The Godfather

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The Godfather is an epic tale about a Mafia family in New York. Set in the 1940s, the book takes its readers on a gripping journey through the mean streets of the city, while introducing them to the key members of the Corleone clan.  Summary Of The Book The Godfather mainly revolves around Vito Corleone, ‘The Don’, who is a powerful Mafia head in New York’s underworld. Vito Corleone hails from a Sicilian family and has three sons and one daughter - Santino Corleone, Frederico Corleone, Micheal Corleone, and Constanzia Corleone. The book covers 10 years in the Don’s life, from 1945 to 1955. It also narrates the past of Vito Corleone, starting right from his childhood. The Corleone family is involved in organized crime, including gambling, extortion, and protection rackets. Vito Corleone has two older sons, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, it is actually Mikey (Michael), the youngest, who is in line to take over from his father. Micheal is a reluctant heir as he does not want to be involved in the family business. He prefers to lead a normal life with Kay Adams, his girlfriend. The novel traces the life of each and every character and their personality. It opens on the occasion of the marriage of the Don’s daughter. Soon, the main characters are introduced- the Don’s hot tempered eldest son Sonny, his alcoholic second son Fredo, and his youngest son Mikey, who does not want to be involved with the family business in any way. Micheal has joined the army and attends the wedding with his girlfriend Kay Adams. The story, with its sub-plots and twists, moves towards a riotous climax. Upon its release, The Godfather became a huge phenomenon, and one of the literary American classics. The novel was adapted into a movie and became a screen classic as well, receiving several Academy Awards. The movie stars Marlon Brando as Don Corleone and Al Pacino as Michael Corleone. About Mario Puzo Mario Puzo is an American author of Italian descent. Puzo’s first short story, The Last Christmas, was published in 1950 in American Vanguard. His first book, The Dark Arena, was published in 1955. Some of his other books are The Sicilian, The Last Don, Six Graves to Munich, The Fortunate Pilgrim, and Omerta. Puzo was born into a poor Italian family in the Hell’s Kitchen area of Manhattan. During his early years, the region was reputed to be one of the most dangerous regions in North America, home to many street gangs. Puzo graduated from the City College Of New York and joined the Air Force. His poor eyesight prevented him from taking part in active duty. After dabbling with writing and editing, he took up writing full time in the form of pulp fiction and later, full-blown novels.