The Godfather: The Lost Years

Despite the cheesy B movie-type title, The Godfather Returns is a very readable and thoroughly entertaining work. Mario Puzo himself would've been proud of this book. The book narrates the missing years of the Corleone family, the years that were not tackled in the original Puzo masterpiece and the cinematic sequels. In this book, Winegardner does a masterful job of smoothly interfacing the plot lines in the original book and the movies that came after. I don't think this is as easy as people think, considering the fact that The Godfather II had several flashback portions. Even the narrative style is faithful to the original work by Puzo.

Don't be put off by the title. For Godfather fans everywhere, this is a must read, although the book is not recommended for those who haven't read or watched the previous Godfather offerings.

This book is a compulsive read. I was unsure about the whole enterprise, so after reading the reviews, which generally in the newspapers were good, I bought. I was not disapointed. I read 120 pages that night with scotch and a cigar. WOW! The only thing missing at all is the Siciliano observations of Puzo, which being an Italian, and with many Sicilian friends, could only be written and understood by an Sicilian. Beyond that, the characterizations of the Godfather cast are right on and interesting. For those that say the Don Michael getting wrapped up with the Kennedy's and Cuba is to predictable; I say bunk. If Michael is the "capo di tutti capo" of this era, how not involved? This is a must for Godfather fans, the reviews of the so called purists are not purists but reactionaries. I for one, cannot wait for Mark Winegardner to come up with the book that ties to Godfather III, and I think he should justifyably write Godfather IV to finally finish the saga.

If you liked the Puzo books you might be disappointed here. Winegardeners style is a bit grittier and lacks the depth of his predecessor,
The story is richly compelling and fils just enough of the gap between the Godfather other stories to answer questions we all had once you get past his annoying time jumps through certain events in the characters lives

You know, its a different book by a different writer. All these people saying "its terrible" and "its not true to the original" are really not giving this book a fair shake. That's really a shame, because I didn't expect much from this book and it really hooked me. But I know there are some that just will not like a Godfather story if it is not helmed by Puzo or Coppola. To paraphrase Sollozo: bad luck for them ... and bad luck for you, if you listen to these reviews and don't give it a try.

In my view, this is a great read, and a think its a fantastic follow up to Puzo's classic.

To me, Mark Winegardner is a more enjoyable writer than Puzo. There, I said it. Let the chorus of aghast and sanctimonious Puzo-philes begin. He is more gritty, and more real-sounding than Puzo's, to me. This is nothing against Puzo, and I have read that great author's books many, many times over. But Mr. Winegardner's got his own style, and I like it! Maybe you will too. The characters have a life of their own, and while he is careful to keep the famous personalities true to their nature, he cracks their personalities open and wrenches them from the iconic, mythic and monumental levels depicted in the movies and the original novels.

Nick Geraci is Mark Winegardner's major contribution to the epic. I WANT to see a movie with him as a character. In Geraci, Winegardner has imagined a excellent, and engaging counterpoint to the steely and frightening Micheal Corleone, a singularly worthy and amiable adversary. As Winegardner tells it, he is somehow behind every tragedy that ever befell Michael in the last two Godfather movies ... and believe it or not it, it fills out the legend even more.

So its different, and this is good thing. It may never be the classic that The Godfather rightly is, but its a far cry from the 2 star mediocrity that is being suggested in these reviews.

I never write these reviews but I had to in this case. The book is good. Not mediocre. It is solid.

This utter piece of garbage is clearly the result of the cluelessness of both the publisher and the author. Not only can't the authork write, but the editor is clearly an absolute moron who hadn't the faintest idea of how to approach this sequel. If this novel came in over the transom or even from a name agent it would have been rejected as a disasterous, piece of amatuer crap.

The problem was in the process. The so called competition among literary writers was a dumb idea to begin with. There's never been one who could write a solid genre novel at a level required to overarch the regular commercial crap. Only Stephen King has done this and he would have been a pretty good choice come to think of it.Or maybe Frederick Forsythe. Oh well the result was a horror anyway.

Cardboard characters, no propulsive plot line, idiotic flipping back and forth, nauseatingly long conversations, mafiaese that rings utterly hollow, and roman a cleffing about the Kennedys and Sinatra that has all the subtely of a Three Stooges short.

Clearly nobody really understood what they had, and how to extract the special qualities in the original novel into sequel form. Nobody could approach the Shakespearan brilliance of the movies--that's true and would be an unfair burden on any author. But I'm comparing it to the book. That had a page turning dimension linked to a larger than life understanding of family and human nature Puzo captured--a rarity in commercial fiction. This poor shnook wasn'rt even close.

I have just finished this book and have been browsing through some of the reviews here on the store, and I have to say that Winegardner's novel has been unfairly criticized here. You need to approach this one knowing what it is NOT: this is not Puzo. I have read all of Puzo's work, and consider him a master storyteller, and Winegardner never achieves the depth and power of a Puzo novel with this effort. Still, he does not embarrass himself either.

Compare this to most of what is on the shelves, and this book stacks up fairly well. I applaud Winegardner for his daring in even attempting this, and I think that people who love the Godfather, and are just looking for a little entertainment, will enjoy this novel.

I eagerly started reading, "The Godfather Returns" and was very disappointed. I read the first 100 pages and couldn't go on. He bounced around from one character scenario and storyline to another focusing on uninteresting characters and making once interesting characters uninteresting.

Writing Fredo as a homosexual was not very original and seemed contrived. It felt like a pathetic ploy more than it was shocking. The author should have focused on Fredo's angst and anger of never being considered by his father to run the family after Sonny's death and what made him the dim witted brother. If he accomplished this after page 100, I will never know.

