The Guardian has listed The Godfather as the third in its top-10 mafia books as of 2015.
Roberto Dainotto, The Guardian, July 01, 2015.
The Godfather is a crime novel by the veteran writer Mario Puzo, who undertook to delineate the Italian-American mafia world, sketching fictional yet larger-than-life lead and subordinate characters. The book was originally published in 1969 by G. P. Putnam Sons, followed by a successful motion-picture film adaptation by Hollywood in 1972.
Summary
The Godfather’s main plot begins with Don Vito Corleone’s majestic and influential presence in running his huge mafia empire in New York. The plot reveals in no time the cold and silent bond between Don Corleone and his youngest but the brightest son, Michael Corleone. As a war hero in the Second World War, Michael refused to be a part of his vehement father’s business. Don Corleone is tensed and upset about Michael’s aspiration of being a nice and honest civilian, whereas honesty seems to be a careless luxury at that time.
Nonetheless, Michael finds himself unwillingly involved in the family business through an unfortunate assassination attempt on Don Corleone by one of his five rival mafia families of New York. Michael proposes his plan to kill the narcotic dealer Sollozzo, the one who attempted capriciously on his father’s life, along with Sollozzo’s allegiance, the bribed NY police captain Mccluskey. Michale’s hothead yet loving elder brother Santino Corleone and adopted brother Tom Hagen, the family consigliere, though rejecting initially, approve of Michael’s plan. Michael shoots down both Sollozzo and McCluskey and is deported to Sicily, his forefathers’ home, under a local don’s shelter, leaving behind his family and his love of life, Kay Adams. As he does, the great civil war between the Corleone and the other five mafia families melts down the NY city, perforating each families’ manpower and resources relentlessly.
The story then goes on to show Don Corleone’s return home from the hospital, Santino’s brutal assassination, Michael’s pondering over his father’s struggle for survival in Sicily, and becoming the godfather he is today, and eventually, Michael’s acceptance being his father’s son. The Godfather’s true heir.
Michael marries Kay Adams after his return to NY and claims the awaited throne with his father’s full support and guidance, taking out the traitors of the family and finally apprehending their rivals. Although Michael rises cunningly and mercilessly on the zenith of the NY mafia operation, Don Vito Corleone’s sudden demise and his sister Connie Corleone’s confrontation about killing her traitor husband Carlo leaves him to offset.
However, no matter how undetermined and uncertain his life’s endeavor had been, ‘like a thrown pebble,’ as he thinks of himself during his hiding in Sicily, Michael takes an oath to protect his family, his associates, and those who’re in need of his deliverance within his circle and in the larger society at all cost— like a watchful guide and benefactor, like a godfather.
An Evaluation of The Godfather Novel
An evaluation of The Godfather would be a daunting task due to the novel’s larger-than-life mafia plot, believable characters, and brilliant storytelling by Mario Puzo from beginning to end. However, one may never feel tired of repeatedly picking this all-time masterpiece up, race it through the pages, and make a fresh evaluation out of it.
The Godfather, to date, poses to be one of the most precious crime novels, depicting the infamous Italian-American mafia world in a microscopic view. Mario Puzo had penned down all his critical and fictional mastery onto its storytelling while developing its plot and characters in stunning details.
No wonder The Godfather held onto the New York bestseller’s list for sixty-seven weeks straight upon being published in 1969.
Let’s evaluate various aspects of the book that keep us intrigued throughout the storyline, and its high and low.
Don Vito Corleone, The Godfather’s Principle of Justice
At the beginning of the story in Book 1, we find Don Vito Corleone, a loving father who happily participates in his only daughter’s wedding ceremony while greeting the guests with his warm personality. The same person shows another side of the Corleone, much duskier and intimidating, during his relentless taunting to his old friend Amerigo Bonasera, who pleads with Don Corleone to kill his daughter’s young violent abusers.
