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The Family (Abridged) Audiobook
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(3.38) - 3,830 listener ratings
Publisher Description
“Dazzling, passionate, a masterwork that ranks with Puzo’s best.”
—Nicholas Pileggi, author of Wiseguys
“One of his most satisfying works….A thoroughly entertaining posthumous present from one of the masters of popular fiction.”
—Booklist
Mario Puzo’s final masterwork. A sweeping epic saga of corruption, greed, treachery, and sin, The Family is the ultimate crowning achievement of the #1 New York Times bestselling novelist who gave the world The Godfather, arguably the greatest Mafia crime novel ever written. In The Family, Puzo—whom the Washington Post calls, “A serious American talent”—plunges reader into the colorful tumult of the Italian Renaissance, immersing them in the roiling intrigues and deadly affairs of the remarkable family whose name has always been synonymous with power, corruption, poison, and murder: the infamous Borgias.
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"I have always liked Jane Green's novels, but this one was a little different, somehow. Two women, living on opposite coasts, have more in common than they could possibly guess. A beautifully written book, both heartbreaking and uplifting. So many strong characters, even when they are at their lowest points, A stirring story about love, betrayal, and family."
— Randy (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“Dazzling, passionate, a masterwork that ranks with Puzo’s best.”
— Nicolas Pileggi, New York Times bestselling author -
“Head-long entertainment, bubbling over with corruption, betrayal, assassinations, Richter-scale romance, and, of course, family values.”
— Time -
“One of his most satisfying novels…The saga is lush, full of detail, with characters who manage to be larger than life while seeming entirely realistic…appropriately epic in scope, mixing fact and fiction seamlessly…A thoroughly entertaining posthumous present from one of the masters of popular fiction.”
— Booklist -
“An absorbing, highly entertaining, fictional account of the rise and rule—and eventual fall—of that notorious first family of dysfunction during the Renaissance, the Borgias. Fast-paced and well researched…may well be the most ambitious novel of Puzo’s career.”
— Barnes & Noble, editorial review
The Family Listener Reviews
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" Better than I expected, an easy bedtime read, good for when I was tired after work. "
— Natalie, 2/17/2014 -
" I enjoyed this book very much, couldn't put it down even though I knew how it was going to develop. Very entertaining. I give it 3.5 stars only because I would have liked it to go deeper in the characters life, especially Eve. "
— Kitty, 2/16/2014 -
" The editor of this book should be fired!!! There are words out of order, words missing, strange word combos (pgs. 40/67/116/129/196/228). Other than that this was a story that kept me interested. Eve's character hit close to home. "
— Nikee, 2/6/2014 -
" Good read. I enjoyed it! "
— Jodi, 2/4/2014 -
" I couldn't put it down. I enjoy her characters. "
— Ellen, 1/25/2014 -
" Loved it! Totally hooked right up until the end! "
— Rebecca, 1/15/2014 -
" Evidently the author, Jane Green, is an accomplished author, but this is the first book by her that I've read. She weaves a very good story. The two main characters, women from different parts of the country, find that their lives unexpectedly intertwine. This is a good read. "
— Donna, 12/26/2013 -
" I love Jane Green, so it pains me to rate this book so low. The idea of the story was good, but the characters were frighteningly one-dimensional, the writing cliched, and most of it was so unbelievable and contrived that I was not even convinced I would finish reading it. I was very disappointed. "
— Courtney, 12/16/2013 -
" Probably really a 2.5. Chick lit personified. Engaging enough, but pretty lightweight. I felt the characters were straight from central casting ... the pampered Connecticut wife, the anorexic daughter, etc., etc. Disappointing. "
— Terri, 11/9/2013 -
" I was completely riveted by this book and couldn't put it down.The way that the two families were linked and the illness of Eve was so moving but the female characters were incredibly strong and the book was so uplifting and positive.I loved it. "
— Lynda, 11/9/2013 -
" Pretty predictable, but I shunned my other books to finish it, so that says something! "
— Jenn, 5/28/2013 -
" It was a good story but I found it to be way too predictable. "
— Robyn, 4/19/2013 -
" I'll write a review when I stop crying! Wow! What a book! "
— JB, 11/17/2012 -
" I was a little aggravated at the beginning of the story however stayed patient and enjoyed the book in the end. "
— Jen, 11/12/2012 -
" I normally love books by Jane Green but this was not one of my favorites. It felt too disjointed, the storyline didn't flow. "
— Jodi, 9/3/2012 -
" I liked this book, but the premise has been done before. 2 women, one on the East Coast, one on the West Coast-both have what they think are good lives. It all falls apart when they find out that their husband is not what they thought. "
— Pmcdnld2, 8/20/2012 -
" It seemed to drag on !! But an ok book "
— Michele, 6/1/2012 -
" I liked it! good story! Couldn't put it down! A lot of different and interesting issues! kept my appetite whet the whole book! Good job! "
— Mimi, 5/2/2012 -
" Very good book. Every mother who has teenage girls should read this. "
— Sharon, 4/21/2012 -
" Yes, it strains credulity. Yes, it's like a lifetime movie. I don't care, I like it! "
— Christine, 2/14/2012 -
" Good book, kept my interest. Interesting characters, nice twist at the end. Not my favorite by this author but well worth the read. "
— Michele, 1/2/2012 -
" This is the second Jane Green book I have read. I could not put this book down, the characters were so relatable and real. The ending left me hopeful. "
— Myndi, 12/3/2011 -
" Though the book was predictable, I still enjoyed the story. "
— Monica, 10/12/2011 -
" I really enjoyed this book. I especially enjoyed the strong female characters. And I love the notion that the very worst experiences in life can elevate us to accomplishments we never thought we'd achieve. Since I can personally relate to this right now, it was very powerful for me. Great read! "
— Jackie, 9/12/2011 -
" Took me a while to get into- but by chapter 20 I started to like it more. "
— Lisa, 7/2/2011 -
" One of the best stories I have ever read... "
— Carlos, 5/12/2011 -
" I never read the Godfather series, but this was a great epic book read over three days. The story focuses a bit too much on the corset ripping but I guess thats what the Borgias were about to most people. "
— Daisy, 4/25/2011 -
" I had to read it twice. One heck of a great read. "
— Kiera, 4/22/2011 -
" It's always good to read a historian novel "
— Lydia, 4/16/2011 -
" Just started this one - getting ready for the television series "The Borgias" "
— Jenny, 3/11/2011 -
" Dramatization of real events in novel form. Not bad. "
— Jerome, 1/24/2011 -
" The Borgia family... well, this turned out to be one of my favorite books. The greed for power again told by Puzo. The good thing is that most of this story is real, I was amazed to see how things worked then (remember that scene with Cesar and his sister?). This is a good way to learn history. "
— Nicolas, 1/22/2011 -
" it was an easy reading, the subject was heavily historical. but the problem is that you dont remember much from book except the title of the book and the author's name. but it was an o.k. reading and i read it only because it was mario puzzo!!! "
— Duygu, 1/21/2011
About the Authors
Mario Puzo (1920–1999) was born in “Hell’s Kitchen” on Manhattan’s West Side, New York City. Following military service in World War II, he attended New York’s New School for Social Research and Columbia University. In addition to his best-known novel, The Godfather, and other books, he wrote several screenplays including Superman and all three Godfather movies, for which he received two Academy Awards.