THE LAST DON

Please...this is no dark, shady and repulsive post...its just a script on the latest book I ploughed through...A book called THE LAST DON, by Mario Puzo. A Puzo book that I have had the guts to read, after the Godfather. The book was an amazing read from the start to the end. Just the right quantity of everything you might imagine, for each of your senses.

Like the book's title reads, its about an Italian mafia family settled in the United States of America, using every loop-hole in the country's law to survive and flourish. Unlike normal gangster books and movies, this is a slightly different read. Its about an aging Mafioso King-pin, who controls all the drug dealing and the gambling in the nation. But that's all there is common with the other books along similar lines. Here, however, the Don uses all his experience and cunning to dilute the roots of his family into the so-called legal society of America. He is aging and sees himself a a protector of his kind.

The story is centered around the Don's grandson who turns coat against the family and the son of the Don's Nephew, who struggles to relieve himself from any ties he has remaining with the Family.

Like any old plot should be, this book also has a lot of cold bloodshed, cleverly planned murders, loss of a close one and revenge. The twist in the book is that, here, the Family is running INTO the society, instead of running away from it.

Just the right amount of suspense, intertwined with the best explained kill-plots and just the right amount of flesh. Also, these are timed in perfect unison to compliment each other. The scenes are also set out in a careful haphazard manner to provide enough temptation. Best of all, you never get bored of pages and the lines.

A wing of the family tries to run away into the movie business, opening a whole new avenue for the readers to know all the ACTUAL "behind the scene", in a movie business. The harsh truth can sometimes be a little unnerving, but thrilling to read.

If there was a better book along the same storyline, I would definitely love to read it for comparison.

In a SNAP!!!!

It was two or so in the afternoon...Sweltering hot in my town of chennai. I was sitting, fiddling around with my pen. The pen I bought from my earnings. I was twirling my pen around my fingers, a habit I developed to keep my mind from diverting. Today, however, I was all the more serious. So serious that I was biting my lips, tugging at my hair, twirling my pen between my fingers, not blinking, and all at the same time. It was happening again.

I had driven down here in my dads car, the A/C blasting, my phone screaming at the top of its voice (its got 4 built-in speakers). I was in queue to park. I found the perfect spot. Right at the beginning, I realized I needed this spot coz I was sure I was not going to be long. 'I shouldn't be long', I told the security. Tipped him to watch my car.

There was a crowd. A large flock of people. All with a serious frown on their face. When I passed them, I noticed they did not look at me twice. I was dressed in the most banal of dresses. Did not want to attract any attention. Looked like my dress was working its charm. Now people will have noticed me, but will not remember me. Just what I need. I had a purpose and a mission.

While I walked from the car, a pack of ridiculously dressed teenagers jeered at my plight. A puny kid, with an extra large shirt and baggy jeans with a cap almost covering his now long hair, driving a car. Yes, a sight to behold indeed. But again, I had a mission and a purpose. I smiled at the punks and make my way pat the giggling pack of girls.

Well, it took me 5 minutes over the planned time to spot the mark. I had not done my homework right. I cursed myself. I tagged a group of people headed towards a common place, it seemed. I followed, unobserved. I should have walked slightly faster than the girl ahead of me, for, I hit the heel of her shoe in my stride. She turned and stared. Now there was at least one person who had seen me in the eye. It was no longer safe. I slowed down after a small and heart-felt apology. The incident was over. I had followed the group into a room filled with chairs. There were tow stern looking people ushering the crowd into the seats. I should have been so good at the camouflage that I was shown into one of the seats too. All the kids outside who were too busy pouring over thick books and scribbling on tiny bits of paper, were now seated in well spaced out chairs. I was seated among them. I felt alone in a room at least 30. I had successfully alienated myself from the rest of the crowd.

I was a man with a mission and a purpose. All those in the room were absolutely terrified. There was tension in the air. I was somehow immune to all that. 'What the hell? Did these people not go to college at all?', I asked myself. I laughed to myself, looking at the people around me, wondering what they would say if they only knew how different I was from them.

2 hours had passed since I walked into the room with the crowd. I was sitting, fiddling around with my pen. The pen I bought from my earnings. I was twirling my pen around my fingers, a habit I developed to keep my mind from diverting. Today, however, I was all the more serious. So serious that I was biting my lips, tugging at my hair, twirling my pen between my fingers, not blinking, and all at the same time. It was happening again. I thought I had moved on, but here I was again, sitting down for a test, completely unprepared and not a speck sorry about it. It felt like being in college again.

P.S. My snap results came today and I am proud to say that I missed a negative score by a pretty long whisker. That's like a distinction to the effort I put in.