The Godfather
The Godfather is an extraordinary novel which has become a modern day classic. Puzo pulls us inside the violent society of the Mafia and its gang wars.The leader, Vito Corleone, is the Godfather. He is a benevolent despot who stops at nothing to gain and hold power. His command post is a fortress on Long Island from which he presides over a vast underground empire that includes the rackets, gambling, bookmaking, and unions. His influence runs through all levels of American society, from the cop on the beat to the nation s mighty.Mario Puzo, a master storyteller, introduces us to unforgettable characters, and the elements of this world explode to life in this violent and impassioned chronicle. 1945年夏天，美国本部黑手党柯里昂家族首领，“教父”维托·柯里昂为小女儿康妮举行了盛大的婚礼。“教父”有三个儿子：暴躁好色的长子桑尼，懦弱的次子弗雷德和刚从二战战场回来的小儿子迈克。其中桑尼是“教父”的得力助手；而迈克虽然精明能干，却对家族的“事业”没什么兴趣。 “教父”是黑手党首领，常干违法的勾当。但同时他也是许多弱小平民的保护神，深得人们爱戴。他还有一个准则就是决不贩毒害人。为此他拒绝了毒枭索洛佐的要求，并因此激化了与纽约其它几个黑手党家族的矛盾。圣诞前夕，索洛佐劫持了“教父”的养子、家族参谋顾问汤姆·黑根， 并派人暗杀“教父”。 这是教父一生中遭遇的第二次袭击.第一袭击在电影中只用几句话就草草带过,而在小说中却是这样叙述的:一个小刺客抱着必死的决心冲进教父的房子并向教父投出了炸弹,教父因此受了伤而那刺客也被乱枪打死.