Israel’s review of The Godfather (The Godfather, #1) > Likes and Comments

I'm guessing I'm a bit older than most of the reviewers here. I was in my early twenties when it came out and it was a national phenomenon. Friends of mine who didn't read books read The Godfather. It swept the country. There was great speculation about who would play Don Corleone and nobody expected Brando to get the part. His portrayal changed the stereotype of the gangster. Before it was more of a Damon Runyon type, ala Nathan Detroit from Guys and Dolls. I am of the opinion that Puzo got much of his ideas about the Five Families from The Vallachi Papers. Joe Vallachi was a hitman turned state's witness and was the first, to my knowledge, to reveal the facts about the Five Families. My only disappointment in the film was that Luca was a minor character. He had a much more terrifying role in the book. It's my five star, gold standard crime novel of all time.

Couldn't agree more! This book indeed is to b cherished :)