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The Princess Bride

William Goldman

4.25 · Rating details · 801,920 ratings · 20,883 reviews

What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be...well...a lot less than the man of her dreams?

As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad's recitat ...more

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Paperback, 283 pages

Published March 12th 1977 by Ballantine Books (first published September 1st 1973)

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Jan 31, 2008 Chris rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, top-shelf, humor

If you haven't read this book, then all I can tell you is to go out, get it, and read it. Now. Don't bother with the rest of this review, you'll thank me later. It has:

Fencing.
Fighting.
Torture.
Poison.
True Love.
Hate.
Revenge.
Giants.
Hunters.
Good men.
Bad men.
Beautifulest ladies.
Snakes.
Spiders.
Beasts of all natures and descriptions.
Pain.
Death.
Brave men.
Coward men.
Strongest men.
Chases.
Escapes.
Lies.
Truths.
Passion.
Miracles.

For a start.

It's one of the greatest love/action/revenge stories ever abridged ...more

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Sep 13, 2013 Emily May rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, classics, 2014

It's amazing that I've never found time to read this book before. I have seen the movie, but it was years ago and I only really remember the one thing that everyone remembers:

The real strength of this book is that is just ticks every box imaginable. It's a fairy tale, full of action, romance and revenge, and it has that timeless quality that the best fairy tales seem to carry. It was published in the 1970s but it feels like it should be a thousand years old, passed down from generation to generation. It's non-stop adventure, comedy gold and full of some of the most memorable characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading about.

Goldman's writing style for this novel works so surprisingly well. For one, it's such an unusual idea to write a retelling of a story by a fictional author - Goldman claims his father read him the S. Morgenstern classic as a child and then proceeds to tell us the "abridged" version with all the good parts. It's strange how well his constant sidenotes actually add to the story, rather than take us out of it. I think maybe it's the little kids inside most readers who remember the magic of being read a story as a child. Because while this is a fantasy story with magic and princesses, it's also a bittersweet tale about how a father introduced his son to the world of stories.

And I found it hilarious. I want you to know how rare it is for me to find a book that successfully combines silly humour with dramatic action and adventure. I've struggled with authors like Terry Pratchett because I felt the humour took away any serious investment I may have had in the story. But this book quietly mocks itself on every page and it works so well. At first I wondered if I would be rolling my eyes at the whole notion of Buttercup as "the most beautiful woman in the world", but Goldman rolls his eyes for us with the comic portrayal of obsession with beauty and true love.

The characters here are so rich and vivid that it's hard to imagine that they don't exist somewhere in an alternate fantasy world. Everyone remembers and loves Inigo Montoya and the pretty-faced Westley, but I was surprised by Buttercup. My memory of the movie seems to have done her a disservice because I remembered her as a typical, beautiful princess. But no, Buttercup is fierce and brave. She might be silly and naive at the start but she grows and develops with age. She doesn't sit back and let things happen to her, which I like.

Honestly, this was a delight to read. I can't believe I waited so long.

Blog | Leafmarks | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr ...more

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Apr 28, 2011 seak rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

First of all, anyone who's rated this less than 5 stars is just wrong, very wrong. I know this because I was recently instated "Master of all Opinions" where mine is the most rightest. :)

The Structure

I guess the real place to start with this book is with its structure. You may have noticed that the actual title is - The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure: The "Good Parts" Version Abridged by William Goldman.

Whew. That's a mouthful.

But that's also the ge ...more

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May 01, 2019 emma rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, recommend, reread, 5-stars, fantasy, classics, owned, non-ya, funny, fairytale

This book has, as you may know:

Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles.

And if you like any of those things, or all of those things, or several of them or none of them, or if you find any of them exciting, or compelling, or curiosity-inducing at all, then you simpl ...more

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Jul 24, 2007 Icarus rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: speculative-fiction

I am one of the few people in the world who does not think the book is better than the movie here. There is an undercurrent of bitterness in this book that I find off-putting. I am given to understand by a friend that those elements--i.e., the autobiographical stuff in Goldman's own persona--are actually fictional. But I found that they soured my enjoyment of the story they framed. I couldn't enjoy the writing of a writer who seemed as misanthropic and hateful as Goldman came off to me. TPB is s ...more

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Mar 09, 2018 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Okay, I like the movie better than the book. I mean I love watching all of my characters! So There!

Anyhoo, I'm adding some pictures from the book. There are a lot of them but I'm just going to add a few. I thought they were wonderful. On the inside front and back pages there is a map but I only added one part of the map so you can get the idea =)

Happy Reading!

