"The Godfather" - The Book, not the Movie

If you are like me, you have seen the classic movie "The Godfather" - in whole or in parts - countless times. If you are also like me, you read Mario Puzo's novel, published in 1969, on which the movie was based once way back before the movie came out in 1972. Now being a retiree of leisure, I decided to reread this book, and I just finished it today.

I remember back in 1971 or so when everyone was reading this book, and how gripping and you-can't-put-it-down good it was. Surely, I was in for a jolting good read almost forty years later when I reread this classic. Well, I have to tell you, folks: The movie is better than the book. A LOT better than the book. Don't get me wrong, the story is a great one. The rise of young Vito Corleone to the top of the New York underworld, the treachery among the other Families, the Mafia wars, the rise and fall of the Don's three sons, culminating with Michael succeeding his father as The Godfather....a great story. But Mario Puzo's writing? Critics more erudite than me might use the word "florid" to describe it. Amazing to think that the screenwriter Mario Puzo could create dialog that became classic lines in American cinema, while the novelist Puzo can write the same dialog that comes across as not so great on a written page in a book (and some of the movie dialog was taken word-for-word from the book) . It was kind of disappointing.

If you want to read some bad writing, read only the part describing Michael being hit with "the thunderbolt" while in exile in Sicily when he met Appolonia.

On the bright side, though, reading the book is spurring me on to pulling out the DVD's and settling in over the next few days to rewatch "The Godfather" and "The Godfather II."

Some interesting contrasts between book and movie:

The Johnny Fontaine character, a throw-away in the movie, had a major part in the novel. It is almost as if they included him in the movie only to be able to include the horse's head in the bed scene.

Johnny also has a protege in the book, another singer named Nino Valenti, who never even makes it to the movie.

Remember Lucy Mancini? She's the bridesmaid from Connie's wedding that Sonny banged during the reception, and was never to be seen again in the movie. Well, she is another semi-major character in the book, along with some whitebread doctor that becomes her lover in Las Vegas.

The movie proved that you didn't need any of them. (Although I believe Sonny's illegitimate son, Vincent, in "Godfather III" was supposed to have been Lucy's son. Lucy and Sonny did NOT have a child in the novel.)

"Make him an offer he can't refuse" was in the book.

"Leave the gun. Take the canoli" was not.

Sometimes things don't hold up over time as you remember them.