Rating: 
Summary: Realistic touching family drama
Review: Mario Puzo's writing style was so wonderful to read because it somehow flawlessly glides from one point of view to another. One minute, you're reading about the events from the mother's perspective where she talks about Vinnie, then suddenly you're reading about Vinnie's thoughts of his family, and so on. I loved The Godfather and now this is a favorite as well. This story is not just about family members prevailing through tragedy after tragedy, but it's also each member finding a role in life and why they must fulfill the role. It's an inspiring tale of a family in the Depression era.
Rating:
Summary: Realistic touching family drama
Review: Mario Puzo's writing style was so wonderful to read because it somehow flawlessly glides from one point of view to another. One minute, you're reading about the events from the mother's perspective where she talks about Vinnie, then suddenly you're reading about Vinnie's thoughts of his family, and so on. I loved The Godfather and now this is a favorite as well. This story is not just about family members prevailing through tragedy after tragedy, but it's also each member finding a role in life and why they must fulfill the role. It's an inspiring tale of a family in the Depression era.
Rating: 
Summary: half filled cup
Review: No matter how idealized one's life might be through its reflection, in reality the strong message that Puzo sends is that life simply isn't perfect. From the various characters presented in this book, Lucia and her family, I realize that the certain experiences of immigrant families from far away are raely easy nor wonderful. When we read books, at least when I do, we tend to escape into the wonders of that particular world. A lot of times I tend to place the characters on this high pedestal of moral righteous-ness. From what Puzo has presented of Lucia Santa and her family, I am once again reminded that nobody in this world is perfect and that life is just life; it is what we make of it. One can obviously see the difficulties that the family has adjusting to the challenges of life in America. As much as I didn't want to be reminded of the self-deprecating worthlessness of these characters, I had no choice but to understand the desperate and hypocritical nature of humans in time of great upheaval; afterall, Lucia and her family simply had to live. I give this book a 3. Although I do respect Puzo's narrative of a 'certain' Italian family, as I finish the book there is an incredible sense of incompleteness. The Fortunate Pilgrim just seems unfinished. But then again that's what Puzo might have wanted his readers to feel.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful
Review: Once again Puzo works his magic. One of his best stories, Puzo mixes his expert story telling with his nack for making his characters memorable. It makes you remember your own past as well as that of the characters.
Rating:
Summary: Puzo impresses again
Review: The Angeluzzi-Corba family with its central character Lucia Santa, battles against 'unfortunate' hardships to preserve her strong Italian values. Lucia Santa believes the family is continually punished; yet it is the survival through these difficulties that is both 'fortunate' and touching.I enjoyed this story, both for its characters and subtle plot.
Rating:
Summary: Simply a Masterpeice
Review: The book I am reviewing is "The Fortunate Pilgrim" by Mario Puzo. I chose to read Fortunate Pilgrim because I had heard from numerous sources that this book was actually better than Mario Puzo's most known and best-selling novel, The Godfather, which I had read and enjoyed greatly. I found it hard to believe a book so over-looked from the public could be better than the masterpiece, The Godfather, and decided to read "The Fortunate Pilgrim" myself and draw my own conclusion.
"The Fortunate Pilgrim" tells the story of a single mother, Lucia Santa, holding together her split family of six children and no husband. Lucias every day life is a struggle, to make sure there is enough money to feed her children and prosper during WWI and the Great Depression. Lucia's first husband died in an industrial accident, and her second husband ran away, leaving her with his 3 children. I personally found the Mother-Daughter relationship between Lucia and her oldest daughter, Octivia very sad yet interesting to read. Octivia wants to become a modernized American and schoolteacher, and discourages her mother for "living in the past". I find the dialogue between Lucia and Octivia on page 23-26 an important passage in the book, as Octivia denounces her mother and fiercly tells her "He's not my father!" when Lucia brings up the hard topic of her stepfather.
"The Fortunate Pilgrim" is indeed a great book. I still cannot decide whether the Fortunate Pilgrim is "better" than The Godfather, but they are both great in different ways. The Fortunate Pilgrim really makes you grateful for things over-looked by many, such as shelter, health, life, and most of all family. The Fortunate Pilgrim made myself, being Italian, think about the struggle everyday life was to my great grandparents. It makes you think of how, in the end, Lucia Santa overcomes overwhelming odds, but to much heart ache. It is hard to contemplate now what these people had to go through, the hardship of daily life. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good, meaningful read. The beginning starts off slow, but by the end of this book you can have a new perspective on some aspects, if not all of life. This is a book I will remember for years.
Rating:
Summary: Simply a Masterpeice
Review: The book I am reviewing is "The Fortunate Pilgrim" by Mario Puzo. I chose to read Fortunate Pilgrim because I had heard from numerous sources that this book was actually better than Mario Puzo's most known and best-selling novel, The Godfather, which I had read and enjoyed greatly. I found it hard to believe a book so over-looked from the public could be better than the masterpiece, The Godfather, and decided to read "The Fortunate Pilgrim" myself and draw my own conclusion.
