an excellent book i recommend it to anyone. my dad calls it his 'guide to family life'(without the killing , of course). the best i've read in ages!!

This is one of two non-fiction books that Puzo wrote. Inside Las Vegas tells you the truth about what goes on behind the poker games and fancy slot machines. Anybody who has read or seen Nicholas Peleggi's 'Casino' will know what I'm talking about when I say 'Magic'. This is truly a fine piece of work and unlike Puzo's other big point Casino book 'Fools Die' I can honestly say that I prefered this.

It has been writen down to the finest degree and it is full with interesting pictures too. I would ask anybody to read this book if they were into a hussler and Caino running. Along with the Casino another aspest which dominated this book is the mob.

It is interesting when a man called Bruno is in his hotel room packing when a bell boy knocks on the door and tells him there are two men down stairs looking for him, because he skimmed their Casino the night before. It will have you turning pages all the way to an explosive showdown but don't take my word for it, read the book.

Another thing that the book has is well developed characters and a great plot. however a film cannot be made because it would look to much like 'Casino'. Still this will have you ducking and diving at every paragragh and subsection and although it's not one of Mr.Puzo's more famous books such as The Godfather, It is still worth a read(more than one). Once you read the first chapter you will be hooked and won't be able to put it down. It also goes into great detail, e.g. Bruno shot him and Angelo stuck a knife through his heart to stop the blood flow and heart pumping. It is a sadistic and certainly more disturbing of Puzo's books, that's why it's almost impossible to get your hands on a copy. if you do, jump at the chance. It's worth your while and money.

I want to say that just everythink who is about Familie is Good... Mario Puzo is a good writer.

Es una novela en la cual la mafia parece un negocio de lo más normal y legal, la intriga del libro es muy buena y te mantiene interesado en cada una de las páginas, aunque se supone que los mafiosos se quieren salir de la ilegalidad, la mafia siempre será la mafia.

Mario Puzos fifth work "The Sicilian" (1984) is a masterpiece in its genre, a powerful epic about Sicily, the Mafia and one mans stand. The many characters from the story: hero Turi Guiliano, to Don Croce, Aspanu Piscoitta, Hector Adonis, and Michael Corleone and many more, make this book a very entertaining read. Turi Guilano never wanted to hurt anyone, but fate and his promise to himself to maintain his honour led to his decision to fight all those who came for him after he was gunned down for minor smuggling. We watch Turi and Aspanu grow from two young peasant men into the leaders of Sicilys most powerful bandit gang, one which challenges the police,the army, the government, and ultimately the Mafia while gaining the hate of some, and the love of many. Danger lurks around every corner, and treachery is never far away in this story, but there is also alot of love in the story, such as: Sicilians love for there country, a mothers love for her son, and the friendship of two young men. Puzo's storytelling and imagery keep the reader addicted, and make this book a hard one to put down. "The Sicilian" is an excellent read, recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good read.

If you thought Mario Puzo was just about American-Italian goodfellas who kill people, drive around and eat good pasta in New York City, you will be pleasantly surprised. The plot is set in Sicily, and the author's love and understanding of the long-suffering land shines through.

Mario Puzo presents a captivating, page-turning story about the life of a post-war Sicilian outlaw, his climb to the top of criminal hierarchy and associated betrayals, cunning treacheries and loyalty that never should be taken for granted. At the same time, you get a deep insight into the mindset and culture of Sicily and its people who, through centuries of suffering at the crossroads of occupation and oppression, have learnt to trust no one. Historical and cultural background is presented so subtly, inobtrusively and with such writing skill that you will not realize that you, in fact, read a brilliant history book. Never before have I seen a crime thriller that would also be so educational.

And, as an added bonus, Puzo is a true master when painting the scenery - dusky mornings, lush Sicilian gardens with fragrant lemon trees, ancient ruins and heat of the Meditteranean night.

Read this book and you will see that you have got much, much more than you have bargained for.

