Godfather FROM THE PUBLISHER
just when you thought you were out, they pull you back in.
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 the powerful legacy of tradition, blood, and honor that was passed on from father to son. With its themes of the seduction of power, the pitfalls of greed, and family allegiance, it resonated with millions of readers across the world-and became the definitive novel of the virile, violent subculture that remains steeped in intrigue, in controversy, and in our collective consciousness.
FROM THE CRITICS
Gale Research
Puzo's story details the rise of Don Vito Corleone, the fall of his sons Sonny and, especially, Michael, the Mafia's peculiar behavior code and honor system, and the violent power struggle among rival "families." To some reviewers, Puzo's tale is a symbolic treatment of the corruption of the American dream. Although not all critics view the novel so seriously, most agree with Polly Anderson in the Library Journal that "the book is well written, suspenseful and explodes in a series of dramatic climaxes." Newsweek's Pete Axthelm calls Puzo "an extremely talented storyteller" and states that The Godfather "moves at breakneck speed without ever losing its balance." And a critic for the Saturday Review contends that "Mario Puzo has achieved the definitive novel about a sinister fraternity of crime."
Library Journal
Though not out of print, this 1969 gangster potboiler here makes the leap to trade paperback. Thanks to Francis Coppola's brilliant film adaptation, this story has achieved cult status with millions of fans, who continue to read it. In addition to its larger size, this incarnation offers a new introduction and afterword. How could you refuse? Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
AudioFile
Brilliance Audio's reissue of this 1986 production features a full cast. As Vito Corleone directs his powerful New York crime family, a reader delivers the narrative text, and individual actors take over for the dialogue. But the use of a cast is not a gimmick. It's a dramatic device. The cast infuses each character with emotion and personality, giving the work more of a sense of theater than a simple reading. Thus, the narration exploits the very nature of audiobooks to present a special work. R.C.G. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine
Dick Schaap -
Books of the Century, The New York Times review, March 1970
The Godfather is not written nearly so artfully as Portnoy's Complaint. Nor does it approach the humor of Roth's work. Yet The Godfather is such a compelling story, a better-written Sicilian entry into the Irving sweepstakes, the truth-disguised-and-distorted-as-fiction genre, that any day now, I am certain the Portnoy family and the Corleone family will end up sharing the heady heights of best-sellerdom as comfortably as the Jews and the Italians have long shared the pleasures of salami.
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