Opinions about the novel

You, as fans of this book entilted "The Godfather" most be huge fans of not only the famed trilogy, but the novel as well. So in a few words, what do you have to say about reading it? Was it great!?!

The read goes by fast, but there is alot of Hollywood stuff in it that, depending on how many times you've seen the movie, varies in levels of annoyance. Otherwise it is a great book.

It a great book and a lot better than the movie, IMHO. the reason i said this? lots of characters are not in the movie and info's on the main characters. good examples are Luca Brasi and Al Neri's background, the story behind Sonny and Lucy and how Tom Hagen get into the Corleone Family . . .

GoodFella

I found Neri's background to be particularily interesting.

I agree with Luca's Boy. I love the fact that the uniform he wore the day of the Baptism Massacre was in fact his own. I also like the character Nick. I know FFC didn't care for that side of the book, but I wish he could have found a way to introduce him.

P.S. Congarats on being made L.B.

It is one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read (not sure if this is because I like the film so much) but is by no means most well-written book. I believe The Godfather could have been a lot better had Puzo put more effort into the actual writing it. I do realise though that he said many times that he was broke for money, and the sole purpose of writing it was to make a bit cash. He could never have foreseen how popular it would become.

Mick

The novel and film are perfect companions. The novel is a great, quick read--sprawling, coarse, plenty of rough edges, but humming with energy and action. And Puzo, although he wasn't a polished writer, was a great storyteller. Plenty of wonderful stories in the novel never made it to the screen. But the film is a masterpiece, a flawless gem, with nearly all the energy of the novel, none of the rough edges--but with some of the stories and background of the novel missing. Taken together: unbeatable!

Turnbull got it right. Apart they are alright, put together they can be the best story you ever heard,saw or thought of.

Thanks for the Congrats, Irish-Consigilre

The novel was perhaps the most enoyable literary experience for me in ages! It had such energy, the story flowed so well, and so many wonderful characters. And it did make me appreciate the films a lot more...

Both the novel and the films are great and that goes without saying. I like how the book naturally gives you more insight as to what happened in the story. I was kind of suprised to see that Johnny Fontane was more of a main character in the novel, though. He was like what? 3 minutes in the movie?

A damn good (one of my favorites) book.
1st Puzo book I read. Has tons of energy, goes by at the right speed, and is near perfect, however I can't compare it to the movie... because I havn't seen it yet (dont shoot me please )... if you havn't read it... do so now...

Yes I liked it too. I read it within a short amount of time and I don't even read much! The only parts I don't care for really is they talk a lot more about Lucy Mancini and Johnny Fontaine a lot more and also they have that abortionist, maybe he wasn't included in the Godfather movie because of the whole Vincent Mancini ordeal. Also I didn't care for Nino's character too much either. I do like the discription of Sicily though, it's almost like you're there when you read about it.

I think they cut the who Lucy Mancini/Jules Segal sequence from the movie, as well as 97% of the Johnny Fontane saga, and even the Nino Valenti/Deanna Dunn incident is because they weren't relevant to the plot as a whole. Vincent Mancini/GF III wasn't even thought of when GF I was being made, so that idea is illogical. We see the beginnings of the Johnny Fontane saga, he is a repeating character in the films, but his story in the film is meant to show the reach of the Godfather's power. And Nino Valenti wasn't included because it coincided with the Fontane saga...and Deanna Dunn WAS included in GF II, but as Fredo's wife.

Well I forgot to mention this, but the only part I didn't like was how much detail he felt nessicary to describe Sonny's penis... lol

Welcome, crazedhobo. You should see the movie, it is great.

Yes I should... yes I should

well the book is great. and the movie is better. i don't get people thinking the book is better then the movie. it puzzles me. and i do agree that the lucy mancini part of the book is too boring to even bother mentioning in the movie. and no it doesn't have anything to do with the plot of the movie. if they were to have added the back ground of every character then the movie would have been to long and the perfect flow would have been disruptive. think of it that way ladies and gentlemen.

Well most of the time, the complex stories that can be portrayed in books cannot always be translated to movies, unless you want a ten hour narrorated movie

<---- oh and by the way, hes constipated!

Out of curiosity, would you still think it was puzzling if the movie had never been made? And if the movie hadn't, would you have even read the book? I for one know that I would not have read it had it not been for the film.

Mick

PS> Mr Soprano, as you are called that name, you should visit the Sopranos section more often.

There can be no argument that the movie is a better movie than the book is a book.

