5 reviews for The Last Don
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The Last Don
by Mario Puzo
Description:
The last don is Domenico Clericuzio, a wise and ruthless man who is determined to see his heirs established in legitimate society but whose vision is threatened when secrets from the family’s past spark a vicious war between two blood cousins. This is a mesmerizing tale that takes us inside the equally corrupt worlds of the mob, the movie industry, and the casinos – where beautiful actresses and ruthless hit men are ruled by lust and violence, where sleazy producers and greedy studio heads are drunk with power, where crooked cops and desperate gamblers play dangerous games of betrayal, and where one man controls them all.
About The Author
Mario Gianluigi Puzo (October 15, 1920 July 2, 1999) was an American author, screenwriter and journalist. He is known for his crime novels about the Mafia, most notably The Godfather (1969), which he later co-adapted into a three-part film saga directed by Francis Ford Coppola. He received the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the first film in 1972 and Part II in 1974. Puzo also wrote the original screenplay for the 1978 Superman film. His last novel, The Family, was released posthumously in 2001.
Skryf Review
“Good Reading”
Tisha
I know the world will want to kill me for this but I liked this better than The Godfather! Never have I ever wished for there to be movie on a book so desperately as I wished for there to be one based on The Last Don, and I HATE film adaptations of most movies. Also, Cross De Lena – my God! He has to be right up there in my Harem of Hot and Perfect Fictional Men.
parth
Very good read. Although, one must not get caught up with the scenarios from The Godfather book as it may distract you from appreciating the story and you just might fall into comparing the two novels. that was what happened to me at the start. But, as I went along with the book, I started to appreciate its own plot and development, independent from The Godfather. however, there are just some chapters that are too lengthy and parts that are too boring but rest assured, these parts are avenged by the whole book.Personally, I feel that the book is full of surprises from the characters. Some of the parts may be “predictable” (after reading Puzo’s The Godfather), the characters would surely catch you off guard. I personally had two to three moments where I randomly cursed after a character twist happened. Honestly, this kept me going and since I have read Puzo’s Godfather and The Sicilian, I know character twists are in store.Overall, this book is a must-read for all who appreciate the Mafia. Another classic by Mario Puzo–a true Mafioso.
Shrawan
Like most of the others who have reviewed this book, I thought it was much too long. My favorite review so far was simply “too many chapters.” But Puzo’s problem in this book extends beyond excessive chapters, or length; it’s that he tried to write two different stories in one, with too many characters and too little tension. The story about the Clericuzio family is actually quite interesting and well crafted, but Puzo drags out the set-up for 300 pages, finally puts together some genuine plot movement, then rushes the ending, at just under 500 pages, making both the journey and the payoff frustrating and unsatisfying. I was thrilled to finally be done with the book, but I also put it down yearning for more of the good stuff. Many of the Hollywood characters are so forgettable, I struggled to understand why they were a part of the story at all. Cross, Pippi and The Don are far and away the most compelling element of the story. I would have skipped the first 300 pages of movie industry garbage and gotten right to the heart of the Clericuzio struggles. I loved The Godfather, and I do love Puzo’s storytelling–he is a very talented writer. But he needed to pick between indulging in his bitter Hollywood rant, or nailing another intriguing mob thriller.
Krushali
“The Last Don” is Mario Puzo at his best, rich with timeless, meticulously constructed characters and twists and brutal turns that made his landmark novel “The Godfather” the masterwork that it is today. His creation of a more modernized Michael Corleone, Cross Domenica, walks the pages of this novel with all of the confident swagger of Sonny Corleone and the righteous indignation of Michael. The glaring difference here is that the Don of this novel, in comparison with Don Corleone, is not nearly as endearing a character but this is because the events of the novel do not specifically revolve around him. He is not as clearly developed as Don Corleone was and if anything, this would have been something I had preferred the writer address. Puzo also invites the reader into the seedy underworld of the movie business and exposes the backalley deals and the broad-daylight swindles that are involved with getting big movies made and small-budget films barely in the can. I know I will never be able to look at movie stars and producers the same way again after having read this masterwork. Puzo is very much at home with this genre he arguaby single-handedly defined, and it was a great pleasure reading him in such a familiar element. I highly recommend this book.