Who has read the Godfather Novel?

Did you guys like it? And how is it different from the movie?

I haven't read it yet, but I just purchased it. I'll let you know when I finish it.

You asked that in the other forum, and of course, I said yes it's a great book.

Besides the book being more graphic in it's portrayal of sex, violence, profanity, etc. I think the only big difference between the book and its film counterparts were the character personalities and character development. In the book, we get to learn more about Mama Corleone, Johnny Fontane, Lucy ... all characters who just come, linger a bit, and then go in the films. Mama Corleone, for instance, was a strong character in the novel. She instilled the virtues of a bona-fide Mafia wife in a Kay not as mouthy as the one in the movies. I should add that while the movie seems to be more family than Mafia, the book seems to be just as much (maybe more) about gangsters as it is about family.

Discussions of the novel should be in the appropriate forum - I'm moving this there...

JG

The book is great. I recomend everyone to read it..It gives a lot of insights and background information on every character.

The book is great. It gives a lot of the motivation for actions the Family take, whereas in the movie, these actions are taken but unexplained.

Once you start reading it, you wont be able to put it down. Your social life and work life might suffer a bit

Yeah the book is good. It helps you figure out stuff that happen in the movie. But once you start you don't wanna stop!

Puzo wrote the great American gangster novel and we should all be thankful for that. However, I can recall reading somewhere that it was written to be commercially successful, hence the gratuitous sex and violence which were considered de rigueur (and clearly still are). My favorite part of the novel is of course Michael's exile in Sicilia, a rich tapestry of intoxicating beauty and romance. The worst parts are the detailed gynecological surgery exploitation scenarios, where the reader must think that this is going somewhere or leading to something important, but it never does.

Someone mentioned skipping over a chapter when rereading it. Indeed, I usually skip one or two chapters which I found unnecessarily tedious

Yeah I can admit I skip some chapters but I'm gonna try to go back and read em!

It's true i'm currently reading The Godfather Legacy (someone on this board recommended it and its fantastic so far) in which Puzo admits to 'selling out' to make the novel.

I always wanted to know how to get the Godfather Legacy (1991). I never saw it for sale anywhere

I got it from amazon.co.uk but i'm pretty sure it'll be available through amazon.com

Cool. I have a pretty big DVD wishlist at amazon.com but I dont think this is avail in it, is it? Oh well we'll see see. Thanks Turi

Joe, this book Harlan Lebo's "The Godfather Legacy" is in print and available at any corporate mega-bookstore in the US. Therefore with the economic imperialism of the NAFTA, I am sure it is also available in your Francophilic home up there in the frozen North.

Very observant of you to notice that in Quebec, French is dominant over english. The rest of Canada is anglophone. I tip my hat to you, again, don Rico

I love the novel, but I found the much of the material about Lucy's sexual needs and her subsequent operation somewhat juvenile, but perfect for selling to teenage boys.

I liked the novel over all, but I never erally understood the purpose of some character. The doctor, for example. Is he just there to make Lucy happy and, through her, get introduced to Michael and so, fix his face?
And Nino...is he just there to further Johnny's character? Or to show the old ties of friendship, even while Nino was self-destructing?