In his descriptions it felt as if the author was forcing imagery on us that wasn't necessary. Why should I have cared that there was a picture of a clown on an old popcorn container in the parking lot of the drive-in? This is just one example. The author also over-used many clichés from the first two films. Michael repeats a couple times, "Kay, within five years the Corleone family will be legit" even though it had been said and many times before. I was waiting to read, "I made him an offer he couldn't refuse". Additionally, the dialog between Michael and Kay was hard to believe because it seemed so unnatural to his character. The author didn't seem to know the core reader of this novel. We know these people and have heard it before; now give us something new and exciting.

The reason the original Godfather was such a great book and film was because it was as if the characters where using the author as their medium to tell their story without expectations or a deadline.

The Godfather is my all time favorite film and I found this book, like the movie "The Godfather III" another poor attempt to try to recapture the magic created with the original book and film. I just hope that they don't make a film of this book.

The book is chock full of inaccuracies describing the period:
just to name a select few:

- First space flights in 1961 - but in 1955 students are holding models of spaceships

- jet passenger p[lanes in 1955 ? gross! The Boeing 707 first flew end of 1957, and entered into
service I think in 1958
- there was no narcotics smuggling from Colombia in the fifties and sixties

and could keep on listing them no end.....

sloppy research makes sloppy writing !

This is not a great addition to the Godfather saga and this book should not have been written. There are inconsistencies with the Puzo book and the two movies. For example:

(1) The behaviour of Fredo being gay is not consistent in this book with the movies and the previous book,

(2) The reasons behind Fredo betraying Michael in this book are bizarre and not very well thought out. In fact, it barely even involves Hyman Roth and Johnny Oela. The author introduces a totally new character into this betrayal (Garaci).

(3) Michael's betrayal of Don Molinari is not logical and not something I believe that he would do.

(4) Kay's timing and reasons for leaving Michael are inconsistent with the movie Godfather II.

(5) This author changed Kay's abortion into a miscarriage that she lied to Michael about as an abortion. This is not a good story twist because the whole abortion thing was critical to the storyline in Godfather II. In fact in the movie GFII, Kay says to Michael that she initially lied to him about it being a miscarriage but really she had an abortion. That's when Michael tells her she can leave but not take the children. In this book it is the opposite. Kay tells him she lied about it being an abortion just to see how he would react, but really it was a miscarriage. Did this author even bother to see the movies?

(6) This author claims Michael dropped out of Columbia. I am not sure but believe that at the end of GF II, the movie shows a flashback seen in which Michael says he is dropping out of college and Tom claims his father went to a lot of trouble to pull connections to get him into Fordham (not Columbia).

(7) There is no Frank Pantangali character to take over Clemenza's regime when he dies.

This book is so inconsistent with the movies and the previous book, that is changes the character of the whole saga. I don't think this author properly watched the movies or read the book in detail. I don't think that this is a saga that should have been messed with or adapted or changed. Why change the Mona Lisa? Isn't it already perfect?

The Godfather Returns is a very good continuation of the original novels from Mario Puzo. Mr. Winegardner explores the various incidents that were left unmentioned or vaguely outlined in the previous books and grants and insight into the family that left some readers wondering what had happened. Well written

I was attracted to this book, given a long personal interest in the Godfather franchise and Mario Puzo's work.

If your motivation is the same you'll be disappointed, but probably finish the book out of pure curiosity as to where Winegardner will go next.

In this novel, Fredo Corleone plays a more central role giving you more insight into his motivations.

There is a lot of padding, the inclusion of unnecassary incidental characters from the family and a lot of recapping the original Godfather story (I guess for the benefit of anyone new to the franchise). I found it easy to skip several pages at a time without losing anything, unlike with any Puzo novel.

The "Jeffrey Archer" element is the blatant inclusion of real-life American history, such as the Kennedy family, events during their time in office and the inclusion of Sinatra's "rat pack" - although thinly guised and the actual mention of both Al Capone and Andy Warhol. This loses something from the more subtle ambiguity of the Johnny Fontane character in the original. The attempt to make it an all inclusive Archer-type blockbuster doesn't work for me.

One wonders if any of this novel is based upon ideas of Puzo he never had time to put into a novel or whether Wineberger had largely a free reign. Whichever, Wineberger's writing style does not sit comfortably with the Godfather's legacy/franchise.

In conclusion the Puzo estate "sold out the old man!" on this one.

Where are all these positive reviews coming from? The publisher?

What it boils down to is this...

The Godfather Returns is an attempt to fill in some gaps and tie together some plot threads left in the Godfather Mythos. The result is a chronicle of events that have very little relevence or enhancing value to what has been written before. And when relevence is reached for, through what is supposedly the unifying plot, it comes off as a ham-fisted retcon that feels like nothing more then an excuse to put "The Godfather" on another book. The Rat Pack-like group of characters that includes Johnny Fontane, and the political family that is a carbon-copy of the Kennedys make this feel more like a Harry Turtledove alternate history then a gangster novel. (with apologies to Turtledove)

Puzo was no genius and had his own stinkers, but when he shone he shone bright, and this novel doesn't even flicker momentarily. I'd only reccomend this book to hard-core Godfather fans who must know every facet and fact about their favorite characters and are open-minded about their treatment. Anyone else, I'd advise to just watch the Sopranos or something.

