrant, and her family.It touches upon the dynamics of family, and how families and the relationships within them evolve over time.Throughout the book, you can see a mafia-like dynamic in how the mother operates her family.She disassociates emotion, many times, from her decisions in order to do what - in her mind - will best strengthen the family's chance for survival.

The Fortunate Pilgrim touches on everything from death and how to deal with it, to children growing older, to mental illness and its effects on families.It does all of this while maintaining a very good storyline, and staying incredibly readable.I have just one problem with this book - which is why I rate it four stars instead of five.In the first half of the book, time moves fairly slowly and you can tell how much time has passed easily - this I like.However, in the second half of the book, time moves randomly forward and it is often difficult to determine how much time has passed since the last chapter.Overall, it is an incredible shame that this book does not have the same level of fame as the Godfather - I suppose that is the curse of any book that isn't quite movie-style...

Eh, so/so
Not Puzo's best work. Kinda a bummer, but what do you expect? I think this is either a love it or hate it book. But I can't necessarily say I'd recommend it. Maybe if you have LOTS of time to fill or an exeptionally long flight...

Not The Average Italian Immigrant Story
Thanks in part of authors like Puzo, our vision of the turn of the century Italian immigrant involves the Mafia.While this is no exception, the role is minimal, the afterthought that one would expect when reading about a family just trying to survive together in the face of multiple disasters.

Puzo creates wonderful characters, and plants the reader so firmly into their lives, it's nearly impossible not to become invested in the ups and downs player experiences.This book also does a good job of creating a contrast between what poverty means today, and what it meant during the 1920's and 30's.

If you enjoyed the "Godfather," or any other Italian-American fiction, this is a must-read.It will give you the other side of the Mafia-based story, the one where a mother simply tries to feed her children and give them a better life on the way.

Amazing Story
I suppose like a lot of other people I started reading Mario Puzo book the Godfather and just loved the story. I wasn't happy with "The Silician", but I was surprised by this book: "The Fortunate Pilgrim". For a brief summary, this is the story of Lucia Santa an immigrant from Italy living in New York City during the 1930's. Lucia has six children and a bad marriage. Mario Puzo descriptions of the section known as Hells Kitchen are amazing and his detail of the city and hardships that Lucia must endure is awesome. Overall, this book turned out to be one of my favorite Mario Puzo novels and I would highly recommend it.

Puzo's favorite, with good reason.
Although it doesn't have the most compelling start, it doesn't take long to warm up to the family in 'The Fortunate Pilgrim'. This is a sad account of early 1900s America, when being an immigrant was noble instead of criminal. Mario Puzo truly brings their suffering and hardships to life. If you've read 'The Godfather' you could be forgiven for thinking this will be a story of a family's fierce loyalty to each other, despite their shared poverty. Not so. Relationships are strained, affections grow and wither, bonds are strengthened and severed. Like animals, they have to keep fighting the cruel uncertainty of poverty. Puzo dispenses with all sentiment; in order to be sentimental, there has to be some good times along the way. And time is not kind to many of these characters. I've read a couple of entertaining but ultimately shallow Mario Puzo novels ('The Fourth K' and 'Fools Die'), but I won't soon forget the sadness of 'The Fortunate Pilgrim'. ... Read more

Product Description

"We are a family," Alexander told his children. "And the loyalty of the family must come before everything and everyone else. For if we honor that commitment, we will never be vanquished -- but if we falter in that loyalty, we will all be condemned."

Customer Reviews (63)

Superb historical novel in audio CD version with Richard Ferrone
I couldn't help myself:I had to write this review.Why?Because I found this to be a superb read - in the audio CD version, that is, with Richard Ferrone reading the work.Carol Gino's Afterward is also included, with her own voice, at the end.Her kind words about the author and their experiences in delving into the Borgia family history, as a hobby over the years, added a very touching effect.

The Family, though, is a classic and a masterpiece of work. It sweeps through historical periods, dropping into scenes to elucidate wonderfully drawn characters and their understandings of each other.Perhaps it is less fascinating to read it, I don't know:hearing it was completely enthralling, and very very enjoyable!So if you're interested, listen to it instead.

I'm not one attuned to the genre of mafia novels, but was interested from an intercultural standpoint- regarding Italy and the Roman Catholic Church.I found it did so much to suggest ways in which Italian culture and its families evolved into the modern world, bringing with them their allegiances, oaths of secrecy, blood brotherhoods, underground economies, and of course, Popes, cardinals & religion.

Mildly interesting
After seeing how badly written _The Godfather_ was, I didn't thonk I'd ever pick up another Puso book. I got this for a dollar and I guess it was worth the money. The writing is o.k. and the story is mildly interesting. Ambition and vanity lead to a downfall. Kind of a sad story of greed and dysfunction. The characters are pretty shallow. The setting is kind of interesting although Puzo drops in people lile DaVinci and Machievelli as throw-away characters. Still, it was interesting enough to keep me reading to the end.

Not bad but not recommended.

Another Puzo great about the Borgia family
This family "outshined" if you will, anything the The Godfather's Corleone did.The historical significance of this book will have you researching everything about the Borgias.

Dull book.
Surprisingly dull attempt to re-create what ought to have been a compelling story. Far from author's best, which can be
remarkablygood.Apparently published after author's death.Would he have wanted this book to be published?Not
nearly so impressive as The Godfather.

Not a good experience.
Not a very good experience.!

