valerief's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting revisionist story - Fredo gay? For those of you still mourning the loss of Mario Puzo and the Sopranos, this should whet your appetite at least briefly.
bloodravenlib's review against another edition
4.0
I actually indulged myself and bought this one. It did sit on my shelf for a while before I was able to get to it.
See my note on it from the blog:
[http://itinerantlibrarian.blogspot.com/2007/01/booknote-godfather-returns.html]
See my note on it from the blog:
[http://itinerantlibrarian.blogspot.com/2007/01/booknote-godfather-returns.html]
kevincarroll's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
lynnebolduc's review against another edition
3.0
Not as good as The Godfather but that is a tough act to follow and this is a different author. A lot of unnecessary detail which made it somewhat of a slog through the middle, but the last third of the book was the best, most interesting and enlightening. Worth reading to learn the continuation of the family saga, many familiar characters and some emerging ones as well.
paperbackstash's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
I don't fully understand this book's transition from the blockbuster film.
The more infamous scenes were removed from the book altogether, or they were told after the fact, or quickly fast-forwarded through. Huh? Everything else is covered slowly in painstakingly clear detail. Examples: Kay's revelation to Michael about the baby (mentioned months after the fact), the kiss of betrayal with Fredo (removed), the attack on the house (after the fact, covered briefly...)
The story is divided heavily by five time-lines, which to me was a bit overwhelming. There is a substantial amount of space devoted to Fredo, especially a "certain secret." The invention of this secret isn't that plausible - even if it were, what big thing does it add to the story? This unusual invention between Michael and Fredo adds up to little.
Unfortunately, the glamour easily experienced with the first was somewhat lacking here. The drama, pizazz, and glitz from the first was seldom felt. While the first emphasized family structure as an in-depth, psychological intrigue, this book has the family fallen apart. Michael Corleone inherited his father's finesse and business acumen, but it's clear from the story's events that he doesn't have the talent to keep family together as his father could.
Winegardener did a neat trick introducing some new characters (like Francesca, although the ending with her felt a bit contrived). The book falls short when it comes to Micheal's inner expression. Tom Hagen comes across dullish and predictable when compared to the inner diggings Puzo introduced with the first.
He does an admirable job emulating Puzo's style, even though of course imitation isn't always flattery. Unfortunately the glamor from the first is mainly absent from this book's reading, but it's still enjoyable in a different way - internal struggles among those who climb in the mafia and the bizarre exploration of a brother who can never live up.
I don't fully understand this book's transition from the blockbuster film.
The more infamous scenes were removed from the book altogether, or they were told after the fact, or quickly fast-forwarded through. Huh? Everything else is covered slowly in painstakingly clear detail. Examples: Kay's revelation to Michael about the baby (mentioned months after the fact), the kiss of betrayal with Fredo (removed), the attack on the house (after the fact, covered briefly...)
The story is divided heavily by five time-lines, which to me was a bit overwhelming. There is a substantial amount of space devoted to Fredo, especially a "certain secret." The invention of this secret isn't that plausible - even if it were, what big thing does it add to the story? This unusual invention between Michael and Fredo adds up to little.
Unfortunately, the glamour easily experienced with the first was somewhat lacking here. The drama, pizazz, and glitz from the first was seldom felt. While the first emphasized family structure as an in-depth, psychological intrigue, this book has the family fallen apart. Michael Corleone inherited his father's finesse and business acumen, but it's clear from the story's events that he doesn't have the talent to keep family together as his father could.
Winegardener did a neat trick introducing some new characters (like Francesca, although the ending with her felt a bit contrived). The book falls short when it comes to Micheal's inner expression. Tom Hagen comes across dullish and predictable when compared to the inner diggings Puzo introduced with the first.
He does an admirable job emulating Puzo's style, even though of course imitation isn't always flattery. Unfortunately the glamor from the first is mainly absent from this book's reading, but it's still enjoyable in a different way - internal struggles among those who climb in the mafia and the bizarre exploration of a brother who can never live up.
thomasroche's review against another edition
1.0
Wow, gee, I hated this Godfather midquel. It's just... I dunno. I can't really say anything bad about it, because it's just nothing BUT bad. It just very, very much didn't work for me. To be fair, for that reason, I never finished it, so who knows? Maybe it gets AWESOME after 100 pages. I'll never know.
maulik's review against another edition
3.0
Mario Puzo wrote an amazing book but in my opinion, Mark Winegardner could not do justice to his work. I got lost in between a lot of time as the expression was not as clear or proper how Mr. Puzo did. The end was however amazing. I liked it, but love the first part more.
terynce's review against another edition
3.0
Embodied a similar voice of Puzo, but with so much less to say. The story was sooooooooo slow. Some parts were interesting, others were merely a recap of The Godfather, far too much filler. The end wasn't much of an end at all, but a beginning for the follow up book that was sure to come given the ending. I'm not certain I'll be reading it.
bekahpaige's review against another edition
2.0
As a huge Puzo fan, all I remember about this book was being disappointed