- Audio CD
- Publisher: William Morrow; Abridged edition (Jan 8 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0060594438
- ISBN-13: 978-0060594435
- Product Dimensions: 14.6 x 13.2 x 2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 222 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,863,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Before his death in 2001, Puzo (The Last Don) had begun work on a novel featuring the 15th-century Borgias, whom he regarded as "the original crime family." There are obvious parallels between the Borgias and the Corleone clan immortalized in The Godfather, but the resemblances are mostly superficial, at least as they are presented in this limp historical romance. The story opens with Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia manipulating papal elections in 1492 to become the new Pope Alexander. Determined to establish a family dynasty, he appoints his son Cesare cardinal in his stead and, after a strategically engineered episode of incest between siblings Cesare and Lucrezia, begins ruthlessly eliminating rivals and marrying his children into alliances with the offspring of noble families of France and Spain. But Cesare would rather be a soldier, and Lucrezia would rather marry for love; these conflicted desires contribute as much as risky political power plays to undoing the Borgias in a single generation. Though Gino (Puzo's companion, author of Then an Angel Came) is credited for the posthumous completion, Puzo's true collaborator is history, and it proves a difficult partner. Obligated not to deviate from known facts, the narrative whizzes methodically through highlights of the Renaissance, embellishing events with snatches of imagined dialogue, purple prose ("For love can steal free will using no weapons but itself") and cameos by Machiavelli, Michelangelo and da Vinci. Overwhelmed by the vast pageant of events, the characters never achieve dramatic stature. Puzo's diehard fans will surely put the novel on their summer hit list, but they may feel, in Sonny Corleone's words, that "this isn't personal, it's business." Major ad/promo; simultaneous HarperAudio and Large Print edition.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.From Library Journal
Much will probably be made of this last novel by the celebrated author of The Godfather and a slew of other gangster novels. After Puzo's death in 2001, this historical fiction was completed by Carol Gino, his companion. The subject is the misunderstood family Borgia, who were sometimes malevolent, always maligned, and mostly political part Clintons, part Kennedys, part Sopranos. Spaniard Rodrigo Borgia becomes Pope Alexander VI and moves into the Vatican with his mistresses and children. Alexander deeply loves yet still controls his offspring, including the ambitious and handsome warrior Cesare, who wants to shed his cardinal robes to lead the papal army in conquest of central Italy; the sweet but flawed Lucretia, whose incestuous relationship with Cesare raises eyebrows; and lusty Juan, who carries on with the wife of little brother Jofre, who in turn becomes murderously jealous. Most of the melodramatic murder and mayhem comes straight out of the history books, but the characters lack depth, with their motivations only mildly explored. This late 15th-century family's story is more soap opera than serious treatment of the troubled dynasty that influenced the Renaissance.
- David Nudo, formerly with "Library Journal"
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
- David Nudo, formerly with "Library Journal"
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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First Sentence
Vanozza stood in the doorway of her house and smiled bravely as she waved good-bye to her three children. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Vanozza stood in the doorway of her house and smiled bravely as she waved good-bye to her three children. Read the first page
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
15th Century Godfather,
By
This review is from: Family Mm (Mass Market Paperback)
If you like both the "The Godfather" and Renaissance history, "The Family" is the book for you. An historical novel, it is the fictionalized story of the Borgia family of Rodrigo (Pope Alexander VI) and his children, principally Ceasare, the Cardianl turned warrior, and Lucrezia, the beloved commodity who could be shopped around Europe for the best alliance. From the little I have been able to research, the story line seems to be bases in fact, or at least legends which have become fact.The story reads like that of a 15th century Mafia family. Everything that characterizes the Corleones is also found in the Borgias. Like their later day literary successors, this family revels in intrigue, murder (even within the family), lust, incest and all round disgusting behavior, all within the nurturing environment of a closely knit family. Normally I would be repelled by a tale of immoral behavior such as this, but "The Family" held my interest. Maybe it is the peak into the life of the clerical nobility of the Renaissance at its worst or maybe it is because the times are so remote from our own that the Borgias do not pose a threat. Maybe it is because people like that really do not inhabit our world anymore. But come to think of it, we still have Corleones don't we?
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thank you, other reviewer,
By nom-de-nick "nom-de-nick" (United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Family Mm (Mass Market Paperback)
for pointing out that this is an historical NOVEL, not a biography. And in that context, it's an excellent read. Not The Godfather, of course, but then, what is? If you like Puzo, you'll like this. Worth the bucks for sure.And if it gets you interested enough to read a biography of the Borgias, there are lots of 'em out there
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting,
By E.J.L. "CapricaSix" (Anytown, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Family Mm (Mass Market Paperback)
This book was an OK read. The writing was stiff, but the story was interesting, if somewhat historically inaccurate. It was good bedtime reading and maybe something I would take with me on a vacation when I want to read something but I don't want to think about it too hard. Lots of gore and weird sex and who doesn't enjoy that?However, if you want the real story, there are tons of well written, colourful and accurate biographies.
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