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The Family Corleone

(Mario Puzo's Mafia)

Edward Falco (Goodreads Author),

Mario Puzo

3.90 · Rating details · 3,139 ratings · 340 reviews

New York, 1933. The city and the nation are in the depths of the Great Depression. The crime families of New York have prospered in this time, but with the coming end of Prohibition, a battle is looming that will determine which organizations will rise and which will face a violent end.
For Vito Corleone, nothing is more important that his family's future. While his ...more

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Hardcover, 437 pages

Published May 8th 2012 by Grand Central Publishing

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· 3,139 ratings · 340 reviews

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Aug 03, 2015 Hasham Rasool rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, edward-falco, favourites, fiction, historical-fiction

'The Family Corleone' was nearly good as 'The Godfather'. Alhamdulillah!

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Feb 28, 2012 Chris rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2012-read-owned, read-owned-hardcover

Madon'!, that was awesome. This book is not your garden variety franchise tie-in. This thing is the genuine article. The story was taken from an actual screenplay set down by Mario Puzo, so we know it has some authenticity. But Falco took it a step further and made one hell of a novel.

This is one of the best 5 books I've read this year, capisc'?

The Godfather is one of my favorite movies and novels of all time. The Godfather Part II is just behind it. This book, this genius of a captivating ...more

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May 08, 2012 Elizabeth B rated it liked it

There many different ways to try and review this novel but I suppose the easiest way is the way that Paramount approached it when they launched the lawsuit against the Puzo estate...either the book will be terrible and a black mark against the Godfather legacy or it's an installment that will do well as another movie in the series and they want to claim their stake in it early so the money will go to them. My take? It falls at neither end of the spectrum people were anticipating.

As a novel, the There many different ways to try and review this novel but I suppose the easiest way is the way that Paramount approached it when they launched the lawsuit against the Puzo estate...either the book will be terrible and a black mark against the Godfather legacy or it's an installment that will do well as another movie in the series and they want to claim their stake in it early so the money will go to them. My take? It falls at neither end of the spectrum people were anticipating.

As a novel, the book is an entertaining read. It has the basic tenets of any mafia story present. It doesn't bother with characterization assumably because readers will already know the characters. And they ARE characters most Godfather fans will know. There is nothing new here. Touted as a "prequel" it's really not. Yes, it gives you some background on Vito but this is more Sonny's story which is unfortunate because most readers (and moviegoers) have found Sonny to be their least favorite character for decades now. Why he was the focus of this novel is questionable both in content and marketability. Vito's story comes out vaguely in bits and pieces, none of which are really unique or individual but merely the same tale always told in the Mafia genre: escape Sicily to make a new life, find American tough so you learn to be tough yourself and dastardly deeds are sure to follow. There is nothing to really demonstrate or explain why Vito became the character readers love so much later on. Sonny is explained in detail but, like many people, I don't care. It's the age old issue of answering questions no one asked.

A bigger issue that hit me personally was the lack of accurate research. The author chooses to bring in real life mobsters which is always a controversial choice. You have to be so amazingly diligent with your research when doing this and in this the author failed. I'm not talking about nit picky things that some will pick up on that I'm sure I missed because I never lived in New York (a few reviewers have mentioned streets that didn't exist at that time period, for example). These are all legitimate concerns with the novel - an author who chooses to make such mistakes can't be relied upon for the remainder of the story. My issue was a much bigger one that even an average reader will likely note: could there be more mentions of Al Capone? I mean, really, this got so tiresome. Vito is in NY and anyone who has done any nonfiction reading on the mafia knows that he would be answering to the likes of Luciano, Lansky and Costello and not Al Capone. Luciano and his family neither feared nor answered to Capone over in Chicago and most legitimate history books of the time will note how he was just a thorn in their side for his constant publicity. Even more damaging is the time period in question. 1934 is a big year for Vito and his family in the book and there are, again, numerous references to Capone coming out from Chicago and putting them in line. Well, even a quick google search will tell you that would simply be impossible. In 1932 Capone had his famous arrest for tax evasion and by 1934 has already been sent to Alcatraz. He wasn't even a blip on the radar anymore so the idea that he would influence any decisions in the NY mafia families borders on ridiculous.

