Reviews tagging 'Antisemitism'

El Padrino by Mario Puzo

8 reviews

craftyfairy's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.0

So many thoughts about this one ranging from critique of prose style, character work, plot arcs, and just general social commentary... suffice to say, the book is by far worse than the movie. And I haven't even seen the movie. 
The prose is pulpy at best. Very typical of books in this time I feel, but I don't think that's an excuse. Surely not an excuse for making the book as long as it was. Took me the same amount of time to read this as any graham Greene book from the same time, and I know Mr Greene wouldn't be caught dead describing olive oil as "olive-colored oil".
Characters were unlovable but also not very fascinating. I wanted the book to be about our main character Don Vito Corleone, and yet it took a couple hundred pages to even hear a bit of backstory. When

don corelone was incapacitated and unable to take charge

the other characters were making decisions and it was about

how they would take revenge/solve this conflict

and yet I just didn't care about the other characters or why they did what they did. Boring.
The author has a terrible habit of jumping forward to an upsetting or surprising event, then working backwards to show how it happened. Sometimes he wouldn't even show what happened, just intimating that something bad HAD happened. Very soap opera esque, and also tiresome. I found myself wishing he would just tell the story plainly without trying so hard. Ending was shit, although I could see that coming.

the end is hyped for multiple chapters - oh what will happen?? What will michael do?? Kill people, obviously. How stupid. Who will he kill? Ah perhaps the people who wronger him.

Of course, as to be expected, the author has written this book to include a substantial amount of bigotry of all kinds, across gender and sex, race, religion, and even to gingers. Is this a reflection of how mafiosos would genuinely feel and behave at this time period? Maybe, but in some spots the bigotry seems so vivid and gratuitous, it is as if the author revels in it. Particularly, Puzo spends a lot of time describing domestic violence against women, body/sex shaming of women, assault of women, and any degrading descriptions of sex worker women imaginable. In one memorable scene, Puzo describes a labiaplasty of a girl who is unwanted by most men because she has what is clinically described by the doctor character as "having a big box". Her surgery story is told exclusively from his perspective as he is her boyfriend and crafts the perfect experience for himself with her body. And what does this all have to do with Mafia????? These are acquaintances of side characters for God sake. 
I don't know how to conclude this review but I fear I have already written more than it deserves.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Classism

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

soph_mills's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

kerrence30's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Alcoholism and Medical content

Minor: Antisemitism

kate_has_book_thoughts's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Antisemitism, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

Minor: Ableism, Child abuse, Cursing, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, War, and Deportation

tiernanhunter's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and War

Minor: Cancer, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, and Vomit

ressicajicks's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Antisemitism

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

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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