Mildly entertaining... Attempts to tie up loose ends from the Godfather series -- doesn't often succeed. A few interesting episodes. There's hundreds of trash novels making bestseller lists out there -- Return of the Godfather is merely another one to read then throw away. While pretentious reviewers may excoriate the novel, they've forgotten what it is -- just pulp fiction intended only to kill a few hours trapped on a bus or an airplane. To that end, it succeeds.

The daunting task of writing a sequel to Mario Puzo's classic "The Godfather" rests squarely on the shoulders of a writer who won a contest run by Random House, the book's publisher. From this unpromising true-life scenario comes a novel that is well crafted and only marginally disappointing when it comes to its built-in expectations. A writer, even one as obviously talented as Mark Winegardner, unfortunately starts in a creative deficit when his one overriding responsibility amounts to not only supplementing but expanding upon as singular a vision as Puzo's original telling of the Corleone family saga. These characters are so ingrained in the American consciousness that Winegardner's immediate priority is to deal with the burden of remaining faithful to a classic. In a way that highlights the selectiveness of our collective memory, "The Godfather" invented the Mafia, endowing it with a mandolin-strumming legend and pinkie ring-kissing ritual even the actual Mafia didn't know was there.

The story picks up the Corleone story in 1955 right after Michael has proven his mettle among New York's most powerful crime families, and now he wants to claim legitimacy for his family business. So obsessed is he for respect, Michael becomes more and more isolated as a character, and unfortunately, the lack of inner conflict doesn't make for a very dramatic arc since he doesn't undergo any significant transformation in the story. I believe this sort of evolution is what made the first book and its film version resonate. The author instead focuses Michael's attention externally on his deteriorating relationship with Fredo, the weak brother whom we already know is no match for him. In fact, Winegardner fills in a lot of the blanks about Fredo making him a bisexual psychopath who hosts a TV show. He also introduces a street informer named Nick Geraci, who is set up as not only a vengeful competitor but also the yang to Michael's yin. These mostly parallel tracks are interspersed with less important stories that still effectively add texture to the novel - Fredo's efforts to start a cemetery business in New Jersey, the power struggle the Corleones experience in taking over Las Vegas and the West Coast, the incendiary role the family plays in trying to oust Castro from Cuba. Even Johnny Fontane, the veiled alter-ego of Frank Sinatra, comes back in this sequel, as does sister Connie who has become a pretentious jet-setter (instead of the Lady Macbeth figure in Part III of the movie trilogy). Indeed, as with the movie sequels, this book dramatically shows how family dynasties destroy themselves over time.

The main problem with the book has nothing to do with Winegardner's robust writing and everything to do with the iconic status of the Francis Ford Coppola films, even the lackluster third installment. When the author provides his own creative invention to such familiar characters, he seems like he's cheating somehow, veering off course simply because we already feel we know what happened to these characters from the movies. Of course, the comparison to Coppola's grand, operatic epics is unfair but inevitable. Taken on its own terms, however, this is a pretty strong sequel to the potboiler that Puzo's 1969 novel really was - fast, suspenseful, often baroque and lurid. It captures the pulp fiction pitch of the first book without the self-importance attached to the movie version. No small feat. If you can escape this comparison, you'll find this book a very worthwhile read.

First off, several fellow the store reviewers need to calm down. Winegardner has crafted an intricate story of Michael Corleone's continuing mission to legitimize his family business. Winegardner details the backstories of how Michael, in fighting to preserve his family, lost those closest to him, not without the ambitious power-plays of a Corleone soldier-turned-enemy don -- Fausto Geraci, who proves to be an enemy worthy in facing off against Michael's intellect. Any statements that none other than Sicilian should be allowed to write a Godfather sequel is ignorant at best, racist at worst. Winegardner shows us in a perfect detail the suspicion and intrigue of the American Mafia scene -- showing us the direct ramifications of Michael's actions at the end of Puzo's novel. And in Michael's strive for legitimate power, we see how it affects the lives of his niece Francesca, his godbrother Johnny Fontane, and his brother Fredo. A more than worthy successor to not only Puzo's novel, but also the films, I suggest wholeheartedly this book. You will not be disappointed.

The daunting task of writing a sequel to Mario Puzo's classic "The Godfather" rests squarely on the shoulders of a writer who won a contest run by Random House, the book's publisher. From this unpromising true-life scenario comes a novel that is well crafted and only marginally disappointing when it comes to its built-in expectations. A writer, even one as obviously talented as Mark Winegardner, unfortunately starts in a creative deficit when his one overriding responsibility amounts to not only supplementing but expanding upon as singular a vision as Puzo's original telling of the Corleone family saga. These characters are so ingrained in the American consciousness that Winegardner's immediate priority is to deal with the burden of remaining faithful to a classic. In a way that highlights the selectiveness of our collective memory, "The Godfather" invented the Mafia, endowing it with a mandolin-strumming legend and pinkie ring-kissing ritual even the actual Mafia didn't know was there.

The story picks up the Corleone story in 1955 right after Michael has proven his mettle among New York's most powerful crime families, and now he wants to claim legitimacy for his family business. So obsessed is he for respect, Michael becomes more and more isolated as a character, and unfortunately, the lack of inner conflict doesn't make for a very dramatic arc since he doesn't undergo any significant transformation in the story. I believe this sort of evolution is what made the first book and its film version resonate. The author instead focuses Michael's attention externally on his deteriorating relationship with Fredo, the weak brother whom we already know is no match for him. In fact, Winegardner fills in a lot of the blanks about Fredo making him a bisexual psychopath who hosts a TV show. He also introduces a street informer named Nick Geraci, who is set up as not only a vengeful competitor but also the yang to Michael's yin. These mostly parallel tracks are interspersed with less important stories that still effectively add texture to the novel - Fredo's efforts to start a cemetery business in New Jersey, the power struggle the Corleones experience in taking over Las Vegas and the West Coast, the incendiary role the family plays in trying to oust Castro from Cuba. Even Johnny Fontane, the veiled alter-ego of Frank Sinatra, comes back in this sequel, as does sister Connie who has become a pretentious jet-setter (instead of the Lady Macbeth figure in Part III of the movie trilogy). Indeed, as with the movie sequels, this book dramatically shows how family dynasties destroy themselves over time.