Not Many have heard of this prequel/sequel to the Godfather. Set after Michael Corleone's two year stay in Sicily, he is sent on a final task which explains changes his character change in the Godfather. From the Italian American focus of The Godfather, the novel reaches into the very heart of Sicily, the island that bore so many of the characters in American Crime literature. Rich and almost lyrical, Puzo describes the life of one Salvatore Guilliano, a Sicilian Robin Hood but with greater purpose and less fantasy. He seeks to reform the underground world that has sprung on him after he is shot and left for dead on account of stealing cheese for his family. This gem of a book is gifted with great storytelling and greater understanding of a world we don't know and Puzo beautifully explains. Even if you have never read the Godfather, you will love this book for its truthfulness and wisdom.

"The Godfather" is one of the VERY rare examples of a movie (and sequel) that are actually better than the book they are based on. Upon first release, the book was a massive bestseller, more because it is an easy read than because it is great literature. What it is primarily useful for now is as a means of filling in details that the first two Godfather films didn't have time to cover even with their considerable length. Such detail includes the background story of Johnny Fontaine, the Frank Sinatra-esque entertainer who is a loyal Godson. Also fleshed out are the characters of the loyal hitman Luca Brazzi and of Sonny's mistress, who would become the mother of Michael's eventual successor as Don in "Godfather Part 3." There is also more information about Moe Green and the feud over the Corleone move to Nevada.

Puzo is an effective storyteller and he keeps things moving along at a snappy pace. The Don of the book doesn't seem larger than life the way Marlon Brando does in the movie. "The Godfather" is often described as a "trash" novel, but reading would be a lot more fun if all such novels were as good as this one.

In Mario Puzo's The Godfather, he uses the crimes of a family and their Italian heritage to show how it affects a large loving family. I thought this was an excellent book, because the plot sequence was amazing with constant twists and suspense. The irony of this book comes through the crime boss Vito Corleone who is a kind-hearted and loyal friend of all who come to him with a request. However, he makes his living off of corruption and death which really doesn't affect the reader's attitude towards this loving character. The vicious side of the mafia comes through Vito's son Sonny. Sonny's rage leads to the death of many mob-related characters as well as to the his own death which is another irony evident in this novel. The Godfather uses masterful description of each member's life and how mob-life affected them. Another example of irony in The Godfather is the youngest son Michael's situation. At the beginning of the novel, Michael is returning from World War II and has no part in the family business. However, when his father nears death after gunshot wounds, Michael is drawn into the family business and chooses to pay back the antagonist Solozzo by spilling his blood for the sake of the family. Michael becomes the leader of the family after his father and Sonny die and he returns from Italy after things die down about his assasination of Solozzo. This transformation from an upstanding servant of the country to a crime boss looking out for the wellbeing of his family alone is the ulimate irony in this novel. Women and children are not major characters in the novel, because Puzo uses them to show how the mobs goal was to keep the innocent free from encountering their violent troubles. Puzo incorporates the lives of everyone involved in this crime family to show how much love and loyalty lead to their success and rage and deceit lead to their downfall. After reading the novel, I gained a greater appreciation for the movie which I had seen earlier and an understanding of how loyalty leads to power in the world.

The 1970's novel and hit motion picture The Godfather by Mario Puzo was quite possibly the best piece of literature in America as of today. It's thorough description of how a Sicilian mafia operates leads one to realize just how organized "organized crime" is. Puzo showed ohw much family is worth through his book an movie by his skillful use of the third person objective point of view. In every paragraph Puzo gives the reader a chance to feel like they are a, Don Corleone, Luca Brasi or a Tom Hagen. The plot was exceptionally good because after every page turn the plot thickens. One page could be describing a wedding reception and the next would portray two adulturers in lust. Puzo modeled the book to have a series of climaxes before the major plot line climax. This was done to pump the reader up and stretch one's mind so one could comprehend the situtaion. The conflicts also were many. Michael Corleone's internal conflict with himself was the biggest in the book. When he went off to college and then to World War II it was planted by society that his family's business was the most immoral work one could do. Besides Michael's internal conflict there is a big conflict with the Corleones and the Tatalias. After the Corleone's Don was shot the plots conflict thickened from water to syrup. Overall Mario Puzo worte an American Classic, which was true in the 1970's and will remain true always and forever.

