The first trade paperback edition of "The Godfather" features a new Introduction and a new Afterword. "Big, turbulent, highly entertaining."--"News...
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reviews
Dec 10, 2010
Bird Brian
rated it: 
The Godfather (part 1) is the best movie ever made without nudity in it, and that is a proven fact which nobody can argue with. I know you've all seen it, so I'm not even going to get into plot or characters here. Instead, I'm going to be bold and unconventional, and subject you to a reverie of my personal past instead (so y'all better vote for this review, bitches!)
(WAVY SCREEN EFFECTS ACCOMPANIED BY THE SOUND OF SOMEBODY RUNNING THEIR FINGERS OVER HARP STRINGS)
An olde More...
(WAVY SCREEN EFFECTS ACCOMPANIED BY THE SOUND OF SOMEBODY RUNNING THEIR FINGERS OVER HARP STRINGS)
An olde More...
17 comments
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(27 people liked it)
Jul 15, 2008
Israel
rated it: 
The epic masterpiece of mafia fiction. Puzo is good and entertaining elsewhere, here is great and masterful. It is to mobster books what Godfather parts 1 & 2 are to mobster movies...a standard that can never be equalled. What really intrigues me about Puzo's presentation of the Corleone family, and something that does not translate as explicitly to the screen, is the incredible sense of moral and religious conviction that what they do is right and good. At times I found myself believing tha
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(10 people liked it)
Mar 17, 2008
Kerstin
rated it:
I'm one of the people who watched the whole movie trilogy and then after that found out that The Godfather
exists as a novel. Naturally, I had to purchase it.
It is a matter of taste, I suppose, but next to the movies - so elegant and grandiose - it feels a bit like reading pulp fiction. Maybe it's that the book is lacking the presence of charismatic Hollywood giants Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, whose legendary performances rival those of Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh in Gone With The Wind More...
exists as a novel. Naturally, I had to purchase it.
It is a matter of taste, I suppose, but next to the movies - so elegant and grandiose - it feels a bit like reading pulp fiction. Maybe it's that the book is lacking the presence of charismatic Hollywood giants Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, whose legendary performances rival those of Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh in Gone With The Wind More...
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(9 people liked it)
Mar 02, 2008
Roxanne
rated it:
I absolutely loved this book! This book started my long running obsession with Mafia.
The Godfather is one of the best pieces of literature ever written. Mario Puzo paints this elaborate picture of the Sicilian mafia through the eyes of Michael Corleone, a returning Marine Corps hero who at first wants nothing to do with the elaborate crime family that his father has built.
Don Vito Corleone, an Italian immigrant who goes from poverty in Little Italy to create one of the F More...
The Godfather is one of the best pieces of literature ever written. Mario Puzo paints this elaborate picture of the Sicilian mafia through the eyes of Michael Corleone, a returning Marine Corps hero who at first wants nothing to do with the elaborate crime family that his father has built.
Don Vito Corleone, an Italian immigrant who goes from poverty in Little Italy to create one of the F More...
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(10 people liked it)
Feb 03, 2008
Jared
rated it:
Don Vito Corleone continues to be a fictional figurehead of the American mafia’s underworld. He is the portrait of a modern mafia boss, despite being thirty five years old and set in the 1940s. The Godfather is about power. Don Corleone’s insatiable desire for power combined with a total refusal to play by someone else’s rules—i.e. the government, created an amiable but villainous Don in control of the greater part of New York City’s underworld. He is heralded as an angel—granting alms, help
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(3 people liked it)
Nov 29, 2007
Kyle
rated it:
Kyle Toebe
Mrs.Ebarvia
Honors World Literature
11/29/07
The Godfather
“I believe in America. America has made my fortune. And I raised my daughter in the American fashion. I gave her freedom, but I taught her never to dishonor her family”. This is the famous opening quote from Mario Puzo’s novel, The Godfather. It teaches an interesting moral, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”. Mario Puzo was born in 1920 into a poor More...
Mrs.Ebarvia
Honors World Literature
11/29/07
The Godfather
“I believe in America. America has made my fortune. And I raised my daughter in the American fashion. I gave her freedom, but I taught her never to dishonor her family”. This is the famous opening quote from Mario Puzo’s novel, The Godfather. It teaches an interesting moral, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”. Mario Puzo was born in 1920 into a poor More...
