Rating: 
Summary: Only a fool would pass this one up
Review: From beginning to end this MARIO PUZO epic is true to his usual captivating stlye, and then some...It seems clear that Puzo has put a lot of himself in this novel, mixing his own personal experiences with a riveting tale of love, sex, war, revenge and the vast complexities of human interrelationships. Indeed, this is a novel about war between men and women, war in business, war with oneself. The exploratory self-aware nature of the main character Merlyn is not just interestingly developed and continuously evolving, but IS pure realism where only a book can be. Some say this book should be made into a film, but, and no doubt this review will lose some readers here, if Hollywood make a ham out of it as they did with the only oh-so 'The Godfather', then it is best left in the literary medium. Mario Puzo himself had no small axe to grind when referring to what Gil Scott-Heron called 'Hollyweird', and that relation is again explored in 'Fools Die' to a degree.
In reality, this book confronts issues about the society and beliefs within 1950's America, friendships and revenge, power and wealth and most predominantly: self-preservation.
The style does not fluctuate readily, allowing for a smooth read, but the prose swings from first-person (including amazingly insightful feminist point of views) to third; coping with themes and continuity extremely well. This book is not War & Peace, and it is not meant to be. It CAN serve as a eye-opening life-changer or simply be a damn good read! Underlying the plot, there always seems to be a dark undercurrent of sorts, and indeed death is no passing acquaintance (as Puzo readers will attest to) - but the key to this great novel is the underlying subtext (and here we can see the real underbelly of modern America culture) - no, not the mob you may be surprised to see, but inherant corruption within the very belief systems of the characters involved. Buy it, read it and read it again.
Rating: 
Summary: Fools die, but they're not the only ones!
Review: I read this book many years ago and I still reread it every now and then, since I couldn't figure out what the point was the first time. And almost every time I read parts of it, I get a different perspective on life, or at least the way I think about it. Yes, we are all an X in an indeterminate equation, a sort of phantom in life. We are all degenerate dice-throwers living in a big, huge casino. We are all part of Puzo's tale of hustlers, fools, losers and survivors in the glamor capitals of the world, surrounded by countless tables of chance. Man has not changed that much throughout the centuries, has he? We laugh at the primitive man for his worry and terror of all the tricks of nature, and we ourselves are so frightened of the terrors and guilts that roar in our own heads. What we think of as our sensitivity is only the higher evolution of terror in a poor dumb beast. We suffer for nothing. Our own death wish is our only real tragedy.
But what about the title? Only fools die? What about the wise? Was it meant to be "Only fools wish to die?"
And what about Gronevelt? Gronevelt who repeats ad nauseam "You have to get rich in the dark...you have to live with percentages...forget about luck, that's a very treacherous magic". Is he supposed to be God? The crippled, senile Gronevelt who, in his solitary rooms, pushes his magic buttons to send a rush of oxygenated air to keep people awake. Had he also pushed the buttons for Cully and all the others (fools?) to die?
Well, that's the way I see it. And if a million people read this book, I get the feeling there would be a million different interpretations of what seems to be its main idea.
This is a very good written book about the lives of those who lose and the effects of human weaknesses on each other. And if you like Dostoyevsky, chances are you'll like this and other books written by Puzo, since sometimes he's taken a single line from a Dostoyevsky book and has based an entire novel on it. Not that he has stolen any of his ideas or style, though. While "Fools die" may not be Puzo's best work, it certainly is food for thought...I suffer, but I still live!
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.
Rating:
Summary: THE GREATEST BOOK OF ALL TIME
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!!
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