THE LAST DON was a good story but I agree with Turnbull, way too much Hollywood crap.

The Cross-Dante conflict was great and Dante made a particularly unlikeable villain, but for me, Pippi and Giorgio were the best characters in the book and made it worth finishing.

I had a particularly hard time with some of the cheesy dialogue, the constant referral to the families as The Santadio and The Clericuzio, romantic lines such as "you are now the family's number one hammer" and so on. And what was with Dante and those silly hats ?

Still, a good story. As far as the movie, Part 1 anyway, Aiello and Mantegna were great as usual. Jason Gedrick can't ever seem to get over the hump of "b" Hollywood films and made for tv schmaltz. I don't understand, he's a decent actor.

Okay book, better movie. I haven't read it in 10 years, since it's initial paperback release in 1997. I think I'll give it another read in the near future.