The Godfather (Baba) adlı başyapıtın yazarı Mario Puzo'nun Mario Cleri takma adıyla yazdığı bu romanda 2. Dünya Savaşı'nda Nazilerin eline düşen, üstün hafızaya sahip şifreleme uzmanı Amerikalı bir subayın yıllar sonra Avrupa'ya dönerek başlattığı insan avı anlatılıyor. İşkencecilerinin peşine düşen Amerikalı Avrupa'nın farklı kentlerinde iz sürüyor.
Puzo was born in a poor family of Neapolitan immigrants living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York. Many of his books draw heavily on this heritage. After graduating from the City College of New York, he joined the United States Army Air Forces in World War II. Due to his poor eyesight, the military did not let him undertake combat duties but made him a public relations officer stationed in Germany. In 1950, his first short story, The Last Christmas, was published in American Vanguard. After the war, he wrote his first book, The Dark Arena, which was published in 1955.
At periods in the 1950s and early 1960s, Puzo worked as a writer/editor for publisher Martin Goodman's Magazine Management Company. Puzo, along with other writers like Bruce Jay Friedman, worked for the company line of men's magazines, pulp titles like Male, True Action, and Swank. Under the pseudonym Mario Cleri, Puzo wrote World War II adventure features for True Action.
Puzo's most famous work, The Godfather, was first published in 1969 after he had heard anecdotes about Mafia organizations during his time in pulp journalism. He later said in an interview with Larry King that his principal motivation was to make money. He had already, after all, written two books that had received great reviews, yet had not amounted to much. As a government clerk with five children, he was looking to write something that would appeal to the masses. With a number one bestseller for months on the New York Times Best Seller List, Mario Puzo had found his target audience. The book was later developed into the film The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The movie received 11 Academy Award nominations, winning three, including an Oscar for Puzo for Best Adapted Screenplay. Coppola and Puzo collaborated then to work on sequels to the original film, The Godfather Part II and The Godfather Part III.
Puzo wrote the first draft of the script for the 1974 disaster film Earthquake, which he was unable to continue working on due to his commitment to The Godfather Part II. Puzo also co-wrote Richard Donner's Superman and the original draft for Superman II. He also collaborated on the stories for the 1982 film A Time to Die and the 1984 Francis Ford Coppola film The Cotton Club.
Puzo never saw the publication of his penultimate book, Omertà, but the manuscript was finished before his death, as was the manuscript for The Family. However, in a review originally published in the San Francisco Chronicle, Jules Siegel, who had worked closely with Puzo at Magazine Management Company, speculated that Omertà may have been completed by "some talentless hack." Siegel also acknowledges the temptation to "rationalize avoiding what is probably the correct analysis -- that [Puzo] wrote it and it is terrible."
Puzo died of heart failure on July 2, 1999 at his home in Bay Shore, Long Island, New York. His family now lives in East Islip, New York.
Before The Godfather there was Six Graves to Munich, a World War II spy thriller filled with espionage and evil Nazis and exploding chess pieces. I struggled giving this a rating because 1) I enjoyed reading it but also 2) the whole novel is one big cliché.
This is 1967 Puzo honing his craft. This is also 1967 machismo where the men are ‘manly’ and the women are essentially props. If you’re looking for sophisticated characters and a storyline with plot twists topped off by a surprise ending, this is not your book.
Six Graves to Munich is a novel which Mario Puzo wrote shortly before he penned The Godfather. It is fast-paced, no-nonsense, hard-boiled tale about revenge, ex-Nazi and spy network in the Cold War era. I like Mr. Puzo's writing style, which is simple and straight to the point; and the story is highly entertaining and effective. The plots and the plot twists are exciting enough and I actually like how the MC and the seven men he set out to murder (to avenge his dead wife and his own torment) are written a great deal. Though I'm not as satisfied with how the heroine (Rosalie)was written (still I like her backstory and her personality. Hahaha. I mean what kind of woman is more suitable to stay with a man who had murder and revenge in his mind than a woman who ?)
I heard that before the success of The Godfather, Mr. Puzo had been a struggling novelist, therefore I would not be surprised if Mr. Puzo wrote this book only to earn more money...because there is just something about this book that makes me feel this.