I waited and waited for the book and never got it. I emailed the re seller asking for the delivery status, and she told me that It had been sent already. However, when I asked her for the courier tracking number, she didn't have it which makes me think she never had it in stock nor never did she send it.
I will never ever buy through re sellers again. It was a waste of time.
... Read more

Product Description
"PUZO IS IN TOP FORM."

 *Time

The Last Don is Mario Puzo at his finest, thrilling us with his greatest Mafia novel since The Godfather *a masterful saga of the last great American crime family and its powerful reach into Hollywood and Las Vegas.

"THE MOST ENTERTAINING READ SINCE THE GODFATHER."

 *The New York Times Book Review

The Last Don is Domenico Clericuzio, a wise and ruthless old man who is determined to see his heirs established in legitimate society but whose vision is threatened when secrets from the family's past spark a vicious war between two blood cousins.

"SKILLFULLY CRAFTED . . . IT GIVES US HOLLYWOOD, LAS VEGAS, AND THE MOB IN ONE SWEET DISH."

 *Los Angeles Times Book Review

The Last Don is a mesmerizing tale that takes us inside the equally corrupt worlds of the mob, the movie industry, and the casinos *where beautiful actresses and ruthless hitmen are ruled by lust and violence, where sleazy producers and greedy studio heads are drunk on power, where crooked cops and desperate gamblers play dangerous games of betrayal, and where one man controls them all. . . .

"Head-long entertainment, bubbling over with corruption, betrayal, assassinations, Richter-scale romance, and, of course, family values."

 *Time

"Puzo returns after a quarter century to the terrain of his greatest success, The Godfather, to tell a second masterful tale of Mafia life."

 *Variety

"A compelling tale peopled by memorable characters. . . . Puzo is a master storyteller with an uncanny facility for details that force the reader to keep the pages turning."

 *USA Today

Amazon.com Review
Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather, knows athing or two about the Mafia and about the movie business; here hebrings them together. In the prologue, a Mafia don oversees the doublechristening of two infant boys, Dante and Cross, into the Clericuziofamily. Later, when Cross is tapped to take over as the"Hammer" of the Clericuzios, their prime hit man, he provesnot cold-blooded enough for the role. Dante takes his place, and Crossmoves from Las Vegas to Hollywood, which proves to be an even worseden of iniquity. When he falls for a movie star Athena Aquitaine, heexhibits the "fatal flaw" the old don always warned against:loving a beautiful woman. A taut novel of sex and money, of love andpower. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (115)

Took a looonnngggg time to devlop then spike!
This book did take quiet a lot of work to keep up and was very dull and boring at first and I kept waiting for it to get interesting and even a plot. I was amazed at the last batch of chapters but it did have a sadly predictable ending. How did the Don C know how Dante was killed? Just a guess? 'Cause I said so?' Ummm No, cross had no choice but to do what he did against dante and the characters emotional flow and some of their dillemas seemed a bit corny and cardboard like. Athena with the austic child and murdeous ex that cross put away. There were no good guys here only evil vs evil and some of it was pretnesious at best.Puzzo's characters, a lot of them or key figures tend to be obese or smoke cigars. Puzo was like that himself. I mean through his books a lot of his characters are like that, big fat men who smoke big fat stogies. A little repetive there. Though the ending did end with a slam it was very sudden like a volleyball spike and I felt bewildered and a bit like 'what just happened'. Not the best way to end a very long drawn out book.

The Last Don
another good read.the interesting differences of 2 mens lifes who were baptized the same day as infants and how their lives intertwined throughout the years

Send it to dance at the bottom of the ocean
Pah!

The first half of the book I enjoyed as good brain candy. But then the characters' thinking and actions got stupider, the word bloat expanded, some of the story lines became super annoying, and there was an entire group of characters I couldn't keep straight (specifically the Loddstone cronies) and I didn't care to squander a single synaptic spark to sort them out.

It was all I could do to finish the durn thing. I thought I wanted to see how the absurdity rolled out, and I did, but I find that only an hour later, I can't remember a thing about it.

And what stupid names for characters: Athena Aquitaine, Skippy something or another, etc.

Here's an example of nonsense: There are only two black characters in the book. Very minor, but critical. One is a just-starting-out actress who, by the way, always grins, never smiles. The other is a druggie who is also a police informant. OK, so the druggie gets shot, allegedly just after he shot/killed our "hero's" father. Wouldn't you know? In a city with millions of people, it turns out that the one black character happened to know the other one, and furthermore, she happened to know that he never touched guns, and furthermore, she happened to meet - for the first time - our hero just days after his father's murder, and she divulged this critical info.

To top it all off, are we dupe readers really supposed to buy into the idea of some sort of good-and-evil thing between "Cross" and "Dante"? As in, a battle between the "good" gangster/killer and the "bad" gangster/killer? Please.

I originally gave this two stars; I'm taking one away.

the Don has already known about the outcome of the war
When the readers come to know that the Don has already known about the outcome of the war between Cross De Lena and Dante Santadio, they are surprised for one last time during the course of their act of reading `The Last Don', a novel filled with a lot of surprises sprung upon by the veteran novel writer, Mario Puzo. `The Last Don' was released in the year 1996 as a comeback novel by the great Italian veteran story teller. As the name suggests, this novel revolves around the last Don in the series of books by Mario Puzo. The novel revolves around the long lasting dream of Don Clericuzio to see his heirs establish themselves in the legitimate society.But the lead role in this novel is taken up by the heroic Cross De Lena whose wit, charm and romance takes the breath away from the readers. The way in which he executes the communion and crucification, the two different ways in which a person can be executed reminds the readers of the Don himself. He is gentle as a rose when he makes love to Athena Aquitane, the Hollywood actress who has been portrayed as the most beautiful and lovely person on the globe. Next comes Dante Santadio, the villain. He, unlike Cross always believes in brut force rather than his wit. This paves the way for his downfall. The execution of Dante by Cross in one of the most curious fashion is beautifully constructed. The revelation that Dante has come from the bloodline of Santadio comes in timely as the readers are amazed by the Italian master story teller's skills. The Italian master has once again proved that he is the best mafiaso novel writer the world has ever produced. The book of `The Last Don' is just the proof of history repeating itself.

