The Godfather Papers and Other Confessions

The Godfather Papers and Other Confessions is a 1972 collective autobiography written by Mario Puzo, on his journey through writing his 1969 novel The Godfather.

U.S. first edition cover (published by Putnam)

I was forty-five years old and tired of being an artist. Besides, I owed $20,000 to relatives, finance companies, banks and assorted bookmakers and shylocks. It was really time to grow up and sell out as Lenny Bruce once advised. So I told my editors OK, I'll write a book about the Mafia...[1]

It explains Puzo's reasoning for writing The Godfather:

I have written three novels. The Godfather is not as good as the preceding two; I wrote it to make money...[2]

References

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  1. ^ Puzo, Mario (1972). The Godfather Papers and Other Confessions. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. p. 25.
  2. ^ Puzo 1972, p. 24.