Mel ♥

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List ...more

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Nov 15, 2008 Stephen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, 1970-1979, humor-and-satire, swashbucklers

5.0 stars. HOW AMAZINGLY GOOD IS THIS BOOK YOU ASK?....so good it is almost

This is a literary treasure and one that I can not recommend more highly. Let me start by saying that prior to reading this book I had probably seen the movie version a dozen times or so and ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!! I only mention this so that you know where I'm coming from in case you are not a fan of the movie as I think if you like one you will like the other and, conversely, if you didn’t like the movie, the book may ...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, avast-ye-scurvy-dogs, fantasy, i-own, need-to-reread

One of my all-time favorites! Long before the movie existed, I stumbled across this book in my college bookstore. This cover spoke to my YA fairy-tale-loving heart:

description

So I bought it, without knowing a thing about the story. And the book was NOT what I was expecting.

It was way, WAY better.

If you love the movie, read the book ... and don't let yourself get bogged down in the long, offbeat intro. (Skim it if you need to.) You'll get a lot of background history on the various characters, which can be ...more

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Jun 16, 2019 theburqaavenger➹ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Everyone but Mary S.R. will you read this already??

Recommended to theburqaavenger➹ by: The guy at Sparknotes.

Shelves: when-life-gives-you-lemons, young-adult, romance, winds-are-blowing, classics, we-ll-always-have-paris

If you are a person who grew up in the US or UK or in any part of the world or I dunno a spaceship, you would probably know what someone means when they say “Inconceivable!” but for me, a person who grew in Pakistan where the most popular thing was Justin Bieber singing “Baby” while the children tried to copy whatever the heck that dude was saying, life was not so generous. I didn’t know what Harry Potter was. He was a jadoogar ki aulad (son of a magician) as my mother likes to say.

A few months ...more

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Aug 19, 2011 Anzu The Great Destroyer rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommends it for: hopeless romantics

Shelves: dat-cover-goddammit, well-arent-you-mister-popularity, el-clasico, fantasy-something, lots-of-mushy-stuff, facepalm, not-my-cup, cheesetacular, d-oh, fat-kitty-judges-you

I’m sorry Kate’s favorite book, but I must destroy you.

Two stars. Yep, I am one of those people. Cynical. Have no heart. Have no good taste in books. Just want mindless action and independent sword-wielding women as main characters. Don’t like overpowered men. Nor women, for that matter. Don’t believe in love at first sight. Hate damsels in distress. Hate perfection. You get the point.

Do you see why I didn’t like the book? Do you? Well, if you’ve read it you probably do. If you didn’t, then go ...more

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Feb 04, 2020 Evgeny rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

“Cynics are simply thwarted romantics.”
So true; I could not have said it better myself.

Allow me to introduce myself: I am Evgeny and I hate beloved classics. In my justification I can only say this time I did not hate this book, I was just not impressed at all. So William Goldman's favorite book was The Princess Bride written by S. Morgenstern when he grew up. Way in his adulthood he found a copy of it and realized his father skipped the boring (or as S. Morgenstern's scholars call it, satirica ...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Kelly (and the Book Boar) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

EVERY STAR THERE IS TO STAR!!!!!!

Yeah, a little bit. It’s also the best book in the history of ever.

Sure it has a little kissing

but it also has pirates

and bad guys

and swordsmen

and giants

and R.O.U.S.es

I’m not writing a synopsis. I’m not writing a review. I’m just telling you if you have not already read it, read it now.

You ask: “What if I don’t like it????” INCONCEIVABLE!

If you read it, hate it, and hav ...more

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Feb 18, 2018 Sarah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: at-my-library, novelizations-and-tie-ins, books-about-books, everyone-is-a-jerk, the-sea, adult, jewish-culture, what-do-you-mean-that-s-the-end, young-adult, historical-fantasy

Prince Humperdinck of Florin, an adept hunter but terrible human being, wants to start a war with the neighboring, equally tiny, kingdom of Guilder. To this end he schemes to marry a beautiful peasant lass named Buttercup, market her as Florin’s sweetheart, have her assassinated, and frame Guilder. In these machinations he is assisted by Count Rugen, a sadist obsessed with measuring pain.

A trio of mercenaries—Vizzini the ~~delusional windbag~~ “dizzying intellect” from Sicily, Iñigo the master Spani ...more

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May 07, 2020 Blaine rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: trade-paperback, 2020

I smiled at him. How could he not like it? Passion. Duels. Miracles. Giants. True love.

I am assuming you have seen this movie. If you somehow haven’t yet, stop reading this review right now, go watch the movie (I’ll lend you my copy) and then come back. I’ll wait.

