Rating: 
Summary: Great
Review: I'm a fan of historical novels and I enjoyed reading this one. While not as great as Robert Graves' "I, Claudius" or Mika Waltari's "The Egyptian," it's still a great read.
I also recommend Amin Maalouf's "Samarkand."
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: I'm a fan of historical novels and I enjoyed reading this one. While not as great as Robert Graves' "I, Claudius" or Mika Waltari's "The Egyptian," it's still a great read.
I also recommend Amin Maalouf's "Samarkand."
Rating: 
Summary: All I dislike about modern popular literature in one place
Review: I've never written a book review before, but this was more than I could bear. I was looking for historical "fictional non-fiction" and found the silliest book I've read in some time. The only thing I can really remember about the book that stands out (I finished it last week) is that 3/4 of the way through I laughingly thought that the only thing they missed was homosexuality, but they didn't disappoint and a silly, pointless, passing reference was crammed in. I haven't read Mario Puzo before (but of course loved the movie The Godfather) but I'll bet this is not on the same level as his other novels. If they turn this one into a movie, it'll be on USA starring Lorenzo Lamas as the pope and Bjork as Lucretia Borgia.
Rating: 
Summary: Mafia or Catholic Church -- the greater criminal?
Review: If I were not already aware of the sins of the church, I would be shocked to find that there was murder, sex, and political intrigue behind the red robes. But like the police imspector in Casablanca, I am well aware of what is going on and Puzo tells a great story of a powerful Italian family and their role in this church. Worth more than one read.
Rating:
Summary: Boring Borgias!
Review: If you're interested in the ultimate fates of the Borgia pope and his four children (e.g., how did Cesare meet his end?), this book might be a good read on three or four pages. But if your are interested in absolute historical accuracy, go somewhere else. Puzo takes one of the most notoriously rapacious killer families in medieval Italy and turns them into a "sure they did some bad things, but they had reasons of the hearts to do them" people...not even one mention of Lucrezia Borgia poisoning someone...I mean, Hello!
Rating:
Summary: Alexander VI: The Original, and Best Godfather of All!
Review: In 1999, to inaugurate the 2000 Holy Year, the Vatican issued a commemorative postage stamp honored the first and {hopefully} last Spanish Pope, Alexander VI. Was Opus Dei, a Spanish cult dating from Franco, responsible for this embarassment? Most curious.In 2002, a world-wide sex scandal has enveloped the Church of Christ. However, the Vatican, which does not read the media, nor allow scandal to reach the ears of the current Pontiff, except via his personal Polish secretary, has reacted as if this were a small theft worthy of a hush-up at all levels. Curioser, and Curioser. Hence, it is worthy to revisit the era when the Roman Church was also in a disaster mode, worth of Cardinals Law and Egan and Mahoney and Bernadin. And Puzo does the joy of portraying the Borgia Pope in all his noteriety, as a loving father who adds to the gene pool via his own progeny, ala Romeo & Juliet, and their issue, Rodrigo. For a tale of fiction, to be read as a summer recreation, "The Family" is repetitive and drags. However, if I wanted one of my ten grandchildren or former students to know what the Council of Trent, Savonorola, the Counter Reformation, and the Jesuit "freedom fighters" of 1600, were up to, this volume would be a first choice to whet their curiosity and lead them to drink further into Church History, as it really was, not just "The Bad Popes". The inner cover maps depict how the Papal States strangled Italy until Gerabaldi did what Cesare was not able to accomplish. When I acquired this from Amazon, they did not stock it, and I had to buy it used at a high price. It is/was worth it! Now that they stock it and the pb, get either while they are still in print. It does indeed put present day clerical corruption ala Boston and Hartford into a perspective. If the Church could survive Alexander, Cesare, Lucretia, and their do-it-together child, Rodrigo, then the Church that exalts a "blockhead" [correct trans. for petrus!] as the first successor to Jesus, will definitely survive the current imbroglio. It is not scholarly, nor a good novel, and is a tedious read, yet Puzo and his partner of 20 years Gino, rate 5 stars for the end result. History ala carte. A.M.D.G.
