A Book You Can't Refuse

The Godfather by Mario Puzo (38 of 1294)

I always like to read the novel before I watch the movie based on the novel, but in the case of The Godfather I've watched the movie several times before I even realized it was based on a novel.  It's very rare that I like the movie as well as the book, and I can only think of a couple examples, like Shutter Island.  Others like Harry Potter are good, but in different ways.  The Harry Potter movies aren't as good as the books, but I've gotten to the point that I can almost view them as separate things.  More often than not I end up hating the movie version of the books I enjoy.

So the Godfather was a strange book to read, because I view the movie as one of the greatest of all-time.  Could the book live up to my high expectations?

In a word - yes.

The Godfather tells the tale of the Corleone family, one of the families of the New York Mafia.  I think most people have watched the movie, and know the basics of the story.  You get to know Don Vito Corleone as the head of the family, and it is a violent story, but very well written.  The book was filled with fascinating characters, and a compelling story.

There are several characters in the novel who play a more prominent role than in the movie, like Johnny Fontaine and Lucy.  So if you like the movie I think that you'll love the book.

My rating: 5 stars