Later though, Don Corleone allows himself to empathize with his old friend and arranges a vengeful beating for the spoiled youngsters, but rejecting any mortal hit. Here, Don Vito justifies his judgment by reminding Bonasera that his daughter was all scarred, deformed, and mortified, anything after that unfortunate event but dead.
Hence, we discover in no time that Don Vito Corleone might be a powerful, cold, steady, cunning, and necessarily merciless godfather, but he wasn’t a small-time gangster who killed for money in cold blood.
Transformation of Don Corleone from A Gentle to A Lethal Character
In Book 3, Mario Puzo projects a young Vito Corleone in his teens, who escapes a surefire fatal threat from the Sicilian don who shot his father to death, migrates to America more than a decade before the First World War. Vito settles his life by marrying a Sicilian young girl, living as a tenant in America within an immigrant Sicilian community in Hell’s Kitchen.
The author depicts masterfully how a responsible and non-reactive family man transforms into a still, unnerving, and daring young man who plans to kill Don Fanucci, an overrated goon in the neighborhood. We realize how unemployment, hunger, and fear of extinction compels a young Vito Corleone to pave his way to be the respectful and dreaded Don in New York.
Don Corleone’s Contra-Character As A Mafia Mastermind And A Loving Father
Don Vito Corleone hardly loses his nerve and cools at the face of a new challenge, opportunity, or even a stroke of misfortune. He even keeps calm when someone abuses his sweetness, silence, and sublime way of running things, unlike his contemporary rival mafia dons or big-shot gangsters. He never gives up when someone refuses his propositions.
He used to make a statement oft-repeatedly,
“I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
Don Corleone, The Godfather.
The above line from Don Corleone has been etched in American literature and even in movie culture in the last five decades.
Conversely, when something worse happens to his family, it shakes him even momentarily. Puzo reflects Don’s complaining but silent gesture when he learns that Michael killed Sollozzo and Mccluskey, letting us realize that it was short-term merit as a move in crisis.
Or, on another occasion, we find Don Corleone rattled upon hearing the shocking news of Santino Corleone’s brutal assassination by his rival.
However, his dwelling in sentiment is brief as he comes up with the necessary measures to tackle such crises in the very next moment. Like upon learning the fact that Santino, aka, Sonny has been killed, he instructs Tom Hagen to arrange the funeral, pause the family business, and set a meeting immediately with the rival families for peace-making.
A Subtle But Intense Bond between Don Vito Corleone and Michael Corleone
Mario Puzo showed how beautifully a silent but intense intimacy weaved its way between the father and son, precisely, Vito Corleone and Michael Corleone, through a series of tragic events.
The mob attack on Don Corleone and his consequent immobility for a period, Michael’s unwilling involvement in the family business and his detachment from his father for 2 years in Sicily, Santino’s death, and Corleone family’s ongoing struggle with the rival families; all these tragedies were as if ironically bringing Michael closer to his family, especially his father more than ever before.
We scarcely find Don Vito or Michael being expressive about their affection for each other, but it shows throughout the story in their vibes, subtle reactions, and commitment to the family preservation.
This way, we see Michael Corleone’s characteristics and wit, just like his father, help him take over his father’s reign and put the old Don Vito Corleone in peaceful retirement.
Michael Outweighs His Elder Brothers in Inherent Intellect
Mario Puzzo didn’t shy away to pinpoint Michael’s intellectual superiority over his two elder brothers, Santino and Freddo.
Santino was a short-tempered man who often misplaced his wit with impulse. And Freddo was never the family man, meaning he was a good soul but too weak to handle the family business properly.
On the other hand, Michael possessed the armor of resilience, a much controlled and admiring persona about himself, and an inherent all-out brilliance for making witty and critical moves in the business like his father Don Vito.
Don Michael Corleone Being Partially Indifferent to His Reign and Success
A part of Michael Corleone remains unmoved and rigid even after attaining his ambitious goals of coming out with his family triumphant, beating each rival family in New York, subjugating them all over.