Los borgia es un libro que nos traslada hasta la Roma renacentista y nos cuenta la historia del papa Alejandro VI y de sus hijos Cesar, Lucresia, Juan y Jofre, y la ambición del papa Alejandro por cuya sed de poder lo llevarian a la cima del mundo, pero también el alto precio que él y su familia tubieron que pagar.
EL libro en general es bueno aunque diferente a lo que los fans de Puzo estamos acostumbrados,y aunque cruel y crudo en algunos aspectos y personalmente muy sangriento en otros, además de que en este libro, Puzo recurre a temas muy serios como lo es el incesto, (tema que nunca habia tocado Puezo en sus otros libros anteriores), esto es en parte por que Puzo no escribio todo el libro, Carol Gino, esposa de Puzo termino el libro y adjuntó temas de ella misma. No obstabte, el libro resulta muy entretenido y es bune para pasar el rato, y aunque no es el tipo de libro que los seguidores de puzo esperaban, el libro resulta hagradable y fresco.

He aquí una historia novelada de una de las familias más famosas del Renacimiento, los Borgia. En esta novela se nos muestra la cara más humana del Papa Alejandro VI y de sus hijos ilegitimos Lucrecia, César, Juan y Jofre. A través de sus páginas viajamos a la Italia renacentista dividida en pequeños reinos donde la pugna por el poder usando la traición, el asesinato, los matrimonios de conveniencia, el nepotismo y el absolutismo eran lo cotidiano por las clases altas para permanecer en el poder y sobrevivir. La familia Borgia no fue una excepción, el Papa Alejandro VI aprovechando su poder "temporal" trata de darles a sus hijos todo lo que pueda pues es conciente que después de su muerte poco podrán sus hijos hacer para retener las dádivas papales por lo que casa a sus hijos Lucrecia, Jofre y Juan con matrimonios ventajosos para asegurar sus vidas y patrimonios además de darle el mando de su ejercito a su hijo César, hombre cruel e inteligente con una ambición desmesurada que lo lleva a hacerce demasiado peligroso y le ocasiona la muerte. Muy bien logradas las descripciones que el autor hacer de la Roma e Italia del siglo XVI.

The Fortunate Pilgrim By Mario Puzo is an excellent novel to read. The story is about Lusia Santa and her immigration to America from Italy. Throughout the entire book, it talks about the tough times that Lucia Santa and her family endure in America. The family of eight were tenants of a small apartment building in New York. Many of the children had to get jobs to help support the family when they were old enough. The book tells the readers a lot about the American dream and how much of a struggle people had to over come to acheive it. People came to America searching for better lives and freedom. To meet the American dream you had to work hard and you would suceed. Lucia Santa didn't know the price that she would have to pay to meet the American dream. This book shows us what it was like to live in America. It shows us what some of our ancestors went through, and their determination to live in America. I thought that this book was well written and well organized. You got to see, through reading the book, what it was like to immigrate to America and how hard it was to try and start a new life in America.

The book I am reviewing is "The Fortunate Pilgrim" by Mario Puzo. I chose to read Fortunate Pilgrim because I had heard from numerous sources that this book was actually better than Mario Puzo's most known and best-selling novel, The Godfather, which I had read and enjoyed greatly. I found it hard to believe a book so over-looked from the public could be better than the masterpiece, The Godfather, and decided to read "The Fortunate Pilgrim" myself and draw my own conclusion.

