Mario Puzo is an Italian-American author famous for his novels like The Godfather and The Sicilian. He is best known for writing about Mafia and Italian Americans. He has depicted a marvelous picture of the Italian mafia structure, which was brought to light to the whole world by his most famous book: The Godfather. Not only is he famous for his books, Mario Puzo also has won 2 Oscars for his work in the movie, The Godfather.

Born in 1920, Mario Puzo has written numerous novels and books. He was born in a poor family and lived in Hell’s Kitchen most of his life. Readers will find that most of his writing is inspired from life in New York and especially the Italian Americans there. His most famous books include The Godfather, The Sicilian, Omerta, The Last Don and Fools Die. Not only did Puzo write about mafia and Italian Americans but he also wrote books like The Dark Arena which is about war and soldiers. He died in 1999, and never saw his book Omerta launched. Nevertheless Mario Puzo had a wonderful career, both in writing and screenplay.

So what are the top 10 Best Mario Puzo books? Well, there should be no guesses as to what the number 1 will be. Yes! Its the great book, The Godfather. But many people don’t know much about his less famous books. With this list, I would like to pay tribute to an amazing author and highlight his top 10 best books.

 

Here is the list of the Top 10 Best Mario Puzo Books:

 

10. Six Graves To Munich

 

 

Six Graves To Munich is Mario Puzo’s book written in 1967. It is not really a thriller but more of a man looking to get revenge for the men who had murdered his wife. The violence depicted in the book is extreme and shows what a compelling piece of writing this is. The novel got mixed reviews and is alos one of the less popular books by Mario Puzo.

 

9. The Fourth K

 

 

Written in 1991, The Fourth K is a political thriller by Mario Puzo. It tells the story of a fictional Kennedy who has to face issues like his daughter’s kidnapping, murder of Pope and nuclear threat simultaneously. Eve though the book is a stretched a little extra, nevertheless it is a compelling read and a bit different from Mario Puzo’s usual work.

 

8. The Dark Arena

 

 

Published in 1955, The Dark Arena is the first book written by Mario Puzo. It tells the story of a soldier who returns home after the war, only to realize that he has fallen or a German woman. What follows is a journey which immerses the readers in Mario Puzo’s writing. The novel was well received by critics, even though it was not very successful commercially.

 

7. Fools Die

 

 

Written in 1978, Fools Die is a popular Mario Puzo novel. The story is about the gambling and entertainment industry. Even though different from the typical Mafia stories, Fools Die is Mario Puzo’s personal favorite. The book was very well received and was also successful commercially.

 

6. The Fortunate Pilgrim

 

 

Mario Puzo’s second novel, The Fortunate Pilgrim, was written in 1965. It is set in Hell’s Kitchen and is about a family of Italian Americans living there. The Fortunate Pilgrim is heavily inspired by Mario Puzo’s personal life. The novel received immense praise and gave Mario Puzo a name in literary books. Despite the immense praise, the novel failed to give Mario Puzo a substantial earning.

 

5. The Family

 

 

Published in 2001 and completed by his girlfriend, The Family is the last novel by Mario Puzo. The story is about Pope Alexander VI and his family. Even though not his best work, The Family is a novel which Mario Puzo was very passionate about. The novel is rich in Italian history and a must read for art lovers.

 

4. The Last Don

 

 

Another great mafia novel, The Last Don was published in 1996. The novel tells the story of how mafia is connected with the entertainment industry. The Last Don was praised by the critics all over and shows the deep roots Mafia has in all things in life. It is considered to be one of Mario Puzo’s best novels.

 

3. Omerta

 

 

Omerta is the Sicilian code for silence. Published in 2000, after Puzo’s death, the novel is about Italian American mafia don and how he protects his empire. It was the last novel of the Mafia trilogy by Mario Puzo after he Godfather and The Sicilian. Mario Puzo never saw it get published. Omerta received mixed reviews by critics but is regarded as one of his finest works.

 

2. The Sicilian

 

 

Published in 1984, The Sicilian is the second book in the Mafia series after The Godfather. It tells of Michael Corleone’s time in Sicily during his exile. It is often regarded as a sequel to The Godfather. The Sicilian is set in Sicily and depicts a beautiful picture in the minds of the readers about Sicily. The Sicilian was praised by critics and was a commercial success. It is a must read for all Mafia and Mario Puzo fans.

 

1. The Godfather

 

 

Ah! The greatest mafia and crime novel ever written. The Godfather was published in 1969 and is Mario Puzo’s best novel. It was a worldwide hit and is an all-time classic. So great was the novel that it was adapted into the movie, The Godfather, in 1972. The screenplay of the movie gave Mario Puzo is first Oscar, followed by a second in the sequel, The Godfather 2 in 1974. The Godfather is the story of the Corleone family, one of the five Italian American crime families living in New York. The novel shows a complete picture of what goes around in the mafia and how it operates. This is novel was praised by critics all over the world and was a commercial success. The Godfather is a classic and a must-read for everyone, whether you like the genre or not.

This was the list of the Top 10 Best Mario Puzo books. Did you like it? Please let me know in your comments.