Loved it!
Another good one by Mr. Puzo...of course it isn't the Godfather...what ever could be?!But it was still a real page turner.Cross and Athena...the short midget nephew (the commentary about him was hilarious)...all these different sub-stories going on...and then how they all fit together...absolutely loved it!I loved Pippi and Cross...such a great book! ... Read more

Product Description
More than thirty years ago, a classic was born. A searing novel of the Mafia underworld, The Godfather introduced readers to the first family of American crime fiction, the Corleones-and became the definitive novel of the virile, violent subculture that remains steeped in intrigue, in controversy, and in our collective consciousness.Amazon.com Review
The story of Don Vito Corleone, the head of a New York Mafiafamily, inspired some of the most successful movies ever. It is inMario Puzo's The Godfather that Corleone first appears. AsCorleone's desperate struggle to control the Mafia underworld unfolds,so does the story of his family. The novel is full of exquisitelydetailed characters who, despite leading unconventional lifestyleswithin a notorious crime family, experience the triumphs and failuresof the human condition. Filled with the requisite valor, love, andrancor of a great epic, The Godfather is the definitivegangster novel. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (399)

Yes, it is better than the movie
I did not expect this to be so good. It's not a literary masterpiece -- in fact, the writing is laugh-out-loud bad in places -- but it's got a great plot and it holds up surprisingly well compared to the movie. There are far more details in the book that add depth and background to the characters and scenes in the movie. This is a guilty pleasure kind of a read, but anyone who likes crime thrillers should enjoy this. Puzo's pacing and plotting makes up for the turgidity of his writing. There's a genius to every move in the Corleones' war, and an explanation for a lot of character actions, that's lost in the cinematic version.

I can't really explain my love for this book. It's way outside my usual genre and frankly, it's kind of schlocky, but I have to give it five stars because I enjoyed it so much. It'd definitely worth reading if you've only seen the movie.

A look inside the Godfather's head.
Up until a few months ago, I didn't even know there was a Godfather novel.The book gives the reader a whole different perspective on Vito Corleone.The book takes you inside the Godfather's head and allows the reader to have a greater appreciation for the character.

The Godfather of novels?
You have most likely seen the movie. You most likely loved it.

If you haven't read the book, you must. Like all novels adapted to film, the original is better. And this is the prime example of it. Puzo makes you fall in love with the characters, with 'bad guys' in the mafia. It's hard to write a review for such an achievement in literary history. All I can say is, read it. It is amazing.

THe Wonderful Corleone Saga!
by Emily Placido, author of Julita's Sands: A Memoir

I read this powerful book many years after seeing the film.The movie is one of my favorites and I was leery about reading the book after loving the movie so much. I was not disappointed!This book is absolutely terrific!! It takes the reader from the beginning of the Corleone Saga when Vito leaves Sicily and comes to America.The story weaves together the two stories from the films, The Godfather, and The Godfather 11, with much more detail. There are things explained in the book that are not quite fleshed out in the movie, like where the name Genco Oil came from, and intimate details about Sonny. There are parts that aren't even mentioned in any of the movies, but that are important to the storyline. Mario Puzo's writing is real, down to earth, typical Italian American speech patterns. It is easy to read and keeps youglued to the pages. MAfia stories are always a hit but this one is the biggest hit of them all!

Read the book!
As much as I love Francis Ford Coppola's movie adaptation of this book as well as its sequel--let's not get into the misbegotten Godfather III--I've always felt that his vision was not exactly Puzo's.Though set mainly in New York, the movies havea northern Californian feel for me.The Corleone compound is on Long Island, but it feels more like a Napa Valley vineyard.Many of the settings lack the requisite East Coast grit, and the Mafiosi speak and behave with the gravitas of Borgia courtiers.Don't get me wrong.Godfather I and II are great films, but if you want to know how the real Mafia behaves, this is not prime source material.(Scorsese's mobsters are more on the money.)Puzo had a hand in the film version of his blockbuster, working on the screenplay with the director, and it's hard to imagine that he wouldn't have been pleased with the result.But if you want to experience Don Corleone's saga with authenticNew York attitude, read the book.Puzo managed to achieve Shakespearean drama without sacrificingthe reality of day-to-day life in organized crime.The book is often passed over as a mere pot-boiler that was transformed into a great film, but Coppola undoubtedly recognized the elements of a grand story when he read the book.If you've seen the films but haven't read the original, by all means do yourself a favor and pick up a copy.You won't be disappointed. ... Read more

Product Description
From the blockbuster author of The Godfather, here is the international and New York Times bestseller about the feverish world of a big-time gambler. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (62)

As good as, if not better than, The Godfather
Two of my favorite novels are "Fools Die" and "The Godfather".All the other Mario Puzo books are trash in comparison, do not waste your time with them.