The writing style was another thing that nagged me. It was clearly written with a screenplay in mind and this becomes more and more evident as the novel wears on. The first few chapters are much stronger in style: we are treated to inner thoughts, well written if sparse settings, and just a generally more flowing storyline. By midway, though, it degenerates into almost all dialogue. Even the descriptions of events are very timeline affected: he hits him, he bleeds, they clean their weapons and run away. Screenplay writing...not a novel. Visual yes but not a visual approach in the sense of a novel where we are taken through the tense emotions and regrets (or pleasure) such an event would cause. Will it transfer to the screen? Undoubtedly since it would require little rewriting to make it a screenplay. Does that make it great reading for a novel? Unfortunately, no.

Once I read a few chapters I sat back and realized that I should read this more as just another mafia novel than a novel about the Corleone family. And, as a standard mainstream mafia novel this book does well. Despite it's flaws, it has all the basic tenets the novels in this genre have. It neither stands out from the crowd nor falls below the norm: it's just another average entry into the thousands of similar titles already out there. For many, this is unacceptable. By attaching the Godfather name and its legacy it is expected to rise above the masses and that the pages inside don't meet that expectation will disappoint to many readers.

So, back to Paramount's original worries: will it mar the good name of the Corleone family? No. It doesn't add or subtract anything to the story. It just is sort of...there. Neither good nor bad and kind of irrelevant. Entertaining as a novel, flawed in execution but not nearly bad enough to cause some great harm to the original Godfather. Is it such a resounding success that it deserves a movie that will make Paramount tons of money? No. With the cost of movie making these days, this novel is just not one that will stand the test of time. It lacks the emotional ties that brought the original to life. The writing style would clearly make it easy to adapt to screen but this is not a new story or even a creative retelling of an old one. Again, it's just...there.

So, overall opinion? Enjoy this book as a mafia novel and not a part of the Godfather story you already know. If you can do that, it should be an entertaining read.
...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Harold rated it it was amazing

Shelves: crime-fiction-mystery

I've been trying to be stingy with my 5 star reviews, saving them for something really great like Borges, but less than five for this book wouldn't do it justice. Generally my attitude towards an author continuing the work of an earlier author is somewhat jaundiced. It just ain't nothing like the real thing, baby. Mike Winegardner's Godfather continuation made me cringe and I never read the second one he wrote. No interest whatsoever. Ed Falco, on the other hand, shows a real understanding of ...more

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Dec 01, 2016 Katie Bananas rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: movies-and-tv-series, classics, ebooks, library-rent-outs, audio-books, adult-books, 2016-c2c-challenge, mystery-thriller-horror-suspense

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Madonna!!!!! I'm absolutely speechless!! WOW!!!! This is exceptional!!!

This is everything I wanted to read as an introduction to the Mafia and very well planned murder cases. The writing is extremely compelling and interesting that I read most of the book in the course of only two days. The chapters are well-deservingly long, they describe The Corleone Family and their attachés. It is a full novel, heavy with introductory murders of what's to come in The Godfather, I'm certain.

Ed Palco did an ...more

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May 13, 2012 Gary Schantz rated it it was amazing

This book is spot-on as a prequel to The Godafather. So many characters are coming back to life with each page...you can picture them vividly only younger.

Since its based on a screenplay that Mario Puzo had written, its no wonder the book seems to be a wonderful complement to the original. Not only does this book round out the original story (by filling in the pieces that the film The Godfather Part II did not), it also makes The Godfather's Return and Revenge seem even more awful because the ...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Bogdan Gavriliuc rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

I love the universe painted by Puzo's vision. Even if it romanticizes violence, it shows some interesting relationships. One of my favorite relationships in literature has to be the one between Don Vito and Luca Brasi.

