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: Fairytale for older kids
Summary: 5 Stars
Fantastic story about the power of true love. This book has all the right ingredients, a beautiful princess, a valiant knight (who used to be a farmboy), a gentle giant, an evil ruler, castles, dungeons, deadly swamps, prirates, duels, torture and much much more. Goldman claims his story to be the abriged (only the good parts) version of an original story by S. Morgenstern, a nice tongue-in-cheek device allowing him to occasionally paste over some inconsistencies in the storyline. Quite funny and effective, however, makes the book a bit more difficult for younger children to understand.
Make no mistake, this is a great book, possibly one of the alltime great childrens books, but I would really only recommend it to children over 12. If you want to read it to your younger kids, by all means do, but only the "good parts", i.e. leave out Goldmans introduction and comments.
Book Review: Hugely entertaining, but also passionate and poignant
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a post-modern fairy tale that manages to mix daft fun with a passionate and poignant outlook on life and a thorough knowledge of renaissance fencing technique.If you've enjoyed the film and are wondering about the book, then you are in for a treat and a surprise. The film (which is also great fun) is really no more than an excerpt from the book, which is part William Goldman autobiography, part 'hot' fairy tale, and part semi-historical novel.
'The Princess Bride' is a book within a narrative within a book. It's partly the story of how William Goldman tried to bond with his son. It's partly the (fake) story of how William Goldman himself learnt to read as a result of his grandfather reading him Morgenstern's classic story 'The Princess Bride'. And it's partly the story of the Princess Bride herself, with wise-cracking commentary by Goldman.
The book is seamless. You can't establish where Goldman is gently teasing and where he is revealing his soul. In any case, the writing is utterly captivating.
This is a book which works well on so many different levels. Whether you are a fan of humour, fairy-tale or swordplay, or all three or none of them, you are still certain to find a level at which this book demands your full attention until all the pages are done.
Book Review: even better than the film - which is saying a lot
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a book I'm proud to know by heart. Well, the good bits, anyway. 'Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die.'
And of course...
'You seem a decent fellow, I hate to kill you.'
'You seem a decent fellow. I hate to die.'
If only all people who planned to kill each other could be that gentlemanly and sporting about it.
The book - and the film - almost didn't grab me. 'Buttercup? The heroine's called Buttercup? And she's - spoiled, silly and completely useless in a crisis.'
But you know what? Some women are spoiled, silly and completely useless in a crisis, whether you're a feminist or not. And actually, it eventually makes sense that she's called after a cow.
In the end, I wouldn't change one thing about the film or the book. Not one syllabub.
Book Review: Best book in the world
Summary: 5 Stars
Absolutely fantastic. Witty, imaginative, funny and compelling. If you like the film - you will love this book. Read it for yourself or to your children - as you wish!!!Book Review: The best book ever?
Summary: 5 Stars
I can remember seeing the film about fifteen years ago when i was 10 or maybe slightly older. to tell you the truth i thought it was good but not great. the same is true today, the film looks dated and the two main leads just don't do for me. But the book, the book is one of my favourites. it's one of those rare things a book that can change the way you feel. i'm going through a bad patch at the moment and i'm doing what i always do when i feel down - i turn to this book. it makes me smile, it makes me laugh, it makes me believe that maybe love is out there for everyone.beyond that it is a brillantly written, witty and inventive novel. not only has goldman written a new fairy tale for all ages he has created a whole new country in which to set it. he's made a new world in which to set his novel and it's one that works completely.