The list of books that are not as good as the movie is really short. I can think of seven. The Devil Wears Prada and The Perks of Being a Wallflower are books that weren’t good but were turned into good movies. Searching for Bobby Fi ...more

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Sep 10, 2016 Ahmad Sharabiani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 20th-century, fantasy, fiction, romance, humor, movie, united-states

The Princess Bride, William Goldman

The Princess Bride is a 1987 American romantic comedy fantasy adventure film directed and co-produced by Rob Reiner, starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, André the Giant and Christopher Guest.

Adapted by William Goldman from his 1973 novel of the same name, it tells the story of a farmhand named Westley, accompanied by companions befriended along the way, who must rescue his true love Princess Buttercup from the odio The Princess Bride, William Goldman

The Princess Bride is a 1987 American romantic comedy fantasy adventure film directed and co-produced by Rob Reiner, starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, André the Giant and Christopher Guest.

Adapted by William Goldman from his 1973 novel of the same name, it tells the story of a farmhand named Westley, accompanied by companions befriended along the way, who must rescue his true love Princess Buttercup from the odious Prince Humperdinck.

The film effectively preserves the novel's narrative style by presenting the story as a book being read by a grandfather (Peter Falk) to his sick grandson (Fred Savage).

تاریخ نخستین بینش سالها پیش و سپس خوانش کتا روز یازدهم ماه آوریل سال 2017 میلادی

عنوان کتاب: شاهزاده خانم تازه عروس؛ نویسنده: ویلیام گولدمن؛ مترجم: لیلا طاهری؛ تهران، فرهنگ نشر نو، 1395؛ در 391ص؛ شابک 9786008547020؛

عنوان: عروسی شاهدخت: داستان کلاسیک یک عشق واقعی و ماجراجویی‌های جذاب به قلم اصلی اس. مورگنسترن نسخه قسمت‌های خوب/ تلخیص از ویلیام گولدمن؛ ترجمه ليلا طاهری؛ ویراستار امیرحسین مهدی‌زاده؛ تهران : نشر همان، ‏‫1398؛ در 464ص؛ شابک 9786009822720؛

عنوان فیلم: عروس شاهزاده؛ کارگردان: راب ینر؛ تهیه‌ کننده: اندرو شینمن؛ فیلم‌نامه‌ نویس: ویلیام گولدمن؛ بر پایه: عروس شاهزاده؛ اثر: ویلیام گولدمن؛ بازیگران: کری الویس؛ رابین رایت؛ مندی پتینکین؛ آندری جیانت؛ کریس ساراندون؛ کریستوفر گست؛ والاس شاون؛ فرد سویج؛ پیتر فالک؛ بیلی کریستال؛ کارول کین؛ مل اسمیت؛ آن دایسن؛ پیتر کوک؛ راوی: پیتر فالک؛ موسیقی: مارک نافلر؛ فیلم‌ برداری: ایدرین بیدل؛ تدوین: رابرت لیتان؛ شرکت تولید؛ آ.سی.تی تری کامینیکیشن؛ توزیع‌ کننده: فاکس سده بیستم؛ و ...؛

کتاب «عروسی شاهدخت» اثری از «ویلیام گولدمن» با ترجمه خانم «لیلا طاهری» و چاپ انتشارات همدان است؛ این کتاب روایتگر داستانی حماسی، عاشقانه و پر ماجرا، به قلم نویسنده امریکایی است، که فیلمی موفق با اقتباس از آن ساخته شده است؛ داستانی شبیه به قصه های پریان با شخصیت های مختلف، از شاهزاده گرفته تا غول و دزدان دریایی؛ «باترکاپ» شخصیت اصلی کتاب است، دختری بسیار زیبا که توجه مردان فراوانی را جلب کرده، او درست وقتی که پی میبرد عاشق خدمتکار خانواده شان شده، مجبور میشود دوری اش را پذیرا شود، و در همین هجران است که دزدیده میشود، نجات داده میشود و به رغم علاقه قلبیش همسر شاهزاده «هامپردینک» میگردد. اینبار هم با یاری گروهی که پیش از این نجاتش داده بودند، از دست شاهزاده رها و با جنایتکاران و انسانهایی پلید آشنا میشود و در همین گیر و دار رویدادهای گوناگون بار دیگر وستلی را دیدار میکند؛ عشق حقیقی و نخستین خویش که اکنون رفیق صمیمی دزدان دریایی است

