“Friendship is everything. Friendship is more than talent. It is more than the government. It is almost the equal of family.” Don Corleone from Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER
I don’t know if there is a book with more intrigue, more drama, and more action all packed into one volume than this one. Even if you don’t love mafia fiction, this book has larger than life characters and takes me into a world I couldn’t possible know any other way.
I’ve read it countless times. The pages are falling out of the book, but I hold onto it because it’s my favorite copy. There are so many famous quotes from this book, but the juxtaposition of a man who could rule a criminal empire and still place ultimate value on family and friends is what always struck a chord for me.
And Cheers to Mario Puzo. He and this book inspired my love of The Sopranos, Goodfellas, and one of my more recent obessions, Peeky Blinders. (Season 5 is coming soon – Hooray!)
While it’s true not everyone loves mafia stories, crime writers are a special breed…and this one LOVES them all!