20 Things You Probably Didn't Know About The Godfather

Because Mario Puzo's novel was so long, only half of the story was implemented into the film adaptation. (Everything about Vito's early life was incorporated into the sequel.) Although the movie is extremely faithful to the source material, there are some deviations.

First off, the book isn't told in chronological order, often to make revelations more shocking. For example, the film shows Sonny being gunned down and the following scene depicts his father mourning him. But in the book, we learn about Sonny's death first and then get a flashback that explains how the the Don's son met his end.

Also, if you thought the film was violent, it cannot compare to the horror that lies in Puzo's novel. Even though Luca is depicted as a scary guy in the movie, he would've been perceived as evil incarnate if the adaptation included the scene where he forced a midwife to kill his newborn child. As violent as the film adaptation is, there is no question the novel is far grislier.