The Firm

A couple of school friends suggested me the particular title among few others when I confessed that my tryst with Grisham's had not been so appealing. Actually it was again a college mate who had convinced me to read The Pelican Brief, which being as fantastic as it is made me select The King of Torts for my next read. That was apparently where I stopped reading Grisham and was actually a bit scared of ever touching another. But as it happened, friends have a way with themselves. But I am grateful to them for their suggestions for which I again relished a Grisham after a great many days.
It starts with a hint of thrill in the opening few chapters but the revelation comes all of a sudden that actually unfolds the terrifying puzzle. A fresher hired from the law school by a rich yet unassuming firm dreams a lavish early retirement. The promise of a hefty paycheck annually amassed from the rich uncomplaining clientele with other luring perks that the professional peers could only dream of seemed more than satisfying. Infact, the firm seemed also to take particular interest in the associates to settle down with a family early. So Mitch, the rookie, tried to settle down with a hope to make himself the youngest partner in the history of the firm where he was hired. Little did he know that the firm actually had a secret of its own that is chillingly fearsome. He was lured into a cleverly conceived trap that made him an accomplice to crime from which escape and death seems synonymous. But fate had a surprising twist for him as law enforcers contact him with a warning of an impending doom. As he becomes suspicious, more so by an even curious revelation of the accidental deaths of previous employees, Mitch tries to think rationally. As he gives his ears to the investigators against orders from his senior colleagues he is shocked to learn a dangerous truth. As the law is hell bent to bust a racket of mob and lawyers, Mitch is held in the midst that makes life threateningly deceptive. Thus ensues fast paced cat and mouse chase where it is upto Mitch himself to get out from the clutches of assassins while assuring safety for friends and family. With help coming from curious quarters, the chase is fascinating yet fearful. The uniqueness of the narrative is the delayed introduction of the central theme after the primary characters are well introduced though the web of suspense is felt with clear hints that poses queries that is revealed in trickles.

My Name is Abu Salem

After Dongri to Dubai and Byculla to Bangkok, the next is the revelation of the life and crimes of Abu Salem that is equally chilling like the others. Based on numerous police dossiers, files, interviews and letters, the events are detailed in their required perspective to highlight the various incidents that outlined the career of the don. Keeping Bollywood at its toes, Salem not only made a business out of it but also made a fortune as well. Salem seems to be the only don who had written an autobiography in jail and that too with the help of two educated convicts and yearns to make a movie script out of it. Starting his career in India, he travelled to Dubai, US and Portugal, among other places evading the authorities under various aliases carving a mobile empire around the globe. The book sketches the character in his true colour and completes the trilogy of the Mumbai mafia.

The Sicilian

The literary sequel to The Godfather, the tale is of romance and betrayal and treachery and bravery that depicts the true Sicily. Set in the years of his exile from America, the story at parts, is set from the perspective of Michael Corleone but the major share goes to the author's romantic narration of the legend of Turi Guiliano. Considered by many as the Sicilian Robinhood, Turi Guiliano's rise to infamy had been through a path of cruelty, deception, betrayal and love. Categorized in various volumes, the story narrates Guiliano life in the hills of Sicily with his band of bandits. Puzo brings the legend to life and narrates the story with his signature style that is devoid of emotions but filled with sentiments so Sicilian that the reader is always on the lookout of treachery within treachery whose final twist comes at the very last chapters. As history is brought to life with fiction mingling with it, the novel becomes unlike Godfather yet so like it in the same way as Guiliano was so unlike Mafiosi but became so like them.

Omerta

Omerta - the code of silence and of honour among the Sicilian Mafia seems to rule at large when the retiring Don Raymonde Aprile is shot in the USA. The FBI and the police department seems clueless about the murder but the motive seems not so difficult to guess. It was the Aprile banks that seemed to be the aim of the perpetrators. Aprile's foster son, Astorre Viola, to protect the Aprile family and banks, silently took charge of the situation and started vengeance in the traditional Mafia style. It took him across the deceptive path of politics and the corruption in the security departments and in the process some hideous truth came to fore. But silence reigned supreme as Astorre Viola, keeping a low profile, struck blow after blow to the heart of the enemies. But secrets from his past could not be hidden and soon he was to know his heritage. Whom to believe and whom to not, seemed a tricky decision and can he meet the ferocity of the rivals seemed to haunt his near ones. Deception and corruption went hand in hand as Omerta prevailed everywhere as the murders piled up.
The book is written in the old style of the Godfather but lost its touch when it came to the climactic ending which seemed a snippet from a Hollywood action piece. When I'd read it years before it seemed fantastic, but when I again went through this time the magic was lost. Godfather will always be a legendary piece whereas this is good but could have been better.

