1/6/15

A book review on “The Godfather” for Teenink.com

We've all heard stories about Al Capone and the Mafia, but what was the Mafia really like? Were they ruthless criminals? Or were they merely rugged businessmen? In Mario Puzo’s The Godfather we learn about the life of the sicilian mafia in a 1950s New York city.
In the Beginning we meet Don Corleone the head of the Corleone family. He stands as a very powerful man who has ties to many of the thriving industries of New York. He gained his power by helping his friends expecting that they will someday repay their loyal friend if he ever need it. Then we proceed to be introduced to his family which includes Santino Corleone who is the heir to the corleone throne, Michael; a military man who chose to live a life separate from his family, the Don’s wife, and their other children. We are also introduced to Tom Hagen who was adopted by the Don at a young age, he also holds the position of Consigliere to the corleone family. Next we meet Johnny Fontane who is a famous italian singer and actor who also holds secret but very dear ties to the Corleone family. These characters prove very deep and believable. Puzo achieves this level of belief by going deep into their fear and stressors and many other things that show you that no character no matter how powerful is above humanity.
When you hear “Mafia” you most likely think of New York City. This can be a good thing or a bad one. But in the case of The Godfather it works beautifully. New york provides a large and diverse setting in which family wars are waged, enemies are dealt with, and Business continues as usual. This book’s setting was not very important to the plot or story, it could have easily taken place on any east coast city. But New York still provides an excellent setting nonetheless.
In The Godfather there was loads of external conflict varying from whole city-wide wars pitted between rivaling mafia families to attempted assassination. In addition to the mass amount of external conflict there is also a good amount of internal conflict mostly experienced in Michael and Johnny. The amount of internal conflict may surprise some readers due to the book being entirely in the 3rd person narrative. But Puzo still manages to deliver conflict that deepens the characters further than their already extensive depth. In the case of Michael; he questions if the family “business” is the way for him but yet he still wants to impress his father and remain included with his families lives. Though there are strong examples of internal conflict the external easily outweigh them.
The plot of The Godfather was gripping and well thought out. With so many characters there was a riveting event in every chapter. Puzo’s vivid storytelling along with compelling action created a grand concoction for interest. I personally had a very hard time putting this book down. I was constantly wondering what the near future held for the Corleone family. I found Michael’s story to be the most captivating, because he was young and often very unpredictable in his actions. This was also because he had two different stories; the first being his private life which included the military and his relationship with Kay Adams. And the second being his family life which consisted of the family business and the violence, action, and suspense that follows.  
Puzo’s writing style was fluid and complex. At sometimes it was easy to get lost between the diverse and obsolete word choice. Overall I really enjoyed the way he evolved the story. I admired the way he started the novel by introducing three of the Don’s friends and their problems. They later appear to ask the Don for his assistance in turn for their undying friendship.  I appreciated that he left most of the italian words in the book which gave it an authentic sicilian feel. Overall his writing style is very descriptive and inclusive to the reader.
Mario Puzo’s The Godfather is a great novel full of vivid characters, interesting conflicts, and an irresistible plot. It gives great insight on what the mafia was truly like. I would highly recommend this book to anyone over the age of 15 who is interested in crime novels, the film, the mafia, or a classic novel that keeps you enthralled and wanting more. Who were the mafia? were they violent terrorists? or were they businessman? There's only one true way to find out and that's by reading Mario Puzo’s The Godfather.