The Godfather's Revenge Hardcover – Bargain Price, November 7, 2006

For someone who was tasked with taking up the mantle of Puzo and -- let's be honest -- Coppola, it's pretty gross and inexplicable how much disdain Winegardner has for Michael Corleone and Tom Hagen. Early in the book, he describes his own creation, new character Nick Geraci as "being as likable as Fredo, without the flakiness, as tough as Sonny without the recklessness and as shrewd as Michael but with more heart", i.e., Nick has all the virtues of the Corleone brothers, with none of their weaknesses. Throughout the book, Winegardner through his omniscient narration, and through Geraci's POV, talks about how spoiled and weak Michael Corleone is, and how he only earned his spot via nepotism...as if the actual Mafia never experienced this, and practically opines that only Nick Geraci could be the savior of La Cosa Nostra. I understand that Winegardner is hemmed in by the events of Puzo's novel and Coppola's films, but to make Geraci out to be this ubermensch mafioso who the rank-and-file adore, and to make Michael Corleone some spoiled nepotist mob prince shows a contempt for the source material that is confusing at best and quite frankly insulting at worst. If, as another reviewer wrote, Winegardner was so in love with Nick Geraci, he should have just written a novel about HIM and left the Corleones OUT OF IT.

It took me well over a month to read this book. The author somehow found a way to make you dislike the characters rather than like them as Mario Puzzo did. I’m not really sure if that was his intention since it’s almost like he does it on purpose. Better than the first which was not even worth one star but still not good and does a total disservice to the original masterpiece by M. Puzzo

I ultimately like the novel as enjoyable pulp fiction. I liked the author's first sequel. ... Returns, a little better. But this author does not have Mario Puzo's ability to romanticize his Mafioso characters. Maybe that is better in a moral sense, but it considerably lessens the likability of Michael Corleone, Tom Hagen, etc. All the Mafioso in this book are portrayed as despicable, amoral, depraved individuals. There's little reason to root for the Corleones as they are no better than their adversaries. It hampers the reading experience. I will say the author does provide readers an above-average finale.

It was okay as a story, but easier to think of it as "Godfather-like" rather than truly derivative. When reading a Godfather "sequel", I had hoped it would highlight the original Godfather characters and continue their story. This was Nick Geraci's story, not Michael's and Tom's and Kay's and such. And I just could not connect to Nick as a character. The reasoning behind his treason felt manufactured somehow, and making him into an "Osama bin Laden-like" untouchable that could not be gotten to by as powerful and experienced an organisation as the Corleones just felt wrong. If Mark wanted to write a book about Nick, I feel he should have just done that, and left the original Godfather crew out of it.The story falls into extended periods where it just isn't engaging for me, and in order to "explain what's happening", there's a real feel of people saying and doing things they would know better by now not to say and do. Puzo wasn't perfect either, he had some consistency issues in his original novels, but this book is all over the place. I also thought it was tiresome to have characters acting out of character, and having the Shea Assassination shoe-horned in toward the end just felt off. Not to mention, the death of Tom Hagen got absolutely no reaction from anyone (I was chiefly looking forward to Michael's reaction, and was really disappointed!), partly because the assassination just shoved him right out of the spotlight. (I also don't think he'd have allowed himself to be caught out like that, but O Well.) Not fair to such an important character.So, all this to say it's an okay book, but it has little "feel" of a true Godfather book. Glad I read it, but sad that it felt so disappointing. Good to have as a completist, I guess, but....

Another good read, though a little plodding at times. Slightly out of step with the Godfather III but understandable in hindsight.

This is a good read. Not quite as good as the Godfather. But I am happy to be able to read about the Corleone family saga. Recommended.

A pageturner almost as good as Puzo’s classic. A good read you won’t regret. What makes re can I say?

I originally started reading this book before I read The Godfather Returns. I got lost pretty quickly and went and got the first book which gave context to what was happening in this book. What follows is a spoiler I guess so if you are going to buy it, stop reading. I have a big gripe because there is no real look into Michael's thought process or his reactions to Tom's death. Sure, he ultimately springs a trap on Geraci but some insight to Michael's though process would have been appreciated. It would have made a nice counterpoint to Tom's death scene which I thought was pretty well done. Personally, I would like to see another book or two covering Michael's life through the rest of the 60s and 70s until the time of the third movie. Oh, and there's a pretty nice shot at the 3rd GF movie in here as well.

I quite enjoyed this; as the author has generally tried to stay within the area of Puzo's original. Unfortunately we have a number of holes in the narrative that leave us with more questions than answers. Hagen's death with his body being presumably never found; and not knowing what happened to Kay and the children and Michael subsequent to the execution of Michaels revenge was infuriating. We know what happened in that dreadful 3rd film; but there is another story here I am sure.

There were several surprises in the book - particularly the death of Tom Hagen but I had realised before the final chapter that Nick would not succeed. A very good book all the same.

Very disappointing. The author goes into far too much minute detail of the back story of the main characters. Written not at all like the original. How to make The Godfather boring! Wish I hadn’t bothered to read it.

Much more tightly plotted - and better written - than the Puzo original. Recommended :-)

Could not hold my attention, gave up half way through.