گزیده ای از کتاب: وستلی، مرا دوست داری؟ موضوع همین است؟؛ وستلی نمیتوانست باور کند. «دوستت دارم؟ خدای من، اگر عشق تو یک دانه شن باشد، عشق من یک دنیا ساحل است. اگر عشق تو…»؛ باترکاپ حرفش را قطع کرد. «من هنوز اولی را نفهمیدم.» داشت خیلی هیجان زده میشد؛ «بگذار اول این را روشن کنیم. تو میگویی اگر عشق من به اندازه یک دانه شن است، عشق تو اینی است که میگویی؟ تصویرها مرا گیج میکنند، یعنی یک دنیا ساحل تو از شن من بزرگتر است؟ یاریم کن، وستلی. حس میکنم در آستانه چیز بی اندازه مهمی ام.»؛ «به خاطر تو همه ی این سالها تو کلبه ام ماندم؛ به خاطر تو خودم زبانهای مختلف یاد گرفتم؛ بدنم را قوی کردم چون فکر کردم ممکن است از بدن قوی خوشت بیاید؛ یک عمر با این آرزو زندگی کردم که اگر برای یک لحظه کوتاه هم شده، نگاهم کنی؛ در همه ی این سالها لحظه ای نبوده که دیدنت باعث نشود قلبم خودش را دیوانه وار به قفسه سینه ام بکوبد.شبی را یادم نمیآید که چهره ات مرا تا خواب همراهی نکرده باشد.صبحی وجود نداشته که چشمهایم را با خیال تو باز نکنم…؛ هیچ کدام از اینها را درک میکنی، باترکاپ یا میخواهی باز هم ادامه بدهم؟»؛ پایان نقل. ا. شربیانی ...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Matthew rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015, completist-book-club, fantasy, library, classic, humor, revenge

The book was good, but I think the movie is better. They are very close to each other, but I think the movie cleaned it up quite a bit.

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Oct 04, 2019 Sophia Triad rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 4fantasy-lovestories, royal, pirates, favorites, 5historical-lovestories-oldtimes

My kind of book:
He held up a book then. “I'm going to read it to you for relax.”
“Does it have any sports in it?”
“Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True Love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest Ladies. Snakes. Spiders... Pain. Death. Brave men. Cowardly men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles.”
“Sounds okay,” I said.

My kind of love:
‘I love you,’ Buttercup said. ‘I know this must come as something of a surprise to you, since all I've ever ...more

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Jul 28, 2015 Lizzy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites-of-all-times, fantasy-dystopian, read-years-ago, classics-literay-fiction

“Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning.”

Just a glimpse of The Princess Bride to wet your appetite. Wow, I loved it! The book is about true love and adventure. It has everything, as William Goldman describes in the beginning:

“Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True Love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest Ladies. Snakes. Spiders... Pain. Death. Brave men. Cowardly men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truth

“Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning.”

Just a glimpse of The Princess Bride to wet your appetite. Wow, I loved it! The book is about true love and adventure. It has everything, as William Goldman describes in the beginning:

“Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True Love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest Ladies. Snakes. Spiders... Pain. Death. Brave men. Cowardly men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles”.

Despite setbacks and misfortune along the way, there is a feeling that everything will turn out all right in the end, and it does. But it’s also about friendship. Inigo, the greatest swordsman in the world, and Fezzik, the gentle giant that loved rhymes, are great! The scene when they go down the Zoo of Death together is memorable and shows how superb a writer Goldman is.

“Two things happened:
(1) The door, quite clearly, locked.
(2) Out went the candles on the high walls.
"DON'T BE FRIGHTENED!" Inigo screamed.
"I'M NOT, I'M NOT!" Fezzik screamed.”
So yes, read The Princess Bride and see the movie. Maybe even better than the book, hard to tell, as I saw it a long time ago. But it’s worth a rerun!

Some other quotes I loved:

“Now what happens?" asked the man in black.
"We face each other as God intended," Fezzik said. "No tricks, no weapons, skill against skill alone."
"You mean you'll put down your rock and I'll put down my sword and we'll try to kill each other like civilized people, is that it?”

“People don't remember me. Really. It's not a paranoid thing; I just have this habit of slipping through memories. It doesn't bother me all that much, except I guess that's a lie; it does. For some reason, I test very high on forgettability.”

And some more:

“Love is many things none of them logical.”

“Look. (Grow-ups skip this paragraph.) I'm not about to tell you this book has a tragic ending. I already said in the very first line how it is my favorite in all the world. But there's a lot of bad stuff coming up, torture you've already been prepared for, but there's worse. There's death coming up, and you better understand this: Some of the wrong people die. Be ready for it. This isn't Curious George Uses the Potty. Nobody warned me and it was my own fault (you'll see what I mean in a little) and that was my mistake, so I'm not letting it happen to you. The wrong people die, some of them, and the reason is this: life is not fair. Forget all the garbage your parents put out.”
___ ...more

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May 12, 2008 MacK rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, favorites, young-adult

I'm a little biased when it comes to this book. Yes, I saw the movie first and it made me happier than anything I've ever seen before or since. Yes, I do consider how much a person likes The Princess Bride before determining how good a friend to be with them. (I don't insist on it, but it can queer a good friendship)

I'm not alone in this, but I do share a similar affinity for the book, despite discrepancies that may make others blanche. And even for me Fezzik will always be a Frenchman and not a ...more

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Jan 02, 2021 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Oh boy! I needed to brighten my darker than ink mood ASAP!So choosing this book was the best decision I had lately!
Some books might be sold at the drugstores as antidepressants to soothe your anxiety, heal your soul!

