Publisher:New York : Penguin Books, 2013.
ISBN:9780143123859
Characteristics:275 pages ;,20 cm
“Malavita” by Tonino Benacquista
This book forms the basis of the 2013
movie “The Family” by Luc Besson (who unfortunately didn't do a
great job, but this isn't a movie reviewing blog, so enough said).
The story follows a family from New York where the father is a Mafia
boss, who turns states evidence and goes into the witness protection
program. However, the family does not exactly play by the rules, and
keephaving to be moved from town to town. They wind up in Normandy,
and once again break the rules except that this time the other Mafia
types from back in the US find out where they are, and send some
people to pay them a visit.
There is one scene in the novel where
the father who is in the process of writing his memoirs is invited to
comment on a movie at the local film club thinking it is a war
picture (he has told people he is writing a novel about WW II), but
when they arrive they find the movie that was shipped was the 1990
“GoodFellas” by Martin Scorsese. This leads the father to start
reminiscing about his time in the Mafia much to the regret of his
handler who keeps trying to keep him out of trouble.
The story itself is very well written,
and gives one a lot of insight into what Mafia life might be like,
etc. It is a short book (275 pages), but is a good read and very hard
to put down. It is nowhere near as violent as say “The Godfather”
by Mario Puzo, but is well worth your time.
