The Princess Bride (Ballantine Reader's Circle) by William Goldman Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Princess Bride (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
Book Review: If You Loved the Movie First, This May Disappoint
Summary: 3 Stars
This was a decent book, but I feel my open-mindedness may have been compromised by my intense love of the movie. At first glance, I was sure it would be merely an on-paper adaption of my favorite movie of all time- not so. It has much author commentary which helped me appreciate many aspects of the film, and the history of the story. Be warned, however, this short novel goes through nearly a hundred pages of such commentary before getting to the story itself. And there were several enjoyable scenarios which never made it to the movie- but there were more scenes and classic dialogue that frankly, made the movie stand out as a classic -that were created AFTER this book. In short, if you loved the movie first (I don't know anyone who doesn't)- this book will let you down. If you read the book first, you may give it thumbs up, and then the movie will be a bonus for you. Unfortunately, I am of the former.Book Review: However did I get through life before reading this?
Summary: 5 Stars
I realize that the film was amazing but it is nothing compared to the book. As I read I could hear the voices of the brilliantly portayed characters as they acted out the best love/action/adventure/comedy story ever written. I have only just finished reading it and, if I hadn't immediately lent it to a friend who hasn't even seen the film yet, would immediately pick it up and start all over again.Book Review: It gets better than this ? Inconcievable!
Summary: 5 Stars
A long time ago - many years before Amazon I watched the movie and really enjoyed it...several years later in a second hand bookshop I got a copy of the book...and discovered everything I'd loved in the movie - AND MORE !!. Unlike most films they had stayed very true to the book - which is billed as 'the good parts version'. I'm now on my third copy - it gets lent to nearly everyone I know (at some time) - when they stop laughing I have to borrow it back from them and tell them to get their own (this is how I'm up to my third copy). Even if you've seen the film (which means you have the characters already firmly in your imagination as looking that way) lets face it your imagination can do things an awful lot cheeper than a movie budget - and in some cases probably an awful lot more believable ! Gives you an awful lot more background on Buttercup (and the ratings for the most beautiful women in the world), Inego, Fezzick, Westley and all the other characters that if you've seen the film you wil already love. And also the reason that someone is REALLY trying to start a war (which is not explained in the film - but I wont go into the who and why's here incase you haven't seen it !). Full of great catchphrases including the 'possibly' imortal 'Hallo my name is Inego Montoya - you killed my father prepare to die '. This is one book which does live up to everything it promises to be full of swordfights, logic games, dramatic locations - the zoo of death and the fire swamp to name only two. Heroes, Villans, a beautiful princess, miracles and of course....true love One of the VERY early (1970's - after Douglass Adams but before Pratchett and Asprin) attempts to mix humour and fantasy - and all those fairy stories you got told as children. It hasn't dated and may well have impoved with age...infact having talked about it I MUST read my copy again..I dont think I'm doing anything else I cant put off for an hour or two...... #heading for the bookshelves# FrancescaBook Review: Unconventional look at the conventional romantic adventure.
Summary: 4 Stars
This 1973 book is fast becoming a classic, and the movie version has done much to popularize it. Goldman takes the conventional tale of romantic adventure featuring a kidnapped princess who is rescued by a gallant knight. However, Goldman departs from the stereotypical mould of the romantic adventure by exaggerating the conventional roles to the point where the story evolves from a serious tale of adventure into a farcical spoof. It is not so much a contemporary version of the Sir Walter Scott type adventure as it is an exaggerated version. The delicious and distorted blend of the lofty and the mundane that Goldman serves up results in a comical buffoonery. After all, who ever heard of a princess called "Buttercup", a prince called "Humperdinck" and a hero (appropriately just a farm boy) called "Westley"? And who ever heard of countries that go by the names of currencies like "Florin" and "Guilder"? And who ever heard of pirates who retire?Goldman heightens the farcical effect by writing under the guise of an editor who is merely abridging the supposed longer work by the early 20th century writer S. Morgenstern (an approach similar to that later used by Michael Crichton in "Eaters of the Dead"). Of course Morgenstern is entirely a figment of Goldman's imagination and a fictional creation, as is evident from the numerous contemporary jokes found throughout which clearly originate from Goldman, and not an older Morgenstern. This is in fact an ingenious literary device that successfully enables Goldman to get outside the story and give his own pithy commentary about the action. The fact that it has fooled some readers to unsuccessfully endeavour to discover more about the mysterious Morgenstern can only serve as a tribute to the effectiveness of this literary device!
The story itself features an evil villain (Humperdinck), a beautiful princess (Buttercup), and the humble hero (Westley). Westley needs to overcome the legendary Cliffs of Insanity and the dreaded Fire Swamp with its renowned R.O.U.S.s (Rodents of Unusual Size). In what appears to be a farcical version of the three musketeers, he must also master the hired hands of his adversary, the infamous "Sicilian Crowd", composed of the Turk Fezzik (a huge idiot whose contribution is his strength), the Spaniard Inigo (a tall athlete whose contribution is his sword), and the Sicilian Vizzini (a thin leader whose contribution is his brains). Just so you can picture this farcical trio accurately, imagine Fezzik as a bulk who started shaving in Grade 1, Inigo as a madman who has devoted only 72,000 hours to prepare for a single fencing battle with his father's murderer, and Vizzini as a criminal mastermind who defies anything that doesn't fit with his logic as "inconceivable."
Of course the mixture of strength, sword and brains doesn't faze our hero, and after he successfully overcomes the skill tests of strength, swordmanship, and brains, some of the Sicilian Crowd become his personal allies in the quest against Humperdinck. Ultimately, they are the ones who rescue him from death by forcing a resurrection pill (you haven't heard of those either, have you?) down his throat, and help him rescue Buttercup and ride off into the sunset with her on four white horses. But this isn't a typical adventure-romance, remember, so of course Goldman presents an alternative ending where there is no sunset, and the hapless hero is forever chased by the villains.
The movie version sticks very close to the book, and fans of the movie will especially enjoy this book. It is marred by a few instances of blasphemy, and the glorification of Inigo's obsession with revenge. But as a farce on the traditional romantic adventure, this book can be enjoyed by anyone with a sense of humor, and a vague awareness of the literary conventions that Goldman is mocking. As Goldman describes 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." Take these ingredients, mix well with a grain of salt, a sense of humor, and a strong measure of exaggeration and farce, and you have "The Princess Bride." It's the recipe for success, and this book proves it.
Book Review: Resetting the balance.
Summary: 4 Stars
I hate to dissent from all the enthusiastic reviews as The Princess Bride is a highly enjoyable book and an excellent film, but I disagree with claims that the book is superior (blasphemy, I know...). I saw the film first, and when I read the book I was hoping for that and more. I was a little dissapointed: to my mind the film took the best parts of the book and what it cut out was less funny and well judged. Also, while the literary device of Goldman-as-editor is interesting - and I admit it took me a while to work out it was only a literary device - I came to find it a bit tedious (largely it amounts to a running commentary) and even a little smug. The introductory chapter about his family, though, was very well done.Don't go away thinking this is a bad book - the only reason I'm being critical is because so many others have so throughly expounded the book and film's many merits. I definitely recommend you try one - and once you do, you're bound to try the other...