A Tale Full of the Wisdom Fool's Die For
It's really too bad that "Casino" came along and kind of cornered the market on the "Vegas in the '70s" movie because this one would have made a hell of a film had anyone ever had the vision and the talent to bring it to the screen.Because it's got everything "Casino" has and a plethora more: It's fiction so the storyteller doesn't have to pay tribute to some schlepp's "real life" story of "behind the scenes" Vegas.Not only that, it lays out a magic carpet on which the reader flies, taking him into worlds of earthly delight that approach dizzying heavenly heights only to see these mortal fools fall from the clouds into the hell that only human greed, lust, and, yes, love's betrayal can create.The story deals with three best friends, Merlyn, a writer, Janelle, a bewitchingly beautiful actress whom he loves, and Cully, a professional gambler who is perhaps the novel's most interesting character because he is it's most human.Finally, it is Cully, and his relationship with his older, wiser, mentor, Gronevelt, the owner of the palacial Xanadu hotel (a pleasure dome that SHOULD maybe exist only in the reader's mind) that reveals the most about what it is to be wise, what it is to win and have everything, and to be a man who "gains the world only to lose it"...

Loves the book
One of the most wonderful and thought provoking books I have ever read.In my opinion, the very best book that Mario Puzo ever wrote.

Almost Literature
This is near literature -- a spectacular piece of thinking man's commercial fiction obscured by the reputation of the author, Do I sound like a PBS commentator? Sorry if I do. A great book -- as the British say, a great ripping yarn -- classically structured, always entertaining and thought provoking. You wanna know about early Las Vegas? Here it is. You wanna know the heart of a frustrated by confident writer/artist? Here it is. You wanna deal with the best fictional characterization of Norman Mailer every written, here it is. You will be very surprised by the quality of this book, not to mention the author's adherence to classical structure in creating the story and characters. Ah, If I could accomplish what Merlin did....in this book....

I Read Over 2500 Book's And This Is One Of The Best
I Read Over 2500 Book's And This Is One Of The Best, Hope Someone Will Take It To Novel......That's Puzo's Best Book . ... Read more

Product Description
A PRESIDENTIAL DYNASTY. AN ARAB TERRORIST ATTACK. DEMOCRACY UNDER SIEGE. Mario Puzo envisioned it all in his eerily prescient 1991 novel, The Fourth K.

President Francis Xavier Kennedy is elected to office, in large part, thanks to the legacy of his forebears–good looks, privilege, wealth–and is the very embodiment of youthful optimism. Too soon, however, he is beaten down by the political process and, disabused of his ideals, he becomes a leader totally unlike what he has been before.

When his daughter becomes a pawn in a brutal terrorist plot, Kennedy, who has obsessively kept alive the memory of his uncles’ assassinations, activates all his power to retaliate in a series of violent measures. As the explosive events unfold, the world and those closest to him look on with both awe and horror. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

Pratically pure fantasy!
This book needs to be in an alternate world setting. Kennedy is overused. ALso another kennedy thinking that he can rule congress and get votes is impossible in this reality. I would not bother unless you want a fairy tale that becomes cumbersome in it's fantasticness and characters just bouncing along to their determined fate.the ending seemed kinda sad but predictable. Though a woman for president, if we make is so far, isn't to far off I hope.

Disappointing
Inconsistent storyline, incoherent language, unrealistic events. Enough to make reader ponder that sometimes Puzo is overrated.

Corruption in the White House
In this novel Puzo steps out of his standard world of massive corruption (mafia), into another, politics. The book is fast moving and if you read the cover jacket it only tells about the first quarter of the book. There is much more. It is a story of a man who tries his best to be a decent man, but after a string of horrible events that ruin everything he has once held dear, he slowly makes the transition to "the dark side". With subtle change you watch the character of Francis Kennedy turn from a man of honor to a man of evil. Some of the elements of the book are completely unbelievable, but isn't that what fiction is for?

Incredible
When this book came out in the early 90's I had no idea it was on the shelves. Then I walk into a book store and there it was! You have to remember when this was released; the silver anniversary of JFK's death was only a couple years earlier, and Godfather Part III the movie was just released or within a year before publication of this book. So the two story lines seemed to meld into a unbelievable Puzo mix!
My hands were shaking this book was so good the night I started reading it. Then 10 yers later, Clinton Impeached, terrorism internationally on the rise, destruction of Middleastern countries and to top it off, 911.
This has it all plus written by the King of American Pulp fiction.

what a tanker
This was one of the worst books I've ever read.The characters are all over the place, the plot meanders and Puzo can't decide if it's set in the future or the present.(He invents a futuristic chemical brain scan as a convenient plot device, yet the story is set in present time.)

One particularly irritating facet of this book was that the few women in it are in very minor roles, even the Vice President, and are invariably described in terms of their sex lives.

As for the plot being "parallel" to our current troubles in the Middle East and with terrorism, these problems are nothing new and have been around in various forms for decades.The US isn't known for learning from its mistakes.