Last but not least, I will talk about the shortcoming of this novel: although the MC had been tortured half to death during WWII and he supposedly had many experiences about the underground intelligence and spy network, but from time to time he acted rather careless. For example, after killing two men, he stuffed the corpses in the car's truck then dumped the car; and I thought: "Shouldn't you wash the car from top to bottom before you dump it when you have two freaking corpses in the truck?!" There are a few examples like this in the novel, although in other times, the MC did act his part as a man with enough experiences to carry out a mission for revenge.
This is Mario Puzo's first novel originally published under another name. It's a fast paced vengeance thriller. A great little read. Michael Rogan was captured, tortured and left for dead by 7 nazi agents in WWII. Now it is 10 years later and Michael is looking for revenge and he will stop at nothing to get it.
I Have just finished this novel. It is very surprising that this is the Same author of The Godfather. It is badly written with a bad story. very disappointing I do not recommend
There is no way possible that Mario Puzo wrote this. Unless this was his first draft, I can't fathom this coming from him. The characters were weak, barely fleshed out enough to further the story. The meager attempt at adding dimensions to them was laughable. I didn't care about the MC at all, and really just wanted to get to the end. The end? Laughable and predictable. I have a feeling this is either ghost written or a first draft. If you're looking for an easy beach read, this is fine, but other than that, stay away.
The blrub from back cover of the book gives an idea of what the story is about.
Seven Men
Seven Gestapo officers tortured Captain Michael Rogan, murdered his pregnant wife, and left him for dead. After the end of the second World War they escaped to new lives and identities.
Ten Years
Rogan has spent the last ten years recovering from his horrific injuries and planning his revenge. Now he is back, and on the hunt for the Nazis who ruined his life.
One Woman
But ther is one problem, he has met and fallen in love with the beautiful Rosalie. Should he listen to his heart or continue to pursue his quest for vengeance, whatever it takes?
That seems like the perfect recipe for an interesting novel. But, as the readers get on with the book, they realise that the story does not keep the momentum of thrill and suspense alive, which I think is the most important thing to look forward to in such a story. To me it seemed too straight forward with out neccesary twists and turns. However, it was an easy and sort of 'light' read. Even though murders and planning for murders were taking place throughout the novel, it was not particularly disturbing. Another way to say it is ~ it failed to make any impact on the reader.
I really enjoyed The Godfather, so when I found out Mario Puzo had written a book that takes place in Germany, I had to give it a try. The book is quite short, a novella really, and was his first book, I believe, published under a pseudonym. It seemed too short. It could have used another hundred pages to flesh out the story.
There were also inaccuracies about Germany that annoyed me (although may not annoy the average reader). I'm pretty sure the Hofbräuhaus in Munich would not be serving Weisswurst in the evening, or maybe it does for the tourists, I can't be sure, but I know any regular Bavarian restaurant doesn't serve Weisswurst after noon. I also doubt Hofbräuhaus had vomit receptacles in the bathrooms in 1967, so people could empty their stomachs, then continue eating, but again, I wasn't there, so maybe they did. It just sounds unlikely to me. Also, people who spoke "thick Bavarian" were saying things that weren't Bavarian, but that is just me nitpicking. These aren't things an average tourist would realize probably.
I knew there was something wrong when I'm already in the middle of the book and I still can't seem to symphatize with the main character's plight. The plot of the book was interesting but I didn't enjoy reading this book much. I've read Puzo's other books like Godfather and Sicilian. In comparison, this book does not seem to be as well written as those two.
This book was written under Puzo's pseudonym Mario Cleri. They should have just kept it under Cleri and not associate it with Puzo.
Mario Puzo es autor de El Padrino. Sólo eso debiera bastar para demostrar que es un escritor fabuloso. Y otros libros, como El Siciliano (basado en mafioso real, pero en la novela se enlaza su historia con la de los Corleone) o Los Tontos Mueren, quizá no alcanzan el nivel legendario de El Padrino, pero son excelentes también.
Pero por lo visto, incluso autores notables generan a veces baratijas literarias. Esta novela es mediocre, a lo mucho. Personajes caricaturescos y poco creíbles, una historia de venganza sorprendentemente simplista y lineal, un final predecible y bastante vacuo. Sería una novela por encargo?
