Mario Puzo - The Fortunate Pilgrim

A. I’m not Sicilian, it’s true. Not even Italian American. I’m just a novelist with a vision of how to continue this American saga. I understand I am, however, German Irish, same as Tom Hagen. And he did just fine in this world.

Q. What would you like the book to accomplish?

A. I want it to be a good book, first and foremost. I was always impressed with the way Random House approached this book—that they always seemed quite interested in this not being any kind of publishing gimmick, but a good, literary, page turner, and I want it to be that. All things being equal, an author shouldn’t think too deeply about the thematics of his own book. I’m out to write the best book humanly possible.

Q. Why has The Godfather become an American myth?

A. A lot of people have pointed out the story of this family in particular and the mob in general has superseded the western as the core American mythological story. It’s something that I was circling around in my last two novels, and I’m glad to have a chance to come in this time for the kill.

Fiction:

THE DARK ARENA*

THE FORTUNATE PILGRIM

THE GODFATHER

FOOLS DIE

THE SICILIAN*

THE FOURTH K

THE LAST DON*

OMERTA*

THE FAMILY

THE GODFATHER RETURNS*

Nonfiction:

THE GODFATHER PAPERS

INSIDE LAS VEGAS

Children’s Book:

THE RUNAWAY SUMMER OF DAVIE SHAW

*Published by The Random House Publishing Group

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

A Ballantine Book

Published by The Random House Publishing Group

Copyright © 1964, 1992, 1997 by Mario Puzo

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Ballantine Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. Originally published by Atheneum Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, New York, in 1964.

Ballantine and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

www.ballantinebooks.com

This edition published by arrangement with the author and Random House, Inc.

First Ballantine Books Edition: August 1998

Second Ballantine Books Edition: October 2004

eISBN: 978-0-345-48070-5

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