The main problem with the book has nothing to do with Winegardner's robust writing and everything to do with the iconic status of the Francis Ford Coppola films, even the lackluster third installment. When the author provides his own creative invention to such familiar characters, he seems like he's cheating somehow, veering off course simply because we already feel we know what happened to these characters from the movies. Of course, the comparison to Coppola's grand, operatic epics is unfair but inevitable. Taken on its own terms, however, this is a pretty strong sequel to the potboiler that Puzo's 1969 novel really was - fast, suspenseful, often baroque and lurid. It captures the pulp fiction pitch of the first book without the self-importance attached to the movie version. No small feat. If you can escape this comparison, you'll find this book a very worthwhile read.

First off, several fellow the store reviewers need to calm down. Winegardner has crafted an intricate story of Michael Corleone's continuing mission to legitimize his family business. Winegardner details the backstories of how Michael, in fighting to preserve his family, lost those closest to him, not without the ambitious power-plays of a Corleone soldier-turned-enemy don -- Fausto Geraci, who proves to be an enemy worthy in facing off against Michael's intellect. Any statements that none other than Sicilian should be allowed to write a Godfather sequel is ignorant at best, racist at worst. Winegardner shows us in a perfect detail the suspicion and intrigue of the American Mafia scene -- showing us the direct ramifications of Michael's actions at the end of Puzo's novel. And in Michael's strive for legitimate power, we see how it affects the lives of his niece Francesca, his godbrother Johnny Fontane, and his brother Fredo. A more than worthy successor to not only Puzo's novel, but also the films, I suggest wholeheartedly this book. You will not be disappointed.

Imagine not hearing from an old friend for years, until one day you get a letter in the mail. You open and read the letter to discover: (1) your friend is one sick pup; (2) your friend learned how to really write since his last letter.

Winegardner is a better writer than Puzo and it shows. The plot is sometimes overwhelmed by the quality of the writing, and I think that is what has caused the most complaints from the other reviews on this page. If you are deciding whether to buy this book, think of a writer the caliber or Delillo or Doctorow writing a crime novel about people you know.

The sex and violence is vivid, if not a bit too graphic. Perhaps Winegardner intended these scenes to be so, in order to help avoid making this seem like a cliched parody of the prior books. It did help, but Diane Keaton never really did it for me and that's the only Kay I know.

Nonetheless this novel is challenging and exciting.

Some of the character development may give you pause. Fredo's proclivity is not so distracting as his television appearances, which are entertaining but they drew me back out of the book. I am not certain if it was merely because of the fact that I was reading about television or if I just could not see Fredo doing these things (for one thing the dialogue on his show is actually entertaining).

Perhaps negative critics resent the fact that they did not win the Random House Sweepstakes, or that there was a contest to begin with. Since we have no posessory interest in the story of Michael Corleone, anymore than if it were non-fiction, we might as well enjoy the ride.

What a ride.

I, like many fans of Mario Puzo's original Godfather have developed a bond of sorts with the fictional Corleone family. With a deep interest in organized crime from a historical standpoint, the one thing I loved about Puzo's work was the close but not direct links of his characters to historical figures. In Don Vito Corleone there was a sprinkling of Charles "Lucky" Luciano (minus his bachelor lifestyle) and an almost fabled dose of "the code" which melded him into a really strong and iconic Godfather. The five families from New York were also replaced with fictional names and the similarities between one Johnny Fontane and Frank Sinatra were at the most arguably close but not definite.

So why am I saying these things that you readers and movie watchers have probably figured out from experiencing The Godfather? Well, it seems the author lost sight of all this when he wrote The Godfather Returns. According to this book, the five families confusingly goes from real historical presences like Salvatore Maranzano and Charles Luciano into the real commission, then flashes into the fictional Corleone, Barzini, Stracci and Tataglia families. With Lucky Luciano present in this book, we are told that Don Vito's rise to power came from having Sal Tessio gun down the very real Maranzano in a restaurant and thus ascending Vito Corleone as Capo de tutti capi... why??? If not only for the confusion of this writing, the necessity of mixing in the real five families is unknown.

The other negative aspect within this book is the violation of the characters that Puzo created. We are treated to a major Corleone family member having homosexual flings, high ranked Consigliere's doing low level hits! And worst of all our cold and calculating Michael Corleone crying at weddings, boozing it up and eventually giving up the seat to an outsider. I was utterly amazed at how atrocious this book became after even 50 pages in, and it was very hard to even consider it being relative to The Godfather series.

<u>Some Positive Notes</u>

With all of the things I have noted, I will say that the book was very easy to read and the author is very talented. The first few pages were a bit sporadic and boring but from the middle onwards, it became interesting and developed when Winegardener brings in his own cast of characters. The way how the lives of Santino's twin daughters, Winegardener's Nick Geraci and his description of Michael's term as a soldier, I must say that he can definitely write a good tale.