This is the only book that I have ever thrown into the trash.I read it on a plane and tossed it into a trash can on my way to the baggage claim.It felt great. ... Read more

Product Description
Don Raymonde Aprile se retira de la Mafia tras haberle dedicado toda su vida. Sus tres hijos han crecido ajenos a los oscuros negocios que ha llevado y, para mantenerles así¬, decide ceder el relevo al joven Astorre, a quien adoptó años atrás para formarlo y convertirlo en su mano derecha. Kurt Cilke, agente del FBI, ha obtenido un éxito sin precedentes al lograr convencer a algunos mafiosos emblemáticos de violar la omertà, pacto de silencio y de honor en la Mafia siciliana, a cambio de protección federal. Mientras el FBI concentra sus fuerzas en erradicar el crimen organizado, Astorre y los Aprile se debaten entre la compasión y la venganza. Con Omertà, Mario Puzo se adentra por última vez en el mundo de la Mafia y cierra con contundencia el círculo que inició con El Padrino./ To Don Raymonde Aprile's children he was a loyal family member, their father's adopted ""nephew."" To the FBI he was a man who would rather ride his horses than do Mob business. No one knew why Aprile, the last great American Don, had adopted Astorre Viola many years before in Sicily; no one suspected how he had carefully trained him and how, while the Don's children claimed respectable careers in America, Astorre Viola waited for his time to come.Amazon.com Review
Omerta, the third novel in Mario Puzo's Mafia trilogy, is infinitely better than the third Godfather film, and most movies in fact. Besides colorful characters and snappy dialogue, it's got a knotty, gratifying, just-complex-enough plot and plenty of movie-like scenes. The newly retired Mafioso Don Raymonde Aprile attends his grandson's confirmation at St. Patrick's in New York, handing each kid a gold coin. Long shot: "Brilliant sunshine etched the image of that great cathedral into the streets around it." Medium shot: "The girls in frail cobwebby white lace dresses, the boys [with] traditional red neckties knitted at their throats to ward off the Devil." Close-up: "The first bullet hit the Don square in the forehead. The second bullet tore out his throat."

More crucial than the tersely described violence is the emotional setting: a traditional, loving clan menaced by traditional vendettas. With Don Aprile hit, the family's fate lies in the strong hands of his adopted nephew from Sicily, Astorre. The Don kept his own kids sheltered from the Mafia: one son is an army officer; another is a TV exec; his daughter Nicole (the most developed character of the three) is an ace lawyer who liked to debate the Don on the death penalty. "Mercy is a vice, a pretension to powers we do not have ... an unpardonable offense to the victim," the Don maintained. Astorre, a macaroni importer and affable amateur singer, was secretly trained to carry on the Don's work. Now his job is to show no mercy.

But who did the hit? Was it Kurt Cilke, the morally tormented FBI man who recently jailed most of the Mafia bosses? Or Timmona Portella, the Mob boss Cilke still wants to collar? How about Marriano Rubio, the womanizing, epicurean Peruvian diplomat who wants Nicole in bed--did he also want her papa's head?

If you didn't know Puzo wrote Omerta, it would be no mystery. His marks are all over it: lean prose, a romance with the Old Country, a taste for olives in barrels, a jaunty cynicism ("You cannot send six billionaires to prison," says Cilke's boss. "Not in a democracy"), an affection for characters with flawed hearts, like Rudolfo the $1,500-an-hour sexual massage therapist, or his short-tempered client Aspinella, the one-eyed NYPD detective. The simultaneous courtship of cheery Mafia tramp Rosie by identical hit-man twins Frankie and Stace Sturzo makes you fall in love with them all--and feel a genuine pang when blood proves thicker than eros.

This fitting capstone to Puzo's career is optioned for a film, and Michael Imperioli of TV's The Sopranos narrates the audiocassette version of the novel. But why wait for the movie? Omerta is a big, old-fashioned movie in its own right. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Customer Reviews (137)

Omerta!! Classic Puzo
If you like Puzo's other work, ie: The Godfather, The Sicilian... than this book is right up your alley. I slightly quicker read then his other book, which go a lot deeper into character development. Omerta is 'The Godfather' set in the early 1990s. Astorre Viola, adopted by the last great American Don, sets out to find his uncle's (adopted fathers) killer, while dealing with an FBI investigation into the 'family business'. Like any Puzo novel, it wouldn't be complete without a touch of the old country, Sicily. A great way to end the crime family novels... Read The Godfather, The Sicilian, and Omerta... Don't think of them as a trilogy, but rather novels that feed into one another. Puzo, you've done it again.

Puzo's farewell novel is a winner
This thrilling tale of Mafia connections, intrigue and revenge is a fine coda to the author's work of powerful families and complicated and contradictory weavings of people, law enforcement agencies and organized crime. Avenging a hit on a retired Don is the plot and sinister forces are at work to convince a nephew of the late patriarch to sell the family's interests in banks to powerful mafiosos and drug dealers. The FBI and the NYPD are portrayed none too favorably as they try play off the influential Aprile family against the powerful Portella family and South American drug cartel members who also have diplomatic immunity. This novel cannot compare to "The Godfather" but is nonetheless an interesting read by a great author.

Omerta
There seems to be a lot of question as to what Puzo intended "Omerta" to be....a conclusion to the Godfather series and movies, or a stand alone expose of the Sicilian/American Mafia.There are enough characters to provide for either scenario, twin assassins, a vengeful son, a pro-bono female lawyer, to mention a few. There still, however, is the unanswered question, "Where was Mario heading before his untimely demise?"

Although he had a very interesting story line I felt he fell somewhat short of my expectations.Maybe I was expecting too much.There are some who claim it is his best writing, so, one must read "Omerta" and then form their own opinion of its place in Puzo's writing repertoire. Even with its shortcomings, I found it an interesting read.

E.J. Walden, author of "Operation Snow Owl"

I Enjoyed Michael Imperioli's Narration andThe Story, But This Version Needs To Be On CD!!
I bought this audiocassette version of the late Mario Puzo's OMERTA
back in the early 2000's and enjoyed Micheal Imperioli's narration of it
because he really has a way of bringing you into the story and the characters.
But my only point of contention is that they didn't release this audio novel in CD form!
I mean in 2009 going into 2010, who still has a cassette deck except
the most die hard of old schoolers who refuse to go quietly into the
digital age without a dirty low down brawl! (-:
(Like a couple of my uncles for instance!)
Once they release this version to CD, I will be glad, and will happily purchase it again.
I've heard that they did a CD version which was narrated by the actor Joe Montegna,
and I like him too as an actor and narrator, but I don't see why Imperioli's version
can't be digitally remastered and reproduced in CD form, since it's already been recorded.
Anywayz, a good audio book.

