As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride

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 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 show more 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 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 show more 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 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 show more 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

There is a timeless beauty to the movie The Princess Bride that has allowed it to not only endure, but become something much more than a movie - it has become a master work of art. If you have ever wondered how it is that something that seems so simple now came into being, the Cary Elwes guided tour - As You Wish will give you exactly what you are looking for.

Like the movie, As You Wish is not garish. There are no drunken brawls, squabbling actors or egomaniac directors to spill the beans. Instead, Elwes gives us a clever peek into the past. Filled with humor, friendship and heart, As You Wish really is a perfect companion piece to the movie. Filled with anecdotes from the actors and directors, it fills in the blanks of the challenges show more of making the perfect fairy-tale.

As You Wish will make you go out and watch the movie again and again, but you will never look at it quite the same way once you know its beautiful backstory. I don't think I have ever read a non-fiction account with more heart than this. show less

My mom first bought me The Princess Bride one day when I was in upper elementary or middle school and had been home sick for a few days. The Princess Bride and 10 Things I Hate About You were supposed to cheer me up and make me feel better. I begrudgingly let her put The Princess Bride into the brand new DVD player in her bedroom where I had taken up residence. I was hooked immediately. I had a handful of films that were known as my “sick day movies” and The Princess Bride jumped immediately to the top. At this point, the movie was about 15 years old and I was a member of the new generation of millennials falling in love with it for the first time.

It’s been a few years at this point since I watched the movie, it’s not readily show more available on any streaming service and my DVD player hasn’t seen any use in the last few years with the emergence of streaming, but as soon as I started listening to the book, I pulled the movie out and was thrilled that it was just as wonderful as I remembered. And then I had to watch every other movie staring Cary Elwes, but that’s a different story.

Cary’s book follows the production schedule as the structure/timeline for As You Wish so I advice watching the movie first if you either a, have never seen it before, or b, for a refresher of the chronology of the plot. Interspersed in his narrative are a great number of interviews with other cast and production members. While Cary does a great job of telling the nuts and bolts of the filming as well as his own feelings and reactions during production, the other cast members interjections are my favorite parts.

This collaborative writing process makes me love the movie and the cast even more. The fact that 30 years after the movie was released, the cast are still in regular contact and still get on well enough to all contribute to the book is an absolute delightful thing to witness. The way the different cast members memories are woven together is pitch perfect for the movie and you often feel like you’re on set with Cary, Robin, Mandy and the others as the narrative moves forward. If you have any sort of love or enjoyment of the film, I wholeheartedly recommend reading As You Wish, it was one of my favorites of the year and I cannot think of a better final review for 2018. show less

After the tragic death of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer, I put a hold on this audiobook, a behind-the-scenes account of one of Reiner's most-beloved movies. By all accounts I've heard, The Princess Bride is not just a classic movie but making it was a uniquely joyous and familial experience for the cast and crew. Cary Elwes's memoir affirms those accounts. Well, except maybe for Wallace Shawn, who was anxious that he would be fired because he believed the producers really wanted Danny Devito.

Elwes recounts his delight in working under the warm leadership of Reiner, uttering William Goldman's dialogue, and the skill and experience of the cast. There's a strong appreciation for André Roussimoff who is a kind and funny person show more despite his problems with gigantism, painful back injuries, and massive alcohol consumption (the only painkiller that worked for him). There are also tales of laughter on the set including the notorious Miracle Max scene where Reiner and Elwes had to be forced to leave the set, and another scene in which André released a notorious fart.

Core to this book is Elwes sword duel with Mandy Patinkin. The scene was scheduled to film last to give Elwes and Patinkin the maximum time to train with professional fencing instructor Bob Anderson and stunt coordinator Peter Diamond. Any time they had a break from filming, they practiced fencing. Elwes may go a bit too far in talking about how everyone had a crush on Robin Wright, but also takes the time to appreciate her acting. Unlike every other character in the movie who got to comedy bits, Wright's Buttercup had the burden of playing it straight the entire film.

The audiobook is delightful since it's read by Elwes himself. The book includes short contributions from the cast and crew, and Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, Carol Kane, executive producer Norman Lear, Rob Reiner, Chris Sarandon, producer Andy Scheinman, Wallace Shawn, and Robin Wright all participate in reading their parts. Since Elwes is a talented mimic, it's especially enjoyable that he recounts conversations with Reiner while adopting a Bronx accent, and then comparing that with the parts actually read by Reiner (Elwes is pretty authentic). This is a lovely book for fans of The Princess Bride and movies in general. show less