The book was disappointing. I normally watch the film first, and that strikes my interest to read the novel (Wiseguy, Godfather, The Hoods, Donnie Brasco). I was very impressed with the film. The score was very advanced for a made for TV miniseries and the cast of characters, (B+ in my book) did a terrific job of telling the story and [Puzo] yet again, romanticizing the mafia family lifestyle.
If you find the films, they are well worth the expense. From my experience, i had to special order them (Columbia House) because they were not sold in traditional outlets (Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal-Mart, etc). I only saw them at speciality stores (Suncost, FYE) where they are priced $7-$10 dollars more than the other "bargin" stores.

Bart, Is it wrong to steal a loaf of bread to feed your starving family? No. Well suppose you got a large starving family, is it wrong to steal a truckload of bread to feed them? Uh-uh. And what if your family don't like bread, they like cigarettes? I guess thats ok. Now what if instead of giving them away, you sold them at a price that was practically giving them away. Would that be a crime Bart?