Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
15th out of 18 books
—
7 voters
The Dark Arena
by
Mario Puzo
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 civi...more
After coming home at the end of World War II, Walter Mosca finds himself too restless for his civi...more
Paperback, 288 pages
Published
May 1st 2001
by Ballantine Books
(first published 1955)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,173)
i read this one in the darkest days of my life, when i thought too much about my life, about what i'd lost and how i could... die without hurting anyone around me. i felt touched with this story of a soldier who couldn't again get in touch with his loved ones at homeland and that made him return to Germany to find the only one, his woman, who got all his trust during darkest days of the WWII. her love helped him go on with his life until the day she passed away. nothing left and worth to him sin...more
The was a decent read, but I am not really sure why. Nothing super interesting really happens (although there are some moments). I like Puzo but it's not as though he writing style is mesmerizing. This is definitely the least interesting of all his books. There isn't any sort of secretive plotting or manipulation or anything like what he writes so well. I found all of the characters pretty hard to relate to.
Yet somehow I enjoyed it, it in no way felt like a drag. I looked forward to picking it u...more
Yet somehow I enjoyed it, it in no way felt like a drag. I looked forward to picking it u...more
This came as a pleasant surprise. I didn't go in expecting to like this book, and the first few pages didn't make an impression on me either, but as the book progressed, I actually grew to like it. Though I usually don't read stuff that are not a-thousand-things-happening-at-once stuff, this book was more that good enough to keep me in it's grip. I must say, Mario Puzo knows his business. More than the plot, it's the subtle way he narrates that makes it worth reading. I just may give his other n...more
Dec 18, 2012
Michael Chrisman
added it
For some reason i cant give ratIngs with this phone i got, i dont have a computer. But i want to give this book 5 stars. I cant believe the average rating is less than 4 stars, wack. I cant remember the dudes name who is the star of the book but i remember the book. It was real. What, i dont get it, someone didnt like it cause it wasnt fake. I read it in like one night as i was in twin towers los angeles county jail level 9, waiting for the chain. My cellys name was rob and his dad sent him the...more
This was Mario Puzo's first novel and became a bestseller after he wrote the superb Godfather. Obviously many readers(like me)who'd read the Godfather raced to buy the The Dark Arena. It is dreadful, beyond dreadful in fact, poorly written a terrible and totally boring storyline and it is hard to believe that the author of the Godfather penned this rubbish. It is testimony though to his enormous improvement as a writer and story-teller in his later novels.
The first thing that strikes you when you read The Dark Arena is the stark contrast to the other works of Puzo like The godfather, Last Don and the likes. Puzo uses an entirely different narrative structure and you wouldn't find any of sudden twists, travelling back and forth in time, he keeps it straight here with a linear storytelling. Nor would you find lengthy side tracks. Not surprising as it is one of the earlier works of Puzo.
The story takes some time to get us engaged but halfway throug...more
The story takes some time to get us engaged but halfway throug...more
Although the the setting was intriguing, post war occupied Germany, I really did not like this book. The main character just did not have an redeeming qualities. He seemed to have no emotions or feelings, no matter who was hurt or killed. He finally seemed to have a bit of love for his German mistress but even that seemed forced at times. It is a very, dark, unforgiving book and one I would not recommend.
it took me a bit to be engaged, but once i was in, i was in to the end. visceral description of WW2, really delves into the psychological aspects of the effects of war on the conqueror and the conquered. poignant, shocking at times. i was surprised that this was Puzo's first book, he is an excellent writer. it's obvious that he had first-hand experience in the war. reminds me that i need to reread The Godfather books...
Amazing how Puzo keeps the mood of the novel dark throughout the book.
Loved the way he has painted post war Germany,the relationship of the conquered and the conqueror and the functioning of the black market. The tale of love between the protagonist and his Fraulein warm your heart. Excellent read and very different from his only other I have read, 'Godfather'.
Loved the way he has painted post war Germany,the relationship of the conquered and the conqueror and the functioning of the black market. The tale of love between the protagonist and his Fraulein warm your heart. Excellent read and very different from his only other I have read, 'Godfather'.
Hustlers and Survivors. He knows how to keep the story dark, mystic, you just want to dive more and more to see what's in the bottom.
Jan 08, 2011
Indah Threez Lestari
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
in-english
26th - 2011
Baca buku ini kok bikin depresi, ya... mungkin karena ceritanya memang kelam, seperti judulnya.
Baca buku ini kok bikin depresi, ya... mungkin karena ceritanya memang kelam, seperti judulnya.
This book was a lot darker then I realized. I suspect this book will stay with me for a while. I found it quite thought provoking.
Great read.
Sluggish in its pace but it reminded me of the Opeth Songs, one which you need to give it time ans listens and has an awesome finale.
Another super sad Puzo, but something about his writing makes you read until the very end, despite the inevitable misery and emptiness you're going to feel.
His first book..It takes 30-40 pages to warm up, but it gets going and is an absorbing love story/drama set during the last days of WWII.
Fierce, intense, compelling this is one of the finest books that i ever read.
its a dark dark book; not for the weak of heart but its a good read
helped me picture a post-war environment; bleak but riveting
Another awesome Puzo read!!!!
Unreadable!
May 16, 2013
Amor
is currently reading it
May 16, 2013
Pavithraravi
added it
May 16, 2013
Venkatesh
marked it as to-read
May 15, 2013
Indira Chakrabarty
marked it as to-read
May 14, 2013
Tyler
is currently reading it
May 14, 2013
Tyler
is currently reading it
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Puzo was born in a poor family of Neapolitan immigrants living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York. Many of his books draw heavily on this heritage. After graduating from the City College of New York, he joined the United States Army Air Forces in World War II. Due to his poor eyesight, the military did not let him undertake combat duties but made him a public relations officer statione...more
More about Mario Puzo...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
