The Princess Bride (Book)

The Princess Bride by William Goldman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sum it up in a sentence (or two): The "good parts" version of S. Morgenstern's classic tale of action, adventure, romance, and revenge.

First thoughts: Why did it take me so long to find and read this book? I enjoyed the movie, but was afraid that the book wouldn't hold up. Luckily, the book is every bit as quirky. I recommend reading the intros (depending on which edition you have) - they are part of the whole "joke" of the book. The asides too - they tell a story all themselves.

Author's thoughts: More about the asides - I appreciated hearing Goldman's thought process in "deciding" which parts to keep in the book and which parts to cut out (or, in reality, which parts to flesh out and which to skim over with brief descriptions). In one, Goldman calls The Princess Bride his favorite book, then also admits "the wrong people die," in it. I loved the sentiment of valuing something despite the sadness. In fact...

Favorite quotes:

"The wrong people die, some of them, and the reason is this: life is not fair." -p238

"It was too unfair. You expected unfairness in you breathed, but this went beyond that." -p307

"'It appears to me as if we're doomed then,' Buttercup said.
Westley looked at her. 'Doomed madam?'
'To be together. Until one of us dies.'
'I've done that already, and I haven't the slightest intention of ever doing it again,' Westley said.
Buttercup looked at him. 'Don't we sort of have to sometime?'
'Not if we promise to outlive each other, and I make that promise now.'" -p356

Recommended for: readers, writers, fantasy lovers, pop culture nerds, adventurers, kids, kids at heart, book clubs, and jokers.

Final thoughts: Worth a read if you enjoyed the movie. Worth a read if you've never seen the movie, but enjoy a good story. Worth it if you enjoy a book-long inside joke.


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