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levelyn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is my favorite book ever, and I don't say that lightly. Highly recommend if you like intricate plot, lots of interesting characters, and a nice dose of suspense
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Abortion, and Murder
Minor: Racism
emilyharmonica's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, and Medical content
Minor: Abortion
jessgreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Title: The Godfather
Author: Mario Puzo
Genre: Fiction / Crime Fiction
Setting: NYC, NY / Las Vegas, NV / Sicily, Italy / Los Angeles, CA
Month Read: February 2022
Book Type: Paperback (50th Anniversary Edition)
Publication: 1969
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 435
*A PBS Great American Read book.
TRIGGER WARNING-
Abuse / Murder / Drugs / Abortion / Sex / Rape / Alcohol (these are the big ones)
"You cannot say 'no' to the people you love, not often. That's the secret. And then when you do, it has to sound like a 'yes'. Or you have to make them say 'no.' You have to take time and trouble."
No Spoiler Summary:
The Godfather is a book about a mafia crime family in New York, and brings you straight into the criminal heart of New York City in the 1940s. You learn about everyone in the Corleone family, as well as a motley crew of side characters who work for and against The Don.
Review:
I'm not one who generally reads a lot of 'crime fiction', but this book was incredibly hard to put down. I thought the characters were interesting, and the entire book kept you just knowing enough where you wanted to read more to know where the story went next. I loved that you got into the heads of so many different characters, and was actually surprised by how many women you got to know during the story (since this book is super patriarchal, because 1940's Italians.
I've never seen the movie (much like with Gone With the Wind) so again went into this novel knowing a few parts that have invaded pop culture, but not much else, and I think this was so helpful. I gave myself the entire month of February to read this book, and then finished it in a week.
I went into this assuming I wouldn't have a favorite character, but as the book went on I really fell for Michael, much like everyone else in the book seems to. I think his character arc was so interesting, and honestly follows in his father's footsteps more than anyone seems to know (including Michael, and maybe even his Dad.)
I'd highly recommend giving this a read, even if you think it's not your thing. The entire book reads like a movie, and now I'm really excited to watch it. It'll be really nice putting faces to names, because with a cast as large as this book had, I did get lost a few times trying to figure out who everyone was. I really enjoyed myself for this one, and am hoping this trend continues with the classics I have to read this year to work on the Great American Read PBS list.
"He should be careful. It's dangerous to be an honest man."
See more reviews at: https://jessgreads.wixsite.com
See more reviews at: https://jessgreads.wixsite.com
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
Minor: Sexism, Antisemitism, and Sexual harassment
mondovertigo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Body shaming, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Excrement, and Abortion
elizabeth_lepore's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, and Police brutality
Minor: Abortion
bookishnina's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Abortion
tendertorn's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
One of the most powerful things about this novel, for me, is the way that the prose is so utilitarian (and oftentimes, even ugly), but the story itself is so beautiful complex. It's a really stark example of the age-old "show, don't tell" concept: things aren't told to you overtly, they're shown to you in the actions and inner worlds of each character and how they evolve over time.
There was a review of the book, years ago, that mentioned how a lot of men write books that are intended to be about the human condition, but end up just being about men, entirely by accident. The Godfather, by contrast, is a book that reads as intentionally, and brutally, about men, and masculinity, and the sort of violent hypermasculinity that simultaneously empowers men and destroys them.
The Godfather presents a world in which a marginalized community is pushed to the outskirts of society, exploited and degraded by those with more social power than themselves, and the things they do in order to gain some power of their own. Denied dignity, denied justice — and, most importantly to the story, denied their masculinity — the characters of The Godfather do whatever it takes to build and demand the masculinity and dignity and social power they're denied — often with bloody, ruthless results.
This is a very violent, very ugly story, but it's also, undeniably, a very tragic one — anyone who treats this story like a power fantasy is missing the point. Michael's "rise" as the Don of the Corleone crime family is also his descent.
When we first meet him, Michael is a kind, seemingly gentle man, with a loving, respectful relationship with his soon-to-be wife (although he possesses no social power, and is often regarded as emasculate by his family). As Michael wades deeper and deeper into the "family business," however, and becomes more and more aware of his Sicilian heritage and all the violent, bloody baggage that comes with it, we see him slowly garner more and more power in the underworld, all while becoming a more violent and brutal version of himself in an attempt to garner legitimacy as his father's successor.
