The Family

By: Mario Puzo

Narrated by: Philip Bosco

“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.

©2001 Estate of Mario Puzo and Carol Gino; (P)2001, 2003 HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.

Better than expected

I have to admit I didn't like to showtime series too much but this book was much better than I anticipated. Puzo is a great author and the narrator was excellent as well.

Felt like I was there.

engaging. nice mix of history and entertainment. I don't like fiction. this is an exception

Who are these people?

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I don't know if it was the delivery or the contents, but the portrayal of the Borgias make them seem rather dull. These were dynamic indiduals, but nowhere was shown Rodrigo's or Chasare' ruthlessness or Lucretia's impulsiveness. Juan Borgia and Julia Farnese were reduced to bit players.

Would you be willing to try another book from Mario Puzo and completed by Carol Gino ? Why or why not?

No. Too many other choices.

What three words best describe Philip Bosco’s voice?

Stick to commercials

Did The Family inspire you to do anything?

Watch the two miniseries that we made last year. Each one had different interpretations of each character.

Get another perspectives on the Borgias

Where does The Family rank among all the audiobooks you???ve listened to so far?

I had read this book years ago - before the Borgias on TV and became totally intrigued with this family. So now that we've seen one season of the Borgias I wanted to revisit Mario Puzo's version to see how they compare. The details of "family" life in the late 1400's are fascinating. Just the right blend of history and embellishment so it wasn't dry and boring.

What other book might you compare The Family to and why?

People often think of Mario Puzo as the author who wrote all about the Mafia. This book is very different and from what I've read, was an ongoing project of his for many years.

What does Philip Bosco bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?

Philip Bosco's voice and pronunciation brought us to the different world of the Borgias. He was perfect for this book - he built suspense and excitement. The book is great!

Any additional comments?

If you want to see what life in the 15th century was like for one small section of the population - read "The Family".

A more creative ending was needed

questions.... how did the pope die?
why did Cheserae charge into a hopeless situation? 😕