I wouldn’t categorize myself as someone with a particular interest in Mafia history so I’m not sure why I decided to crack this oldie open, but I’ll say this, once I did, I didn’t spend a moment regretting. I don’t know how historically accurate it is, but it’s certainly entertaining.
Mario Puzo expertly creates characters that are easily loveable, despite some very large and obvious personality flaws. They are criminals, but the kind of criminals that a reader can root for. The novel speaks to the importance of family and loyalty in a world very different than the one in which we find ourselves today.
I have never seen the movie and I don’t plan on it either. That, however, is not a criticism, it is a testament to just how much I loved the book. I have yet to find a movie that does justice to a book I love. Rather, I find myself getting angry, often within the first ten minutes of the move, about the on-screen portrayal of one or more characters. The author of a good book, and Mario Puzo is just that, paints such a strong image of what a charter is supposed to be, that most actors strike me as imposters, parading around on screen as a half-as-interesting version of my favorite characters.