The Godfather (novel)
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| Author | Mario Puzo |
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| Cover artist | S. Neil Fujita |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Godfather |
| Genre | Crime novel |
| Publisher | G. P. Putnam's Sons |
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Publication date
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10 March 1969 |
| 813.54 | |
| Preceded by | The Family Corleone |
| Followed by | The Sicilian |
The Godfather is a crime novel written by Italian American author Mario Puzo. Originally published 1969 by G. P. Putnam's Sons, the novel details the story of a fictional Mafia family based in New York City (and Long Beach, New York), headed by Vito Corleone. The novel covers the years 1945 to 1955, and also provides the back story of Vito Corleone from early childhood to adulthood.
The book introduced Italian criminal terms like consigliere, caporegime, Cosa Nostra, and omertà to an English-speaking audience.
It inspired a 1972 film of the same name. Two film sequels, including new contributions by Puzo himself, were made in 1974 and 1990. The first and second films are widely held in high esteem as examples of the cinematic arts.
The Corleone family and the mob war they fight with the other four mafia families in New York is the central issue. After Don Vito Corleone is shot by men working for drug dealer Virgil "The Turk" Sollozzo, Corleone's two sons, Santino and Michael, must run the family business with the help of consigliere Tom Hagen and the two caporegime Peter Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio. When Michael murders Sollozzo and Captain McCluskey, an Irish police officer on the drug lord's payroll, the conflict escalates into a full-scale war which results in Santino's murder and Michael's ascension to the head of the family. Michael initially desires to legitimize the family business, but gradually becomes even more ruthless than his father, orchestrating the murder of all of the family's enemies, including his brother-in-law Carlo Rizzi, who played a part in Santino's murder. Michael then sells all the family's businesses in New York and moves the Corleones to Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
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