Reviews tagging 'Gore'

El Padrino by Mario Puzo

9 reviews

jpolito's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, and Abortion

syrah78's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I had a shorter time frame to read this than I would have liked and I have already seen the movie which didn't help because I knew everything that was going to happen. I didn't always appreciate the amount of detail that went into each character, but it was nice in terms of their lack of appearance in the movie. I didn't love the book by any means, it was very anti-women and quite racist. However, for a piece of it's time after reading the afterward, I can see why it is so famous. It is a society within our society and while it is fiction it partly comes from truth and could potentially truly happen. I feel like it gives the reader a lot to think about especially in terms of ethics. The great Don was like a more criminal robin hood. I really enjoyed the ending of this book. I think that it truly shows how the Don may have control over almost anything except one of the most sacred things - his soul - which it is questionable if it is still redeemable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

I had a shorter time frame to read this than I would have liked and I have already seen the movie which didn't help because I knew everything that was going to happen. I didn't always appreciate the amount of detail that went into each character, but it was nice in terms of their lack of appearance in the movie. I didn't love the book by any means, it was very anti-women and quite racist. However, for a piece of it's time after reading the afterward, I can see why it is so famous. It is a society within our society and while it is fiction it partly comes from truth and could potentially truly happen. I feel like it gives the reader a lot to think about especially in terms of ethics. The great Don was like a more criminal robin hood. I really enjoyed the ending of this book. I think that it truly shows how the Don may have control over almost anything except one of the most sacred things - his soul - which it is questionable if it is still redeemable.

greenan26's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Cursing, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, and Death of parent

Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, Kidnapping, and Abortion

shadannn's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, and Grief

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

thecriticalreader's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Synopsis:

The Corleone Family is one of the most powerful Mafia families in New York, headed by the powerful Don Corleone, also known as the Godfather. When Don Corleone’s power is threatened by rival mafia families, he and his family must use all of the resources at their disposal to reclaim their position. 

 

Review:

 

Of course, most people know The Godfather as the classic 1972 film by Francis Ford Coppola but not everyone might know that the movie is based on the 1969 book of the same name by Mario Puzo. I started reading the book with a bit of skepticism. I am not someone who believes that the book is always better than the movie, and as a fan of the film, I was not sure that the book would live up to Coppola’s masterpiece. Fortunately, Puzo’s novel is entertaining and captivating source material.

 

One thing Puzo excels at is drawing the reader into the world of the Mafia and making the Corleone come alive. Don Corleone and his family commit countless heinous acts, but Puzo writes them in a way that compels the reader to root for them on some level. They are admirable, sympathetic, impressive, greedy, cruel, pitiful, honorable, terrifying, and deplorable: somehow, in Puzo’s story, these qualities co-exist rather than clash, resulting in a psychologically fascinating and entertaining story. 

 

The Godfather contains many instances of extreme misogyny and sexism. On the one hand, Puzo seems to adjust the level of sexism and objectification depending on each character’s point of view, suggesting that these deplorable perspectives belong to his characters rather than himself. On the other hand, one can detect a strong undercurrent of the male gaze that pervades the novel that threatens to tip the scale from “a story about sexist characters” to “a sexist story.” Similarly, some of the racist views expressed seem congruous with the characters who espouse them, but Puzo’s choice to include them is slightly distasteful since they are unnecessary for the story’s development. 

 

I did not find that my love for the movie prevented me from enjoying the book. The book encompasses a much wider cast of characters and perspectives than the movie, which remains tightly focused on the story of Michael Corleone’s role in the family dynamic. Puzo spends time exploring the lives of many people connected to the Corleone family, from the Don himself to the people who come to him for favors. All of these stories are well told and entertaining, although at times Puzo strays so much from the central story that it becomes slightly bizarre (anyone who has read the book will have surely puzzled over the part about Lucy Mancini’s surgical procedure). The book in no way detracts from the movie, and the movie does not detract from the book: on the contrary, they complement each other nicely. One does not need to read the book to appreciate the movie or vice versa.

 

The Godfather takes place in the years immediately following World War II, but it was a highly relevant story in 1969. The Mafia remained a powerful presence in the United States, especially in New York City, and newspapers reported frequently on their crimes. Trials of Mafia bosses were of particular interest. The Godfather played into this public fascination, and in doing so catapulted the story of the fictional Corleone family into the fabric of the national culture.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

mylargirl's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This book's enduring popularity is due entirely to the films. It is an example of when a work of cinema far exceeds the quality of its source material. Having said that, it's a fun work of pulp fiction and I loved it as a kid for the racy bits and violence. I read it far too young! I would not reread it or recommend it to anyone who didn't have a particular taste for seedy, extremely violent pulp gangster fiction. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Mass/school shootings, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual violence

This is a 1970s pulp gangster novel. Expect every single trigger warning imaginable, including a few you didn't necessarily expect! Proceed at your own risk.

saskia6's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? No

4.5

the parts about johnny were pretty irrelevant, but i did like the way they broke it up

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, Grief, and Alcohol

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Abortion, and Murder

Minor: Racism

bendersreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Gun violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Gore

Minor: Domestic abuse