Fools Die

Rating:
Summary: unsatisfying, yet hard to put away.
Review: I currently finished reading Puzo's critically acclaimed book "Fools Die". Let me tell this to you straight. The first Puzo books that I read were "The Godfather" and "The Sicilian". I did not particularly care for this third book. The book is all about casino gambling and Hollywood. About 1/3 of the characters are interesting but the rest leave something to be desired. The book really hits rock bottom as soon as the main character hits Hollywood. Somehow I still felt obligated to read this novel and spend many late nights reading past the halfway point of the book just because Puzo's name is on the cover in big black letters. I'm sure you know what I am talking about. Overall the book is written somewhat poorly and I'm sure if you read it you will know why Puzo is known for "The Godfather" and "The Sicilian" and not this novel. Like I said, it's a rough read but impossible to put down just because Puzo has his name on it. Im still debating whether I am even going to put it on my bookshelf. I think the closet floor might be a more attractive spot.

Rating:
Summary: I have always loved this book
Review: I first read Fools Die right after it was published, loved it and waited anxiously for the movie to come out. Leave it to Hollywood to pass on this classic. I have always loved Puzo,(The Godfather is the greatest movie of all time), and with "Fools Die" he once again shows why he has no peers when it comes to story-telling. Beyond all the glitter of Las Vegas and Hollywood, Puzo simply tells a great story, and I loved the characters, especially Merlyn and of course, the great "Osano".(Wouldn't it have been wonderful to see who would have played him in the movie?) One minor complaint. I've always felt that the Janelle character was overdone, that perhaps she should have been written out completely. For a while I wasn't sure why, but I think now it is because I wanted Merlyn to be just like his brother Artie, "the only faithful husband left in New York City:". Oh well, just a personal preference, and this really is a great book.

Rating:
Summary: Mario Puzo can write about more than just the mafia.
Review: "Fools Die" is one of the most well written books that I have ever read. The words fit together to create an amazing story. This books proves that Mario Puzo does not need to write a story about the mafia to remain America's favorite storyteller.
"Fools Die" is set in Las Vegas. It deals with four friends who all meet in Las Vegas. Jordan traveled to Las Vegas to escape his homelife where his wife was leaving him. Merlyn "The Magician" went to Las Vegas to take a break and relax. Cully worked for the casino and overlooked the casino floor. Diane was a hooker for the casino. The book starts with one night, Jordan starts a lucky streak. By the end of the night, he obtained over $400,000. While his three other friends made arrangements for Jordan to leave the city, Jordan pulled out a gun that he had brought, and killed himself.
The book continues with telling stories about Cully and Merlyn. It shows their struggles, and how they start to recieve power. Cully becomes the casino manager's right hand man, but eventually decieves him to gain more power. Merlyn gets a job enlisting people into the six-month army reserve program. He becomes a crook by accepting bribes for people who are low on the list and do not want to become drafted into the army. By taking the bribes, Merlyn moves the people up on the list. Eventually, the FBI catches onto the scheme, and investigates. Merlyn, now a very wealthy man, quits his job.
Many other great characters are met during the book, especially the world famous author Osano, whom Merlyn starts to work for.
This book works on many levels. It is romance, thriller, crime, and dark comedy all rolled into one great book. Mario Puzo's genious work should be read by every person, because it will appeal to all. I hope you all read this book.
To read more books by Mario Puzo, read "The Godfather", and "The Last Don". Both books are excellent, just as good as "Fools Die".

Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly Excellent
Review: This book ruined my week as I was not able to function due to staying up late turning pages...

A comic melo-drama, it is a typically brilliant story told by the world's greatest story-teller. For those whose interests regarding Puzo are limited to the Mafia, you might be disappointed to know that other than fleeting references to the underworld, there isn't much mob action.

But that's not a bad thing at all. In many ways this book was better than The Godfather, Omerta and others. I was hesitant to read it because of my interest in the Casanostra. However I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. It comes only second to Puzo's "The Sicilian" which I believe is the best book ever written.

Read this book only if you have a lot of time on your hands. Don't read it if you're tanning on the beach... you'll get toasted without realizing it!!

