The Godfather Returns: A Novel

by Mark Winegardner

Book Overview

THE MISSING YEARS FROM THE GREATEST CRIME SAGA OF ALL TIME Thirty-five years ago, Mario Puzo's great American tale, The Godfather, was published, and popular culture was indelibly changed. Now, in The... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345478983
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 560 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.7" x 1.2" x 4.2"

Customer Reviews

A Great Read

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.

An excellent beach read

I picked up this novel on vacation and read it over a few days. I thought Mr. Winegardner did a great job with the old and new characters, especially Fredo and Johnny Fontane. I liked all the storylines, especially Francesca's. Recommended!

Readers may not need it, but they will certainly want it

Before "The Sopranos," there was The Godfather. The Francis Ford Coppola film gave rise to one of the most notorious archetypical figures of the latter third of the 20th century. Who among us has not said, jokingly or otherwise, to an associate, "I'll make you an offer you can't refuse"? Who has not made reference to the infamous "horse's head" vignette? The Godfather is so well-known, in fact, that many people forget that it is actually a film adaptation of a novel. THE GODFATHER by Mario Puzo was a wildly successful novel long before the movie of the same name --- and its successors --- ever saw the light of day. Puzo was derided by some critics as a hack and his classic work as a second-class potboiler. While the book was awkward at some points and unwieldy in others, it cannot be denied that Puzo, over the course of several hundred pages, created a group of unforgettable characters and riveting situations, a modern-day morality tale that ushered in the modern rebirth of the anti-hero. Puzo never returned to the world of Don Vito and Don Michael Corleone; the films Godfather II and the unjustly maligned Godfather III marched on, continuing and concluding the brutal and tragic story of the Corleone family. But there were gaps in the story with respect to events that occurred before, during, and after the novel and film versions of THE GODFATHER and its successor, Godfather II. Critically acclaimed author Mark Winegardner has filled at least some of the void with THE GODFATHER RETURNS. Its publication raises two immediate questions. Did we really need this book? No. Do we want it? Yes, most affirmatively. THE GODFATHER RETURNS covers the years 1955 through 1958, between The Godfather and Godfather II, and 1959 through 1962, after Godfather II and before Godfather III. It is obvious that this is not a work to be used as an introduction to the Corleone mythos. At minimum one needs to read the Puzo novel, as well as watch Godfather II, in order to fully comprehend and enjoy what is happening here. Winegardner deserves an A for effort, and more, here. The focus is on Don Michael Corleone --- how could it be otherwise? --- as he attempts to cement his power in order to ostensibly convert all of his businesses to legitimate enterprises. In doing so, he makes an enemy of Nick Geraci, a Corleone street enforcer who Michael pragmatically but unwisely chooses to sacrifice as a stepping stone to his own greater power. Winegardner also devotes quite a bit of the book to Tom Hagen and Fredo Corleone, two important if secondary characters in Puzo's universe. Winegardner, among other things, reveals a sordid side to Fredo's life, as well as the reasons for Hagen's occasionally ambiguous status within the Corleone empire. Furthermore, Winegardner delves into a bit of the Corleone history prior to THE GODFATHER novel, particularly with respect to Michael's childhood and his wartime experiences, his first meeting with Kay Adams --- who would become his wife -

Everything I hoped it would be

As a longtime fan of Puzo's novel and Coppola's films, I was excited to hear of the publication of The Godfather Returns. I'm not disappointed. This is a smart, thrilling, enjoyable novel that is faithful to the original works while adding its own compelling dimensions. The novel gives us more of characters we already love like Fredo and Tom Hagen while introducing us to interesting new characters like Nick Geraci and Francesca Corleone. Plus there's more Johnny Fontane! You can't go wrong with this book. Beware babble about how this sequel violates Puzo's wishes (he approved it before his death). Find a comfortable chair and decide for yourself.