Omerta (Godfather, Book 3)

It is only natural that anything that Puzo wrote after The Godfather would be compared with that epic work. But The Godfather is the type of work that is in a class all by itself. Puzo, wisely, does not strain to make subsequent works in the mold of The Godfather hoping to ape that success. It would not work. That being said, Omerta is every bit as good as The Last Don; a real page turner with plenty of intrigue. The characters are rich and complicated, the dialogue is crisp; plot and sub-plots keep you engaged, without confusing the reader. This work of crime fiction was the crowning work to Puzzo's stellar career. Puzzo has an intimate grasp of not just the criminal mind, but also human nature in general. Don't let reviews that try to compare this work with The Godfather scare you away from an awesome read. I finished the book in 1 1/2 days. You won't be able to put it down.

A posthumous publication by a major literary figure presupposes these questions in the reader's mind: Did this author write this book? If so, how much of the book? Did this author receive any "help" in its writing? If so, then what was the form of this "help?"Without doubt, master storyteller Mario Puzo has placed the capstone of his life's work in "Omerta," the final tale of the "Godfather" saga. At first glance, "Omerta" appears to be a continuation of the struggles between older and younger generations, between traditions of Sicily and America, between alleged crime families and law enforcement agencies. Early on, the story seems to collapse on itself because the narrator deprives the reader of the suspense of "whodunit." Nevertheless, the Puzo "signature" of larger-than-life characters is stamped on every page of "Omerta." When Don Raymonde, the Sicilian scion of the Aprile family, is murdered, his adopted Sicilian son, Astorre Viola, steps up to enforce the Don's last wishes. Astorre is confronted by Don Aprile's daughter, Nicole, a corporate attorney who happens to oppose the death penalty. The "no mercy" tenet of Don Aprile is counterbalanced by the "mercy" obtained by Nicole Aprile through her pro bono work. The text of "Omerta" is threaded with imagery and aphorisms: ". . . when one changes one's country, one must always change one's hat." The usual cast of characters appears, including Roman Catholic cardinals and priests. A close reading of the text will reward one with glimpses of Puzo's dark humor. Beyond his use of irony, one can sense self-parody, which is a hallmark of his inimitable style. However, there are some textual clues in "Omerta" which lead one to suspect that Puzo may have changed his narrative style partway through the novel. After the early revelation of the "shooters" and their "contractor," the novel takes on an uncanny resemblance to a "police procedural." Indeed, the director of the Bureau asks, "And how is our operation 'Omerta'?" Further, the frontispiece defines "Omerta," using the "World Book Dictionary." A final quibble concerns the book cover, which is a minimalist European-style design: black letters shadowed onto a white background, with an oval of metallic red to dot the "i" in "Mario." My question is: where is the written accent for "Omertà?" Without "reading" too much into this "omission," nonetheless, I do find it to be an appropriate symbol of how "[t]he great Dons had accomplished their goals and blended gracefully into society . . . " (315). Naturally, one cannot read this book without envisioning the sights and sounds of "the movie" and its "soundtrack." Bravo, Signor Puzo e mille grazie.

One year ago Mr. Puzo left us, but before he did he left his last work "Omerta" for us. This final tale of his is quite good, and when the end comes there is a feeling of closure to the epic he brought us with "The Godfather".The book is a melancholy reading experience, as you know it is the last work from Mr. Puzo. Do not make the same mistake I did by reading it in one day, make it last. Too much has already been given away about the plot, a trend I will not continue. Suffice to say this is a different type of Mafia that Mr. Puzo brings us; it is quite contemporary with events leading to the mid 1990's.New York and Sicily feature prominently in the book, and with a style that only Mr. Puzo can bring to the topic. It is clear that he was telling of great change in Organized Crime as we knew it, and it is a shame we will never know where he might have taken this storyline. The book is not a cliffhanger; it merely leaves you to ponder what would come next.When reading, one of the joys that returns is the memories of the first 2 Godfather Films. How many films brought that much talent to one screen? There were legends as well as legends in the making; Marlon Brando, James Caan, Al Pacino, Robert Dinero, Robert Duvall, Dianne Keaton, and a host of faces we would see in the theaters in the following years.The jacket of the book says this story will soon be a film. I am probably in the minority but I wish it were not. Mr. Puzo was personally involved in the previous screenplays, and even though this work was written with an eye toward being a movie, without Mr. Puzo it cannot be what we have come to expect.He created classic literature, and then helped to bring at least 2 movies that already are in the category of "Classic". Our language has become peppered with lines from the movies, even movies carry the spirit, and Tom Hanks recently tutored a business owner with bits and phrases from the Godfather Movies in the film "You've Got Mail".You cannot help but remember all the original characters and the faces attached to them when this book is read, I just don't see how the Corleones could be brought back to the screen, especially as they are a very small part of this work.Thank you both for the body of works you left us, and for being a true original, rest in peace Mr. Puzo.

I have been a fan of Mario Puzo since i was in the 6th Grade and read "The Godfather." I read the second in the trilogy (The Last Don) and found it just as captivating as "Godfather." Now, on the first day the book was available, I rushed out to buy "Omerta", which, 50 pages in, has me already captivated. Puzo (Rest In Peace)is, simply put, the master.

I read this book in one night. I am a huge Godfather fan and was really looking forward to reading this. There are some great characters, like two twin hitmen who operate as a team and Astorre, the opera singing, horse riding young Don who knows the old Sicilian ways, like the code of Omerta. It moves back and forth from present day New York to some great early stuff in Sicily. I highly reccomend this to anyone who liked the Godfather. It is the best Puzo since then. I can't wait for the movie.