Rating: 
Summary: Hard to put down
Review: I know it's a clique, but I really have a hard time putting this book down. I say have instead of had because, as many times as I've read it, I still love to pick it up from time to time. My limited vocabulary really can't do justice to why I'm so fascinated by this book. There's something about the way Puzo draws the reader inside of the inner workings of this brilliant mafioso and his empire that's really compelling. Really the only down side for me was that I felt myself relating to and sympathizing with the criminals, something I'm generally loathe to do. Great book!
Rating: 
Summary: As Good as the Movie Was, the Book is Better!
Review: Many people consider the film to be the best of all time. Well the quality of the movie doesn't come close to the book. A good deal of the book seems like we are reading a true account instead of fiction. Several of the characters that had minor roles in the movie, have much larger roles and are actually quite interesting in the book (ex. Johnny Fontaine, Moe Greene, Lucy). Puzo seemed to have the masters touch when it came to story telling.
Rating:
Summary: Accurate as to the internal workings of the Mafia
Review: Since 1969 when THE GODFATHER was first published there have been a number of excellent novels and screenplays about the Mafia. THE GODFATHER is outstanding because it was the first, delving into the internal workings of the Mafia which were not public knowledge at the time. It is well-written, sustains a lively pace, and intertwines a gang of interesting characters. My Wise Guy friend warrants that, with a few exceptions such as the whacking of multiple Don's on the same day, THE GODFATHER is accurate as to the internal workings of the Mafia at the time of the story.
Rating:
Summary: a nice addition to the movie
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Godfather. A number of my questions were answered as to why some of the characters developed the way they did. However, a number of things are not explained. Puzo went into too much detail on minor characters; Jonnie Fontane, Lucy Mancini-Sonny's putana. Something like 5 chapters are devoted to this. Yet we don't get a reasonable explanation on why Michael Corleone transforms from college boy to Mafia Don. Fredo is also left out; Why is he such a wimp? The Sicilian background story with Michael in exile is very interesting because it gives some insight into the background of the Mafia. For me, the best part of the book.
Definately worth having. Ciao.
Rating:
Summary: The Godfather
Review: This book is probably one of the best mafia books known to man. Puzo did an awesome job thinking of this. The Corleone family was described so well.
Rating: 
Summary: "I'll Reason With Him..."
Review: THE GODFATHER is THE seminal "mobster" novel. Mario Puzo's story spawned the most phenomenally successful movie series in history, and arguably two of the greatest films ever made. The story is an engrossing read, chronicling the rise and fall of America's most powerful (fictional?) crime family.Michael Corleone's famous movie tag line, "I'll make him an offer he can't refuse" is nearly absent, but the equally chilling and more definitive Vito Corleone line, "I'll reason with him" is present in abundance. These two bits of dialogue underscore the ultimate difference between father and son, but Puzo is a raconteur, not a psychologist, and barely scratches the surface of his characters' motivations. Leave that to Francis Ford Coppola. It's often said that "the book is better than the movie." In this case, not. THE GODFATHER is a potboiler that's fun to read on vacation, and it belongs comfortably on the nightstand, but it is neither great literature nor even particularly well-written. The story and the characters transcend the telling, which is why the book translated so magnificently to film. Coppola was inspired when he took the book's raw material and created a new universe with it, and Puzo essentially made a career out of THE GODFATHER. CRIME AND PUNISHMENT it isn't, but THE GODFATHER is definitely worth a read or five.
Rating:
Summary: Botched and cheesy compared to the film's script
Review: I'm mystified by all the reviewers who insist this book is "way better than the movie" and indiscriminately slap 5-stars on it. They're misguided. Don't believe them. Sure, The Godfather is a page-turner...I've read it a few times and you can always count on it to suck you in like a Hoover. BUT C'MON! It's full of trashy sex scenes and lazy language. Puzo himself dissed the book, and freely admitted that he wrote a ... formulaic book strictly designed to make money. Francis Ford Coppola's movie axed out all the pulpy aspects, and transformed a cheesy best-seller into a powerful piece of art. A key example of how the movie script blows the novel away: In the book's opening chapters, the narrator states that Don Corleone has always intended to make Michael his successor. Oops... ...there goes the suspense! Puzo ruins the crucial character arc--Michael's slow conversion from "nice college boy" to "ruthless don-in-training"--with this one line. In the film, on the other hand, no one views Michael as a successor. It's understood that he shuns the family business. As he's drawn in, it's his resistance, his denials, and his ultimate capitulation that keep us watching. Book botches this; film handles it expertly. Just one of many examples. By all means, read the book, but maintain a little perspective. It's no masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Quite possibly the best book ever written!
Review: All should read this book. There are so many references in our society today to this book that those that do not read it will feel left out. While many have seen the movie I much prefer the book. I pull the novel off the shelf every few years to read it again, and every time it is just as exciting, suspenseful and unforgettable as before! Quite possibly the best book ever written!
Rating:
Summary: BEST BOOK I'VE READ.....EVER!
Review: This book is excellent! It is the best book I have ever read in my life. I love how Mario Puzo writes and everything about the book is great.
Rating:
Summary: Nothing to add that hasn't been said already but...
Review: ...you'd think they'd be able to run a spellcheck on it. Jut a couple... "...he sbips to Sicily" (p. 68)
"...got to his fect." (p. 70) Inexcusable in the modern age.
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