The Godfather Returns

Starred review from November 1, 2004
When Random announced that Winegardner, best known for the critically acclaimed mainstream saga Crooked River Burning
and baseball novel The Veracruz Blues
, had been hired to write a fresh Godfather novel, eyebrows arched from coast to coast. But the decision was right: this is a phenomenally entertaining, psychologically rich saga that spans the entire Godfather
years imagined in novel and film by Mario Puzo (the latter via his screenplays), filling in the blanks, fleshing out the characters, focusing primarily on the time (mid 1950s-early '60s) between when Puzo's landmark novel ended and the film Godfather II
begins.

Few remember that Puzo began his career as a commercially failed but critically celebrated literary novelist. He wrote The Godfather
with the aim of hitting bestseller lists, but his earlier training showed in that novel's reach and complexity. Just so, Winegardner brings enormous talent to bear on this popular story and its immense cast of characters, deepening Puzo's work at nearly every step. Fredo Corleone, hapless Mafia scion, emerges here as a more central, vigorous and conflicted character than in The Godfather
or even the films, as do Tom Hagen (the Corleones' adopted son and erstwhile consigliere) and Johnny Fontane, Puzo's dig at Frank Sinatra. There are many new and newly fleshed out characters as well, from assorted Mob bosses (most notably Chicago's Don Louie Russo, aka Fuckface, spiritual descendant of Al Capone, and Nick Geraci, a Corleone man destined to become the Corleones' arch-enemy) to various Corleones (most notably the slain Sonny Corleone's twin daughters). There are also sharply drawn cameos of, among others and by other names, JFK, RFK and, fleetingly, Andy Warhol. But at the center of the mesmerizing, sometimes dizzying Mob conspiracies and familial tensions is, of course, the Godfather, Michael Corleone—proper heir to Vito Corleone, the last capo di tutti capi
: devious, brilliant, astonishing ruthless.
The book isn't perfect—just nearly so. The enormity of Winegardner's reimagining of Puzo's epic can obscure the novel's overarching story line—Michael's attempt to legitimize the Corleones' businesses—and leads at times to an episodic feel. These, however, are quibbles in the face of a wholly absorbing novel that's written beautifully, with great skill and passion. Godfather
fans will love this tale; Puzo himself must be raising a celestial glass and shouting a hearty "Salut'!" Let it be known that Winegardner, for his respect to the novel's antecedents and for his accomplishment, shall henceforth be known as a Man of Honor. (Nov. 16)

Forecast:
Random plans major ad/promo for the book, including an 11-city author tour. This deserves and is bound to be a major bestseller.

December 6, 2004
Even the most avid fan of Mario Puzo's seminal gangland saga and Francis Coppola's subsequent classic films may be hard-pressed to keep track of who's doing what to whom in this breathlessly paced audio. Of necessity, Winegardner's intriguing novel, designed to supply the missing years in Don Michael Corleone's rise and fall, uses shorthand to move past familiar events. This heavy abridgement intensifies the novel's choppiness, with some of its fascinating characters eliminated (such as Michael's niece Francesca) and others (underboss Pete Clemenza, singer Johnny Fontane) reduced to a bare mention. The primary focus here is on Michael, family lawyer Tom Hagen and newcomer Nick Geraci, a remarkably adaptable Corleone lieutenant who turns against the family, using Michael's hapless brother Fredo to bring him down. The always reliable character actor Grifasi (The Deer Hunter
; Moonglow
) has the perfect vocal authority to glide easily from tough to thoughtful. By providing Michael with an educated, coldly unemotional voice and Geraci with a rough but warm one, he smartly underscores the difference between the two foes while suggesting that the latter may be the surprise protagonist of the piece. The production closes with a discussion of the novel by the author and his (and the late Puzo's) editor, Jonathan Karp. It's a pleasant exchange, but the basically uneventful 16 minutes could have been put to better use by squeezing in more of the novel itself. Simultaneous release with the Random hardcover (Forecasts, Nov. 1).