Puzo's Final Pithy Mafia Tale
Part one was the Corleone's, then came the Clericuzio's then we end it on the Aprile's. This is a fine tale of greed, vengence and loyalty. The characters come out at you and they come to life. The book is filled with good action, plot and dialog. However the problem is we have seen it all before. All in all it is a fine novel, good for a few evenings, and if you have never read Puzo before, it will be all new to you.

T
... Read more

Product Description
Mario Puzo won international acclaim for The Godfather and his other Mafia novels. But before creating those masterpieces, Puzo wrote his first acclaimed novel The Dark Arena–an astounding story of a war-scarred young American in a battle against corruption and betrayal. . . .

After coming home at the end of World War II, Walter Mosca finds himself too restless for his civilian role in America. So he returns to Germany to find the woman he had once loved–and to start some kind of life in a vanquished country. But ahead of Walter stretches a dark landscape of defeat and intrigue, as he succumbs to the corrupting influences of a malevolent time. Now he enters a different kind of war, one in which he must make a fateful decision–between love and ambition, passion and greed, life and death. . . .

... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Masterpiece
I am a Puzo fan in general, but this book may be his best. He manages to deliver a beautifully crafted tale about a young man in post-WWI Germany. His characters are complex and the novel gives each person a distinct and vivid personality. Going beyond the characters, the setting is surreal and moving. You are placed in a desolate wasteland with crumbling ruins.

Somewhat setting the spirit of "mafia" books which come later in his career, here Puzo does a great job describing the political makeup and inter workings of the occupation government and flourishing black market.

Overall, the book is incredible (perhaps flawless) but like others said, this is not for the weak and weary. The themes get darker and very heavy toward the end. I would describe the reading experience as almost transformative.

Puzo is a master. If you like his other works, read this book.

He's done better
After reading this book, by Puzo, whom I LOVE, I have come to realize that he sure has come a long way in a few years with his writing.I know that not every book can be a "Godfather", and it's not that the story is uninteresting, but it is not of the calibre that in which one would put such a well-known author like Mario Puzo.

The book takes place in post-WWII Germany.An American soldier is stuck between the world of Reformation Europe and going home to boring America.The main charecter, Mosca, is developed in that he is underdeveloped as a person.The dark arena, in my opinion, is how the depths of this man go literally no further than his own wants and desires.People hasten to believe that there are people like this.It is a good read if you have a week and want to check it out- it is also much shorter than some of his other reads (for good reason).

Like I said, not terrible, but if you need to see how far a writer can come, read this, then read some of his others.

Pretty good for a writer's first book.
It was pretty good, even though some parts were boring..

Sound writing, lackluster story
This is not a great book. Even though it is Puzo, who has done some great work, this story is mediocre at best. I have read every work of fiction by Mario Puzo and I would place this one at the bottom of the pile. It's not a terrible book, but you could do a lot better. The story is about post WWII Germany, and an American soldier named Walter Mosca who is stuck in a daydream of post-war reorganization and exploitation. The story is slow at times, and I found my mind wandering a lot during the middle. It comes together nicely at the end, and is certainly well crafted, but I would recommend this book only to Puzo fans, especially to those interested in reading his complete catalogue. That is basically the only reason I read this book, and it is not one I care to read again. Nor is it a story that will live long in my memory.

Mark McGinty is the author of Elvis and the Blue Moon Conspiracy

Pretty good for a young writer!
This is the very first novel the young Mario Puzo wrote during the fifties and he certainly pulled it off. It's not so difficult to notice already the strokes of the unknown, aspiring writer who'd later become undoubtfully one of the best of his generation.

There are many similarities between this novel and some of those of the lost generation writers, the most similar to it being, of course, "A farewell to arms" by Ernest Hemingway. The 20-th century best american writer used to write about people and events taking place during the war, whether it was WW1 or WW2, while Puzo's work is more about war's aftermath and how it affected and changed people's life.

The novel's main character is not as sympathetic or attracting as, let's say, Hemingway's Frederic Henry or Remarque's Gottfried Lenz. I found it somewhat difficult to sympathize with Mosca's slovenly attitude, his lack of feelings or interest in anything or anyone surrounding him, but I understand him, or at least I try to: he slowly understands that his persona has changed, and not for the better, and that he has become the enemy, as he puts it towards the end of the novel; he loves someone (in his own way), but he doesn't know it; his loved one first loses his first child and later gives birth to his second one, but he doesn't seem to care. I think it's interesting to compare Puzo's work to some of Hemingway's novels: while hell to Hemingway was war itself, to Puzo "hell is the suffering of being unable to love!", as the great Dostoyevski puts it in "The brothers Karamazov". And Mosca is unable to love and care about someone or something.

While Hemingway would go on and write mostly about war, fatalism and despair, Puzo would later change his subjects and describe the american corrupt worlds of politics, underworld, the casinos and the movie industry. Later on, his main motto would be to prove that "the secret of a big fortune with no apparent cause is a forgotten crime". ... Read more

Product Description
A novel of blood and vengeance from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Godfather.

Michael Rogan was an intelligence officer behind enemy lines in World War II Europe. But he made the mistake of falling in love, which gave him something to lose-or to be taken from him.

