Reviews

The Last Don by Mario Puzo

adrian_1987's review against another edition

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4.0

Este libro es casi literalmente la segunda parte de la historia de "El padrino". Una familia de la mafia que se dedica a cosas ilegales y cuya cabeza quiere pasar a la legalidad para asegurar el futuro de sus descendientes, ¿Don Corleone? aaah no, es Don Clericuzio. Vaya similitud entre ambas historias.

Un detalle que debo resaltar es que Mario Puzo se obstina en mencionar tantos personajes que en ocasiones es difícil distinguir de quién se está hablando en ese momento. Hubo un actor que ni siquiera fue relevante para el libro y aún así estuvo presente. Solo se le menciona en dos ocasiones y ya está. Por otro lado, no puedo quejarme porque los personajes principales tienen un buen desarrollo. Este vato emplea muchísimas páginas para dejar claro cómo es el personaje, eso me gusta hasta cierto punto porque de esta forma le das más profundidad no solo a la trama, sino también de quien se está hablando ya que muestras lo que es capaz de hacer, aquello que lo motiva, etc. La única desventaja que le veo es que esto hace que la historia avance muy despacio. De pronto hay tantas escenas del pasado que llegué a confundir en donde me encontraba.

El libro es una historia de amor con matices de la mafia. Es una historia interesante, pero me surge una pregunta, ¿cuál fue la problemática principal? ¿Cuál es el argumento de la obra? Llegó muy tarde, en el penúltimo capítulo es cuando dices WEY QUÉ PEDOOOO, pero tampoco es tan impresionante. A esa escena le faltó desarrollo.

A continuación pondré una lista de las similitudes entre la familia Corleone y los Clericuzio:

1.- Ambas familias hacen cosas ilegales pero quieren pasar a lo legal.
2.- Están en guerra contra otra familia local.
3.- El problema se desata porque matan a un hijo del Don (de ambos).
4.- Casinos en Las Vegas.
5.- Alguien que se quiere salir de los negocios de la familia y es hasta cierto punto rebelde (Michael y Cross, respectivamente).

No es un mal libro pero sinceramente no lo leería otra vez.

calaxem's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5

sirloyne's review

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dark tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

sonialusiveira's review against another edition

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4.0

4 stars

The Last Don is another mafia book by Mario Puzo. It is a good, steady-paced story. Puzo really takes his time to explore each character and develop the plot, which is great but sometimes feels redundant, especially the nitty gritty of the life of the A list celebrities, movie directors and producers. However, after that climax at the ending, these details really feel worth it. What I wish we’ll get more of though, is the Don’s pov throughout the story. What a sly, cunning man! I’ve read people compared Cross to Michael (from The Godfather) but I feel like Don Clericuzio is Michael in his old age. Overall, a great mafia story.

minimalmike's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I first read this novel September 2020. This is the review I left on Goodreads:

"Writing: 4.6
Story: 4.3

Overall: 4.45

Puzo has done it again. Nothing more needs to be said."

I have just finished this novel for a second time in April 2024 and I still like it just as much, if not more than the first time.

rhubarbguru's review against another edition

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Incredibly boring book with characters I just did not care about at all. Life is too short and I’ve got too many books to read to bother slogging through an over 500 page love affair with Las Vegas and Hollywood. 

200 pages in and it’s a slog fest with Athena and Claudia. Both are written as if Puzo was a virgin who had a grudge against women. Literally page after page of him writing Claudia talking about how she likes to have sex with all different kinds of men, or how Athena agrees to sleep with men to get roles. 

This isn’t the Godfather at all (which itself has chapters dedicated to a woman getting plastic surgery on her vagina that was stretched out by Sonny’s descriptively large penis), and it’s left me with zero desire to read his other mafia books. 

jasiuuu's review against another edition

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mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

lyham's review against another edition

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5.0

Pippi De Lena

iainkelly_writing's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

5.0

A return to familiar territory for Puzo, with a tale of the mafia, Vegas and Hollywood. Written before the #MeToo revelations, the treatment of women and sex in early-90s Hollywood is uncomfortable - proof that this sort of behaviour was an open secret. Expertly plotted and skipping along at a decent pace, this is an old fashioned, entertaining look at the seedy underworld of the glamour and glitz, where morals and codes of honour result in violence and destruction. Compulsive reading.

kplat's review against another edition

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3.0

I liked it and would have given 4 but I hated a few spots of "rape not being a big deal"