This is truly one of them! A brilliant satire! An epic, heart pounding romance! Story in another story premise! An exciting, deliciously riveting action packed adventure! And one of the most brilliant movie adaptation of mid-80’s ! And please listen to its audiobook because sweete ...more

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Jun 16, 2008 veronica rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommends it for: 10 year olds

Shelves: childhood-favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I know there are people who LOOOOOOOVE the film, "The Princess Bride." While I thoroughly enjoy the movie, I think I may only LOOVE it. I mean, Inigo Montoya is FABULOUS and I really really dug Westley, and the pwiest was vewwy vewwy funny!!!! So, when someone was kind enough to lend me the book, I had relatively high expectations. Now, don't get me wrong, I wasn't disappointed in The Princess Bride, but I just wasn't thrilled or moved to laugh till I cry (which the movie sometimes can).

First of I know there are people who LOOOOOOOVE the film, "The Princess Bride." While I thoroughly enjoy the movie, I think I may only LOOVE it. I mean, Inigo Montoya is FABULOUS and I really really dug Westley, and the pwiest was vewwy vewwy funny!!!! So, when someone was kind enough to lend me the book, I had relatively high expectations. Now, don't get me wrong, I wasn't disappointed in The Princess Bride, but I just wasn't thrilled or moved to laugh till I cry (which the movie sometimes can).

First of all, let's get all English-major on this, and talk about the meta-layered frame narratives going on in this novel. Holy cow! First of all, keep in mind that the book's title is The Princess Bride, S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure. Basically, what Goldman does is this -- he tells his readers that the book they are holding in their hand (his book) is actually the abridgment of the original PB written by this invented author, Morgenstern. As a child, says Goldman (within the novel, not in the introduction or anything), his father read PB to him aloud, and the boy fell in love with the book. When, as a father himself, he attempted to pass on this beloved childhood novel to his very fat and very spoiled son, he is shocked to find out that the boy can't get into the book -- because it is too long and too boring! It turns out that Goldman's father, when reading to the boy, had skipped hundreds of pages of political and historical satire! So, when Goldman's own son attempted to read the book, he found it overly dry and long. This leads Goldman to undertake the task of abridging PB and basically re-publish the book as his father had read it to him -- just the adventure plot and the romance.

While bearing this in mind, you must remember that Goldman is making all of this up. There is no Morgenstern, no original PB. The project in itself is quite interesting and it had me excited at reading a book that really messed with the reader's perception of narrator, of what's real and what isn't. Goldman often includes long parenthesis in which he bitches about his frigid wife or his snotty son, or over some of the stunted romantic liaisons that he failed at. All in all, I must say, that the actual narrator of PB comes off as an ego maniacal and pathetic loser who happens to have been the screenwriter for some awesome movies (think "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "Misery." (One interesting aside is the confrontation between Goldman and Stephen King over supposedly abridging the sequel to PB, called Buttercup's Baby, a conversation in which they discuss Kathy Bates' performance in "Misery.")

Once you get over the self-loathing and self-loving that the narrator is indulging in while writing this book, you get to the actual storyline. Westley hearts Buttercup, but she is to be married to Prince Humperdink. Meanwhile, Inigo Montoya searches for his father's six-fingered murderer, Fezzik plods along like a dumb giant, and about 300 pages into the novel, these 2 team up with Westley in an attempt to steal Buttercup away from Humperdink.

The good news is that some of the movie's best scenes are taken verbatim from the book. Inigo Montoya is as fabulous here as he is in the movie. Actually, even more so, because you get a pretty in depth history of his childhood, his training, his thought process. He is by far the most interesting character in the novel.

The scene with Miracle Max is also as rewarding as it is in the movie, and the funniest scene in the book is the marriage (mawwiage) scene.

Still, a couple interesting scenes do not a great novel make, and for once, I may have found a book that I enjoyed less than its film adaptation! Ring the bells and sound the alarms!!

Ah, and I see God is agreeing with me! I have just looked out of our great scenic window, and the most BEAUTIFUL rainbow has just appeared.

To wrap up, I must say that I was left a bit deflated by The Princess Bride. It has a little zing, a little sappy romance, and a little adventure, but overall, I think I approached it about 15 years too late. Had I read it when I was 10, I'm sure it would still to this day be one of my favorites.

