The Dark Arena

The Dark Arena

First edition
Author	Mario Puzo
Country	United States
Language	English
Subject	Crime novel
Publisher	Random House
Publication date	1955
Media type	Print
Pages	283
OCLC	46968806

The Dark Arena is the first novel by Mario Puzo, published in 1955.

The book follows Walter Mosca, an American World War II veteran who returns to Germany for his girlfriend, Hella. The novel explores life in post-war Germany, a place where the standard currency is not the German mark or even the US dollar but US-made cigarettes.

The novel was not nearly as successful as his later works. The reviewers gave it modest acclaim, and admitted that Puzo had "solid talent."