The celebrated novel "The Godfather" was written by which of the following authors?

Introduction / Context:
This question checks your knowledge of world literature and famous novels that are often asked in exams and quizzes. "The Godfather" is a classic crime novel which later became an iconic film series, so knowing its author is an important general knowledge fact. Being able to link popular novels to their writers helps you handle a wide range of books and authors questions in competitive exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The novel mentioned in the question is "The Godfather".
• Four authors are listed, all of whom are well known writers from different literary traditions.
• The task is to choose the correct author of this particular novel.
• No calculation is needed; this is purely a factual recall based GK item.

Concept / Approach:
The correct approach is to recall that "The Godfather" is a twentieth century American crime novel focusing on an Italian American mafia family. The author associated with mafia themes and this specific title is Mario Puzo, who wrote the book that inspired the famous movie trilogy. The other options are classic authors, but they are linked to very different works and genres. Using association of genre, time period, and nationality makes it easier to eliminate the wrong choices.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the novel in the question as "The Godfather". Step 2: Recall which author is commonly connected with mafia stories and this specific title. Step 3: Remember that Mario Puzo wrote "The Godfather", which was later adapted into award winning films. Step 4: Compare this with the other options, confirm they are not linked to this novel, and mark Mario Puzo as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you look at any reliable book catalogue, movie credit list, or standard GK guide, "The Godfather" is always credited to Mario Puzo. The film adaptation also clearly lists Mario Puzo as the original author, reinforcing this fact for learners. Because the book is extremely famous, its authorship is consistently mentioned in exam notes, quizzes, and cultural references. Therefore, cross checking a couple of sources is usually enough to confirm this answer confidently.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
John Milton was a seventeenth century English poet best known for "Paradise Lost", not a twentieth century mafia novel.
Victor Hugo was a French novelist and poet associated with works like "Les Miserables" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", not "The Godfather".
Harold Robbins wrote popular commercial novels, but he did not write this specific crime family saga.

Common Pitfalls:
Some students confuse popular film directors and producers with authors, but the question is specifically about who wrote the book. Others may guess randomly because all the options are famous names; this usually happens when you have not tied each author to their signature works. To avoid such mistakes, make a small chart linking widely asked novels like "The Godfather" to their authors and revise it regularly.

Final Answer:
The celebrated novel "The Godfather" was authored by Mario Puzo, which is the correct choice in this question.