P.S. Take one "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." Repeat until it becomes unnerving. Result -- the best scene in the novel and the film, by a landslide. Oh, Inigo. I love you. And in this book, only you. I should pull a Goldman and abridge The Princess Bride and leave in only Inigo's part, and add on to his story line. Food for thought! ...more

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Oct 01, 2007 Echo rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, favorites, books-in-14

I feel the need to gush. I've set aside the many books I want to read for the moment in favor of rereading this one. I loved it when I read it way back in about the sixth grade, so I thought it was time I give it another shot.

As much as I loved it as a kid, I love it more now. Maybe because I can appreciate it on different levels. I'm only about halfway through on my reread, but I've come to the conclusion that Goldman is a genius. The story, characters, and dialogue are impressive enough, but t I feel the need to gush. I've set aside the many books I want to read for the moment in favor of rereading this one. I loved it when I read it way back in about the sixth grade, so I thought it was time I give it another shot.

As much as I loved it as a kid, I love it more now. Maybe because I can appreciate it on different levels. I'm only about halfway through on my reread, but I've come to the conclusion that Goldman is a genius. The story, characters, and dialogue are impressive enough, but then you add in the whole bit about Morgernstern. I mean, here Goldman wrote this amazing story, and then he makes up a story about another man who wrote the story. Then he makes up a fictional story about his father reading him this story written by someone else, and later about his process of "abridging" the story. He even makes up a fictional wife and son who play their own parts in this. He throws in asides written by himself, and asides written by Mogernstern, and asides written by himself about the asides written by Morgernstern. He claims to have written a reunion scene that readers can request to have sent to them by the publisher, and when people did write in for it, Goldman sent them back a letter all about the legal reasons he could not send them the scene - all fictional, of course. (The man had me going for years. I read this thing when I was in sixth grade, mind you. I didn't realize there was no S. Morgernstern until I was in college.)

Anyway, while I was absolutely enthralled with this book, it occured to me today that I would put it on par with some of the greats, like Twain. The literary devices, the story, the wit, the satire (I think he's even satiric regarding satire itself) - I don't care if it got turned into a silly movie with a cult following*, I think this one of the few modern books I've read that I'd call Literature.

Plus, you know, it's also an amazing story. Zoo of Death, the most beautiful woman in the world, the Dread Pirate Roberts, a prince plotting murder to start a war, a hunchback criminal mastermind, a giant, the greatest swordfighter on the planet, true love, revenge . . . who doesn't love that sort of thing? The man is a genius.

* No disrespect of the movie intended. It's good. Mind you, it was the first movie I'd watched that I'd read the book first, and it devastated me. I mean it absolutely broke my heart. None of the charactes looked right. Everything was changed. The sharks were turned into eels. This person spoke a line meant for that person. Things were left out. It was all wrong. It just wasn't the book and I didn't like it. I've resigned myself to it since then, and admitted that yes, the movie is good and I forgive it it's shortcomings. It did the best it could. The movie can't help it it's not as amazing as the book. There are so many things that just can't be translated to film, and there's no help for it. ...more

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Oct 31, 2019 Elle (ellexamines) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sff-whatever, z-2019reads, 3-star, y-1900sreleases

I hate saying this but the movie is legitimately better. This book at times felt like an odd first draft of my favorite movie to me—quotes that I loved in the movie are somehow delivered in a manner that is rather oddly unfunny. I think this might be a case of the movie ruining it a bit for me... but also, I doubt I would've ever loved the movie as much if I had read this first.

I read this from someone who’s read the book before: do not read the 20th-anniversary introduction. As someone who rea ...more

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Jul 02, 2017 Nicole rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2017, romance, fantasy, classics

This book was so fun!! I actually believed it's an abridged book, Goldman totally got me! I liked the way he wrote The Princess Birde. The silly humor, the amazing characters, the wonderful story, everything was so damn entertaining!! ...more

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Jun 02, 2014 ✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: ahoy-mateys, classics, fantasy, set-sail-for-disappointment, outrageously-overhyped-fishsauce, 2014

DNF at 60%.

How do you even begin to review a much-loved classic when you didn’t even manage to finish it? I tried. I really tried to like this book. But no, it just wouldn’t happen. To think this is Kate Daniels’ favourite book! To think the Beast Lord himself tells her “as you wish” at the end of Magic Burns! Why oh why couldn’t I like this book?! Oh well, I guess it can’t be helped.

So, let’s start from the beginning. I had a problem with this particular edition from the very first pages. First DNF at 60%.

How do you even begin to review a much-loved classic when you didn’t even manage to finish it? I tried. I really tried to like this book. But no, it just wouldn’t happen. To think this is Kate Daniels’ favourite book! To think the Beast Lord himself tells her “as you wish” at the end of Magic Burns! Why oh why couldn’t I like this book?! Oh well, I guess it can’t be helped.