It’s partly because of Don Corleone’s absence in his victory; partly, he deceives his wife, Kay, saying he’s not the cold-blooded killer everyone claims. But mostly, he is still internally struggling to balance between his past-civilian life and the life of a mafia king. He literally accepts everyone who greets him as Don Corleone, but his face tightens as he does it every time.
A Personal View on Sidetracks and Corleone Family’s Scheme of Victory
Although a major share of Mario Puzo’s storytelling was impeccable, a portion that kind of sidetracked was Johnny Fontene’s life in Las Vegas and everyone present in it. To me, this part was stretchy and, to some extent, quite distant from the main plot.
However, we get to know through Puzo’s mastery how closely the Hollywood echelon is tied to the underworld strings through Johnny Fontene’s aspiration and struggle to regain his glory as the best musician in the industry.
Besides, by the end of the novel, in Book 9, I found a significant part of the Corleone family’s vengeful escapade shallow where they plan and successfully kill each of their adversaries. In the book, Tom Hagen reminds Michael Corleone to ensure all political allegiances were intact before commencing the bloody act. Michael also reassures Tom about it, but nowhere did the author display or explained in detail how it actually worked out clean.
Takeaways from The Godfather Novel
Being a reader, one cannot escape imagining themself in the shoes of certain characters in the novel, or at least, reflecting upon the scenarios, emotions, lessons, etc., that somehow connect with their real life.
Such takeaways help a reader understand a novel’s core idea and remember it for a long time. The Godfather provides us some notable takeaways as follows:
- We see the inside of the Italian-American Mafia, including their origin, nature, goals, passion, principles, strength, and weakness. Sometimes, we fret at the sight of the grim murders, sometimes, we’re amazed by their influence level on the social structure, and on other occasions, we can’t help but sympathize with their disposals that originate from an unfortunate and deprived community who asked for justice from a corrupt system.
- We are thrilled by Don Vito Corleone’s character transitions from a simple and responsible family man to a ruthless, cunning, and one of the most potent mafia heads in New York.
- We relate to Michael Corleone’s dichotomy of leading a civil life and fateful involvement in the family business. We grow with Michael’s emotional and intellectual reformation, prioritizing only one thing: saving his father’s life.
- We can relate to the supporting but significant characters, such as Santino Corleone’s aggressive yet loyal actions towards running the family business in crisis and Tom Hagen’s undivided attention to Don Corleone and his sons while providing legal support. We can further admire Don Corleone’s wife’s silent approval in Don’s actions and consequences, and Pete Clemenza’s unfaltering loyalty to his Don and the family.
- Talk about the antagonists in The Godfather; we learn that the greed for more money, fascination for more power, pride of the powerful positions, and conspiracy to remove opponents from the way are prevalent in almost each of the most powerful mafia families in New York. We further learn how all the other families, expressively or behind the curtain, were bent to beat the Corleone family to snatch their power and position altogether. It makes us realize how arduous it is for Don Corleone to maintain his family and control his opponents despite his cunning moves and social influence.
Some Famous Quotations from The Godfather Novel
Some famous quotations in The Godfather novel are as follows:
“Women and children can afford to be careless, but not men.”
Don Vito Corleone, The Godfather, Book V.
Don Vito Corleone tells this to his consigliere Tom Hagen and two caporegimes Pete Clemenza and Tasio, about taking careful measures in returning Michael to New York from his exile in Sicily. Don Corleone detests carelessness while dealing with serious business. Thus he reminds his loyal family members the same, which was significant because a tiny slip in their action might cost Michael’s life and make a blunder of the godfather’s longshot maneuvering.
“Revenge is a dish that tastes best when served cold.”
Don Vito Corleone, The Godfather, Book VII.