The Last Don

Welcome to the world of deception, lust, hatred and revenge mingled with passion and humanity. The Mafia's rule of terror, primarily based on the love for power and also their family, had always been the central theme of Puzo's novels. So after 27 years of 'The Godfather' Puzo's 'The Last Don', starts with Don Domenico Clericuzio expressing his wish of legalizing the family for the new generations after the recent war with the Santadio that caused too much bloodshed. His wishes were a command to his chief followers comprising of his sons Giorgio, Petie, Vincent and his nephew and the family Hammer, Pippi De Lena. But the seed of evil had already been sown in the past crimes of the family and thus years later Dante, his grandson and Croccifixio (Cross), son to Pippi De Lena seemed to be going opposite to the Don's wishes. The cunning Cross was promoted to the position of the second Hammer and the violent Dante eventually made his way as the primary one. Also Cross, operating in Vegas got involved in Hollywood business and started defying the Family, though slowly. Dante acted in operations under Pippi's guidance but the later complained about his crude techniques that too were not recommended by the family. Curiously, the Don seemed not to take too much offence in these two and thus his behaviours seemed mysterious to Pippi. The shadow of an evil past too seemed to loom at large and a sudden assassination of Pippi worsened the situation. Cross was baffled and silently enraged while oddly it appeared the Don was not interested in deeper investigation of the murder. Thus it was on the hand of Cross to exact revenge and for that he secretly ensambled a crew to punish the murderer. In doing so whether the Don's wishes remains guarded were yet to be seen in the final few pages.
After going through 'The Godfather', my fascination drove me to buy this book but it seemed that the years of his detachment in his writing of the Mafia families infact detached Mario Puzo further from their ways and comparing 'The Godfather', this seemed not so intense. Infact the Hollywood part and the lavish Vegas lifesytle semed to be the primary focus in the long introductory chapters though the final progress and the twist in the story no doubt, reflected ‘The Godfather’ days. Infact the description of the events preceding Pippi's assasination seemed classic to me. Overall a good read but I suggest you not to compare it with the outstanding novel called 'The Godfather'.

The Godfather Part I

I don’t remember exactly how many times I’ve watched this film but the fascination seems to increase with each view. Directed by Francis Ford Capolla and based on the best seller by Mario Puzo this is a story of the Mafia rulers of the States that had curved out an empire in the underworld of America and the ruthlessness of their rule which made these Sicilian born immigrants one of the most powerful organizations in the history of crimes. Strangely their love and concern for their family seemed to contrast with their cold cruelties but in reality their family ties were the strongest pillars of their strength and probably it was the families that their subconscious souls looked for emotional support. The story starts with Amerigo Bonasera requesting the aid of the Corleone Family headed by the aged but respected Vito Corleone for avenging the culprits responsible for inflicting curelty on his daughter but the plot quickly turns to the Corleonoe's conflict with the other four of the mighty five Families of the underworld following their dispute on the emerging narcotics trade. While Corleone was against this, the other four smelled more money in it resulting in a family war waging with Vito falling as the first victim. This attempt on his life drove his second son Freddo to near insanity while the eldest Sonnie tried to come all out against the enemy. This resulted in numerous killings on either side costing Sonnie his life and forcing the youngest son Michael Corleone, who never wanted to get himself attached to the family business, to come to forefront and manage the turmoil. Tom Hagen, the foster son of Vito also helped Michael but it seemed that the cunning and ruthlessness of Mike surpassed everybody's imaginations. Also his organizational skills and tactical maneuvers clearly surpassed that of Vito.
The movie is an intense drama of sophisticated savagery in the name of power and in the process the chapters of treachery, deception, love and compassion unfolds in the most remarkable fashions. We are horrified by the cruelty of Mike but again we can feel sympathetic on his growing concern for his family’s safety. Marlon Brando is magnificent as Vito Corleone and probably performed his best as did James Caan as Sonnie Corleone and Robert Duval as Tom Hagen. Al Pacino made his personality felt as Michael and after watching the movie you just cannot make out who among Marlon Brando and Al Pacino acted as the best Godfather. On the side roles, Talia Shire was just appropriate for the role of the impulsive Connie Corleone and John Marley as Jack Woltz seemed perfect in his partrayal. While Abe Vigoda could not impress as the cool and composed Sal Tessio, Richard Bright was just fine as Al Neri. Al Lettieri excels in his role of the villain Virzil Solozzo and Diane Keaton adds the correct grace as Kay Adams. Thus the movie, portraying the crime rule in America surprisingly will evoke respect and awe instead of malice and hatred.