I particularly liked making connections to the Godfather (this being a prequel, it was interesting to see how things got to where they are). I also loved how all of the separate plots come together to culminate for the Corleones. I liked how the don had an internal fight with ...more

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May 22, 2013 Michael Twist rated it it was amazing

I was hesitant to accept the notion of another writer trying to carry on Mario Puzo's work and constantly found myself looking for weakness in Falco's writing, characterization, and flow. This soon proved fruitless, as Falco swept me into his storyline, filling in natural gaps and backstories that remained in Puzo and Coppola's brilliant portrayals of the Corleone family. A true student of the genre, and the Corleones in particular, Falco captures even the minutest of mannerisms and speech ...more

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Jul 04, 2012 J. rated it did not like it

I had picked this book as my first Summer 2012 reading because well..it is The Godfather Saga and it was commissioned by the Puzo family. Big mistake. It was obviously written by an english teacher which is as tedious to read, as listening to a french teacher speaking french. The characters are limp and just silhouettes of the deep, interesting characters that Puzo and then Coppola created for our pleasure. Sonny is a slow witted, aggressive thug who hangs out with Irish punks. Luca is an animal ...more

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Mar 25, 2019 Donna rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

I really enjoyed The Godfather. And while I can say that The Family Corleone isn't that, I still really liked this one. This one had a little different feel to it, but it worked for me. I loved the characters and the details not only regarding family life, but of loyalty and respect, whether it was right or wrong. That was the strongest link between the two books. I enjoyed this one.

I also listened to the audio and I loved the narrator. It was a fun 'listen'. So 4 stars.

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May 18, 2012 Clark Isaacs rated it it was amazing

Mario Puzo wrote “The Godfather” which is a modern classic that sold 21 million copies and evolved into the first two “Godfather” films directed by Francis Ford Coppola. These movies are widely considered two of the best movies of all time.

A prequel is a book, which antedates the original book and brings to life the development of the characters that made up the original story. Ed Falco an award-winning author who has written four story collections and three novels writes “The Family Corleone”. Mario Puzo wrote “The Godfather” which is a modern classic that sold 21 million copies and evolved into the first two “Godfather” films directed by Francis Ford Coppola. These movies are widely considered two of the best movies of all time.

A prequel is a book, which antedates the original book and brings to life the development of the characters that made up the original story. Ed Falco an award-winning author who has written four story collections and three novels writes “The Family Corleone”. He has also penned nine plays in addition to poems, essays and book reviews. He is a professor of English at Virginia Tech where he directed the Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing. This background fully qualifies him to capture the essence of the people who make up this Mafia family and describe their early years.
In 1933, the nation was changing from a prohibition era that created many opportunities for criminals to peddle illegal liquor at a high profit. Changes came to the way they were going to do business and the five Mafia families that controlled New York came to grips with how they would do business in the future. Vito Corleone, the Godfather, was patient in his approach to gaining control of the other families and had the foresight to know that careful planning was necessary to achieve his takeover.

Artists use broad-brush strokes when painting a picture to illustrate they have mastery over the entire canvas. Vito Corleone was not different. He created a scenario of bribery, which included Judges, Councilmen, and even the Mayor of New York. He was able by his illegal and legal profits to obtain favors, which he made available to the other Mafia families, thus he made himself invaluable to them.

During this early origin of the family, the children who will become the main characters of the movies and the book “The Godfather” grow up. Featuring the relationship between Sonny and his father, we see how control of many situations make Sonny a more calculating criminal rather than just being hot tempered. The other children are either too young or are in school getting educated.

Vito Corleone had ambitious dreams for his children, including Sonny, but Sonny at 17 was rambunctious and tried to strike out on his own. He organized his own gang of thugs who robbed another Don and stole his shipment of whiskey. Touching off a skirmish between the two families, Sonny and his gang found they had to stop being independent and come into the fold.

One of the interesting facets of this book is the use of Italian throughout. At first, the reader does not realize what the words mean. Ed Falco has treated us to an Italian language lesson by including a glossary at the back of the book that tells how to pronounce the words and what they mean.

Many of the scenes are not for the squeamish. Depicted in clear language is the gross killing of various characters throughout the book. Remember, these are not your loving and kindly meek people. They are rough and tough from the top, Vito, to the bottom Sonny!