So, let’s start from the beginning. I had a problem with this particular edition from the very first pages. First we have the introduction to the 30th edition: I read it and thought “wow that was tedious, this Goldman is pretty full of himself isn’t he?” Okay, so here I am ready to enjoy the story. But no, not happening. First you have to read the introduction to the 25th edition. Seriously? The first introduction wasn’t annoying enough so the publishers decided to add a second one? Oookay… I know I should have skipped it but I didn’t: more presumptuous blabbering courtesy of Goldman. Who does this guy think he is anyway?! I must admit, I wasn’t in the best disposition when I started reading the actual story, which probably didn’t help. Soooo, I finally get to the story, yay! Except not. Before you read the story you have to suffer through Goldman’s explanation as to why he supposedly decided to retell Morgenstern's tale. I understand this is part of the story too and it’s not completely uninteresting but at this point I just wanted to read to the freaking Princess Bride! No more Goldman talking about Goldman!

And so the story begins! Surprising as it may sound, I loved it at first. Well, I loved the first chapter. Then it all went downhill pretty fast, or, as we French put it, it collapsed like a soufflé. To put it plainly: I was bored to death (I said that already didn’t I?) and I didn’t like the characters at all. Buttercup: beautiful (yes I got that the first time you wrote it, no need to re-hash every two seconds) and utterly useless. I like my heroines badass and butt-kicking (too much UF I’m afraid) so Buttercup and I were on a collision course from the start. Westley: is this guy for real? Doesn’t he have a single flaw? I mean, how perfect can you get? Boring, boring, boring. Come to think of it, what bothered me most here is that the whole thing was so completely, absolutely cliché from beginning to end (which is quite ironic when you think of it, since the story is supposed to be a parody of the genre). I guess I should have thought twice about reading the book because it is, after all, a fairytale. Strangely enough, I was expecting a fairytale with a twist, something that would make it less… fairytale-y I guess. Don’t know why. I did see the movie when it first came out and enjoyed it (as far as I can remember). Then again, I was only a teenager at the time and the whole damsel in distress thing might have appealed to me then.

So there you have it. I didn’t like it. I don’t even know why I’m giving it two stars since I didn’t even finish it. Oh well, I might not be a fairytale kind of girl but I too have a heart. Make of it what you will. ...more

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Sep 07, 2014 Petra-X Off having adventures rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, reviewed, getting-a-bit-personal-here, 2014-reviews, dnf-or-never-read

I absolutely loved The Silent Gondoliers. It was just a perfect gem in every way, 5 stars was not enough reward for it's brilliance. With that in mind I was hyped to read The Princess Bride and not ready at all for the experience.

When I lived in Jerusalem I used to leave the snowy heights in winter for the perpetual summer of the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, about an hour away. Swimming was impossible, the water buoyed you up, rejected you even so that body parts were impossible to keep ...more

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Dec 10, 2015 Michelle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I consider "The Princess Bride" as one of my all-time favorite films. I think I was about 11 when I first saw the movie and a score or more later, the love of Buttercup and Wesley still brings warmth to my heart. Besides this, how could I forget Inigo Montoya? Mandy Patinkin immortalized this character with his delivery of the famous line, "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father... Prepare to die!" Sigh!
I think the book is almost as good. Rarely do I favor the movie version over a book b ...more

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Dec 11, 2016 Montzalee Wittmann rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The Princess Bride by William Goldman and read by ROB REINER, what could be better than that! I loved the movie which was so corny and funny that I think is certainly a classic by now. I have watched it a hundred times and all my kids have grown up with it and one of my grown sons has a shirt with a 'My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die" name tag on the tee. It is too funny. What is funny is that everyone knows what it means when he wears it! The book is just as great i ...more

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Apr 19, 2020 Roel ✿ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-stars

I don't think I need to give a synopsis of The Princess Bride at this point — I can't remember a time when I didn't know every single twist and turn of the plot, and I'm sure the same goes for you. If you have no idea, please watch the movie. Or read the book. Or just give Mark Knopfler's soundtrack a listen.

I have always loved the characters in this story: Westley the farm boy with his meaningful words 'as you wish', the charming Inigo Montoya with his fencing skills and his quest to find the s I don't think I need to give a synopsis of The Princess Bride at this point — I can't remember a time when I didn't know every single twist and turn of the plot, and I'm sure the same goes for you. If you have no idea, please watch the movie. Or read the book. Or just give Mark Knopfler's soundtrack a listen.

I have always loved the characters in this story: Westley the farm boy with his meaningful words 'as you wish', the charming Inigo Montoya with his fencing skills and his quest to find the six-fingered man, the sweet giant Fezzik and his love for rhymes, old Miracle Max and his wife, smart Sicilian Vizzini and his frequent use of his favourite word...

