Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

El Padrino by Mario Puzo

5 reviews

craftyfairy's review against another edition

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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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syrah78's review against another edition

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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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talia1353's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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tiernanhunter's review against another edition

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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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jessgreads's review against another edition

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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."


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