Rating:
Summary: Disjointed Tale of Borgia Family
Review: In Ms Gino's afterward, she tells us that Mario Puzo toyed with writing a novel about the Borgia's for over 20 years. Unfortunately he completed many of the novel's vignettes, but he failed to pull them all together with a central theme or motiff that would have made the story as fantastically memorable as it should have been.
In keeping with Puzo's fascination with the Mafia, the Borgias are packaged and marketed as the first 'crime' family. Indeed, their exploits, motivated by the desire to unite the Papal States during the early 1500s, call to mind the savage deeds sanctioned by the Cosa Nostra---all in the name of family. However only parts of this novel really sparkle with Puzo's usual sitting-round-the-table storytelling technique. Only portions of the story are told in any great detail--I got the feeling that Puzo dug into these portions with great interest, but sadly never had the time to pull the entire thing together to make it more a solid work rather than a series of incidents tied together to form a novel fit for publication.
If the forbidden love between Lucretzia and Cesare was such a motivatior in the participants' lives, it should have been a more important motiff that made sense of some of the character's actions. We are told over and over again that Pope Alexander, as head of the family, was a man of many sensual appetites, but there should have been more concrete detailed examples of this. What in reality was probably audacious and unbelievably flamboyant becomes reduced to a flatness I don't think the author intended.
I think what could have been an exciting novel about some of history's most wicked scoundrels--Cesare Borgia was said to be the model for Macchiavelli's 'the Prince'--- simply was not finished in time. The author never had the chance to piece the story together in the way that would have made a bigger impact. A real shame.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Story, Poorly Told
Review: It would be very difficult to make the story of the family Borgia dull, but Mario Puzo and Carol Gino do their best. Pope Alexander VI, nee Rodrigo Borgia, manipulated his and his illegitimate brood's way to the top of the European food chain using whatever means necessary, and their rise to power makes for interesting reading. However, Mr. Puzo, and Ms. Gino tell the story in a style that never seems to fit history, historical fiction, or romance, and so becomes a hodge-podge of what may be the worst of all three. The history is incomplete, the fiction is plodding, and the romance is overblown. I finished the book because I love Vatican skullduggery, and it served as airplane and hotel reading, but as much as I'd recommend someone read about the Borgia's, I'd never recommend anyone do it with this book.
Rating:
Summary: an OK book
Review: Let me start by saying that I am not a Mario Puzo fan. I do however like and enjoy his books, and I simply can't consider this one as "his".
Having said that, let me go into what I think of The Family. To me this book was a light and easy read. Probably a little bit too light, with not as much information or detail as I would have liked, but still the history of this family makes for a good story.
The characters are not very well defined, but I guess this is due in part to the fact that two different authors wrote the book, and also to history itself, because it is much harder to know the thoughts and feelings of real people than it is to know those of whom you have created. About the book in general, I loved reading about the Renaissance, especially in Italy, and I liked the fact that famous figures were included such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Maquiavelo.
I also enjoyed reading about the Church, about the feud for land, power and religion. I did however found the book a bit lacking, and not providing enough information to make things clear enough. Now, about Mr. Rodrigo Borgia, even if you know the type of sins that have been committed in the name of God, this book will shock you. I couldn't believe the extremes that one person could go to, and as I kept reading I just read about more and more shocking episodes.... and about the sacrifies everyone had to make for... The Family... All in all, an entertaining read, as long as you keep in mind that Mario Puzo wasn't there to see it come to life. Still, BRAVO to Carol Gino for making this last dream come true....
Rating: 
Summary: I actually liked this book
Review: People who were expecting another "mob" book were probably disappointed by this one, but as a history buff I rather enjoyed it. It was an interesting departure from the other Mario Puzo books I've read. It made me look at the Borgias in an entirely different way. I'm glad I gave this one a chance.
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