The Godfather (novel)

The Godfather is a novel written by American author Mario Puzo and which was originally published in 1969 by G. P. Putnam's Sons. It details the story of a fictitious Sicilian Mafia family headed by Don Vito Corleone.

Titling

Much controversy surrounds the title of the book and its underworld implications. Although it is widely reported that Puzo was inspired to use "Godfather" as a designator for a Mafia leader from his experience as a reporter, there is no evidence to indicate that any real organized crime group, Italian or otherwise, ever used the term. More accurately, it would appear as if Puzo himself decided to use the Italian term to designate a male godparent (il padrino) and expound upon its implications as a plot device. In 1997, Paramount Pictures re-released The Godfather movies on VHS, these editions included "making of" pieces at the beginning of each film and in one of them, Mario Puzo admits to the fact that the term "Godfather" had never before been used in organized crime. No matter the circumstance, the term has since come into popular usage not only by the public at large but even some mafiosi as a slang to refer to any powerful Mafia leader.

Main characters and plot

The Godfather referred to in the title is Vito Corleone, whose surname recalls the town of Corleone, Sicily. Similarly, the maiden name of Corleone's mother is Corigliano, named after the town of Corigliano Calabro, Calabria; an area well known for Ndrangheta activity. Vito has four biological children: hothead Santino "Sonny" Corleone, the quiet and haphazard Federico "Fredo/Freddy", the plain Costanza "Connie" Corleone, and Michele/Michael Corleone. Tom Hagen is roughly the same age as Sonny, and was taken in by Vito Corleone. As explained in the novel, Tom Hagen is a German/Irish orphan who lives on the streets of New York until he becomes friends with Sonny. He is ultimately taken in by the Corleones, but never legally adopted.

Adaptations

Film adaptation

In 1972, a film adaptation of the novel was released, starring Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, Al Pacino as Michael Corleone, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Mario Puzo assisted with writing the screenplay and with other production tasks. The film grossed approximately $134 million and won various awards, including three Academy Awards, five Golden Globes and a Grammy. The sequel, The Godfather, Part II won 6 Oscars, and became the first sequel to win the Oscar for Best Picture.

Games

The video game company Electronic Arts released a video game adaptation of The Godfather on March 21, 2006. The player assumes the role of a "soldier" in the Corleone family. Prior to his death, Marlon Brando provided some voice work for Vito, which was eventually deemed unusable and was dubbed over by a Brando impersonator. Francis Ford Coppola said in April 2005 that he was not informed of Paramount's decision to allow the game to be made and he did not approve of it.Godfather film director whacks Godfather game - by Tor Thorsen, GameSpot, April 8, 2005, retrieved April 8, 2005. Al Pacino also did not participate, and his likeness was replaced with a different depiction of Michael Corleone.

A board game based on the movie was also produced.

Sequels

In 2004, Random House published a new sequel to the Godfather saga, The Godfather Returns, by Mark Winegardner. A further sequel by Winegardner, The Godfather's Revenge, is currently in the works.

Another Puzo novel featuring Michael Corleone as a minor character, The Sicilian, was published in 1984. The novel was set at the end of Michael's two-year exile in Sicily, and the plot is based on the story of the real-life bandit Salvatore Giuliano.

Notes and References

External links

The Godfather | 1969 novels | Organized crime literature

Gourt Home::Gourt :: The Godfather (novel)