The Godfather
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A few lessons learnt from Godfather
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Glorious wrap-up. It's interesting in books like the Godfather than the criminals have a strong moral sense of code/honor which makes sense and works
Hey! Whatsa matta with you? Never let a book person know what you're thinking. And never side with anyone against the Family again...
Earn Friends and relations....Money and power may come and go.......But good relations remains forever in all good and bad.
Sonal wrote: "Earn Friends and relations....Money and power may come and go.......But good relations remains forever in all good and bad."And when your relations betray you...kill them.
I'm looking at you Fredo...
Old-Barbarossa wrote: "Sonal wrote: "Earn Friends and relations....Money and power may come and go.......But good relations remains forever in all good and bad."And when your relations betray you...kill them.
I'm looki..."
It is up to every individual what he/she take out of the book . But I must agree with what u wrote... we do kill the relations which does not work well, not literally but some way or the other. However, as one does not stop making money with the fear of losing it..same way nothing bad in making good relations just because of the fear of getting betrayed.
Thank you for the attention....
I will make him an offer he cannot refuse..
Watson wrote, "In today’s world, where bribery is so rampant, these kind of underworld should also exists. The book showed us, especially young people, how to survive in such a society. After all, reason with people and make more friends are the golden rules. Cause not so many people could die with the utter “Life is so beautiful!” Not even the old cunning Consigliere." As I read this novel. I thought of my Italian childhood. The bond in our neighborhood was strong. People looked out for one another. It was safe to walk out at night. There were hits, however, we knew the dead had gone against the rules. It was a society that could be trusted. I understand why Don Corleone and Michael wanted their kids to be out of that world, but the connections the Don's made would always provide safekeeping even if the kids became a lawyer, doctor, or senator. You are never really out of it. Ah, the good old days.
I read the novel in 1974 after I saw the movie. (hope I got the timing right) It was an eye-opener. I began to see that there were other cultures/peoples who had different social rules than my family did. Definitely I wouldn't shoot my own brother in the head for crossing me on a business deal. Morris
Neither would I, however, the italian definition of family includes anyone who strengthens the family unit, blood related or not. No one that attempts to break down or bring harm to the family unit is tolerated. A family member can turn enemy.
What I liked about The Godfather was it's blunt in your face revealing of organized crime. The fact that it showed that, like in any business, there are some good and bad apples when it came to personal demeanor. It also showed that when tested through fire, some of us come out on the other end stronger than ever. It was the book and the movie that turned my love towards 'bad guys,' especially those with a heart beat. It's the reason I write about bad guys, the mafia, organized crime. The only difference is my series focus on multiple mafias, especially the Albanian mob. Te dua to all my Albans on Goodreads. This book is one of my all-time favorites. I have the collection in printed books and on DVD. It's a classic that will never die. Oh, and by the way, the Godfather trilogy was one of the only books made into movies where Hollywood actually stuck to the contents of the book the most!!
In the book Shantaram the Indian mafia don explains his various businesses as being a response to a government's "greed and control". The government has currenciy controls, so he runs a profitable black market exchange. The government limits gold imports so he makes money from smuggling. Governments limit asylum-seeking immigrants so he has a business of supplying fake passports. Drugs and protitution follow the same pattern.
SDHGvfc,hsdghjrvbegr
What I learned from the Godfather:Smoking and drinking will not kill you, but smoking and drinking every day for years will kill you.
Never ride in elevators.
Always have your wife start your car.
P.J. wrote: Never ride in elevators.
Funny, but there's no reference to elevators in the book.
P.J. wrote: "What I learned from the Godfather:Smoking and drinking will not kill you, but smoking and drinking every day for years will kill you.
Never ride in elevators.
Always have your wife start your car."
Too funny, P.J., in regards to the wife starting the car.
always take the cannoli...
Taryn wrote: "always take the cannoli...""Take the cannoli" was ad libbed in the film.
Sometimes the person closest to you is the one who'll whack you.
Shelley wrote: "P.J. wrote: "What I learned from the Godfather:Smoking and drinking will not kill you, but smoking and drinking every day for years will kill you.
Never ride in elevators.
Always have your wife..."
I was thinking of that book THE GANG THAT COULDN'T SHOOT STRAIGHT by Jimmy Breslin. It was based on real events, but it was also kind of a spoof of THE GODFATHER, which are books and movies I dearly love. The one gangster would make his wife start his car every morning while he hid with his fingers in his ears. I try to quote The Godfather movies every day, with double points for The Godfather III.
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Mike, who went against Don's will, fighted for those "strangers", which thought by Don, in WWII. After that, he went to Dartmouth, away from his family in NYC, and had an Yankee girl instead of a Sicily one. It seems Mike chose a path as a good Yankee guy. Until he found the Old Don was left alone and was clearly set up in the hospital late in the night, after he had sex with his girl.
From a guy just wanted to stick along with his Yankee girl (lied to his family that he was out of town, just to spend one more romantic night with his girl; claimed to see old Don in the hospital just because that's the only way to escape from the mall and reunion, again, with his girl) to a guy killed the Turk and Police captain, for his family instead of his smashed and disfigured face. And eventually to became the new Don--Mike the Don, respected and feared by his caporeigimes and other Families all over the States as well.
But what changed Mike?
Undoubtedly, it was the blood flows in Mike's vein. It was, if not, his one and only destiny. As godfather always mentioned "A man has only one destiny." Mike could not let Sollozzo, the Turk, have another crack at the old man, and the Corleone Family as well. While no one in the family could face up to the throat-cutting challenge. Sonny, a hot tempered and imprudent tough guy, failed to be a qualified Don. Fredo, so shocked by witnessing his father to be shoot, turned out to be a lady's man. Tom, the only equally cunning guy to Mike, unfortunately and unfairly was not trusted enough just because he doesn't possess the Sicilian blood.
Mike, on the other hand, is a perfect inherent to the Old Don, although doubted at first by his fellow men, and even betrayed by Tessio, his beliked caporegime. "Revenge is a dish best severd cold." That's why Mike bid his time and gave an all-out lighting war (or Blitzkrieg) against every single enemy at one single night. From Fabrizzio, who betrayed Mike and caused the death of his first Sicilian wife, to the two big Families, who waged the war against the Corleone Family.
Ironically, the reason why Mike could accomplish such a feat without being scared of a new wave of revenge and lawsuit was because of the political influence.
“But my father was the only one who understood that political connections and power are worth ten regimes.”
They, the Corleone Family, actually had more faith in the world than the underworld. Although in the very beginning when the old Don started his biz, he gave no damn to the law. He killed the bully after figuring out he has no true influence.
“Michael Corleone understood for the first time why men like his father chose to become thieves and murderers rather than members of the legal society. The poverty and fear and degradation were too awful to be acceptable to any man of spirit. And in America some emigrating Sicilians had assumed there would be an equally cruel authority.”
If the government says yes to gamble, prostitute or even some kinds of drugs? Then, what’s the purpose for the existence of these Families? That’s why they want their progeny to have a decent job instead of being a mafia.
In today’s world, where bribery is so rampant, these kind of underworld should also exists. The book showed us, especially young people, how to survive in such a society. After all, reason with people and make more friends are the golden rules. Cause not so many people could die with the utter “Life is so beautiful!” Not even the old cunning Consigliere.