In conclusion I would not recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed The Godfather. I would recommend the author in a different installment outside of this series but this is definitely non-canon. Do not be fooled by the big "The Godfather" on the cover, or the strategically placed "Mario Puzo" beneath it. This tale belongs with the 3rd Godfather movie or any weakly made reference to the Corleone crime family. If you want more juice on the daily lives of Michael and familia, then reread Puzo's original or watch the movies again. I will be selling my copy promptly after reading this review.

Thanks for reading.

This is how ridiculous this book is -- Fredo is gay. Yep. No joke. That is the big hook. There is absolutely no suggestion of such a preposterous twist in any of the films (not even in the "king of makes no sense" - Godfather III). But, Windegardner, perhaps simply to shame the franchise - or perhaps just because he is catering to morons that looovvvee reality t.v. -- decides to add in the preposterous.

Needless to say -- I would recommend watching Godfather III before reading this book. At least with Godfather III, we can at least blame, in part, a studio that refused to pay Duvall. Weinegardner has no excuses.

First off, this novel is well written, which may stick in the craw of your average Puzo reader... Secondly, this is a novel--not a movie. If you are comparing the movie versions to the novel, then you really don't understand how things work in hollywood. I am always stunned by people who mix genre in reviews--are you totally deranged? How do you compare literature to the spit out drivel of the movie versions? Ultimately, this may be too much within a literary vein for most fans of Puzo--Mr. Winegardner's only mistake was to write at a higher level than most people can understand. This is a great filler for those lost years in Puzo's novels, and sets us up (hopefully) for some more great returns in future novels. Don't believe the grade school reviews out there--this is a fine novel that may have been poorly marketed by the press.

Mark Winegardner had a large task on his hand trying to create another storyline and fill in the missing years from such a great classic. New characters with new crime families are introduced in this novel. Old characters take more of a starring role, such as Fredo being the man in Las Vegas. Tom Hagen and his political ambitions. Johnny Fontane and his womanizing. Francesca the daughter of Sonny Corleone dealing with her own life and discovering the truth from the past that she has been shielded from.

Being a huge Godfather fan I immediately recieved this book as a present. I enjoyed seeing another take on the characters from this crime saga. I, like any fan of the Godfather would read this book and add to my library. Telling a Godfather fan that this book is an average read would not keep them from reading this book. Anyone interested in The Godfather Series will purchase this book and go see the movie if it evolves to a movie. Mark Winegardner tells an exciting story and gives the reader a look at what fans only imagined took place between the missing years of the Godfather trilogy.

WILLIAM S. STEPHENS

Mike Wingardner has accomplished what neither Puzo or Coppola could do. He made the Corleones boring.

The title "Johnny Fontane Returns" would be more indictative of the aim of this book.He takes up more pages than any other character in this book. The heavy use of the oh-so-very-fictionalized Sinatra/Rat Pack/Kennedy plot is very unimaginative and highly predictable. Does any reader have any doubt that the Bay of Pigs invasion will not succeed? Or that the ridiculous attempts to kill Castro will fail? I wonder?

Winegardner's novel deviates from the Godfather story in facts(Michael went to Dartmouth not Columbia.McCluskey was shot in the throat and head not in his throat and heart.)as well as style(Fredo seems to have inherited Carlo Rizzi's personality.)Godfather fans will not recognize this Michael Corleone as anyone we have experienced before.

A few episodes were interesting. Tessio's murder. Michael's combat service in WWII. I would have prefered more along this line and less Francesca Corleone. Who cares about Francesca Corleone?

One element of this novel stands out among all of the others.The idea of Fredo Corleone hosting his own TV talk show,to me, is stupid.

I was excited when I first learned of this book. I've read the original numerous times. I've seen all 3 movies (yes, Part III is just as good as the first two.) more times than I can count.I bought the book the day it came out, but it took me 3 weeks to read it. It was tough going. Not what you would call a page-turner. If this was planned as the first of more Godfather books, don't bother.

Winegardner can write. But he's no Puzo -- at least when it comes to telling the Corleone saga. The plot is intricate, but too clever and complicated, making it unbelievable and, at times, impenetrable. I enjoyed his digressions with backstory on Fredo Corleone and Tom Hagen. This may make the book worth reading (not really). It's even pretty cool how Winegardner wove the movie depictions of the characters into this book. But, then, I guess it was the thrill of Puzo's work that I was remembering and enjoying again, not Winegardner's new twists on old storylines. I should add that Winegardner got the Mafia dialouge down pat. Or at least I think he did based on what I learned from the Godfather book and movies. My advice: don't pay full price for the hard back -- it's a rip-off.

Diehard Godfather fans may be forgiven for being wary of a revival by an author without even an Italian-sounding name, but iconolatry aside, true fans of Puzo's gritty characters, moral shadows, and driving narrative style will find that The Godfather Returns is a novel Puzo would have applauded and approved, as his estate has done in releasing this sequel.

More than merely an homage or reprise, The Godfather Returns deepens the history of the Corleone family and explores what it means to suffer and strive for one's family in a style that reminds us as much of The Sopranos---or even of Robert Penn Warren's All The King's Men---as it reminds of Puzo's earlier work. Francesca Corleone, at the margins of her uncle's criminal empire, struggles to honor her dead father. Fredo Corleone, overshadowed by his powerful brother, vanishes into a sordid struggle between his conflicting desires for domination and self-control. Fausto Geraci, a smart and savvy former boxer who becomes a Corleone family capo, is forced into the patricidal murder of Tessio to save his own skin. The characters Winegardner gives us, like Puzo before him, are human and real, vulnerable and brutal, and their stories intersect with astonishing violence in a novel in which "every human act---benevolent or violent, willfull or inadvertent, whether born of aggression or self-preservation, of passion or ice-cold ragione---becomes part of one vast gossamer web, where no quiver or throb is too small to be felt everywhere. For a Sicilian, whose mother tongue is the only one in the Western world that lacks a future tense, the past and the present are as one." Puzo, who took such pains to give us views of the Corleone family such as we get on the day of Connie's wedding, would have approved of Mark Winegardner's book, which is as serious, as caring, and as violent, as the Corleones themselves. The history of the Corleones is in good hands with Mark Winegardner.