Humor is interspersed along with some love scenes, though these are not that graphic. One funny incident involved a couple of scammers who attempted to outsmart Vito as he was constructing his family’s compound on Long Island. These two men showed up during construction and said they were going to inspect, free, the furnace installation. They proceeded to tear it apart and then tried to charge for reassembly. Vito told them he would send one of his men down to pay them their outrageous sum. Sonny wanted to fight them immediately, but Vito said that he would not have to since when his man got through with them, they would put it together free and apologize for the inconvenience. They did apologize and drove away in their van on three tires since the other one was tireless!

This is an excellent adult book from start to finish and seems to kindle once again how the five families in New York evolved into the Mafia. This is a five star book, which is highly recommended.
...more

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May 30, 2012 Mike rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The Family Corleone by Ed Falco (uncle of Edie Falco) started out as a film script by original "Godfather" author Mario Puzo. But after the disaster that was the third "Godfather" film, I can see why it was never made. Though I would also suspect that this novel is the first step towards getting the prequel film green-lit.

In "The Family Corleone," I see an attempt to go back to the roots of the Corleone saga and build on what people already know and love.

So...if you're a "Godfather" fan, you'll The Family Corleone by Ed Falco (uncle of Edie Falco) started out as a film script by original "Godfather" author Mario Puzo. But after the disaster that was the third "Godfather" film, I can see why it was never made. Though I would also suspect that this novel is the first step towards getting the prequel film green-lit.

In "The Family Corleone," I see an attempt to go back to the roots of the Corleone saga and build on what people already know and love.

So...if you're a "Godfather" fan, you'll probably enjoy this book no matter what.

As I see it, these are the three main points of the book:

1) The story of Luca Brasi.
2) How Sonny Corleone became a gangster.
3) How Vito Corleone and the Corleone family rose to the top.

If any or all of those threads intrigue you, I advise you to check out the book.

Personally, I found Luca Brasi's story more interesting than much of the rest of the book. Luca is no one's idea of a hero, that's for sure. But he dies so early on in the Godfather film and novel, it was always a little hazy why everyone feared him the way they did. We got just a taste of Luca's madness in the first Godfather novel when the death of the infant in the furnace was discussed. Luca and his exploits get a large amount of focus in the first half of the book. Once he joins up with the Corleones, however, the focus is mostly off of him.

The story of how Sonny becomes a gangster is the emotional core of the book. He has a foot in two worlds and must inevitably choose which one he's going to live in. Does he keep pulling heists with his Irish best friend (and keep his affair with the best friend's sister a secret)? Or does he come clean about his criminal ways to his father, join "the family" and marry the nice Italian girl who is in love with him? Anyone who knows the story of "The Godfather" knows what choice Sonny makes.

One of my pet peeves with this book--as a non-Italian reader--were the nearly constant exclamations in Italian (wow...do I wish I knew about the glossary of terms that was there at the back of the book all along). I expected a certain amount of them--as would any Godfather fan--but along the way I felt the author was trying too hard to use these exclamations to set the mood rather than work a little harder on the surrounding characters and plot.

Overall, I found the writing in "The Corleone Family" to be fairly average and not too exciting or noteworthy. If you have the characters in your head already from the films or the other books or novelizations, the author doesn't have to work as hard to explain them to the reader. And he doesn't. Nearly every major and minor character from the novel makes an appearance. Knowing what fate has in store for them--like Paulie Gatto and Lucy Mancini, for example--and seeing them in this novel as children is a bit surreal.

There is tragedy aplenty for all concerned in "The Family Corleone". While the Corleone "family" eventually rises to prominence in this novel, most of the characters you've never heard of before pay for that rise with their blood and pain.

But "The Corleone Family" did hold my attention. And when I was reading it on public transportation, I nearly missed my stop more than once, if that tells you anything. ...more

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Mar 29, 2016 Megan rated it it was ok

Okay, but not great. This is the prequel to "The Godfather," which basically fills out the backstories that are given very short descriptions in the first book: how Vito Corleone and the Corleone family came to power; the war of "10 years ago" as described in the first book; how Sonny came into his father's business; and Luca Brasi's back story.