Rating:
Summary: Mario Puzo can write about more than just the mafia.
Review: "Fools Die" is one of the most well written books that I have ever read. The words fit together to create an amazing story. This books proves that Mario Puzo does not need to write a story about the mafia to remain America's favorite storyteller.
"Fools Die" is set in Las Vegas. It deals with four friends who all meet in Las Vegas. Jordan traveled to Las Vegas to escape his homelife where his wife was leaving him. Merlyn "The Magician" went to Las Vegas to take a break and relax. Cully worked for the casino and overlooked the casino floor. Diane was a hooker for the casino. The book starts with one night, Jordan starts a lucky streak. By the end of the night, he obtained over $400,000. While his three other friends made arrangements for Jordan to leave the city, Jordan pulled out a gun that he had brought, and killed himself.
The book continues with telling stories about Cully and Merlyn. It shows their struggles, and how they start to recieve power. Cully becomes the casino manager's right hand man, but eventually decieves him to gain more power. Merlyn gets a job enlisting people into the six-month army reserve program. He becomes a crook by accepting bribes for people who are low on the list and do not want to become drafted into the army. By taking the bribes, Merlyn moves the people up on the list. Eventually, the FBI catches onto the scheme, and investigates. Merlyn, now a very wealthy man, quits his job.
Many other great characters are met during the book, especially the world famous author Osano, whom Merlyn starts to work for.
This book works on many levels. It is romance, thriller, crime, and dark comedy all rolled into one great book. Mario Puzo's genious work should be read by every person, because it will appeal to all. I hope you all read this book.
To read more books by Mario Puzo, read "The Godfather", and "The Last Don". Both books are excellent, just as good as "Fools Die".

Rating:
Summary: They do.
Review: This is one of a handful of books I re-read from time to time, mostly because I get something different out of it each time. I suppose I'm still trying to figure this one out.

Let's start with the title itself: After a lifetime, Merlyn notes "only fools die." Is that Puzo's point? Jordan, Cully, Osano -- were they just fools? They certainly helped do themselves in. But what of Malomar, Artie and Janelle? They didn't ask for death? Were they fools too? What, then, did Merlyn do differently? "Am I a monster that I should live?" Well, is he?

And what of Gronevelt? Aged, infirm, still pushing buttons in his casino -- both literally and figuratively -- controlling the lives and deaths of others. Is he meant to be God? Are we simply gamblers in some univeral casino, and degenerate ones at that, unavoidably subject to some inviolate "per-centage" beyond anyone's mortal control? Is that Puzo's point? Do we kid ourselves to think otherwise? Is life itself made up of those eternal moments the croupier says "A card for the player"?

There is much in this book to keep you fascinated and turning the pages. It's unfortunate, I think, that this book followed "The Godfather" in Puzo's output. The books are totally different, and those seeking a "Godfather" reprise will be dissappointed. (Similarly, I've always thought that silhouette image on the cover of "Fools Die" was a cheap and unnecessary attempt to evoke a "Godfather" connection -- the book is strong enough and deserves to stand on its own.)

After nearly thirty years, however, the book reveals certain flaws. The coarse language -- particularly on the part of the women -- seems unnecessary and distracting. While I've certainly heard real-live women use the same words, they don't seem to use them in quite the same way Puzo writes. Men and women ascribe different meanings to the same words. I doubt Puzo knew or cared about that. Janelle's language in particular seems forced and rather phony. Today I find her language somewhat embarassing.

Nevertheless, this book has a strange appeal for me and has had since I first read it more than 20 years ago. So many lines from the book have meaning for me and have stayed with me for years: "A terrible longshot, but what's that to a gambler? I still have a stack of black chips and an itch for terror." Hate to admit it, but I sometimes think that sums up my life.

I once read that Puzo himself called "Fools Die" his favorite and best work. I don't disagree.