I have to question the taste of someone who doesn't like this book. Winegardner does a great job here. I'm the biggest Godfather fan in the world, so I was a little wary. I was afraid to be disapointed. I had nothing to worry about. I stayed up reading this book until well after daybreak this morning. The book opens with the murder of our old friend Tessio, and the action and drama doesn't stop until the final page. I used to use the word perfect to describe my wife and The Godfather. From now on, I'll use it to describe my wife, The Godfather, and this book.

I started this, fully expecting to read a book NOT written by Mario Puzo, and therefore different.

I expected the story would more or less pick up loose threads of the Godfather story, and illuminate them.

Within pages I was asking myself, "Who IS these people?"

I certainly didn't recognize ANYONE.

The names are the same, and they live in the same houses, but they aren't people I've ever met before.

A Fredo that's a TV star and Gay???.

A cast of people who just suddenly appeared from left field.

A Michael Corleone, who in the movie and book was a pilot and officer, is suddenly a Marine PFC and Guadalcanal veteran???

A Michael Corleone who's a total idiot.

NO ONE is recognizable, and everyone is a totally one dimensional character.

The plot is ridiculous, and the people from the book and novel are nowhere to be found.

Just a bunch of total strangers who have nothing whatsoever interesting about them.

The plot and the people are jerky, and there is none of the fleshed-out background of Puzo's masterpiece.

If there indeed was a contest to select the person who would write the new Godfather novel, SOMEBODY cheated, and we wus robbed.

This thing reads like one of those TV re-makes of Gone With The Wind or another classic movie.....A quicky fast-buck piece of trash.

I don't know who owns the rights to Mario Puzo's work, but obviously SOMEONE made them an "Offer they couldn't refuse".

I strongly recommend you refuse this piece of garbage.

I can't wait to watch The Godfather Triolgy again after reading this book. I feel the author gave more insight into the lives of the characters in the book. If your a fan of Puzo's original you will definetly enjoy this read. I am flew through the book, because I was so involved in the story. Don't listen to the other review's...READ THIS BOOK!!!!

An excellent book by Mr Winegardner. He does a great job in following in Mario Puzo's literary footsteps. Family histories of the previous 3 Godfather books and/or movies are interwoven in this novel and also expanding on new characters; giving meaningful depth to to family members not previously dwelt upon. This book makes you feel as though no time has passed since your last reading or viewing of the Corleone Family as described in Mario Puzo's writings. Hard Cover, Large Print with DJ. Read only by me with no bent corners or marked pages.

I loved The Godfather, and looked forward to reading this one. I soon discovered that this author comes no where near the classic. The writing is just not as good, and it didn't seem to follow the story as I know it. Also, it was a bit anacronistic -it is supposed to be set in 1955, but one of the characters mentions Viagra!! I think that was when I stopped reading. So, I'm going to stick to the original.

the first 100 pages are so filled with exposition you need a degree in civil engineering to keep it all straight. it's as if the editor wanted to make sure that readers who had no previous experience with the godfather, either by reading the novel or watching the films, could pick up the story line. a noble goal. but it leaves the author trying to tell the entire epic godfather tale in asides and parenthetical phrases, creating bizarre constructions like: "Tom Hagen picked up the tennis racket. It was a hot day. Almost as hot as back in 1946 when he cut off the head of a horse and put it in Jack Wolz's bed in an attempt to frighten the producer into giving Johnny Fontane a starring role in his new war picture. Hagen sipped his ice tea. It was the coldest ice tea he'd ever tasted since that time Anthony Sollozzo held him hostage in a warehouse after shooting Vito Corleone six times in the back..." etc. etc. [I made those examples up by the way, but I'm not exaggerating much.] The whole thing is pretty lame. I'm about halfway through and committed to finishing it. But I'm thinking of taking a break from it and getting a root canal.

After having been first excited and then disappointed by Godfather III, I approached this book with what I thought was a healthy dose of skepticism. The dose was not healthy enough.

By page 7, Winegardner has already stolen from Goodfellas when describing how Ace Geraci (Winegardner's creation) took over legitimate businesses and used them to have deliveries "stream through the front door and go straight out the back." And then when the bills came to the business, Geraci torches the business. This is almost exactly what happened to the bar in which Henry Hill and his cohorts took an interest.

I should have stopped reading then, but I didn't.

As some other reviewers have written, the "explanation" of Fredo is simply absurd. Had Winegardner ever read The Godfather or seen any of the movies? Nothing in any of the previous works even hints at Fredo being gay or dabbling in acting. Also with "the new and improved" Fredo, we find yet another bit of pilfering from a Scorsese/Pileggi collaboration. Winegardner has Fredo host his own television show from the Corleone's casino in Las Vegas. Didn't we already see that with Ace Rothstein in Casino? Lastly re Fredo, what's the big deal with the cemetery scheme? This is the big explanation as to why he betrayed Michael? Please.

And speaking of "please," Congressman Tom Hagen? Why? Again, why? Where on earth did this come from? Wouldn't someone have made a passing remark about this in either of the last two films? Why put this in? It makes zero sense.