Apparently Mario Puzo wrote this as a screenplay, which Falco then turned into this novel. The first half of the book definitely reads like a screenplay: ...more

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Feb 22, 2018 Phillip III rated it it was amazing

I wasn't sure what to expect with Edward Falco's The Family Corleone. Thing is, I have watched, and re-watched, and re-watched the trilogy, but have yet to read on of Puzo's novels. Why? No idea.

This, Falco's novel, being a prequel, seemed like a good place to start. It was my oldest son who read it first and handed it off to me. I am thrilled he did. I mean, eh-oh, oh-eh, this is my kind'a story. And I enjoyed every page.

It was cool seeing Sonny as a teenager, and Michael, and Fredo, and even ...more

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May 18, 2016 Frank rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction

This, a prequel, is really a book about ~~James Caan~~ Sonny Corleone and Luca Brasi. There is no build-up of a mythic character like Vito Corleone, as there was in The Godfather. Vito is here, in this book, but if you read this before Godfather, you would not be impressed by him.

Sonny's character doesn't make for much of a story. He is just a hot-headed kid who fearlessly commits thefts and who wants to be part of the family business.

Luca Brasi makes the story interesting because he is so ...more

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Aug 30, 2012 GAL rated it did not like it

Being a tremendous Godfather fan, both the book & movies, I figured this was a no brainier read for me. Almost from the beginning, I regretted starting it. All I kept thinking was that the author was trying too hard. Characters, details, dialog all seems stiff and contrived, almost to the point of boring. It all seemed to be a hopeful set up for a "prequel" movie. At times a hard read, as his style seems choppy at best. The ending fell short and the book was wrapped up almost like a bad ...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Corey Preston rated it did not like it

A handful of nice, satisfying moments, but all are completely derivative of the films, prior novels--to the point where he's describing scenes from the films, shot for shot. Add to that the fact that any actual invention--origins of Luca Brasi, death of Tom's father--is weird and forced, and this is one-star "fan fiction."

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Jul 23, 2014 Michelle rated it did not like it

I began this book loving it. I am a huge Godfather fan. As a Bronx native, I loved the Arthur Ave and (especially) Tremont Ave mentions. However, it was soon apparent that this author has not the smooth storytelling ability of Puzo, and this book shouldn't have been sanctioned as part of the Godfather narrative.

Luca

I was curious at first that Luca Brasi had a personality. The film, of course, portrays him as a dimwit. Then, aha, his constant pill popping results in his brain damage.

Are you ...more

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Sep 26, 2016 Abib Jusufi rated it it was amazing

I am writing this report for Ms. Orona's English IV class. The novel i read this six weeks is “The Family Corleone” by Ed Falco. It includes 431 pages and is published by Grand Central. The Reason i decided to read this book is because i'm fascinated by the era and i particularly picked this one because i love the concept of the Mafia subject and the family whose in it.
The main characters in this novel is Vito Corleone and his sons Sonny and Tom. They’re the main characters in the book because ...more

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Feb 05, 2016 Jevron McCrory rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This really wasn't all that and I'm disappointed.

This read like a Sopranos fan turned loose into the far more subtle and restrained world of the Corleones (a first impression confirmed by the multiple Soprano character surnames that pop up throughout the novel) and while there's bloodshed and Italian idioms aplenty, there's none of Puzo's grandiose elegance, understated sentiment and luxurious prose.

Mario Puzo, Ed Falco is not.

I'd love to know just how much of Puzo's un-produced screenplay ...more

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Jul 02, 2017 Lucas Bellator rated it really liked it

V'fancul!

With that being said, The Family Corleone is a slow starter. The first few chapters take you on a ride into a land of a long time ago, to the Great Depression and Vito Corleone.

I have to say the author managed to reproduce that
vibe: it felt like 1934. A young Sonny racing around doing stuff was amazing. The characters had life on them.

