William Goldman (1931–2018)

This was a many times reread for me, this time for book club. The best bits are the frame story parts (and the interruptions). While I love the movie to *bits* (and will always think the book is a very nice piece of kind of friendly postmodernism), the actual story (as opposed to the framing of it) is just shy of compelling enough for me to be fully interested on a third (fourth?) read. ~December 2021

I remember reading this back in high school and being almost--almost--convinced that Goldman show more was actually abridging a book by a guy named Morgenstern from Florin. I described the book as "the friendliest postmodern novel ever" to my TA and it's quite possibly the only book I've read that employs things like erasure and disruption of reader expectation that I love. (Normally that sort of thing just makes me cranky.) Perhaps because I saw the movie (about a thousand times) long before I ever read the book and therefore know "what happens next," I never get frustrated with Goldman when he stops the action just before a climax to wax about something else for eighteen or so pages.

I've also noticed, having just read Born to Kvetch, how very Jewish it is both in mind-set and semantics. Even as a middle-schooler who had nightmares about R.O.U.S.es and The Machine after seeing the movie, I knew that Miracle Max was about as culturally Jewish as you could get, but I had forgotten since my last reading that Goldman-as-abridger/character tells us that his editor, Hiram, thought that the "Miracle Max section was too Jewish in sound, too contemporary." About which "Goldman" says "if Max and Valerie sound Jewish, why shouldn't they? You think a guy named Simon Morgenstern was Irish Catholic?" "Hiram" maybe was sleeping through the rest of novel, yes? When Inigo thinks he's failed at avenging his father's death, he hears his father speaking to him: "'I don't want your 'sorry'! My name is Domingo Montoya and I died for that sword and you can keep your 'sorry.' If you were going to to fail, why didn't you die years ago and let me rest in peace?'" Earlier dialogue from Domingo goes like this: "Why? My fat friend asks why? He sits there on his world-class ass and has the nerve to ask me why? Yeste. Come to me sometime with a challenge." The whole thing is about as Irish Catholic as Morgenstern. That Goldman draws attention to it adds a whole other layer (and a lot more winking) to a book already busting with both. show less

Is it a satire, is it an homage, or is it just good fun? The Princess Bride by William Goldman has been on my shelves for a good while but although I have seen and enjoyed the film, I hadn’t gotten around to reading it. I picked it up this month and was immediately drawn into this strange and sharp-edged fairy tale.

I won’t get into plot details as much is already known about this book but be ready for an edge-of-your-seat adventure read that has truly evil villains, sword fights, show more poisoning, kidnapping, torture, some giant man-eating rats, and a Zoo of Death! This is a warped fairy tale of love, hate, revenge and humour.

The Princess Bride is a fantasy that is delivered in a playful style and it is packed with plenty of action and adventure. I am happy that I have finally read the book and can now recommend both the film and the book as excellent entertainment. show less

This is a mostly omniscient narrative of the fairy tale sort, laced with zany humor, and framed and interspersed with first person asides by the author. His conceit is that the novel is an abridgment of a story read to him by his father when he was a boy. And this isn't just any first person voice, but one purporting to be Goldman himself, screenwriter of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

It took some getting used to. Just as it took a while to warm to Buttercup, who at first came across show more to me as insipid--but then what do I expect of a send up of tales of rescues of princesses? One that, while filled with pirates, a giant, miracles and fencing somehow manages to be utterly unique? It's filled with unforgettable lines and characters: Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!

The subtitle declares it to be a "tale of true love and high adventure." It has a rather sharp satiric edge towards both. show less

Growing up The Princess Bride was one of my favorite movies. It still is easily in my top 10 favorites, maybe top 5. Even to this day I'll sometimes say movie quotes in conversation (usually "have fun storming the castle" to someone about to tackle a difficult task.) I remember trying to read the book as a kid and failing miserably to get past the introduction. I was too young to appreciate or understand the satire and ended up returning the book to the library choosing instead to stick with show more the movie. I really don't know why it took me so long to read this book as an adult.

For anyone who has no idea what this book is about, here it is described in it's own words:


"Has it got any sports in it?"

"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."

"Sounds okay," I said...


The framing of the book, a story within a story, is absolutely brilliant and the writing hilarious. The satirical tone reminds me of Pratchett at times. It plays on a lot of common tropes that were less common back when the book was written in 1973. At some point in the middle of the story the tone shifts, many of Morgenstern's asides that I was loving go away and the humor darkens. It's still enjoyable, just be ready.

I read the deluxe hardback version of the 30th Anniversary edition. The book is absolutely gorgeous. It's printed on parchment looking paper and illustrated. It also has an extra addition to the story at the end titled Buttercup's Baby. I'm not sure when this was added to the book but it's fun for fans to see what happens after everyone rides off into the sunset.

In the end I prefer the movie over the book. You can't beat nostalgia. show less