Winegardner also wields his pen to bring the dead back to life, and for what reason, I cannot understand. At the end of The Godfather, Michael clearly has eliminated the other heads of the Five Families. These would include Cuneo and Stracci. Michael even tells of their deaths (among others) to Carlo Rizzo when he gets Rizzo to admit to being part of Barzini's plot to kill Sonny. But, ho! Suddenly, the reader finds both Cuneo and Stracci very much alive, and in roles which could have been filled by characters with other names.

But Winegardner's talents don't stop with raising the dead or butchering well established characters. He also completely eliminates a pivotal character from the second Godfather movie, Frank "Frankie Five Angels" Pentageli. It was Pentangeli who took over for Clemenza. It was Pentangeli who was responsible for Michael having to testify before the US Senate. It was Pentageli's war with the Roasato brothers that was integral to Michael's struggle with Hyman Roth. Yet Winegardner never mentions Pentangeli.

He also allows only a handful of words for the Rosato brothers. In Godfather II Pentageli alludes to the fact that the Rosato brothers had something to do with Clemenza's death, that "that was no heart attack." Yet, again, Winegardner thinks he's more entertaining than Puzo and makes the cause of Clemenza's death... a heart attack. Couldn't he have used any effort to try to use the loose threads from Puzo to weave into his story?

Of course, Winegardner does make the effort to use his present employer, Florida State University, as a setting. Well, at least he has his priorities straight.

I could go on further, but suffice it to say that this book is grossly insulting to anyone who is a fan of mario Puzo's fine works.

I did say fan and not fanatic. Yes, there are many of us who are quite familiar with the original book and the three films. Perhaps we know too much about them. However, Winegardner, in taking on the role of steward of this classic American saga, should have taken the time and made the effort to familiarize himself with these works, and not thought he was better or smarter than their creator.

If you're a Godfather fanatic, then stay far away form this book. The story is truly awful. The author changes GF 'history'. Characters do things that won't be believed by any Godfather fan. If you've read the original Godfather, and watched the movies more times than you can remember, you'll have a hard time finishing this book. I pre-ordered this book way in advance, looking forward to it since I'm one of the biggest Godfather fans around. It took me only a few chapters of this book to shake my head in disbelief at what I was reading. I finished it hoping it would get better as it went along, but if anything the story gets worse.

I eagerly looked forward to this book, and when I finally read it, I was very disappointed. Obviously it was not Mario Puzo's literary style, but even understanding that, it was dull and boring. Had nothing to grab your attention so that you would want to stay up all night and finish it. It was recycled ideas from the original Puzo book, with nothing to make it it's own. There were no characters I really wanted to see live and do well, and Geraci as an enemy of Michael Corleone's was a farce. If anyone wants to read it, borrow it from the library or a friend, as its not worth the money to own it as part of your home library.

I will keep this short. I really wanted this book to blow me away, I kept on giving it a chance. There was only one part of the book that was a real page turner, but it didn't last long. There was no anticipation of what was going to happen next, we already know Castro is still in power... The whole JFK, RFK, Sinatra thing I know about already. I wanted to get more into the life of Michael Corleone. You missed the boat. I just pray this dosen't get made into a movie it would make Part III look like a classic.

In anticipation of this book, I went back and read my Mario Puzzo books and purchased all of the other Puzzo books I had not read before. I was ready for The Godfather Returns. I realize that this is not a Puzzo novel, but at the very least Winegardener should have tried to follow the original flow of the characters. What a disappointment, this book is boring, the stories all over the place, hard to follow, have to read pages over and over trying to understand what he is trying to say, it is just a total mess. If this assignment was given to a 6th grade kid, he would have done better. I can only hope that Hollywood does not decide to turn this into a movie, it would be a bomb. I am surprised that the Puzzo family allowed this book to be published; they should have thrown away the manuscript and commissioned a different writer. Too bad the minimum rating I can give is one star, if I could I would give it no stars.

While I admire the initiative to undertake a sequel to a classic that will probably never be equaled, the author, in my opinion, develops only one new character of any interest--Francesca and fails to build a complete story. I have read every Puzo novel from the Fortunate Pilgrim to the Sicilian and La Familia. Puzo never failed to build characters you can almost touch and stories that keep you up way beyond your bedtime. Winegardner failed to do either. He appeared to be building a cast of characters to carry on the legacy, but failed to deliver a story that made you want to turn the page. The only reason I stayed with it until the end, was to try to find a redeeming quality. Unfortunately, there is none.

Many people today agree that the Godfather was the best movie and book ever done. It is truly a work of art. I own the DVD and still when it is on Ch 9, I cant turn it off. The person which created this new verison wanted to ride on the coat tails of somthing great. You cant blame him and should not beat him up for that. He wanted to give us what we all truly want. The answer to what happend to the Corlone's! I do agree with many of the comments below. Mr. Puzzo has passed on... and the way he left us wondering... is the way it should stay. Even Mr. Copola the great man himself knows he should have left it at Part 1 & 2. Only Mr. Puzzo knows the outcome and he has left it all up to us to come up with our own ending. That is why I do give this new author some credit. Thanks for trying Mr. Author..Create somthing new..A new family, a new movie....You can do it! Keep it clean like the Godfather and it will SELL!!!

What a boring book. I read at least twenty books each year, always finish no matter how bad, but I am at page 450 and simply cannot go on. No central storyline at all. Reads in part like an encylopedia article, other times like a newspaper story, rarely found is any interesting dialogue. If one of his students submitted this as a paper, he should flunk them. This story is so pointless that you will constantly be re-reading it just to try to make sense out of nothing. No reward for completion here. Just one long, painfull process.