The Godfather

As I started reading the novel for the 1st time, I just couldn’t help comparing it with the film version that I had already viewed innumerable times. So everytime I came across the characters of Vito Corleone, Michael Corleone, Tom Hagen, etc. I just couldn’t keep my mind searching for the image as portrayed respectively by Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, etc. This continued till I came to Book III of the novel where I could tear myself from the comparison and could really concentrate on Mario Puzo’s creations.
The story revolves around the family of Vito Corleone, an underworld Don of New York who was forced to escape from his hometown at Sicily at a very young age following the murder of his father. In New York he took refuge in a rented home and started a family of his own. But fortune prevented him from a respectable living as he was forced to leave his job by a local underworld lord. Pretty soon he met the daring Peter Clemenza and the shrewd Sal Tessio and they introduced him to the world of smuggling at a very early age. Vito took the job in a fearless heart and very soon felt that the entire operation lacked proper organization. Meanwhile the local don intervened and tried to put a tax on their earnings. This infuriated Vito and very cleverly he staged the don’s murder and earned the respect of the entire area. This proved to be a turning point in his career as once the murder was committed he automatically managed to instill fear on the minds of his acquaintances. Thus began his illustrated career as Don Corleone in the underworld that culminated in his being held as the undisputed Mafia boss of the New York gambling circuit.
But problems arose in the form of mob war that included the infamous Five (Mafia) Families and the Corleones in their dealings with the upcoming illegal trade of narcotics, the future of smuggling. As Don Corleone refused his help in its introduction, attempt was made on his life that sparked the mob war which led to several members of the Corleone Family including Sonnie, the eldest son of Don Corleone getting killed in the way and Michael, the youngest son, being forced to leave New York. Thus Don Corleone was compelled to come to an agreement on giving security to the narcotic trade and made the return of Michael easy enough though a further attempt on his life could not be prevented that cost Michael to lose his first wife and sealed his destiny to become the next Don, inheriting his father's business. With Michael’s return the Corleone family started consolidating on their massacred empire and in the process many new faces like Rocco Lampone, Al Neri were given more responsibilities. Once the groundwork was done the family planned to move to Nevada and thus the strategist Michael planned for a deathly blow to the enemy. Traitors were identified and killed. The structure of the family was given a new shape. The security was strengthened and Michael was directed by the great Don before he himself passed away. Thus the Corleone family was once again on the verge of supreme power and the readers are kept glued to the words till the very climax.
The author has not only excelled in his description of the operation of the underworld but also the few places where he had detailed the gruesome murders, keep the reader horrified at the brutality of the underworld. But amidst the cruelties of the Mafia world, strangely the Sicilian’s love for their family makes a surprising contrast to this gory atmosphere and I nioticed that families have been given the 1st priority in any dealings. This shows the bondage of the members of the Sicilian Mafia families and their aim of a secured and powerful community for their children.At places, the author has introduced sub-plots involving Johny Fontane and Nino Valenti, Lucy Mancini and Jules Segal, Al Neri, who were closely related to the Corleone family, and in some of these the reader may find a bit disracted. Also portions revealing the more personal life of the characters could have been shortened, if not omitted altogether, that wouldn't have caused any harm to the actual theme.