The Godfather Books In Order

Publication Order of Godfather Books

The Godfather, one of the world’s best novels which remained for sixty seven weeks on the New York Times bestsellers list in 1969 was a brain child of the bestselling author Mario Puzo. The Italian American author came to fame due to his intelligently written crime fictions and Italian mafia stories. However Mario Puzo never have been face to face with real gangster in his life, but the way he describes the characters it keeps a deep impact on the American Society. However the storyline has a great resemblance with the real life mafia organization in New York and surrounding area so called “Five families”.

With Godfather Puzo tasted the success for the first time as his first two books The Last Christmas (1950) and The Dark Arena (1955) although was critically acclaimed with good reviews but was not a financial success. But this setback didn’t stopped Puzo to hunt for the success, his love for the literature and creative writing made him to give birth to the masterpiece Godfather. It is a story of complete fictional character based on a mafia family in New York City during the period of 1945 to 1955.

Storyline and Characters of Godfather: – The novel Godfather was based on a mafia family Corleone in which Vito Andolini Corleone is the head. This book was also made into three movie series title Godfather, Godfather Part II and Part III, who can forget the silence storming expression of aged Vito Andolini Corleone played by Marlon Brando and the angry young Vito played by Robert De Niro. Both the actors for the role of Vito Andolini Corleone won Academy Awards. It was the first time in the film history that a same role was being played by two different artists.

The novel Godfather, deals with the collision of Corleone family and other four mafia family. Corleone family was the most powerful mafia family in New York with Vito as the head of the family who was an orphaned Sicilian immigrant. He speculates how bootlegging, gambling and union corruption business has a great area of opportunity. But Vito was a strong character, being a mafia also he never left his self ethics and lived by his strict moral code or royalty towards his friends and his family above the all. Even his closest friends used to refer him as Godfather or Don Corleone.

The novel Godfather II reveals the story of young Vito. When Vito was a child his father and brother was killed by Don Ciccio in Corleone, Sicily as his father refused to pay tribute to the Don and his brother wanted revenge of his father’s death. Vito’s mother sacrificed herself to save him and he was smuggled to America. In 1920 Vito commits his first murder killing Fanucci who wanted cut from his illegal profits or he will report to police. After Fanuci’s death Vito took over his place and ran it with far greater respect. His successful business in olive oil importing with partner Genco became the legal front of his organizes crime syndicate and soon he became a famous name among the Mafias in New York. In 1923 Vito and his partner Don Tommasino returned to Sicily and he avenged the death of his family by systematically eliminating Don Ciccio’s men and at last killing him brutally.

It was the beginning of the era of Don Vito Andolini Corleone, the most dreadful and respected mafia of New York.

Carmela Corleone was the wife of Don Vito Andolini Corleone; she was born in 1897 in Sicily and married Vito in 1914. They had three sons Sonny, Fredo, Michael and one a daughter Connie. Carmela was a strong character raises the Corleone family as witnesses the change in Vito from a kind quite young man to a deadly and ruthless mafia. However she used to love Vito and respect also as he has his moral values and devoted to his family. Both were married for 40 years till Vito’s death in 1955. Carmela Corleone dies towards the end of the sequel of Godfather.

Michael Corleone was born in 1920 and was the youngest son of Don Vito Andolini Corleone, the character is the main character in the Novel who takes the place of Don Vito Andolini Corleone when he was shot by few assassins, the attach was attempted by drug kingpin Virgil Sollozzo, as Vito denied to put his hand in drug racket. Vito survived the attack after taking 5 bullets, but Michael started to operate in his place. Michael never had the intentions to join the family business, but life has twist saved in every corner. Michael avenges the attack on his father by killing Sollozzo in a restaurant where both came for a meeting. That was his first step in mafia world. After the killing Michael flees to Sicily under the protection of Vito’s friend Don Tommasino and spent 2 years. Married with Apollonia Vitelli and two children Antony and Mary, in 1951 Michael returns to United States and with his father’s mastermind and planning wipes all other Don’s in New York. Before Don Vito died he warned Michael about a traitor in the family. Michael kills Carlo Rizzi the abusive husband of Connie who was also involved in the conspiracy behind Sonny’s Murder.

The role of Michael Corleone was played by Al Pacino in the movie Godfather Trilogy and was nominated thrice for Academy Awards in the film for the part.

The novel Godfather by Mario Puzo was so popular and loved that other than the movie, it was even adapted in a video game in 2006. However the sequels to the original novel continue to release. The Sicilian (1984) by Puzo himself featured the period of Michael’s exile in Sicily in 1950 to his return in USA. Further in 2004 another sequel of Godfather returns in the name The Godfather Returns by Mark Winegardner. Again in 2006 another book released by Winegardner titles The Godfathers Revenge. All these sequels continue from the story of Puzo’s novel.

The impression of the novel Godfather by Mario Puzo has left a permanent mark among the readers mind and heart and still after 45 years the novel is been looked forward by the book lovers.