英文读物 | The Godfather 教父

《教父》这部小说的不同凡响的艺术魅力就在于：尽管描写的全是坏蛋，但作者曲尽妙笔，竟然能让读者不痛恨个别坏蛋，而痛恨整个龌龊的社会结构。教父及其继承人——他的小儿子迈克尔本来都是坏透了的坏蛋，但是却并不显得令人痛恨，因为他们杀人是整个不合理的社会逼出来的，因为他们杀的也都是更坏的人，他们同那些在幕后“坐地分赃”的政客比较起来，在“坏”的程度上，可真是小巫见大巫了。 美国纽约五大黑势力集团之一的维托·考利昂一家采用多种极端手段，实现了在整个美国黑暗势力团体中的独尊地位。在这场斗争中有黑团伙之间的火拼；有走私贩毒的嚣张；有赌场的烟云；有红灯区的人欲横流。本书被认为是描写资本主义社会中黑社会现象的最具权威的作品。

When Mario Puzo's blockbuster saga, The Godfather, was first published in 1969, critics hailed it as one of the greatest novels of our time, and "big, turbulent, highly entertaining." Since then, The Godfather has gone on to become a part of America's national culture, as well as a trilogy of landmark motion pictures. From the lavish opening scene where Don Corleone entertains guests and conducts business at his daughter's wedding...to his son, Michael, who takes his father's place to fight for his family...to the bloody climax where all family business is finished, The Godfather is an epic story of family, loyalty, and how "men of honor" live in their own world, and die by their own laws.