The Family Corleone

This book is based on the screenplay by Mario Puzo, which is based on his book. The movie, The Godfather, is a lasting masterpiece, a lily which truly should not be gilded. This work is totally derivative. The only aspect I can recommend is Bobby Cannavale, a narrator who really should do more audiobooks, IMHO. The plot, such as it is, is in the first half almost completely devoted to Luca Brazzi, a very minor character in the movie, and deservedly so. He is a monster, and an utterly worthless one. Not to be a spoiler (OK, just a little spoiling, only as rotten as Luca), he actually throws his newborn infant in a furnace, while allowing the mother of the child, whom he calls a whore, to die from neglect. If you like this sort of thing, I just do not know what to say. As for the rest, it is devoted to the many killings necessary to the struggles for supremacy of the various Italian (and Irish) families of New York. Bobby Cannavale does a very good Vito Corleone. The other gangsters are completely without redeeming qualities. Sonny is impulsive, childish, dishonest and brutal. How about that? Who'd a thunk? Michael is a small child who carries all of Vito's longing for legitimacy. Almost every aspect of the plot is already known to us. There is nothing new here to catch the imagination. Everybody kills everybody. Film at 11.

This could possibly be the best book I've ever listened to. The writing is excellent, the narrator is amazing and the story is one of the best ever told and is just as good as the other books that were written as part of the Godfather saga.

The plot is superb. Such an interesting take. Doing a prequel for the Godfather was in ingenius idea. The whole time you are just wondering what will happen next and whether or not it will tie into one of the Godfather movies that have already been published. I can't wait for the movie to come out for this version!

There isn't one particular scene that is my favorite but I loved learning about Luca Brasi and the smart man he was prior to evolving into the not so smart monster that he was in the original Godfather movie. I also loved learning about how Michael, Fredo and Sonnie were as kids growing up in the Corleone family.

Becoming the Godfather

The narrator truly is one of the best narrators I've heard. Every character he does sounds exactly like the characters sounded in the movies. This is must listen for anyone who likes the Godfather.

Make the movie

When don Corleone realize that he's a mobster in the eyes of Sonny

No,but I will listen to him anytime, if you know him from hbo then u will love him

The rise of the Corleone family ( An America Family)

Not the best in the series of Godfather book but apart of the Godfather story that needed to be told and should have been, next up is the story of the Corleone family in 80s to the2010s

Being somewhat familiar with the Godfather series this story gets to the early times for Sonny Corleone and his family..

Yes, not a problem wanting to know what came next in the life of Corleone family.

Liked his tone and correct Italian pronouncment of the words. Wish there was more Italian words added in the story, that seems to bring you in the book even more.

Luca and his girlfriend his storyline in particular moved me.

It is not hard to keep up with all the players and you do know how it is going to end. But the interaction between the characters and ethinc groups keeps your interest up.

Yes

The inevitable climax

His intonations were very well placed

Sonny

It is impossible to advance the reputation of the Corleones. But this novel captured the essence and Cannavale's impersonation of Marlon Brando was spot on and should make Brando turn over in his oversized coffin

I would listen to the book again. It was well written and I liked the story.

Vito Corleone. He was the stoic Don - the Godfather. I also enjoyed getting additional background on Luca Brasi.

I enjoyed them all. No favorite.

Not really.

It was interesting listening to parts are the story and knowing what was in store for them in the future years.

Several reviews that have been written complained about too many killings, too much sex, and too little originality. I think they were listening to a different book. Don't be swayed by these reviews. They are way off!!!!

Sonny's bloody rise.

The characters have more to them than we could have imagined. Luca Brazi has a backstory that I probably wouldn't have guessed. He's more than just a large, dopey killer.

It's hard to chose just one, Cannavale does a great job with the voices. His reading of Frankie Pentangeli was perfect- you could even think it's Joe Gazo reading it. His Vito Corleone is pretty well done too, and doesn't veer into a caricature.

Five Families are four too many.

I don't know exactly how much of this book is directly from Mario Puzo's script, which was only half a movie to begin with. My guess is that Ed Falco had a fairly free hand in crafting much of this story and I think he did a great job. This is a book I enjoyed MORE than the original novel, The Godfather, which rambled into some lurid and even silly areas (seriously, who cares about Lucy Mancini's vaginal surgery?). The Family Corleone tells a tight, cohesive and fast paced story without wandering. The dialogue is good and the story has the feeling of authenticity. The only thing I noticed, and I may be wrong, is the timing of Laguardia being mayor of NY. I thought it was a little later than what this story covers. No big whoop.

What Falco does right is he doesn't try to weave too much historical info into the story that everybody knows the outcome. The example that comes to mind is the assassination attempt in As Time Goes By. You know it will fail because that part of history is fairly well known to us. Sure The Godfather Part 2 showed us the fall of Cuba, but Michael was not instrumental in that in any way so there is a question of survival for him and Fredo.

Bobby Cannavale does a great job reading this book. His voices are true and the character readings are spot on. He keeps the book interesting, even during the exposition. No matter how well written it is exposition is still exposition, but Mr. Cannavale does a very nice job with it.

If you know and love these characters The Family Corleone is a great place to find out how well you really know them. It's a fun ride too. Well worth your credit or money.

If it were not for them having sex the audio would be 15 min

no

Not sure

It would be XXX

Seemed like alot of this book was the Author trying to legitimize life in the Mafia and to act like he and his family were really good people caught up in their ancestry. Of course that is nonsense, they made a living by threatening and killing people that got in their way.