Omerta

Rating:
Summary: Operation "Omerta"
Review: A posthumous publication by a major literary figure presupposes these questions in the reader's mind: Did this author write this book? If so, how much of the book? Did this author receive any "help" in its writing? If so, then what was the form of this "help?"

Without doubt, master storyteller Mario Puzo has placed the capstone of his life's work in "Omerta," the final tale of the "Godfather" saga. At first glance, "Omerta" appears to be a continuation of the struggles between older and younger generations, between traditions of Sicily and America, between alleged crime families and law enforcement agencies. Early on, the story seems to collapse on itself because the narrator deprives the reader of the suspense of "whodunit."

Nevertheless, the Puzo "signature" of larger-than-life characters is stamped on every page of "Omerta." When Don Raymonde, the Sicilian scion of the Aprile family, is murdered, his adopted Sicilian son, Astorre Viola, steps up to enforce the Don's last wishes. Astorre is confronted by Don Aprile's daughter, Nicole, a corporate attorney who happens to oppose the death penalty. The "no mercy" tenet of Don Aprile is counterbalanced by the "mercy" obtained by Nicole Aprile through her pro bono work.

The text of "Omerta" is threaded with imagery and aphorisms: ". . . when one changes one's country, one must always change one's hat." The usual cast of characters appears, including Roman Catholic cardinals and priests. A close reading of the text will reward one with glimpses of Puzo's dark humor. Beyond his use of irony, one can sense self-parody, which is a hallmark of his inimitable style.

However, there are some textual clues in "Omerta" which lead one to suspect that Puzo may have changed his narrative style partway through the novel. After the early revelation of the "shooters" and their "contractor," the novel takes on an uncanny resemblance to a "police procedural." Indeed, the director of the Bureau asks, "And how is our operation 'Omerta'?" Further, the frontispiece defines "Omerta," using the "World Book Dictionary." A final quibble concerns the book cover, which is a minimalist European-style design: black letters shadowed onto a white background, with an oval of metallic red to dot the "i" in "Mario." My question is: where is the written accent for "Omertà?" Without "reading" too much into this "omission," nonetheless, I do find it to be an appropriate symbol of how "[t]he great Dons had accomplished their goals and blended gracefully into society . . . " (315).

Naturally, one cannot read this book without envisioning the sights and sounds of "the movie" and its "soundtrack." Bravo, Signor Puzo e mille grazie.

Rating:
Summary: Omerta
Review: I just got finished reading this book today, it took me a couple of days to read it and I found myself fighting to put it down. This is another Mafia story from the great Mario Puzo. This book is a great read and it left me wanting to know what was gonna happen next, so it was hard to put down.

The Godfather was an excellent book by Puzo, definitely his best. Omerta isnt as good as the Godfather but I haven't read a book yet that can top that masterpiece. If you are a fan of Mario Puzo or of Mafia/Crime stories, then I suggest you read this book, you shouldnt be disappionted.

Rating:
Summary: The Last Novel of The Don of Mafia Writing
Review: I like novels like this one. It has all the elements that one could hope for in a novel. It has depth; is easy to follow; and can be done in a couple of sittings. I did not think The Last Don was as good as The Godfather, and I expected Omerta to be worse than The Last Don. Yet, this new tale of Mafia Suspense rivals The Godfather in twists, turns, and can't-put-it-down suspense. The language is VERY easy to read. I had no problem progressing even after a hard day at work. You don't really have to think about much; it is all there for you. The story is excellent. The plot seems like it took a long time to write out, and it is worthy of an author like Puzo. The progression of the Character development is the only problem that the book runs across. A few of the characters are not explained well, and this is mostly because there are just so many characters in the book. After reading the book, I cannot safely say that I know the motives surrounding any of the characters. I think this is kind of a good thing, though; it leaves much of the character/motives to be interpeted and inferred by the reader's own mind. If the characters were explained better, I am certain that the book would be too simplistic. I would definetly reccommend this book to anyone, as it is an easy romp of a read. And don't be suprised if you get a little bit of a Scicilian accent by the end of the novel.