The Godfather would not have been born if it were not for The Fortunate Pilgrim. The book is so well written and poetic at times. All the characters are so well developed for a seemingly short book. That is how great Puzo’s writing is to me. There is so much substanance and depth in his story you would think the book was over five hundred pages.It is easy to see when you begin to read this masterpiece about the story of Lucia Santa, why some has called the book the “real Godfather” story. Puzo once said that Lucia Santa is a hero and based on his own mother. He said that whenever the Godfather spoke he heard his mother’s voice, the wisdom, ruthlessness, and the undying love for her family and for life. The loyalty and courage you saw from the Don, all those traits came from her. And he says he could not have written The Godfather without Lucia Santa.I adore Lucia Santa. The more I got to know her; the more I would keep hearing in my head the theme song from The Godfather movie. Especially after heated conversation or confrontation with Lucia and some sucker who decided to go toe to toe with her. I admire Lucia Santa for keeping the traditions she brought from home and at the same time prioritizing that education comes before anything else. She was scared to live an American lifestyle, afraid her children would not do the right thing. However, she knew in America was great opportunity for her children and that is why she left her home in Italy. She did not know how much she would have to endure and suffer so that her children had those opportunities. And as she reflects on her life in the end, she realizes she would live out the past forty years three times over for the security and happiness, which at times, she felt she didn’t deserve.I think the story effects me immensely because it is so relatable. I can connect to the story because of the cultural traditions and strength of his mother, the backbone that she had to raise all her children in a much different country than where she grew up. Lucia wanted to get the best America had to offer without losing any part of herself.Mario Puzo…. What can I tell you that you probably haven’t heard? The story of your mother moved me. It is quite significant; I thought you were talking about my own mother at times. Your writing is unique in style and you do a remarkable job at describing an emerging lower Manhattan. The story of Angeluzzi-Corbo family reads like a movie.This book definitely speaks to Godfather fans. It has all the great elements that made The Godfather a masterpiece: intense confrontations, betrayal, violence, Don on the rise, just great story telling. I think the themes in this book resonate with many people in this country still today. The message in Puzo’s story is what we all want here are opportunity, and a chance at happiness. And we are more than willing to struggle for the sake of our families.
Mario Puzo, known mainly for The Godfather, says that The Fortunate Pilgrim is his personal favorites of his books. In the preface, Puzo says how surprised he was that his mother turned out to be the hero of the book. The last paragraph of the 1996 preface says: "And I know now that I am not the hero of my life, she is. All these years later, her tragedies still make me weep. And the book cries out, 'Behold how she was wronged.'"Lucia Santa Angeluzzi-Corbo is certainly the rock upon which this book is built--and if at times she frustrated me with the intensity of her reactions to life, she also reminds me of Clytemnestra in her fierce love for her children. She may be Italian, but both characters are carved from the marble of the Mediterranean, and they scream their defiance at the anguish they must bear.Puzo does an incredible job of describing the tenement lives of Italian immigrants in pre-WWII New York City. The despair of poverty is a thread throughout the book, until the end when that terrible war ironically gives the family enough money to move to Long Island. This NPR review is worth a look: http://www.npr.org/2012/05/24/1507338...However, I left the book feeling that the characters--even Lucia Santa--were stereotypes; the book was written in 1964 and then republished in the 1990's. I agree that Puzo made me "see" his mother and especially his sister, but the feeling of the book for me was too histrionic. I'm sure he was being true to his Italian backgrounds--but after awhile, all the angst simply became too much. Strangely, the one character I will remember is her second husband, Frank Corbo. His disintegration into madness was the most horrific and poignant part of the story for me--a man who should have worked the fields in Italy was twisted and bent by life in America, as his poor feet had been when forced to wear shoes that were too small as a child. I'm not a fan of THE GODFATHER films, but I'm glad one of my book clubs chose this novel. Puzo has obviously poured his memories of his family into it--so it's my inability to relate to that culture of machismo that limited my appreciation of the work.Sophia Loren starred in a mini-series of this work in 1988: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm190157312... The only youtube I could find for it was in Russian!
What do You think about The Fortunate Pilgrim (2004)?
An interesting book about an Italian family, in a tough neighbourhood in New York, in the 20's.Mama Lucia is the mother of 3 sons and a daughter, in hard times. She is raising her kids on the traditional Italian way. While the boys are wilder and are up to mischief, daughter Octavia helps Lucia with the householding and helps her brothers to get them on track. This story shows a decade of this family, where the children grow up. So it's a coming of age as well. While making progress with this book I felt more and more involved with the children, and less with Lucia where she is getting older and couldn't accept the choices of her kids.A moving and compelling story about a poor Italian family, I really liked. Interesting aspect as well.
—Stephan van der Linde
A BRILLIANT book... very aptly said that this book is the base for THE GODFATHER. Been a FAN of Mario Puzo since i read his Godfather way back.. and not a single book has disappointed so far... (only 2-3 of his books yet to read). The story revolves around an pilgrim from Italy who came to America for better life... only to live 40 years as a peasant.... Amidst all the hardships of life and misfortunes .. only through her wisdom and spirit and ability to see through people... the importance of
—Abhilasha
"There is a price to be paid,yet one dreams that happiness can come without the terrible payments."I have to give The Fortunate Pilgrim a clear four stars because, not only is Mario Puzo awesome (may he rest in peace), but the whole way through this novel I felt like I could completely understand the Angelucci-Corbo's and their whole familia. I mean maybe not completely-one hundred percent, but very close. I grew up in an European household and the similarities are surreal; down-right scary if you ask me. *shudders*This is simple and quaint story about a immigrant family who traveled to a new land in search of the American Dream, not knowing that once they arrived the would only face many more hardships, and heartaches. The Angelucci-Corbo family consisted of many children, two of which are humble bread winners, and the matriarch Lucia Santa. The story battles with the difficulty that was coming to a new country, finding work and feeding yourself and, keeping with old-world traditions for the sake of the children who were quickly growing up more American. This book was an excellent example of how life used to be when there wasn't cell phones to get distracted by, the people in this were much simpler; more tragic in the way they lived. Times were hard for many and other's starved, but the folks in the tenements scrimped, saved, and stole - they did what they had to to get by sometimes.Don't be fooled, just because this is Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather, doesn't mean you are going to get mafioso shoot-outs, or drive-by's with tommy-guns, here in this story things are more conservative. This is a great view into the times when some of our great-great-great grandparents had come over trying to make a life for themselves that was worth living. It's a fictional tale but almost like a history lesson too, it's an all-round good time.A classic tale from start to finish.
—Jason P