Captured by the Nazis, Michael was treated as an experiment. A piece of meat. A subject upon which his captors committed atrocity upon atrocity. But not before they did the same to his wife-and unborn son. He's lived with the horror of that experience for ten years.

Now, Michael Rogan has returned to Europe to find the men who tortured him. And he's going to make sure that they never have to live with the horror as he did...

They will die with it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Cool Find - Quick & Entertaining
Clearly Puzo's service in the Second World War deeply influenced a great deal of his work including this pre-Godfather effort.This is a tidy little tale that I picked up in a La Guardia Borders and finished before I touched down in Montreal (it is just over 200 pages). It moves with speed and is rife with interesting characters, however, the plot is a touch too fantastic yet highly entertaining. Anything with a revenge plot against evil Nazis cannot be too bad. I also think it may have influenced Robert Littell's The Amateur as there are similarities.

Not the best...but ok read.
Thought this book would be a bit more intense as far as background and dialogue, but it was good...certainly not outstanding like The Godfather, but if you are into reading about a man meting out justice and revenge, then this book is for you.Very disappointed with ending, though.

Revenge
Mario Puzo wrote this novel in 1967 using a nom de plume following publication of two books which had received critical notice but few sales, and two years before the hugely successful "Godfather."Little attention was paid to it and it quickly went out of print until it was found by his Polish publisher and has now been brought out in paperback.

Certainly no blockbuster, but definitely a workmanlike effort telling the story of a young man serving as a clandestine intelligence agent near Paris who is captured by the Gestapo on D-Day when transmitting on a secret radio.Taken to Munich with his pregnant wife, he is tortured and interrogated by seven men in an effort to get him to reveal the allies' secret codes.Ultimately, they shoot him and believe he is dead.

However, he survives, is treated in VA hospitals, and to some extent recovers.Eventually making a substantial amount of money in the computer industry, he embarks on a journey to exact revenge for what was done to him and his wife.This is the story of how he tracks down his tormentors and his plan to kill them.

Recommended.

Revenge is best served cold... and beware of the server.
Never heard about this book.Ever.First published in 1967; five years before I drew my first breath.Forty-four years later, the words have not lost their effect.2,294 weeks later the impotent helplessness can still be felt.16,060 days later and the need for revenge, still unsated.385,440 hours later and the torturous hauntings of the Munich Palace of Justice are still causing nightmares.

Michael Rogan has been raked through hell and has lived to tell about it.Unfortunately, just because you make it through hell doesn't mean that is a good thing.Michael has scars and not all of them are on the outside of his body.We also learn, in raw-nerve clarity, that time does not heal all wounds.Michael has a number of special gifts and chooses to use these gifts to help the United States win the war.His work is extraordinary but in his carelessness he does get caught.And in a page right out the `Terrorist Book for Cowards', the Germans not only torture him... but his wife as well.Wait... his pregnant wife.Excruciating pain doesn't even begin to describe what Michael's despair as he heard his wife being tortured in the next room...

Adding that mind-numbing horror to the aberrant violence already visited on him is the perfect fuel to his fire.He goes on a revenge killing spree with the bloody precision of an assassin.What I truly liked about this story was how undeterred Michael was.Sometimes violence IS the answer and sometimes you must repay blood with blood.Mario Puzo tells a story of violence with severity, fury, and force.And as I said earlier, all of Michael's pain isn't on the surface; the same can be said for this story.Oh the perpetrators leave their share of blood, but the one question I have for Michael is, "what kind of pain must you be in to mete out THAT kind of punishment"?

Despite Mario's celebrated bibliography, this is the only book I've read by him.But what a one it was. ... Read more

Product Description
Una novela incomparable que evoca las grandes pasiones que mueven la historia. El retrato fascinante de una familia cuya ambicion y sed de poder les llevaria a la cima del mundo, y la cronica del alto precio que pagaron por ello. Puzo nos conmueve con unos personajes crueles y cautivadores, victimas de sus feroces instintos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Buena para pasar el rato.....
Los borgia es un libro que nos traslada hasta la Roma renacentista y nos cuenta la historia del papa Alejandro VI y de sus hijos Cesar, Lucresia, Juan y Jofre, y la ambición del papa Alejandro por cuya sed de poder lo llevarian a la cima del mundo, pero también el alto precio que él y su familia tubieron que pagar.
EL libro en general es bueno aunque diferente a lo que los fans de Puzo estamos acostumbrados,y aunque cruel y crudo en algunos aspectos y personalmente muy sangriento en otros, además de que en este libro, Puzo recurre a temas muy serios como lo es el incesto, (tema que nunca habia tocado Puezo en sus otros libros anteriores), esto es en parte por que Puzo no escribio todo el libro, Carol Gino, esposa de Puzo termino el libro y adjuntó temas de ella misma. No obstabte, el libro resulta muy entretenido y es bune para pasar el rato, y aunque no es el tipo de libro que los seguidores de puzo esperaban, el libro resulta hagradable y fresco.