The movie is one of the greatest films of all time. I don't think anyone would say that the novel is one of the greatest books of all time.

I don't know why, but the novel gives me a different perspective on the whole story. Its like the Movie is what it is and it appears much different than the details provided in the book do. For example, many things aren't mentioned if implied like Michael Corleone showing his anger (which he did a few times in the book) as well as the whole background story on Luca Brasi and the continuous following of Lucy Mancini, Johnny Fontane, the doctor and Nino Valenti.

It is the best book I have along with Clockwork Orange and various works by Steven King.

Not to split hairs, but you have to make the distinction between "The Best Book" and "The Book I Enjoyed The Most"

Yes, THE GODFATHER is certainly on my list of books I enjoyed the most, but, just as certainly, not on my list of "best"

I'll add a big second to that!

Mick

Like plawrence said, The Godfather movie was a much more better movie the book was a book. I watched the trilogy first, and then I read the book, the novel without any doubt one of the works I enjoyed most.

It can be sad that the "The Godfather" is the Best novle ever writen.

I agree: it could be said, but certainly should not be said. Each to his own, but you cannot say that it was the best book ever written. Perhaps one of the most enjoyable pieces of literature, but by no means the best. Welcome to the BB.

Mick

I liked the book for the following: more background on Hagen, Neri, Kay, Luca, and Sonny as the Don.

However, I felt that there was too much background on characters I found to be insignificant: Johnny, Lucy, and Johnny's singing friend (his name escapes me). Also, Puzo tended to be verbose at times.

Overall, a good read. I like how Hagen explains to Kay why things were done at the book's end, which is obviously different than the end of GF1.

Nino. His name was Nino. And thanks for the welcome Capo!

i used to write for a magazine in order to keep up my standard of living during college (i am still in college, just not writing)....so i have a tendency to say that books are generally better than their movie counterpart. you can get more lost in them.
this is a rare exception. it's not because i watched the movie first...because i have watched many movies first and still liked the book better. the movie had more of a classic style to it than the book. the book was far more coarse. puzo is an AMAZING story teller....but i don't think he is particularly an amazing author. i would say, though, that his best written book is the sicilian (though the story in the godfather was the most interesting to me). i would say there was too much information in the book about johnny, nino, and lucy...and yes it was written to show the don's reach....but i thought it had so little to do with the story it wasn't necessary. the book also painted a completely different picture of fredo...and even tom was a bit different. michael's lines in the books if said in the movie would have made it worse. like when sonny is laughing at him after he said he'd kill solozzo.....he said "i've killed japs before" or something to that effect....i was like...thank god that wasn't in the movie. the movie is a better movie than the book was a book....though both are enjoyable and should be experienced.

Jay, there is no reference to Japs in the movie or book, whats said by Sonny to Michael is: "What do you think this is the Army, where you shoot'em a mile away?
You've gotta get up close like this and bada-bing! you blow their brains all over your nice Ivy League suit".

MP makes the contrast between cold blooded murder and wartime combat, even though combat can be an up-close experience at times. The point he makes is clear.

wil.

i beg to differ. the quote i was referring to was from michael to sonny. read that page in the book again. sonny laughs first, then the others laugh (according to the book for a different reason than sonny). the book states the others laughed because they thought sonny was laughing at michael's bravado and so they laughed along. sonny laughed according to puzo because in his words....he knew it was in michael's nature all along and he was waiting for him to drop this war hero, good kid b.s. michael obviously gets mad at the laughing, that's when he makes the allusions to the "japs" he kills....then sonny explains why he actually is laughing. re-read that page in the book...it is a bit different than what happened in the movie. though your quote was right on in accordance with the movie.

Sorry Jay, on page 132 or 133 of the 30th Anniversary Edition of The Godfather, I do not see the word "Japs". Michael responds to Sonny's laughing by saying "Don't you think I can do it, you son of a bitch?"


wil.

if you're right, my fault. i remembered that vividly for some reason, but as you know the book probably as well if not better than myself....i will give you the benefit of the doubt. i'll read that part again...but i'll assume your right. but even the quote you gave....it's something michael never would have said in the movie.

Jay, very true. Michael later asks Sonny if Sollozzo has any mortars, air cover, or heavy artillery, even land mines. All references to his wartime combat experience, perhaps that dialogue is what you remember. Bottom line, wether or not he said "Japs" is no big deal, the contrast between fighting the Japanese and killing Sollozzo is implied. Thanks for the exchange. Take care.


wil.