More Research

I have posted previous blogs about my favorite book of all time, The Godfather. I expressed my love for it, I found critical reviews of it and disputed them, and I even picked a character from the book to research. Now I set out to find three interesting articles or reviews about the novel. It was somewhat difficult finding them because reviews about the movie dwarf the novel.

Criticism

Kelly, David. The Godfather (Criticism). Notes on Novels. 06 May 2009 http://www.answers.com/topic/the-godfather-criticism

This is an in-depth review of the classic novel. David Kelly talks about how great the book is and goes on to tell how it set sales records and gained popularity. He also says that the novel created the crime novel genre. Kelly says, “This book helped define how the world views organized crime in America, framing the aspects of greed and violence that are inherent in the underworld with an emphasis on family, respect, and honor.”

Short Review

L., Roseanne. The Godfather Review. Matthew’s Branch. 06 May 2009. http://www.plcmc.org/readers_club/reviews/tresults.asp?id=1035

This review of the novel is positive. Roseanne states that it is a “must read.” She also says that this book “remains at the top of its genre.” I completely agree because this bestseller will be enjoyed for many generations to come.

Real World Relations

The Godfather (Novel). 06 May 2009. Amazines.com. https://www.amazines.com/The_Godfather_(novel)_related.html

In this short article, the writer talks about how Mario Puzo got the idea to call Don Vito Corleone, The Godfather. The writer explains that Joe Valachi, a real mafia member that was put on trial, coined the name during his 1963 congressional hearing on organized crime. The writer also explains that many real mafia criminal terms were brought to English such as: consigliere, caporegime, omerta, and whack.

Sum It All Up

To conclude all of my posts about The Godfather, I believe it will always be my favorite book of all time. It was the novel that turned me on to reading. I read it by luck and I am truly glad I did. I have professed my love for it, researched reviews and articles, and everything in between. I really wish there were more articles about the book, but the movie overshadows the book so much. I hope that more people will read the book to help better appreciate the movie. The movie just doesn’t do the book justice.

Love or hate The Godfather

In my first post regarding my love for The Godfather, I only gave my opinion of the novel. I understand that everyone did not enjoy this novel, but I’m certain that many people did. So I set out to find someone who shared my love of the novel- and someone who didn’t.

It was not hard at all to find a fan of the book. A quick Google search located many positive reviews, as it is a timely classic and best seller. I felt that the book had a fantastic story line with many colorful characters. Anupam Purkayastha says “The author has very meticulously interlinked various characters to give the book a wonderful structure.”

Mario Puzo’s unique writing style uses several different stories that branch off from the main idea. He told stories in The Godfather that almost seemed pointless and unrelated. Simmoril had this to say: “One major criticism I had of the book, however, were the plotlines regarding Johnny Fontaine, and Lucy Mancini, and their fit into the overall picture of the book. Johnny’s story, albeit a nice addition, in my opinion didn’t really add anything to the overall plotline.”

I could not disagree more. I feel that the stories Puzo use in The Godfather add so much to the plot. They seem unrelated at the time but they all get tied in later in the novel. I believe that it makes me novel that much better. Mario Puzo has created a fantastic story line that is full of surprises.

I believe that the positive reviews far outweigh the negative ones. I must say that this is a great novel. If the book was so bad then why would it go on the be so successful? It has developed a cult following, numerous awards, an Oscar winning movie, and countless other achievements.

This is a novel that everyone can love.




Works Cited

Purkayastha, Anupam. Review of "The Godfather" by Mario Puzo.The Godfather Book Review. 15 January 2008. Shvoong.com. 17 February 2009. http://www.shvoong.com/books/1746596-godfather/

Simmoril. Book Review: The Godfather. 15 May 2007. Simmoril.com. 17 February 2009. http://www.simmoril.com/blog/?p=243