Joe Layden

Delightful - Cary Elwes' voice is like melted butter and his impressions are hilarious. This worked really well as an audiobook since we got to hear from Robin Wright, Billy Crystal, Wallace Shawn and Rob Reiner (to name a few) and their voices are so iconic and unforgettable that it feels like hearing from an old friend.

The Andre stories were a highlight, as expected. It's a sentimental but sweet and endearing read/listen, and it just made me want to watch the movie again.

this was such a fun book - and well written. Cary Elwes (and his ghost writer) keep the tone light hearted, even when conveying the more serious details/challenges of modern movie making. Even more delightful, he weaves in comments and remembrances from costars Robin Wright, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, and Mandy Patinkin, as well as author and screenwriter William Goldman, producer Norman Lear, and director Rob Reiner. Some real surprises in this, and a new appreciation show more for the 7-8 minute "greatest swordfight ever" scene in the film - wow. What an enormous amount of work/preparation Mandy Patinkin & Cary Elwes put into that scene. And yes, I was compelled to get on our streaming service to watch the film...once again. Good every time; more fun after reading this memoir. show less

I’m a huge, HUGE, HUGE fan of the movie. My kids have watched it with me year after year since its release on VHS in 1988 (I have since bought it on DVD, Blu-Ray, and Amazon Prime). I even quoted it during my son’s wedding reception earlier this year while I was giving my “best man speech”. I’ve watched it at least a dozen times with my young granddaughters, acting out many of the parts as we play afterwards (I’m usually Fezzik to their Buttercups). :D

Even still, I was hesitant show more to read this book. I mean, really, how exciting can a book about a movie shoot actually be? This could be a pretty boring book, especially considering it was written about a movie that was shot over 30 years ago. Plus, I didn’t want to destroy the magic of the film itself.

I've read a lot of books this year(!), and I’m truly glad I read this one (it even made it to my favorites list). The amount of detail that Elwes recounts, the hidden gems that happened behind-the-scenes as the movie was being filmed, especially the camaraderie and love shared by the cast and crew, makes this a worthwhile book. There are many laugh-out-loud moments (Andre the Giant’s “mighty wind” during a pivotal scene in the movie), a few tearful and poignant moments (the loss of his grandfather during filming, and the crews’ subsequent reaction). I appreciated reading about the moments recounted by many members of the cast in which fans have shared how the movie has impacted their lives. This was truly one of those special moments in time in which Hollywood got it right, and the continuing endurance of this movie reflects that.

Highly recommended for any and all fans of the movie, The Princess Bride. show less

This book makes me want to be in a movie.
At first, I was worried it might be too detailed about moviemaking, and end up being a bit dry. But I warmed up to it quickly, once he got to the casting process and started talking about the other actors.
There's affection behind every word of this memoir. Besides Cary's thoughts, there are paragraphs sprinkled liberally throughout the book with commentary by his fellow actors, Rob Reiner, Andrew Goldman and other people involved in making the show more movie. It sounds like it was the experience of lifetime for all of them.
It's a joy to read a memoir filled with so much positivity and sweetness. And I was surprised to read about the level of insecurity stars and big shots of the film industry experience when they're creating something new. Wally Shawn (Vizzini) went through the entire filming process worried he was going to be fired and replaced.
It was enjoyable throughout, but my favorite parts were his stories about Andre the Giant. There are also some fun tidbits about mishaps on the set that made it into the movie and times when Rob Reiner was banished from the soundstage for laughing too loudly while they were filming certain scenes.
Good fun. I recommend it.
And now I need to go watch the movie again. show less