It's devastating, and while we, as readers, revel in the triumph of Michael's intricately plotted ascension, we're also constantly reminded of the misery and violence it brings. Every moment of pain and loss in the book is brought on by someone's grab for power, and this is driven home again and again.
While I felt like some of the themes could have been handled better, particularly involving the women in the story, The Godfather is ultimately a book that I find extremely powerful, if for nothing more than exhibiting the ways that lush, illustrious prose are not everything when it comes to telling a gut-wrenching story.
There was a review of the book, years ago, that mentioned how a lot of men write books that are intended to be about the human condition, but end up just being about men, entirely by accident. The Godfather, by contrast, is a book that reads as intentionally, and brutally, about men, and masculinity, and the sort of violent hypermasculinity that simultaneously empowers men and destroys them.
The Godfather presents a world in which a marginalized community is pushed to the outskirts of society, exploited and degraded by those with more social power than themselves, and the things they do in order to gain some power of their own. Denied dignity, denied justice — and, most importantly to the story, denied their masculinity — the characters of The Godfather do whatever it takes to build and demand the masculinity and dignity and social power they're denied — often with bloody, ruthless results.
This is a very violent, very ugly story, but it's also, undeniably, a very tragic one — anyone who treats this story like a power fantasy is missing the point. Michael's "rise" as the Don of the Corleone crime family is also his descent.
When we first meet him, Michael is a kind, seemingly gentle man, with a loving, respectful relationship with his soon-to-be wife (although he possesses no social power, and is often regarded as emasculate by his family). As Michael wades deeper and deeper into the "family business," however, and becomes more and more aware of his Sicilian heritage and all the violent, bloody baggage that comes with it, we see him slowly garner more and more power in the underworld, all while becoming a more violent and brutal version of himself in an attempt to garner legitimacy as his father's successor.
It's devastating, and while we, as readers, revel in the triumph of Michael's intricately plotted ascension, we're also constantly reminded of the misery and violence it brings. Every moment of pain and loss in the book is brought on by someone's grab for power, and this is driven home again and again.
While I felt like some of the themes could have been handled better, particularly involving the women in the story, The Godfather is ultimately a book that I find extremely powerful, if for nothing more than exhibiting the ways that lush, illustrious prose are not everything when it comes to telling a gut-wrenching story.
QUOTES:
“Tom, don’t let anybody kid you. It’s all personal, every bit of business. Every piece of shit every man has to eat every day of his life is personal. They call it business. OK. But it’s personal as hell."
"Carlo had the sense to realize that Sonny would kill him, that Sonny was a man who could, with the naturalness of an animal, kill another man, while he himself would have to call up all his courage, all his will, to commit murder. It never occurred to Carlo that, because of this, he was a better man than Sonny Corleone, if such terms could be used; instead, he envied Sonny his awesome savagery."
"He doesn’t accept the rules of the society we live in because those rules would have condemned him to a life not suitable to a man like himself, a man of extraordinary force and character... He refuses to live by rules set up by others, rules which condemn him to a defeated life.... But his ultimate aim is to enter that society with a certain power, since society doesn’t really protect its members who do not have their own individual power."
"I know Michael can’t, but you’re not Sicilian: you can tell a woman the truth, you can treat her like an equal, a fellow human being.”
"She emptied her mind of all thought of herself, of her children, of all anger, of all rebellion, of all questions. Then, with a profound and deeply willed desire to believe, to be heard, as she had done every day since the murder of Carlo Rizzi, she said the necessary prayers for the soul of Michael Corleone."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia
A lot of the more overt misogyny is something that's directly and thematically relevant to the book, as one of the book's major themes is the relationship between power, violence, and masculinity. For that reason, some of the more jarring examples of misogyny in the book, for me, read as intentionally jarring and serve the purpose of illustrating the domineering oppression of the strict, violent masculinity that permeates the Corleone's world.
What was more jarring for me, on the sexism front, was the way that sex is written in the book (some of which read as intentional, and some of which just read as sexist), and also the way that Constanzia Corleone's domestic abuse is handled. I would've liked to see Connie's storyline, in particular, fleshed out a lot more. I understand what it was trying to do, but I don't like the way it was handled.
Additionally, there were two instances of pretty stark anti-black racism portrayed in the novel, as well as two or three instances of violent anti-Irish sentiment (including one of the most harrowing portrayals of violence in the novel). Both served a narrative purpose, I think, in illustrating the ways that the Sicilian mafia in America was negotiating their own power in negative relationship to other marginalized groups that they saw as competitors, but they're something to be aware of, along with the novel's handling of misogyny.