Rating:
Summary: unsatisfying, yet hard to put away.
Review: I currently finished reading Puzo's critically acclaimed book "Fools Die". Let me tell this to you straight. The first Puzo books that I read were "The Godfather" and "The Sicilian". I did not particularly care for this third book. The book is all about casino gambling and Hollywood. About 1/3 of the characters are interesting but the rest leave something to be desired. The book really hits rock bottom as soon as the main character hits Hollywood. Somehow I still felt obligated to read this novel and spend many late nights reading past the halfway point of the book just because Puzo's name is on the cover in big black letters. I'm sure you know what I am talking about. Overall the book is written somewhat poorly and I'm sure if you read it you will know why Puzo is known for "The Godfather" and "The Sicilian" and not this novel. Like I said, it's a rough read but impossible to put down just because Puzo has his name on it. Im still debating whether I am even going to put it on my bookshelf. I think the closet floor might be a more attractive spot.

Rating:
Summary: a good book
Review: Halfway through, I would have rated this five stars. When Merlyn hit Hollywood, the story floundered. I still read the book with pleasure. Puzo has a readable style didn't wane. The later characters in the book (exception: Osano) didn't really strike me. Secretly, I was happy it was over. I thought the ending was a little limp, but maybe Puzo was just happy to be done with it. If you've never read Puzo, maybe start with a different one. Fools die is not his best. Nevertheless, at times this book was brilliant. I'm not averse to quitting a book if I'm not enjoying it. I was never tempted to quit this one. Puzo has a way with words. Some of the scenes were right on the mark. These make the book worth a reccomendation. With that in mind I have to give it four stars

Rating:
Summary: Mario Puzo's "Harold Robbins" side
Review: And I mean the early Harold Robbins, where the stories didn't get submerged in grossout imagery and demeaning sex. I'm talking about the Harold Robbins of "The Adventurers", "Never Love a Stranger" and "A Stone For Danny Fisher". Only this one comes across a bit like "The Dream Merchants" with one of its twin settings in Hollywood, fused with the Vegas scenes that "The Godfather" only briefly touched on as a place for Fredo to spend his summer vacation. The main character is good-guy minor author Merlyn as a customer in a Vegas casino, with Cully playing second banana as a casino employee on the rise. Merlyn's role model is the more established but crude writer Osano (I didn't catch a first name), who insults women and proteges like Merlyn with equal abandon to cover for the fact that his fame masks his declining talent. The story begins with a mutual friend of the pair breaking the bank at the Xanadu, only to take the elevator up to his hotel room and blow his own brains out. From there it switches back and forth between third-person narrative about Cully and first-person diary-style of Merlyn. We watch while Merlyn struggles with the battle beween creativity and the interference by cast and directors that a screenwriter must endure. Meanwhile back in Vegas, Cully moves through jobs as a dealer, a pit boss and the eyes and ears of owner Gronevelt on his way to the top of the Xanadu heap. Puzo established a name for himself as a writer of Mob stories on the strength of "The Godfather", but in truth this man also scripted the first two "Superman" features. As such, it shouldn't come as any surprise that he was also able to handle the character-driven sweeping bio style that made Robbins famous.

Rating:
Summary: Captivating Developed Characters
Review: The book starts off with a bang - a distillation so to speak of the work of character in the book.

You can read the first few pages on Amazon. I did and it inspired me to go to the local bookstore and buy the paperback. Well, after the short and introspective "book 1," the scenes shifts to an introduction to the initial characters and the setting is the Xanadu in Las Vegas.

Many cool intricacies of the casino and its management are extra added info as the flow of character development builds nicely.

Of particular interest though throughout is the relationships between men and women. The thinking and vocal great author Osano, he of seven wives, gives some very interesting thoughts concerning this subject!

Gronevelt is brilliant. The tough casino operator who lives and dies by "the percentage." Countdown Cully is memorable, so slick and sharp. Jordan figures heavily in the beginning. Merlyn is mostly the narrator throughout and most things are seen through his eyes and written by his pen. Merlyn himself - a study in contrasts and surprises.

Bisexual Janelle, who loves Merlyn more than any other man is comprehensively explored. Merlyn loves her deeply.

But he also loves his wife who makes him happy. She though, in contrast with other characters, is hardly developed at all.

The hollywood crowd is vistited upon also. Not very nice people those folks, one would think after reading Fools Die!

All in all, this book has plenty of merit even in addition to the fact that it was fun to read.