It's not a perfect book, and the edition I read even had some spelling errors. Sometimes a character would be written when he couldn't be. Towards the ...more

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Jul 29, 2013 Dick Reynolds rated it liked it

The entire Corleone Family is here: Don Vito, his children Sonny, Michael, Fredo, Connie and adopted son, Tom Hagen. We also have the fearful Luca Brasi, Clemenza, Barzini, and a host of other "businessmen" who are trying to muscle in on the Don's turf, lurking in the shadows.
I'm giving up on this one after about 70 pages because it reads like a screenplay. Well, it should because the movie which I saw recently is so much like the book that there are no surprises. I'm giving it the benefit of ...more

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May 15, 2012 Cheryl rated it it was amazing

For anyone who loves reading about the Great Depression and has absorbed the stories of the Mafia, this book is the background of the Corleone crime family. From the hills of Sicily to the boroughs of the City of Immigrants during the 1920's and 30's, the Corleone family came into rule by outwitting the other families and becoming the strongest of 'the five families'. Page-turning historical (not quite reality) reading for those fascinated by the domination of those really in power, politically ...more

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May 01, 2013 Nathaniel Rayestu rated it it was amazing

As a prequel to the Godfather, The Family Corleone really did Mario Puzo justice. It is a story about family as much as it is about crime or the Mafia. Tells the story about the young Santino, the early life of Luca Brasi, the Mafia War and all that. I enjoyed reading this just as much as I did the original novel and Puzo's quasi-sequel The Sicilian. This book is a must read for all Godfather fans.

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May 06, 2012 David rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio

Godfather fans - this is a must-read book! Takes place in the early '30s and describes how Don Corleone becomes the most powerful of the NY five families. Sonny is 18 years old, Michael is a boy and the Don schemes on behalf of his family and to expand his business. Based on a Mario Puzo screenplay, this fits between the DeNiro years and Godfather 1. The audio book is phenomenal as the reader really gets the voices right: Brando, James Caan, etc. Now to watch the movies - again!

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May 29, 2018 Ritvij Tiwari rated it liked it

Uh... I really wanted to love this book, but... it's bad. Puzo is hard to imitate. #Meh

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Aug 19, 2017 Daniel rated it liked it

Interesting, but falls far short of the Puzo novel.

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Feb 18, 2012 Dave Harrison rated it it was ok

Like any guy, I'm a big Godfather fan. I've never read any of Puzo's books, though, so I was really interested when I heard that Falco was writing a prequel based on a screenplay Puzo had written.

I found the book to be lacking, however - it's not the author's fault, really. It's just strange to follow the Corleones in text. It took some getting used to -imagine the scene in Godfather 2 when Michael sits alone in the boathouse, silently brooding on the order he gave regarding his brother Fredo. ...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Stephen rated it really liked it

Shelves: thriller, crime

Last week a new novel caught my eye: The Family Corleone, by Ed Falco. A prequel to The Godfather, the famed novel by Mario Puzo, it proved a worthy tribute. The novel begins in 1933, with the Corleone family active and robust, but not impressive compared to the increasingly powerful Mariposa family. While Don Coreleone attempts to preserve his organization's future against the ambitions of Mariposa -- a feat not made easy by the fact that someone keeps raiding Mariposa's liquor trucks, and he's ...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Kevin Sheives rated it really liked it

I loved hearing the back stories of characters that died off early in The Godfather trilogy, most surprising of all was Luca Brasi. You almost feel pity for the Frankenstein of a gangster, a self-defined monster whom probably never had any other choice in life than to be a gangster. It's odd, but still accurate, to see Vito be so talkative in the book. It hid intellect and planning is depicted in a way the films never could. At 17 in the book, Santino seems a little too competent. I waited for ...more

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Quotes from The Family Corleone

“It is my greatest wish to be thought of as a godfather, a man whose duty it is to do my friends any service, to help my friends out of any trouble- with advice, with money, with my own strength in men and influence- To everyone at this table, I say your enemies are my enemies, and your friends are my friends.” — 4 likes

“Boys. It’s late. If you’re not gonna kill me, what do you want?” — 2 likes

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