It was made pretty clear in the novel that both Santino and Tom Hagen are the same age - 35, and that Michael is 10 years younger - 25.

If this is true, then wouldn't Santino having fist fights with Michael - even if Michael started it to prove he was tough - constitute child abuse? After all, if Michael was 7, Santino was 17. Not quite an even match.

Puzo wrote that both had fights growing up quite a bit, but wouldn't that be kinda far-fetched?

Then, in the film version, Puzo and Coppola put their ages just four years apart.

Okay, child abusee. So?

The novel says nothing about Santino beating up Michael. It says that Fredo used to beat up Michael.

By the way, I'm ten years older than my brother and we used to wrestle all the time.

Nitpick much?

In the novel it says they fought alot.Not that Santino literally kicked the living shit out of Michael.Even Michael replies"i finally got used to you beating on me ,know i have to get used to this?"

I can only say that when VITO CORLEONE killed FENUCI a member of BLACK HAND GANG SANTINO(SONY)CORLEONE was about 3-4 years and fredo has avout1-3 MICHAEL was born later I think 6-7 years after SONI and 2-3 years after FREDO
MY EXPIRIENCE AND OPINION NOTHING ELSE

Not true.... remember, this discussion is based on the novel and NOT the movie.... in the novel Sonny was born in 1910 and Vito killed Fanucci around 1919... Sonny would have been 9 years old.

You dont need to remember me that this discusion is about novel I know that I only said MY EXPIRIENCE AND OPINION NOTHING ELSE

And there is maybe am problem I am SERB and my novel is on serbian language so it can be that it is bad translated there are not any years in it about SONI.

Hopefully it hasn't been translated to loosely.Otherwise you could be missing out on some great stuff.

No there is almost evrything but the translated book will never be like original!