Just curious,

Has anyone else here stopped reading the book at all? I stopped reading it about a week ago and I can't say that I miss it at all. I may pick it up again later but I don't know it is just so boring, terrible and painful to read.

Pippi.

Ha! I was going to create a new post similar to yours. I'm on page 80....Yawn!!! My question to those that have read it all the way through...is it worth it?

Edit: Once I start reading a book I always finish it no matter what, but theres nothing about this book that makes me want to pick it up and continue reading!

Actually I am one of the poor souls who actually made it across the literary dessert. I did however, findm myself forcing myself to read the book, something I thought I would never have to do with anything Godfather related

I finished it. I was so execited when i heard about it. Oh well, good and bad things happen.

Don Merlyn

If I had a penny for every time I wanted to throw this book in the trash while reading it, I would be as rich as FFC after he won the Pinocchio settlement!!!

You know what's worse though, my girlfriend gave me this book as a Christmas present, and I'd feel bad if I didn't finish reading it, otherwise, this might very well could have been the first book that I start and don't finish reading. I don't want to trash it but I just have no motivation whatsoever to continue on other than that

just skim through it

I've had it since it first came out. And I am only on page 67. I pick it up and read a few lines then get bored and put it down. Unlike the GF I couldn't put that book down.

I put it aside for more than two months. Then I finished it, but only because I neglected to replenish the supply of books on my nighttable. What a mistake...

It's really a struggle to pick this book up again! I bought it the first day it came uout and started to read it. I got about 1/2 the way through, and found that I was really forcing myself to read it and I finally gave up.

Someday, and that day my never come, I may pick it up again and try to finish it, but until that day, consider it unread!


Don Cardi

Yes, it's a dirty job, DC. But someone's got to do it.

Sure Turnbull, while you sit there drinking, what? , CHAMPAGNE COCKTAILS, I have to deal with Winegardner's story!


Don Cardi

I read it for a little while, til' about page 60 something then just quit reading it. It is very boring.

During the weekend I was in a bookstore looking through Puzo's book collecion and I picked up The Last Don to thumb through it a bit and noticed that the last few pages of the book are an in-depth description of how the publisher chose Mark Winegardner to write The Godfather Returns.

Jonathan Karp, I think his name was, wanted Puzo to write the sequel himself a few years before he died, but Puzo knew better -- he knew he'd never be able to come close to the original. So he said that the publisher could make a sequel after his death, so sure enough, they did. Karp sounded very excited about the book. He even edited it.

He said time and time again that he didn't want it to be some cheap knock-off or copycat version of the original. He wanted it to have a life of its own, be its own book. It sounded good on paper.

If you're in a book store soon, check it out. A good read now that we've read the book and understand what a ginormous turd it was.

That's odd because Puzo is mostly noted as saying that he was never all that proud of The Godfather (as a book). He never liked the fact that he had to stoop to such levels of sex and violance just to sell books. It seemed as though Puzo knew he could match the book with a sequel, as we all know that he would have done much better then Winegardner.

But, anyway, back on topic, The Godfather Returns, reminds me a little of The Godfather Part III. I thought that the book was well written, it just didn't compare or fit with its past.

If, instead of copying Puzo's characters, Winegardner wrote this book and just replaced the names, I think most on this forum would like it as a classic Mob book. The only problem is, he wouldn't be very original and bla bla bla...

The point I'm trying to make is, everytime I would see the name Michael talking to Kay about "wood" (those who read the book know what I'm talking about, in reference to their plane trip to Lake Tahoe), I kringed. But, sometimes I would just replace the name inside my head and the book wouldn't be half bad. Its the fact that I knew that he was ruining the legacy of the Corleones that made me hurt inside.

I often found myself opening the back cover and looking at his picture, above his biography, swearing at it, as if he would hear me and make the pain go away.

Yes, their were times, I found it hard to read. But, just like how I bought the single disc re-release of The Godfather even though I already have the whole collection, safe and in good condition on my shelf, I had to read the book, for I saw it as a sence of duty that comes with being a Godfather fanatic.

Talk about crazy...

Here's where I think you're wrong. If the book didn't have The Godfather name attached to it, it would have never made the top 20 on the bestseller list. It would have been released and fallen into obscurity like so many other books have -- and deservedly so. This book is crap. Even if it was a sequel to the Bible, this book is crap. The writing is too confusing and the characters are uninteresting.

And I agree with you about the Godfather. I recently read The Fortunate Pilgrim and the forward gave me the impression that Puzo was hurt that the book wasn't a success. It was straight from the heart, but it registered little return until it was re-released after his mafia tales were successes.

Check out the forward to Pilgrim. It's an interesting read.

Yeah, I've read The Fortunate Pilgrim-a great book.

Don't get me wrong, I HATE the book. And your right, if it hadn't been for the Godfather name attached to it, it would have been nothing, but I certainly would have liked it much more.

A big part of the flaw was the corruption of the characters, but if the characters were original, I, and I am sure many others, would have found it much more entertaining.

That's odd because Puzo is mostly noted as saying that he was never all that proud of The Godfather (as a book). He never liked the fact that he had to stoop to such levels of sex and violance just to sell books. [/b][/quote]I always thought that those words of his applied to the parts where his writing was not that good really. I don't find any reason not to be proud of the rest, though. He dedicated 3 years to give it birth, and I guess all hollywood parts were written in one last night...
It's just that he knew better. Returning to a story once finished will produce only a stretch. He was too smart for that.
I'm glad you felt all that, cuz now you may imagine what I feel about GF3 - the same thing ten times!

The Godfather Returns made Part III look like Citizen Kane. Part III at least continues the storyline and brings the trilogy to a close. TGR bastardizes the characters and answers no questions.

I actually finished reading the entire book, but it was motivation which kept me going. I felt committed to finishing the book. I guess I would have respected it more if it would have a better story, I don't know. The Godfather was gold, Mario Puzo put the pieces together nicely, and made a great story full of both intellect, and excitement. This book is based more on events, and it had a weaker storyline. Mario Puzo not being the author definitely played a role. Some of the characters didn't seem believable, Michael especially.

A book which I actually stopped reading about 40 pages into it was "The Sicilian". That was boring!

Are you crazy? That was Puzos best book (besides the Godfather, of course).

Perhaps I should give it another try. I'm getting Òmerta in the mail, I'm going to read that first (for my upcoming book report).

Thats a good idea. Omerta is a good book. I have to do a book review on The Godfather Returns.

Just to update I still have The Godfather Returns on the shelf and it will probablly stay there for quite a while. Yesterday I did pick up Puzo's The Fourth K which I'm really excited about starting as I am each time I read Puzo. I'm hearing alot of bad stuff about Godfather III which I can never understand I mean it's not the greatest movie but it ties up the storylines and compared to the Godfather Returns as someone here said makes part III look like Citisen Cane.

Pippi

Actually, when I first began reading The Sicilian I found it a little boring also and moved on to other books at around 75 pages. However, for some reason, I revisted the book on some rainy night and for the next week couldn't put it down. Now, I look at it as a classic and one of the best (the best of Puzo's novels). You definately should revisit it. You won't be dissapointed.


Yes, The Godfather Returns does make the third Godfather installment look like gold, but there are many flaws in The Godfather III. Even I, who believes whole heartedly that the third movie was the best, can come to terms and admit that it had its weaknesses. For example, inventing Vincent Mancini, the complex storyline, the acting in some areas was poor, and it can be debated that the characters (notabley Michael) were a little off key (though, in this area, I do not agree)...wow, that hurt ( , JustMe).