“Inconceivable!"
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

Along with extremely amusing and witty writing, Goldman gave us a fast-paced and delightful parody on the romance genre. It's sappy and cheesy and full of clichés, but that is exactly what it's supposed to be. The only thing that didn't sit well with me was Buttercup's character. In the book she is useless, lazy, and mind-numbingly stupid, which wasn't at all what I expected. I'm not here to talk about the film, but I'm so glad Goldman gave her some spark in the adaptation.

The fact that this book offered backstories I never knew I needed was a huge plus. Inigo was already my favourite character, but the story of his life in Spain with his father Domingo brought him to life even more. Fezzik's backstory also contributed a lot; it gave reason to his fear of loneliness and offered a whole new perspective of his character. Having these backstories in the back of my mind, Inigo and Fezzik's friendship felt stronger and ended up being the most heart-warming thing in this book.

Inigo looked at him. "You mean you'll forgive me completely for saving your life if I completely forgive you for saving mine?"
"You're my friend, my only one."
"Pathetic, that's what we are," Inigo said.
"Athletic."
"That's very good," Inigo said, so Fezzik knew they were fine again.

I found Goldman's writing style to be quite messy, but it definitely increased the speed of my reading. Also, the writing didn't necessarily need to be poetic or anything grand; the storyline itself has the strength to lodge itself into your heart and stay with you anyway.
This book was charming and sweet and the perfect comfort read, and I love love love it.

---------------

Additional Notes:
- New addition to my bucket list: Visit the Cliffs of Moher and swordfight the air pretending to be the man in black
- If you're planning to read this book, please skip the introduction and Buttercup's Baby. Spare yourself the trouble. ...more

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Nov 05, 2013 Carmen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: Anyone

Shelves: fiction, he-says, traditionally-published, 2018-book-lover-s-desk-calendar, published1973, fantasy

ETA: Re-read 01/28/2015
Wow, I haven't read this book in about five years and I forgot a lot of things about it. For one thing, this time I read the 30th anniversary edition. For another thing, I read it cover to cover instead of skipping over Goldman's "this is my life" crap. I don't like reading his thoughts.

I'm not as enamored of this book as I was when I was younger (I used to have the whole first chapter (The Bride) memorized). Things strike me now that didn't in, let us say, more innocent y ETA: Re-read 01/28/2015
Wow, I haven't read this book in about five years and I forgot a lot of things about it. For one thing, this time I read the 30th anniversary edition. For another thing, I read it cover to cover instead of skipping over Goldman's "this is my life" crap. I don't like reading his thoughts.

I'm not as enamored of this book as I was when I was younger (I used to have the whole first chapter (The Bride) memorized). Things strike me now that didn't in, let us say, more innocent years. :) For one thing, Westley slaps Buttercup's face, and I just can't brook that kind of behavior. As my good friend always says, "There's scum, and then there's men who hit women." Yeah. Especially with all the "true love" stuff thrown in.

So, we've established that Westley is the kind of ~~man~~ scum who lays hands on a woman, and we've got problems with Buttercup herself - she's like a beautiful brainless Barbie. And she's stupid and selfish and basically useless in any kind of crisis, I was so angry with her for leaving Westley to the wolves (metaphorically) when they get out of the Fire Swamp. But at least she suffered greatly for it in the days leading up to her marriage to Humperdinck. It seems like Westley got off scot-free.

Such a big deal is made out of Buttercup's beauty that it makes me uncomfortable. If she was plainer, would Westley have fallen in love with her? There's not much to her besides being gorgeous. She's not even particularly kind or noble and she has no skills. It makes me upset in books when it is obvious a person is "in love" with another person solely on the basis of their physical appearance. I wish I could say there was more to Buttercup and Westley than this, but there really isn't. And she only loves Westley because he's good-looking and obedient.

Lastly, it's a satire. I should lighten up, right? LOL Well, as you've noticed, this is a five-star book for me. Even though it's lost something since I first read it, it's always been a beloved book of mine and I own a yellowed, battered, well-loved copy. It's always going to have a special place in my heart.

ETA: 02/08/2015 Sorry, I can't keep this on my "favorites" shelf or keep the five-star rating. It's not the book I thought it was years and years ago. ...more

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About William Goldman

William Goldman

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Goldman grew up in a Jewish family in Highland Park, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, and obtained a BA degree at Oberlin College in 1952 and an MA degree at Columbia University in 1956.His brother was the late James Goldman, author and playwright.

William Goldman had published five novels and had three plays produced on Broadway before he began to write screenplays. Several of his novels he later used ...more