Fools Die: A Thriller

I first read this book when it was released back in 1979 ( Ah, My Sweet Lost Youth!!!)and I was so impressed by it that I wanted to write a letter to the author teling him how much I enjoyed it. This book has it all. Lust, greed, treachery, deception, sex and violence all the way from the High Roller Gambling Rooms of Las Vegas to the Shores Of Japan. The main character is a guy named Merlyn who somehow believes that he is a type of magician who can control his destiny.Another character worth mentioning is the writer Osano who desperately seeeks refuge from his loneliness in a heady mixture of drugs, casual sex and booze. All of this is deftly handled by Mr. Puzo and the reader is in for one heck of a roller coaster ride!!!

This book ruined my week as I was not able to function due to staying up late turning pages...A comic melo-drama, it is a typically brilliant story told by the world's greatest story-teller. For those whose interests regarding Puzo are limited to the Mafia, you might be disappointed to know that other than fleeting references to the underworld, there isn't much mob action.But that's not a bad thing at all. In many ways this book was better than The Godfather, Omerta and others. I was hesitant to read it because of my interest in the Casanostra. However I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. It comes only second to Puzo's "The Sicilian" which I believe is the best book ever written.Read this book only if you have a lot of time on your hands. Don't read it if you're tanning on the beach... you'll get toasted without realizing it!!

this book is by far the most romantic of Puzo. if you think the romance in teh Sicillian and the Godfather is just not enough...u will love this one. and please, don't think there's any less mob. after all, life is beautiful.

I really enjoyed this introspective, somewhat auto-biographical novel. Puzo draws on his experiences in Vegas, in Hollywood during production of the "Godfather" and in NY, to convey a very realistic writer's life. It doesn't always surprise, it just tells a good story of a not-so-perfect man and his somewhat ordinary existence. Merlyn is no magician, and neither is Puzo, he is just a talented storyteller we know well.

Godfather is a shallow action thriller compared to Fool's Die. Don't be fooled by the superficially simple title, this tale of a mans life is a modern David Copperfield. At times I consider Fool's Die my favorite book of all time. This seems to be Puzos sleeper novel, I can't believe there are no other reviews for it. The most enjoyable aspect is the main character's realistically flawed choices in life, a man at once both honorable and improvident. This book is required reading to all intelligent men, especially aspiring writers(the main character is a writer), who should relate to the main character's dilemmas and trials.