3.5, była to ciężka książka, bardzo smutna i dająca do myślenia, ile człowiek jest w stanie poświecić dla zemsty, czy smierć jest odpowiednim rozwiązaniem. Uważam ze można było dużo bardziej rozwinąć tą historie, 200 stron to bardzo mało jak na taką fabułę i żałuje że nie mogłam bardziej wczuć się w bohaterów. Cieszę się ze to przeczytałam, przydatny przerywnik by pogrążyć się w myślach.
A longtime fan of one of the most recognizable and much loved authors of our time, I was overjoyed when I received “Six Graves to Munich”. This hidden treasure—written prior to “The Godfather” fame—was sadly published under a pseudonym and throughout the years was forgotten. While most of the Puzo collection brilliantly focuses on the trials and tribulations of crime families, “Six Graves to Munich” is written in a different time and has a softer, although much more painful, undertone. Once a man with everything, Michael Rogan now has one goal, one primary focus and breathes solely for vengeance. In what seems like another world, he was once a brilliant man who was able to easily manipulate situations to benefit himself. As a World War II intelligence officer, he found the perfect existence working behind enemy lines. However, he never expected to fall in love and his arrogance proved to be a fatal flaw resulting in the enemy capture of his family. When he becomes the lone survivor of this terrifying ordeal, his goals quickly change and the hunt for retribution begins. “Six Graves to Munich” will keep you spellbound from cover to cover through startling twists and unexpected tenderness as the ghastly tale unfolds.
This is clearly an early Puzo book. The man is a master of setting up elaborate clandestine plans to kill people and executing them to perfection. It is a good thing he was just a writer. The foundation for his later books is in Six Graves to Munich, but his writing takes a huge leap between this and The Godfather. If you loved the Godfather and you like the organized crime kind of books, this will be an enjoyable read. It is also very short and easy to fly through.
This the story of Mike (unfortunately not Joe) Rogan. He was a brilliant spy in WWII that got sloppy and was captured by the Nazis. They tortured him and his wife, but he somehow managed to survive. Joe, I mean Mike, is now on a mission to kill the 7 men who tortured him and murdered his wife in WWII.
My only problem with the book is it almost seems a little rushed. Puzo covers Joe Rogans life (although leaves out when he took over the Man Show) in about 20 pages, and most of the murder plots and executions of the plots are not as elaborate as in his later books. This is one of the few books I think would have benefited from another 50-100 pages. But he more than makes up for it in the Godfather. Everyone should read the Godfather, it is amazing.
This book was poor. i understand why mario puzo wrote it under a pseudonym. it could have been great and i can see how he got to be so wondeful of an author but, i basically fiished this in one sitting on a plane i ess then four hours. the female main character is MASSIVELY simplfiied and sexualised and just a poor representation of a realistic reality-VERY unusual for puzo. so yea, if you havent read it dont stress JUST because you want to read all his stuff, because its not up to his ususal standards of ALL his other work that ive read. real bummer.
Después de leer algunas reseñas en goodreads me había desanimado un poco a leer el libro, pero una vez que empiezas no paras hasta terminarlo, en primer lugar porque es pequeño, y en segundo por que la historia te atrapa de lleno un thriller de venganza que resulta una entretenida lectura.
Mario Puzo debe ser el maestro de la novela negra. Y digo debe ser porque definitivamente tengo que leer más, mucho más de él. Con esta novela me estreno en la escritura de Mario Puzo. Me encantan las historias de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, específicamente de las que hablan de los agentes de la Gestapo y esta definitivamente no decepciona. Desde que comienzas a leerlo te adentras de lleno a la historia, su pluma es ligera, no es nada repetitiva ni pesada y en ningún momento aburre. Me encantó la personalidad del protagonista Michael Rogan, involucrado en la Sección de Inteligencia americano, astuto, sediento de venganza y sin una gota de humor. ¿Qué más podría yo pedir en una novela policíaca? Te mantiene al filo del asiento. Además Rogan es absurdamente inteligente, es de esos personajes que te hacen desear ser como él ¿y cómo no? Moriría por tener memoria fotográfica como la suya, aunque claro, es su caso no es nada benéfico, pues está en búsqueda de aquellos que lo torturaron y que lo intentaron matar en Múnich, ya que él recuerda cada humillación y cada mentira que le dijeron en aquel incidente. Seis hombres que se deshumanizaron para realzar y para "pertenecer" a una Alemania Nazi. Ahora él va por la cabeza de cada uno de ellos.