"The Fortunate Pilgrim" tells the story of a single mother, Lucia Santa, holding together her split family of six children and no husband. Lucias every day life is a struggle, to make sure there is enough money to feed her children and prosper during WWI and the Great Depression. Lucia's first husband died in an industrial accident, and her second husband ran away, leaving her with his 3 children. I personally found the Mother-Daughter relationship between Lucia and her oldest daughter, Octivia very sad yet interesting to read. Octivia wants to become a modernized American and schoolteacher, and discourages her mother for "living in the past". I find the dialogue between Lucia and Octivia on page 23-26 an important passage in the book, as Octivia denounces her mother and fiercly tells her "He's not my father!" when Lucia brings up the hard topic of her stepfather.
"The Fortunate Pilgrim" is indeed a great book. I still cannot decide whether the Fortunate Pilgrim is "better" than The Godfather, but they are both great in different ways. The Fortunate Pilgrim really makes you grateful for things over-looked by many, such as shelter, health, life, and most of all family. The Fortunate Pilgrim made myself, being Italian, think about the struggle everyday life was to my great grandparents. It makes you think of how, in the end, Lucia Santa overcomes overwhelming odds, but to much heart ache. It is hard to contemplate now what these people had to go through, the hardship of daily life. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good, meaningful read. The beginning starts off slow, but by the end of this book you can have a new perspective on some aspects, if not all of life. This is a book I will remember for years.
Rating:
Summary: Simply a Masterpeice
Review: The book I am reviewing is "The Fortunate Pilgrim" by Mario Puzo. I chose to read Fortunate Pilgrim because I had heard from numerous sources that this book was actually better than Mario Puzo's most known and best-selling novel, The Godfather, which I had read and enjoyed greatly. I found it hard to believe a book so over-looked from the public could be better than the masterpiece, The Godfather, and decided to read "The Fortunate Pilgrim" myself and draw my own conclusion.
"The Fortunate Pilgrim" tells the story of a single mother, Lucia Santa, holding together her split family of six children and no husband. Lucias every day life is a struggle, to make sure there is enough money to feed her children and prosper during WWI and the Great Depression. Lucia's first husband died in an industrial accident, and her second husband ran away, leaving her with his 3 children. I personally found the Mother-Daughter relationship between Lucia and her oldest daughter, Octivia very sad yet interesting to read. Octivia wants to become a modernized American and schoolteacher, and discourages her mother for "living in the past". I find the dialogue between Lucia and Octivia on page 23-26 an important passage in the book, as Octivia denounces her mother and fiercly tells her "He's not my father!" when Lucia brings up the hard topic of her stepfather.
"The Fortunate Pilgrim" is indeed a great book. I still cannot decide whether the Fortunate Pilgrim is "better" than The Godfather, but they are both great in different ways. The Fortunate Pilgrim really makes you grateful for things over-looked by many, such as shelter, health, life, and most of all family. The Fortunate Pilgrim made myself, being Italian, think about the struggle everyday life was to my great grandparents. It makes you think of how, in the end, Lucia Santa overcomes overwhelming odds, but to much heart ache. It is hard to contemplate now what these people had to go through, the hardship of daily life. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good, meaningful read. The beginning starts off slow, but by the end of this book you can have a new perspective on some aspects, if not all of life. This is a book I will remember for years.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent novel, well written
Review: The Fortunate Pilgrim By Mario Puzo is an excellent novel to read. The story is about Lusia Santa and her immigration to America from Italy. Throughout the entire book, it talks about the tough times that Lucia Santa and her family endure in America. The family of eight were tenants of a small apartment building in New York. Many of the children had to get jobs to help support the family when they were old enough. The book tells the readers a lot about the American dream and how much of a struggle people had to over come to acheive it. People came to America searching for better lives and freedom. To meet the American dream you had to work hard and you would suceed. Lucia Santa didn't know the price that she would have to pay to meet the American dream. This book shows us what it was like to live in America. It shows us what some of our ancestors went through, and their determination to live in America. I thought that this book was well written and well organized. You got to see, through reading the book, what it was like to immigrate to America and how hard it was to try and start a new life in America.
Rating:
Summary: Different, yet interesting
Review: The Fortunate Pilgrim by Mario Puzo really makes you think. It tells about Lucia Santa's family who moved to America from Italy and the hardships they endure. This book will give you a good clear picture of America in the 20's and how a lot of our ancestors lived. It shows you that quite a few of the immigrants had to live in small tenaments and each child had to work in some way so they would have enough money to buy food and clothing. If you have ever wondered what it would be like to live in another country, this book will let you know. There are some parts that are hard to understand, but at the end it all falls into place and really hits home because you will finally understand what your ancestors did to get you where you are today. I would recommend this book to upper classmen in high school, college students and adults.
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