The Princess Bride (Ballantine Reader's Circle) by William Goldman Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $9.48 You Save: $5.47 (37%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $3.80 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of The Princess Bride (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
Book Review: Something for everyone
Summary: 5 Stars
The Princess Bride is my favourite book in the whole world. But S Morgenstern didn't write it.
The above is probably pretty obvious to everyone in the world but me but I first read this book when I was 9 and for the next 10 years I really did believe that William Goldman had abridged the book from S Morgenstern's original novel. I was a little disappointed when, at the age of 19 I found out this was a sham and William Gldman had made everything up!
However, I've had a few years to reflect and hats off to William Goldman, what a formula for writing a book!
And, what a book. This is a book that makes me smile everytime I read it. It's funny, romantic, exciting and heartbreaking. It really does have something for everyone.
For romantics, we have the eternal love story of Westley and Buttercup and how they find each other again after parting. For action fans, how about the ultimate Revenge story as Inigo Montoya finally defeats the six fingered man that slaughtered his father twenty years before.
This book should be read by everyone.
Book Review: Magic.
Summary: 5 Stars
This is, simply put, the best book ever written. It's funny, touching, exciting and unusual - particularly the premise that Goldman is, in fact, translating a far older manuscript.
It really does everything it promises - there's adventure, swordfights, beautifulest ladies, true love, giants, evil villains, heroes, pirates, death defying magic and about as much sarcasm as anyone could ever hope for. It's a wonderful book for grown-ups on account of the humour and a brilliant book to read to both little girls, and boys because the content would please either.
In short, this is my favourite book in the whole wide world and I simply can't praise it enough.
Book Review: Great film, excellent book
Summary: 5 Stars
Having seen the film first I assumed it was a one off fantasy adventure movie which was both quirky and hugely entertaining with many quotable one liners to remember. How surprised I was to then find a copy of the book that the film was based upon in a local bookstore! So, with book bought and film already seen, it was decision time. Which would be better?
First things first, let's ignore for now the continuous interruptions strewn throughout the book by a certain Mr Goldman. Let's also put to one side the fact that he strung everyone along for a while with the Morgernstern myth. I'll come back to these two later.
The Princess Bride is a thoroughly entertaining book which incorporates a vast number of multi faceted characters (each with their own back story) so that you can either empathise with them or simply just enjoy how they all fit into the overall picture. The premise is simple. It's a straightforward love story / multi revenge / life and death struggle / fantasy adventure. That should just about cover it.
The story centres on Westley and Buttercup, the most beautiful girl you've ever seen and the stable boy / farm hand. When Westley is supposedly killed by pirates Buttercup is whisked away by the token evil Prince Humperdink and his six fingered sidekick Count Rugen (seriously, you can't make this stuff up). From then on it's Westley's return and the introduction of all the other characters that make the book outstanding for me. The 3 part duel of guile, strength and wit with Montoya, Fezzik and Vizzini is especially quite inspired and very funny throughout.
Add to that the numerous sword fights, pirates, the quite painful pit of despair, giants, love interests, fire swamps and miracle workers and we have a magical book which literally draws you into its world immediately.
Despite his numerous interruptions at the most annoying of times, Goldman can be forgiven because you have to hand it to him; he has put together a brilliant book and a fantastic myth in Morgernstern.
I actually bought the most recent revised edition which includes more of Goldman's chat and the alleged beginning of the following book, "Buttercups Baby" which is also very well written and packs a few punches straight off the mark. Although you're left rather wanting more, which I can only guess is exactly what Goldman wanted.
As you will see from this review and many others, this is a book which appeals to all kinds of readers. I can only recommend that you go out and buy it and then sit back and enjoy storytelling at its very best.
Book Review: Can you abridge an 'abridgement'?
Summary: 3 Stars
This would have been a wonderful book if we could cut out the author and his drivel. He's rude about his then wife, his father, his son, Steven King. You have to wade through an ego trip at the beginning and the end and intervals throughout. He even acknowledges that all the parenthesis is annoying and that he was told to edit it out, but he's left it in!!! Every other paragraph, 'this was before blah but after blah'. It is infuriating!!! It is such a shame because there are parts of the story itself that are so beautifully written I could cry. I suppose I shall just have to hold Cary Elwes and Robin Wright close to my heart instead. Skip the book, watch the movie! Book Review: An honest, old-fashioned adventure with a metafictional twist
Summary: 3 Stars
The Princess Bride is an honest and old-fashioned adventure. The bride of the title is Buttercup, the most beautiful girl in the world, soon to be married to Prince Humperdinck - too bad she's in love with Westley, the farm boy. Before you reach the end, you've come to know an evil Sicilian criminal mastermind, a Spanish fencing wizard, a gentle Turkish giant and many other memorable characters.
It's not just a funny adventure, there's an additional metafictional level. As the story goes, William Goldman didn't write the book: it's an abridgement of a book written by S. Morgenstern. Every now and then Goldman pops in the story, interrupts and discusses some details of Morgenstern's work he disagrees with and has cut off. I'm fairly sure some people will dislike that, but to me, it was the thing that made Princess Bride shine.
It was good, but not spectacular - I don't quite get the amazingly good reviews at Amazon, for example. It was funny, definitely, but not hilarious. The book is oozing good one-liners, that I admit. So, if you're looking for adventure, romance and excitement, The Princess Bride is certainly a good choice.