Don Vito Corleone tells this to his youngest son and acting Don, Michael Corleone. He affirms to Michael as he mentions why it was essential to kill the head of the rival families and the traitors within the family for their safety, more than avenging Santino Corleone and Appolonia’s assassinations. Don Vito knew the vengeance wasn’t cut out from the whole plan, and the vengeance was indeed vital to reinstate Corleone’s respect in the mafia world. Since Don Vito is a man of prudence and longsightedness, he noted the foreseen fear in the traitors’ minds when they would be punished out of nowhere, especially when they thought they had already escaped Corleone’s wrath. Hence, this statement.
“I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.”
Don Vito Corleone, The Godfather (In various chapters of the novel).
The most subtle yet the ultimate fearsome statement by Don Vito Corleone is oft-repeated throughout his Donhood as his last deal-closure. He says this when all of his pleadings and modest efforts are turned down by his rival, a supposed benefactor, or an emerging enemy. Only the closest ones to Don know that this is the final call. No further approach to the opposing person will be made, nor can the person’s change of mind work. This irrefutable offer of Don could be anything from a person’s unimaginable massive loss in business to a mortal attack on the person’s very life or possessions.
“Never let anyone know what you’re thinking.”
Don Vito Corleone, The Godfather, Book I.
Being the pensive maneuver of brilliant schemes as he is, Don Vito Corleone always holds an impassive expression or occasionally a bone-chilling smile on his face whenever he’s dealing with someone in business, be it friendly or hostile. Don practices grasping and processing information in his mind with utmost clarity, hinting hardly anyone around him of his reflections. By the same principle, Don tells reproachfully to his eldest son Santino Corleone the above line. It’s because Santino makes a grave mistake by showing an interest in Sollozzo’s narcotic business offer, which Don refused to be a part of whatsoever.
“Life is so beautiful.”
Don Vito Corleone, The Godfather, Book VIII.
Imagine a man who dedicates his whole life to protecting and sustaining his family by leading a mafia life, saying this line on his deathbed. Like us readers, Don’s youngest and the most favorite son Michael is taken aback by this very last sentence from his dying father’s lips. Later, Michael stays possessed by this sentence, pondering and getting amazed more and more. He realizes that his father was a great man, not because of his immense power in the mafia world and influence on society, but because he revered life deeply. And that Don Vito Corleone knew life was hard, but it’s the very reason he valued life even more intensely. This line instantaneously becomes Michael’s philosophy of life, realizing how his father slides this principle down to him in his last moments.
“It’s all personal, every bit of business.”
Michael Corleone, The Godfather, Book I.
Tom Hagen tries to put some sense into Michael as Michael is about to leave for his mission to kill Sollozzo and Captain Mccluskey. Tom advises Michael not to take the hit on his father’s life personally because it was strictly business. But Michael, as he’s radiating inside more than ever to get his shots at those two targets, tells Tom the above line. Michael delineates every single move in the family business as more personal than strict business. He responds to Tom’s advice saying a man has to go through the dirtiest job in this business to survive himself and with his family. Thus calling a hit on his father’s life merely a business wasn’t something Michael could let so easily down his throat.
Recommendation on Reading The Godfather Novel
I’ll surely recommend this book to everyone who’s fascinated by the underworld tales. Many claim The Godfather to be the best literary work so far on the Italian-American mafia universe. The saga of Don Vito Corleone and his son Michael Corleone may outlive your expectation.
You’ll enjoy every bit of the novel’s storytelling, its characters, and how they unfold a new phase of the story on every other page. You’ll even want to hate and fear Don Vito Corleone, Peter Clemenza, Santino Corleone, and the like, but never desire to see them dead at any point.
You can relate to Michael Corleone’s ethical dilemma between living a normal life and saving his father from danger, the most loved person in his life, which ultimately compels him to attain the position of a mafia family leader.
In short, The Godfather maybe a crime-thriller novel, but Mario Puzo’s credible plot, storytelling, character development, and detailed descriptions will never leave you thinking for once that it’s a utopian piece of work.
I can end my review with a remark stated by the Los Angeles Times on this novel-
“What makes this such a nonstop page-turner is its utter believability.”
The Los Angeles Times on The Godfather novel.