The cover advertised The Godfather as the classic bestseller. Its claim as a bestseller is pretty straightforward, the claim as a classic is somewhat accurate as it has stood the test of time. Let’s be honest though. The movie elevated the book to the level it has, and the movie is far superior. This, and the fact that the public at that point in time had an endless fascination with the mafia.
It is difficult not to compare the movie with the book, as the movie overshadows the book by a significant margin. But the books stands as the original text and should be respected as that. Besides, Mario Puzo also wrote the screenplay for the film adaptations. The movie is a classic as it is elevated by Coppola’s direction, the cast’s nuanced performances and the beautiful cinematography. I can’t say enough about how the cast elevated their own characters than what they were from the book.
Still, I see the book as a good companion piece to the movie. There are background stories of characters you briefly see in the movie, like Luca Brasi, Johnny Fontaine, the girl that Sonny was shagging in the wedding and all the five families.
However, the book is flawed, though it is entertaining. It reads like a bestseller, that is, it is easy to digest and the plot plays more importance than the characters. Don’t expect much in the way of prose here. Puzo himself admitted that if he had known the book would have achieved this sort of success, that he would have written a better book. And I believe him.