"The Fortunate Pilgrim" tells the story of a single mother, Lucia Santa, holding together her split family of six children and no husband. Lucias every day life is a struggle, to make sure there is enough money to feed her children and prosper during WWI and the Great Depression. Lucia's first husband died in an industrial accident, and her second husband ran away, leaving her with his 3 children. I personally found the Mother-Daughter relationship between Lucia and her oldest daughter, Octivia very sad yet interesting to read. Octivia wants to become a modernized American and schoolteacher, and discourages her mother for "living in the past". I find the dialogue between Lucia and Octivia on page 23-26 an important passage in the book, as Octivia denounces her mother and fiercly tells her "He's not my father!" when Lucia brings up the hard topic of her stepfather.

"The Fortunate Pilgrim" is indeed a great book. I still cannot decide whether the Fortunate Pilgrim is "better" than The Godfather, but they are both great in different ways. The Fortunate Pilgrim really makes you grateful for things over-looked by many, such as shelter, health, life, and most of all family. The Fortunate Pilgrim made myself, being Italian, think about the struggle everyday life was to my great grandparents. It makes you think of how, in the end, Lucia Santa overcomes overwhelming odds, but to much heart ache. It is hard to contemplate now what these people had to go through, the hardship of daily life.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good, meaningful read. The beginning starts off slow, but by the end of this book you can have a new perspective on some aspects, if not all of life. This is a book I will remember for years.

This book is really anti-Puzo. It doesn?t have much to do with the mob, crime, casinos, or gangsters, and it doesn?t have killings, executions, or any other street warfare. Heck, it doesn?t even have a plot. Instead, it?s about a family living in New York, and how the mother has learned to survive and raise a family alone.

Sounds boring, right? Wrong. This could actually be Puzo?s finest work. From the family?s struggles through poverty and near poverty, to the fights of mother and daughter, to the disobedience of one son, and the suicide of another other, this book is a touching chronicle.

Though not a novel you would expect from Puzo, it?s definitely his most poignant work, and shows that he can live past his Godfather typecast.

This is the very first novel the young Mario Puzo wrote during the fifties and he certainly pulled it off. It's not so difficult to notice already the strokes of the unknown, aspiring writer who'd later become undoubtfully one of the best of his generation.
There are many similarities between this novel and some of those of the lost generation writers, the most similar to it being, of course, "A farewell to arms" by Ernest Hemingway. The 20-th century best american writer used to write about people and events taking place during the war, whether it was WW1 or WW2, while Puzo's work is more about war's aftermath and how it affected and changed people's life.
The novel's main character is not as sympathetic or attracting as, let's say, Hemingway's Frederic Henry or Remarque's Gottfried Lenz. I found it somewhat difficult to sympathize with Mosca's slovenly attitude, his lack of feelings or interest in anything or anyone surrounding him, but I understand him, or at least I try to: he slowly understands that his persona has changed, and not for the better, and that he has become the enemy, as he puts it towards the end of the novel; he loves someone (in his own way), but he doesn't know it; his loved one first loses his first child and later gives birth to his second one, but he doesn't seem to care. I think it's interesting to compare Puzo's work to some of Hemingway's novels: while hell to Hemingway was war itself, to Puzo "hell is the suffering of being unable to love!", as the great Dostoyevski puts it in "The brothers Karamazov". And Mosca is unable to love and care about someone or something.
While Hemingway would go on and write mostly about war, fatalism and despair, Puzo would later change his subjects and describe the american corrupt worlds of politics, underworld, the casinos and the movie industry. Later on, his main motto would be to prove that "the secret of a big fortune with no apparent cause is a forgotten crime".