Un paseo al Renacimiento italiano
He aquí una historia novelada de una de las familias más famosas del Renacimiento, los Borgia.En esta novela se nos muestra la cara más humana del Papa Alejandro VI y de sus hijos ilegitimos Lucrecia, César, Juan y Jofre.A través de sus páginas viajamos a la Italia renacentista dividida en pequeños reinos donde la pugna por el poder usando la traición, el asesinato, los matrimonios de conveniencia, el nepotismo y el absolutismo eran lo cotidiano por las clases altas para permanecer en el poder y sobrevivir.La familia Borgia no fue una excepción, el Papa Alejandro VI aprovechando su poder "temporal" trata de darles a sus hijos todo lo que pueda pues es conciente que después de su muerte poco podrán sus hijos hacer para retener las dádivas papales por lo que casa a sus hijos Lucrecia, Jofre y Juan con matrimonios ventajosos para asegurar sus vidas y patrimonios además de darle el mando de su ejercito a su hijo César, hombre cruel e inteligente con una ambición desmesurada que lo lleva a hacerce demasiado peligroso y le ocasiona la muerte.Muy bien logradas las descripciones que el autor hacer de la Roma e Italia del siglo XVI. ... Read more

Product Description
BOMC/BCE EDITION of Mario Puzo's classic "The Godfather ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Hugely effective non-fiction that spins a spell on it's own.
This is one of two non-fiction books that Puzo wrote.Inside Las Vegas tells you the truth about what goes on behind the poker games and fancy slot machines.Anybody who has read or seen Nicholas Peleggi's 'Casino' will know what I'm talking about when I say 'Magic'.This is truly a fine piece of work and unlike Puzo's other big point Casino book 'Fools Die' I can honestly say that I prefered this.

It has been writen down to the finest degree and it is full with interesting pictures too.I would ask anybody to read this book if they were into a hussler and Caino running.Along with the Casino another aspest which dominated this book is the mob.

It is interesting when a man called Bruno is in his hotel room packing when a bell boy knocks on the door and tells him there are two men down stairs looking for him, because he skimmed their Casino the night before.It will have you turning pages all the way to an explosive showdown but don't take my word for it, read the book.

Another thing that the book has is well developed characters and a great plot.however a film cannot be made because it would look to much like 'Casino'.Still this will have you ducking and diving at every paragragh and subsection and although it's not one of Mr.Puzo's more famous books such as The Godfather, It is still worth a read(more than one).Once you read the first chapter you will be hooked and won't be able to put it down.It also goes into great detail, e.g. Bruno shot him and Angelo stuck a knife through his heart to stop the blood flow and heart pumping.It is a sadistic and certainly more disturbing of Puzo's books, that's why it's almost impossible to get your hands on a copy.if you do, jump at the chance.It's worth your while and money. ... Read more

Product Description
446 page hard cover novel by Mario Puza called the Godfather, published in 1969 that purports to tell the story of a organized crime family in America. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (140)

This book should sleep with the fish
I can't believe this was a NY Times best seller. The writing is of abysmal quality, the story line is too confusing, the characters are completely destroyed. Why did anyone allow this guy to destroy the superbly styled characters created by Puzo? What's worse is that the publishers had the guts to come back with "the return of the Godfather".
This book definitely is a fish wrapper for me. Not even.

Generous condition rating
The only issue was that the book's condition was a but of a stretch considering it had dirty water spots on it and some type of sticky granules between a few of the pages.By carefully opening the pages over a trahscan and wiping things off, I was able to get to everything without any rips etc, but you can still see the spot residue.

Give it a chance
There are a lot of haters out there. Some claim things don't fit together quite right. Some claim it's just an abomination. Disappointing, etc.

If you go into it being skeptical and overcritical and comparing it to the original or to the movies, of course you're going to be disappointed. You're setting yourself up. Go into it knowing that nothing will ever come close to matching the classics, with the sole intention of just having fun and enjoying the experience. A critic can tear this, and its sequel, to pieces. It wouldn't be a problem because every single one is going to compare it to the Godfather. But there's a lot it can offer for a fan who needs a Corleone fix.

I listened to this via unabridged audiobook, occasionally reading along with it. It's a wonderful thing when you can picture each character or scene with such vivid detail. Not just because of Winegardner's attention to detail and building up a scene, but also due to the fact that you have faces to put to most of the names. You need to avoid using it as a lightning rod of comparison against the original, and use your imagination. It's all in the eye of the beholder. If you didn't enjoy it, it will be due to the fact that you, the reader, did not allow yourself to enjoy it.

Italian Forrest Gump?
Not only were the characters, story, and inconsistencies with the original Godfather enough to make this a preposterous read, the Forrest Gump quality to the tale added to it.This book puts the Corleones in the unlikely position of having their finger in every pie of history through the 50s and the 60s.The thinly veiled references to the Kennedy family, the Rat Pack and countless other ridiculous references made this book a real groaner.As a Tallahassee resident I really found the whole FSU thing a sorry attempt.The only thing that would have completed the sad attempt at literature would have been a scene where Bobby Bowden and everybody on the sidelines held up signs and yelled, "Run, Fredo, Run!"and have Fredo Corleone score the winning touchdown against Florida.


This book is a stronzo on the sole of the shoes of the excellent legacy of Mario Puzo.Do yourself a favor and wipe it off the bottom of your shoe before going inside.

Good adaptation
The Godfather Returns is a very good continuation of the original novels from Mario Puzo.Mr. Winegardner explores the various incidents that were left unmentioned or vaguely outlined in the previous books and grants and insight into the family that left some readers wondering what had happened.Well written ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

THE GODFATHER I BOUGHT LAST WEEK
I ORDERED THIS BOOK LAST WEEK. I RECIEVED THE BOOK TODAY IN THE MAIL. I AM VERY PLEASED WITH THE BOOK- DO SO THAT IT IS USED. I GIVE IT 4 STARS FOR BEING INTACK N ALL. THANXZ FOR THE BOOK, CANT WAIT TO READ IT. ... Read more