Few lead the life we envision for ourselves.

Michael Corleone, through the magic of Mark Winegardner's eye, returns to fill explain why he could not live his. Filling in the gaps left in Mario Puzo's 35 year old masterpiece and Francis Ford Coppola's films, this novel is brings meaning to the original novel that changed pop culture.

I just finished reading this book myself and was delighted at most of how it was abridged by chapter and book form. I have also read the original Godfather book by Mario Puzo and seen all three movies. Highly recommend this.

Looking at the reviews posted here it's pretty obvious that some people decided ahead of time to hate this book. I've got to wonder if they read the same book that I read. This is, quite simply, a great read.

Before you read The Godfather Returns, first read (or re-read) The Godfather. Winegardner takes hold of Puzo's characters and makes them his own. It really feels like you are reading the rest of Puzo's book, not a bad clone. The depth of the characters is fantastic. Johnny Fontane gets plenty of interesting page time, Fredo becomes less of a caricature, and even Michael's childhood is explored.

Bottom line: don't judge this book on who wrote it. Read it for yourself. It's a page turner.

Just finished the Winegardner novel...dull, dull, dull!

I wasn't expecting Puzo obviously, but I was expecting something interesting at the very least. Puzo's prose may have been lurid and sensational, occasionally bordering on sleazy, but at least it kept your interest. Things happened and from time to time, you were shocked, saddened and perhaps even titillated.

But with Winegardner's novel, I got nothing like that. Nothing close to that, really. I mean, Clemenza dies...of natural causes, not like the foul play that was intimated by Pentangeli in The Godfather Part II movie. We are introduced to Geraci, who's supposed to be a major character, but although there's an attempt on his life, we have no attachment to him and don't really care if he lives or dies.

Also, Winegardner is supposed to have written around the events in both movies and the novel, yet Francesca marries a man named Van Arsdale. In the omnibus Godfather Trilogy home video, there's a restored scene where Francesca seeks the approval of Michael so she can marry Gardner Shaw. What happened to that?? One could argue that since it was not part of the movies, it didn't happen, but still...

As for Fredo being gay, that's certainly plausible and would fit in with his disrupted psyche. Not completely off the mark...however, Fredo being a TV talk show host is a little off the mark fo me.

Overall, I was very underwhelmed with Godfather Returns. If Winegardner is given a second shot, hopefully he'll inject a little life and sensationalism into the prose. Until then, thumbs down.

I have to say, after reading the original trilogy and viewing the films, this book was a most disappointing read for me. There appears to be no real main character, the novel jumps from place to place and character to character with no real sense of order. I begrudge the time I spent wading through it.

I, like many others, was intrigued by the possibility of picking up the Godfather saga and carrying it into new possibilities and new characters. This book does neither!

I read quite a lot, and I very rarely give up on a book. But this one is just an overblown, poorly written, colossal bore. I got about half way through it and decided that I could think of much better ways to waste my time. The characters are hard to follow and keep straight, and even if you do manage that you really don't care about any of them anyway. The pacing is

horrifically slow, and in the first half of the book nothing much happens. Save your money and your time. There are much much better books out there.

...this book is to the original novel by Mario Puzo. Weak plot and poor, and I mean really poor, writing. You'd be better off spending your time viewing the first two movies or re-reading the original novel by Puzo than reading this sad attempt of expanding the Godfather franchise. This book should sleep with the fishes.

I think readers need to understand that this book is a continuation of the Mario Puzo novel, not necessarily the Coppolla films. In the Godfather novel there is no Frank Pentangilli. Cuneo and Stracci are not killed. Etc. Etc. If you treat this new novel as a continuation of the Puzo novel it will make more sense.

Disappointing

To much exposition. Not interesting enough.

The 'surprise' about Fredo is too easy.

It's no secret that Fontane was based on Frank Sinatra in the original, but to completely copy Sinatra's experience with the Kennedys, the mob, and the media lacks creativity.

Hagen's story deserved more attention; he and Michael's bid for legitimacy lacks any real depth.

The rival bosses aren't dealt with respectfully, they seem like caricatures.

Nick Geraci is an excellent character. He and his father need their own book/story independent of the Corleones.

Francesca Corleone???????

I, like so many others purchased this book in the hopes of once again escaping into the Corleone world. Only 100 pages into the book, I feel as though I have been robbed. The characters that Winegardner fabricated were bland at best. Winegardner relies on telling the reader how smart or scary a character or situation is rather than letting the scene or dialogue speak for itself. His obsession with sex and real-life characters completely kills the world Mario Puzo so artifully set up. I only hope that this sterco doesn't kill my love for Puzo's novel or the movies.

Mario Puzo's literary estate made a poor choice. This novel is not a worthy successor to "The Godfather." Puzo's original novel was action-packed from start to finish. It moved like (you should pardon the expression) a shot. In this book, nothing happens. I mean nothing. It's a bunch of mobsters sitting around talking about their feelings. Winegardner has taken what was arguably the greatest gangster story ever written, and turned it into chick lit.

I stuck with Godfather Returns because I love the characters but it would have been a whole lot better with a story. The icky porn scene every 20 pages or so was ineffective compensation. It ended as if the author just ran out of ink or paper. What a missed opportunity.

The Godfather Returns is so badly written, had the storylines been exciting and intelligent, readers would not have had a hint. Vito must be turning over in his grave. Winegardner should be whacked.