Back in the days when Elvis was suffering the "Hup-two-three-four Occupation GI Blues" and Bing wondered what you did with a general when he stops being a general, an obscure author who would later become the definitive writer of Mob fiction painted us a stark picture of postwar military occupation life. A decade later, on the threshold of the Peace Now era, Joseph Heller would give us "Catch 22", a story of a bomber crewman and his ongoing identity crisis. John Farris' "Glover" was the story of a tough-guy soldier at play in the English countryside. Evan Hunter's "Sons" dealt in part with the issue of bomber crewman and locals in WW II Italy. See the contrast? It was no biggie to be candid during the 'Sixties era about the tendency of occupation soldiers to treat their unwilling hosts as less than people--Gwynne Dyer once said that the only foolproof way of turning a civilian into a fighting man is to include some form of suggestion that the enemy aren't people in his training. But back in the early 'Fifties when this book was written, popular fiction hardly ever approached the issue of American occupation of a defeated enemy from any side but that of the Pentagon. In this story, GI Walter Mosca gets involved in a local shackup arrangement in Germany at the end of WW II, comes home to find that he can no longer relate to the Girl He Left Behind, so he returns to Germany as a civilian employee to seek out the girl he hadn't realized he was falling for. Her effect on him causes him to be a lot more analytical of his own behavior towards the locals in general, that of his colleagues as well--but more than that, it also gives him a view of the perspective of the people he's there to help "keep in line". All sorts of things can happen to a person's worldview when he becomes romantically involved outside his native culture. I have no actual details on which to base this, but I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the late Mario Puzo drew on his own experiences in service during WW II as source material. He wouldn't be the first.

This is the second Mario Puzo book I've read, the first being the Godfather. I loved that book as wwll as all three Godfather films. The Dark Areana isn't quite on the level of the Godfather but I still loved it all the same. It is a wonderful book with teriffic charechters and dialougue, two things that are seldomn found in modern fiction. Perhaps the most interseting thing about this novel to me was it's setting. No book I've ever read has focused on the culture of post World War Two Germany the way this novel does. Puzo brings the world to life in a way that few authors can. This book is absolutly terrific. I reccomend it to anyone in search of a great read.

Its almost long time I read Fools die but my memory shoots back to the thrill and excitement while I read this book of Mario Puzo, the very name that remained alive on back of my mind! It portrays a sinful side of an exceptional good person. Its all about the flawed choices of life - How people become consumed to lust, power and violence in a city like Las Vegas, New York and Holly wood. Its a page turner as you read through the pages with the main character John Merlyn and the scenes behind the publishing house and movie production in the mid of the book. Osano, Artie and Janelle indulge in a bad game of lust n kill n hook to series of scenes thru the story with the sex scenes more pitchy to read tilting away from the grip to read. Overall, its a great book which I possess and Mario Puzo 'The Godfather' is another one but this one is killing in the time when you really want to read and explore...

I first read Fools Die right after it was published, loved it and waited anxiously for the movie to come out. Leave it to Hollywood to pass on this classic. I have always loved Puzo,(The Godfather is the greatest movie of all time), and with "Fools Die" he once again shows why he has no peers when it comes to story-telling. Beyond all the glitter of Las Vegas and Hollywood, Puzo simply tells a great story, and I loved the characters, especially Merlyn and of course, the great "Osano".(Wouldn't it have been wonderful to see who would have played him in the movie?) One minor complaint. I've always felt that the Janelle character was overdone, that perhaps she should have been written out completely. For a while I wasn't sure why, but I think now it is because I wanted Merlyn to be just like his brother Artie, "the only faithful husband left in New York City:". Oh well, just a personal preference, and this really is a great book.

This book ruined my week as I was not able to function due to staying up late turning pages...

A comic melo-drama, it is a typically brilliant story told by the world's greatest story-teller. For those whose interests regarding Puzo are limited to the Mafia, you might be disappointed to know that other than fleeting references to the underworld, there isn't much mob action.

But that's not a bad thing at all. In many ways this book was better than The Godfather, Omerta and others. I was hesitant to read it because of my interest in the Casanostra. However I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. It comes only second to Puzo's "The Sicilian" which I believe is the best book ever written.

Read this book only if you have a lot of time on your hands. Don't read it if you're tanning on the beach... you'll get toasted without realizing it!!