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(5 people liked it)
Dec 06, 2007
Adam
rated it:
It is a sin to watch the movie before reading this book! Well written and full of power, lust, and violence! Also implicates very strong family ties! My kind of fiction!
Some favorite quotes from this book...
"Why did you go to the police? Why didn't you come to me first?
"I understand. You found paradise in America. You had a good trade, made a good living, the police protected you and there were courts of law and you didn't need a friend like me. Bu More...
Some favorite quotes from this book...
"Why did you go to the police? Why didn't you come to me first?
"I understand. You found paradise in America. You had a good trade, made a good living, the police protected you and there were courts of law and you didn't need a friend like me. Bu More...
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(4 people liked it)
Jul 05, 2007
Ray
rated it:
If you are a fan of the Godfather trilogy (specifically the first movie) this book is a must read. It will shed a lot of light on the backgrounds of the characters and give you some new insight into the story that you may have missed. Even if you, like I, had seen the movie many times before, sit down with this one and you'll then go back and watch the movie again... then you'll pick up the book again... I bet you will.
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(3 people liked it)
Dec 31, 2011
Alec
rated it:
Unlike most people, I had never seen The Godfather Trilogy prior to reading this book. After reading it, I am glad that I read the book first. Not that I did not like the movie, I just think that I would have been bored with the book since it is so close to the movie.
Without any beating around the bush, I can honestly say that I loved this book; and the movies to a certain extent as well. While this book is very sexual and graphic, I found it a very charming story with a lot of very charm More...
Without any beating around the bush, I can honestly say that I loved this book; and the movies to a certain extent as well. While this book is very sexual and graphic, I found it a very charming story with a lot of very charm More...
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(1 person liked it)
Jun 22, 2007
Russell
rated it:
Remember the random tart that James Caan was boning in the beginning of the movie? Who knew that she was such a key character in the book? NOT YOU!
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(5 people liked it)
Jul 14, 2008
Petra
rated it:
I came to this book through my friend’s recommendation. Although I knew about the famous movie, which was based on the classical best-seller of Mario Puzo, I never thought I would read the novel. Reading about the world of the Mafia wasn’t my cup of tea, but when I looked for a good book, I was told I would like this one. So I tried and I was engulfed.
Placed in New York after the Second World War, The Godfather describes the mysterious and powerful world of American Mafia, which is contr More...
Placed in New York after the Second World War, The Godfather describes the mysterious and powerful world of American Mafia, which is contr More...
Jun 08, 2008
Henry
rated it:
"I'll make an offer he can't refuse"
That is one quotation of Vito Corleone, the Godfather, the most powerful Don in US. Seeing his figure, I saw a man with a strong principle and willingness accompanied with a bravery to do all things needed to achieve his goal. More than those two things; his determination and his wit. This book shows a story of a mafia family, the Corleones. The family who had been very strong and seemed to be unbreakable that found its biggest challenge when t More...
That is one quotation of Vito Corleone, the Godfather, the most powerful Don in US. Seeing his figure, I saw a man with a strong principle and willingness accompanied with a bravery to do all things needed to achieve his goal. More than those two things; his determination and his wit. This book shows a story of a mafia family, the Corleones. The family who had been very strong and seemed to be unbreakable that found its biggest challenge when t More...
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(2 people liked it)
Apr 01, 2008
Corbin
rated it: 
Yes, I know it is not advisable to compare a book to its movie, but the film was so goshdarn brilliant that I can't help but line the two up side-by-side. Honestly, I think the movie was much more calculated and beautiful than the book, which branched off in several dead-end directions.
So far I'm enjoying the background story that the book gives on most of the characters. Sonny seems more despicable in the book than the movie, and I feel like I have a better grip on Michael's sep More...
So far I'm enjoying the background story that the book gives on most of the characters. Sonny seems more despicable in the book than the movie, and I feel like I have a better grip on Michael's sep More...
