From Sicily, with Love
I must admit that I have never seen or read Mario Puzo’s The Godfather. (Did I just hear the men give a collective gasp?) I’ve been wanting to, but just haven’t had the chance. It’s only after reading The Sicilian that I felt that I really might be missing out on something here.
I must thank Miguel for introducing me to Puzo—I had run out of books to read, so I asked if he could lend me anything interesting. My specs: something entertaining, easy to read, nothing that has even a whisper of post-modernism (still reeling from that last book…). I just wanted something I could escape to whenever I needed a break. A few days later, Miguel handed me this book. I thought it was such a guy choice, but I’ve learned not to doubt his selection. He, after all, was responsible for bringing James Clavell into my life.
The Sicilian supposedly picks up from where The Godfather left off, with Don Corleone’s son Michael in Sicily. Michael’s mission: to bring Sicilian Salvatore “Turi” Giuliano back to America. Now, this Turi’s an outlaw, a bandit well-loved by the people, a legend at the age of 27; he’s a Sicilian Robin Hood, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. And in the years he spends becoming THE Turi Giuliano, he makes quite a few enemies along the way—including the all-powerful Sicilian mafia.
It isn’t really a sequel to The Godfather—there are references to it, but Michael isn’t the central character here. The meat of the book tells Turi’s story in a highly engaging manner—whenever I would pick up the book to read a few pages, I would end up reading chapters before I could finally tear myself away to get some sleep. The thought of reading it actually excited me, something I haven’t felt about any book in a long time. The imagery is so vivid, the narrative so arresting that you just really want to find out what happens next. Plus, The Sicilian marks the first time, in all my years of reading, that I ever developed a crush on a character from a book!
Sigh. Turi Giuliano, I heart you!
I love Mario Puzo! You should read his other works as well. I could lend you The Last Don and Omerta. Sadly, someone borrowed and never returned my copy of The Godfather. It’s been a long time since I last read The Sicilian. Maybe I should pick it up again one of these days.
Comment by Dondi — January 29, 2008 @ 2:16 pm
I’m nearly done with the Gabriel Garcia-Marquez one I’m reading now, so I’m on the lookout for my next book. So yeah, pahiram! But I should read the Godfather, no?
Comment by Tisha — January 29, 2008 @ 3:08 pm