Me agradó el hecho de que en la novela, la acción comenzara de lleno desde la primera página y mientras leías comprendías todo lo que sucedía. El error que cometen muchos escritores, al menos para mí (y que muy pocos salen librados de ello), es el hecho de que tardan milenios explicando el contexto y la acción comienza 500 páginas después, Mario Puzo es conciso, desde el primer párrafo te atrapa y no te suelta.
No tengo palabras para describir ese final, no puedo hablar de ello por un evidente spoiler pero me encantó el sentido irónico y metafórico que tiene.
Además de que la novela no fue traducida al español hasta apenas hace 8 años por ediciones B y la verdad se agradece el esmero! La edición es muy buena, la portada es muy al estilo de las revistas pulp de principios del siglo XX y el plus de que es en pasta dura.
I am surprised at the number of poor reviews for this book. I mean, it is no Godfather, but it is still a decent read. There are definitely holes and Rogan's early life is just horribly written, but once you get into the main story, it moves well.
In this book, Michael Rogan was a child prodigy who put his brilliance to use for the US Intelligence services during WW2. He works with the French underground right up until DDay where he is caught, along with his newlywed French wife. Rogan is then subjected to horrible torture by seven individuals. Just minutes before Allied troops would liberate him, Rogan is shot and left for dead... but he doesn't die.
Many years later, Rogan stumbles across some information that would allow him to finally discover the identity of those seven men. He then goes on a mission of vengeance, with the goal of killing each of them in turn in the hope that finally, he would have peace.
One thing to keep in mind when reading this is that it was first written in 1967. At that time, most of the WW2 generation was still alive. There were still war crimes trials going on right into the mid-'60s. There is nothing in our generation that can even begin to compare with how this war affected that generation. Through Rogan, the American CIA agents, and the seven criminals themselves, Puzzo gives us a complex look from many angles at how different people chose to respond both to the atrocities they suffered and those they committed.
Ta książka nie zaskakuje fabułą.... ona jest prosta jak konstrukcja cepa. Za to oczarowuje klimatem~ Tło jakie tworzy tutaj umiejscowienie akcji w powojennej Europie jest skonstruowane tak, że ciężko się oderwać.
Bem escrito, mas com o roteiro de vingança mais genérico possível. O desenrolar da vingança de Rogan se dá exatamente da forma que, em um devaneio cotidiano, imaginamos nossa vigança caso sofrêssemos um terrível ato de crueldade.
A little disappointing, the characters are too predictable and wildly fantastical, with the protagonist being too forced and contrived. There are moments when real intrigue or plot emerge, but very few. A wonderful first effort though and a start to a magical career.
Mario Puzo has written one of the best revenge novels. Comparatively short but powerfully evocative, "Six Graves to Munich" shows that he could knock out pulp fiction with ferocity. This spare, lean, novel with its subdued violence reminded me of Graham Greene. Puzo doesn't clutter up his prose. The chapters are short and sweet, and he antes up several surprises, especially with the Mafioso character late in the narrative. Nothing about Michael Rogan's revenge spree is glamorized by "The Godfather" scribe. Characterization is neither lacking. The predicament that our hero faces puts him on a one-way street to death. The protagonist worked with American Intelligence during World War II and he requested a transfer to serve undercover in Occupied France because he felt guilty about not being at the front. The Gestapo capture him in a moment of weakness after the historic D-Day landings and torture him in the Munich. Our hero's pregnant wife is pulled in as a part of the investigation. Ugh. What they do to Rogan's wife is awful, but what they do to him is worse. I'm grateful that Puzo wrote this nifty little nailbiter, but I wonder if he might not have fleshed it out to the length of his other bestsellers because it reads like a B-movie thriller. It didn't take me long to read it and enjoy every minute, right up to the tragic conclusion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.