4 comments
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(5 people liked it)
Aug 28, 2010
Lauren aka John Matthew's Girl
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Jan 25, 2011
Andrew
rated it:
I read this book when I was a sophmore in high school. At that time, it would take me months to read a book this large, unless for some assignment. I think I finished it in 3 or 4 days. This says a lot. First, the book is highly entertaining. A novel that keeps you glued to it, because you need to know what happens next. Second, this book is an easy read, not just because of the action, but because it is written with simple prose. But don't let the author's writing style lead you to under
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(3 people liked it)
Apr 22, 2008
Matt H
rated it:
This is an amazing book, always in suspence and never a dull moment. Starting right where the movie starts, and includes details that the movies leave out. With this award winning classic, you get romance, action, and Itailan meatballs. You get all the feeling of New York in the 40's. You can read all of the parts that the movie left out, see inside the lives that the movies faild to capture. With Puzo's unique style of writing, you can really get attached to characters and feel like you are get
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Jan 19, 2008
Kevin
rated it:
I didn't know what to expect when I found this at the local Wal-Mart, like a ruby in the pile of cow-flop that passes for the rest of what Wally World considers literature. I'd seen the movies and liked two of them, and I needed something to read, so I gave it a shot.
It's fantastic. Every little nuance and side story is right on the money-- people who barely get mentioned in the movies have whole story lines devoted to them, and all of them weave together in ways that make it seem More...
It's fantastic. Every little nuance and side story is right on the money-- people who barely get mentioned in the movies have whole story lines devoted to them, and all of them weave together in ways that make it seem More...
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(1 person liked it)
Oct 04, 2008
John
rated it:
I highly recommend this book.
The Godfather is no doubt an epic. The story is brilliant in it's pace and is highly readable. Themes of family, honor, violent justification, corruption and a sprawl of others make up the patch work of this masterful novel. Budding Las Vegas, Hollywood Moguls, the New World Order of organized crime pitted against the old traditional way seam the fabric of redemption together. This blanket of genre was crafted with respect for the reader by Mario Puzo, sp More...
The Godfather is no doubt an epic. The story is brilliant in it's pace and is highly readable. Themes of family, honor, violent justification, corruption and a sprawl of others make up the patch work of this masterful novel. Budding Las Vegas, Hollywood Moguls, the New World Order of organized crime pitted against the old traditional way seam the fabric of redemption together. This blanket of genre was crafted with respect for the reader by Mario Puzo, sp More...
0 comments
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(1 person liked it)
Sep 21, 2009
Tajma
rated it:
I had to sneak and read this when I was eight years old. It was on my grandparents' bookshelf and I could only read about 20 pages at a time. I wasn't old enough to see the movie so this was the next best thing.
2 comments
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(2 people liked it)
Oct 20, 2007
Tanmay.
rated it:
The book I loved the most.
Nice easy free-flowing language.A catchy,fast paced storyline.
If you've seen the 'Sarkaar' Movie,you would surely get Deja vu's reading the first few chapters.But thats only the glimpse of what waits ahead.Everything is described with extreme details in a very articulate manner.
The entire plot is carefully constructed.You'll not know when youve finished it.
Also the books full of nice quotes n tag lines..4 eg
"Let your enemies overestima More...
Nice easy free-flowing language.A catchy,fast paced storyline.
If you've seen the 'Sarkaar' Movie,you would surely get Deja vu's reading the first few chapters.But thats only the glimpse of what waits ahead.Everything is described with extreme details in a very articulate manner.
The entire plot is carefully constructed.You'll not know when youve finished it.
Also the books full of nice quotes n tag lines..4 eg
"Let your enemies overestima More...
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(2 people liked it)
Jan 26, 2012
Ariadna73
rated it:
Ya sabeis que yo no compro libros, pero este en particular s lo compr, principalmente porque era muy barato, y porque siempre me ha gustado ese gnero literario. Lo gracioso es que cuando lo escog en la librera, result que era el ltimo de toda la produccin, y la empleada me di de apa (o encime como llamamos en mi tierra, es decir, un producto o servicio ms que no est incluido en el costo, y que se entrega al cliente como cortesa de la casa, por ejemplo un pan extra al comprar cinco panes, etc.) d
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Mar 12, 2009
Makuka
rated it:
O Padrinho é um relato pormenorizado sobre o dia-a-dia de uma família italiana do sub-mundo da Máfia. Mario Puzo dá-nos a conhecer os parâmetros por que se rege este meio, as relações de poder/influência que se estabelecem entre as pessoas e o modo como o crime é encarado como natural para os mafiosos.
Os Corleone são o ponto de partida da história, mas, ao longo da obra, vão surgindo outras personagens de destaque. Esta diversidade é interessante não só porque cria um novo ritmo como More...
