The GodfatherThe Godfather
What it's about
Don Vito Corleone is the most powerful Mafia boss in New York: a man who grants favors, demands loyalty and settles disputes with offers no one can refuse. When a rival family tries to kill him over a drug deal he won't join, war breaks out among New York's crime families, and his youngest son Michael, a war hero who wanted nothing to do with the family business, is pulled in, with consequences no one could have predicted.
Why it's worth reading
It's one of the most gripping crime novels ever written and a dark, operatic family saga about power, loyalty and the American dream. Even if you've seen the films, the book has more depth and backstory.
You'll love it if you liked
East of Eden, Lonesome Dove or Gone with the Wind
Good to know
It's violent and has some explicit sexual content. Several side plots were cut from the films, which some readers love and others skim.
By the numbers
- Readers96 out of 100 · counts 40%+44
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%+0
- Bestseller90 out of 100 · counts 32% (its stronger lane)+32
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 15%+0
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero.
On 2 canon lists, including PBS Great American Read. One of the best-selling books ever (about 21 million copies). 4.40★ from 481K Goodreads ratings.
Where it ranks
- #3 of the 231 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #12 of the 519 classics we rank
- #46 of the 1,404 books we rank
Bestseller
- One of the best-selling books ever (about 21 million copies)
- #1 New York Times bestseller (21 weeks at #1)
On the lists
- PBS Great American Read
- BBC's The Big Read
Reads as
Gripping, Moving
