Now I know probably not enough people have finished reading The Family, but those who have, please feel free to contribute to this thread.

First off, this book was VERY VERY good when it came to its entertainment value. It was one of those books that you couldnt WAIT to read whenever you weren't already reading it.

Having said that, wasn't it REALLLY kinda sickening? I mean, I dont mean to sound juvenile in any way, but the incest was really sick, man. Yet in in an even stranger way, we become sort of numb to these things with Mr.Puzo's writing. Just like we slowly become immune to the violence and treachery of the gangster stories. We somehow find ways to JUSTIFY what we read by saying, "well, it had to be done,,,"or "he had no choice" or even "thats how it was back then." When in real life, Mr.Puzo despised most of the characters he wrote about.

Back to The Family, when we read about the love-making of a BROTHER and SISTER (help me GOD)lol, we see it through the eyes of their father. How he had to make them do it, so that she would forever be bonded and faithful to her family, rather than to her future husband.(Im wondering if this really did happen ). Then as you keep reading on and on, you dont even THINK about it anymore! Kind a scary if you ask me.

Another thing that bothered me at first was that this was no ordinary family, i mean, it wasnt even some corrupt royal family..it was a family of the Catholic Church, which just adds to the scandalous effect it has.
Anyway, sorry I wrote a BOOK!lol just wanted to express some views on this matter.

I thought it was a really good book thought it didn't seem to have direction, a beginning, a middle an end etc. But it's a very enjoyable read. Puzo was fascinated with the Borgia and this was his dream to write about them. And therefore he's opened alot of peoples eyes after reading the book to look into the Renaissance period and especially the Borgia. That's been proved by Partages previous post and in my own experience.

The incest, kind of "threw" me aswel along with the rape that Cesare gave out to an imprisoned woman (Can't quite remember her name this moment). There was no real justification for this but it was something in history that Puzo felt he wanted in his book.

Don't apoligise for your post Pacino, I enjoyed reading it and i'm glad to see a post I can reply to in this section of the board.

Thanks P, and TG, i appreciated your insight. I will definitely do some more research on the Borgia, and I'm glad you found something you could respond to.

There's supposed to be film coming out about them this year. It wont be based on Puzo's book but it's bound to be quite similar. Someone in this forum informed us about it, I checked IMDB and it's got a fair few A list actors playing the roles. But now sadly I can't find it again, the whole idea may have been scrapped.

Catrina

Also how without his father, Cesare was dead, he had no ties other than Michellotto, but that didn't do much for him in the end. From the beginning I always wondered if Cesare would become Pope, I was wrong.

I'm not a big fan of it but I'll try to finish it before leaving for Rome and Italy in August.

It was a pretty good read.... Not a typical Puzo book, but the characters definitely had Puzo-like traits.

I just wish there was a little more development/insight into Michletto and that Jofre was somewhat more involved.

Jofre struck me to be A LOT like Fredo Corleone, eh?

Yes, Jofre did give that Fredo like appearance.