Os Corleone são o ponto de partida da história, mas, ao longo da obra, vão surgindo outras personagens de destaque. Esta diversidade é interessante não só porque cria um novo ritmo como More...
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(1 person liked it)
Jan 08, 2009
Leftbanker
rated it:
Perdonad los errores, esta es la primera vez que escribo en español.
Si voy a leer la novela El Padrino y ver la película por la enésima vez (en español), debo escribir en castellano de la experiencia para que sea un poco menos pesado. Ya no hay palabras nuevas en inglés después de los tantos años que vivo con esta historia, después de haber leído la novela un par o tres de veces y ni quiero pensar en cuantas veces he vista la péli (mejor dicho, las tres películas de la serie). Todo More...
Si voy a leer la novela El Padrino y ver la película por la enésima vez (en español), debo escribir en castellano de la experiencia para que sea un poco menos pesado. Ya no hay palabras nuevas en inglés después de los tantos años que vivo con esta historia, después de haber leído la novela un par o tres de veces y ni quiero pensar en cuantas veces he vista la péli (mejor dicho, las tres películas de la serie). Todo More...
Jan 01, 2012
Nicole
rated it:
This was a book,I never intended to enjoy as much as I did. I got it in a bin of books for a quarter at a used bookstore when I was early for an appointment. I read the brittle yellowed copy it in three days. I just couldn't put it down. When the cover fell off, I hurriedly taped it back on, so I could keep reading.
It was the characterization of Don Vito Corleone that fascinated me the most. When I began reading, I was convinced he was a criminal. By the time I turned the last page, I was More...
It was the characterization of Don Vito Corleone that fascinated me the most. When I began reading, I was convinced he was a criminal. By the time I turned the last page, I was More...
Nov 16, 2011
Checkman
rated it:
The proprietor of the used bookstore was very nice. A grandmother, reader and lover of books. We were having a great little chat when I saw the paperback copy of The Godfather . The same edition that sat in my parent's library back during my childhood. I picked up the book. It was in terrific condition for a thirty-nine year old paperback. The price was $1.25. I could afford that. As I placed it on the counter the owner said, "Oh going to read it again?"
"No", I More...
"No", I More...
Sep 30, 2011
Kurt
rated it:
Some years ago I met a writer of sleazy paperback originals in the 50's who told me that The Godfather was his favorite book. I'd read in high school and remembered very little that wasn't in the movie, and liking it for the additional side stories involving Johnny Fontane and Sonny's mistress, Lucy Mancini. But most of my memory had been overshadowed by the movie.
Just this past week, while on a trip to Mexico City, I had the opportunity to read it again. Sure, I knew the story and t More...
Just this past week, while on a trip to Mexico City, I had the opportunity to read it again. Sure, I knew the story and t More...
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(1 person liked it)
Sep 19, 2011
Katie
rated it: 
It was weird reading this having seen the movie a couple times before, because the movie version is SO faithful to the book. Sure, there are a couple subplots (wisely) left out, but all in all I'm not sure I've ever seen a movie represent the book so well. I think it improves the reading of the book too, since the movie is so good.
The writing style is interesting and was a little weird at first... I'm not sure how to describe it--formal? Melodramatic maybe? I got used to it, though. More...
The writing style is interesting and was a little weird at first... I'm not sure how to describe it--formal? Melodramatic maybe? I got used to it, though. More...
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(1 person liked it)
Sep 18, 2011
Gregory
rated it:
This was one of the most fascinating, engrossing, can't-put-it-down page-turner books I've ever read, and it's easy to see why it's been in print constantly since 1969. The insights into to the lives of the mobsters and the descriptions of how their vast empires are constructed and managed were often astounding, and the sex and violence certainly provided plenty of thrills; yet author Mario Puzo never skimped on the intimate human drama either, and he wisely used the Kay character (an outsider w
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Jul 27, 2011
Jen
rated it:
I've never seen the Godfather movies, but after reading this, I plan to watch them as soon as possible. This was an excellent book--incredibly fast-paced yet meaty enough to sink your teeth into it. It's extraordinarily plotted--there are lots of twists and turns but they are subtle enough to be worthwhile, instead of the usual cheap "gotcha!" moments. The way Puzo manipulates language from the opening to get the reader to think in the Sicilian frame of mind and even condone and root
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