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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9780156035217
ISBN: 0156035219
Label: Harcourt
Manufacturer: Harcourt
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 512
Publication Date: October 08, 2007
Publisher: Harcourt
Studio: Harcourt
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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com Review:
The Princess Bride is a true fantasy classic. William Goldman describes it as a "good parts version" of "S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure." Morgenstern's original was filled with details of Florinese history, court etiquette, and Mrs. Morgenstern's mostly complimentary views of the text. Much admired by academics, the "Classic Tale" nonetheless obscured what Mr. Goldman feels is a story that has everything: "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."
Goldman frames the fairy tale with an "autobiographical" story: his father, who came from Florin, abridged the book as he read it to his son. Now, Goldman is publishing an abridged version, interspersed with comments on the parts he cut out.
Is The Princess Bride a critique of classics like Ivanhoe and The Three Musketeers, that smother a ripping yarn under elaborate prose? A wry look at the differences between fairy tales and real life? Simply a funny, frenetic adventure? No matter how you read it, you'll put it on your "keeper" shelf. --Nona Vero
Product Description:
William Goldman’s beloved novel has sold over one million copies. A movie, released twenty years ago, perfectly captured the spirit of the book and has introduced new fans to its pages ever since. In 1941 a young boy lies bedridden from pneumonia. His perpetually disheveled and unattractive father, an immigrant from Florin with terribly broken English, shuffles into his bedroom carrying a book. The boy wants to know if it has any sports. His father says, "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. Passions. Miracles." And the little boy, though he doesn’t know it, is about to change forever. As Goldman says, "What happened was just this. I got hooked on the story." And coming generations of readers will, too.
And coming generations of readers will too.
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
It took me awhile to find the "right" version of the Princess Bride. The description of "Princess Bride" tells of William Goldman abridging the original by S Morgenstern. I was constantly confused with Goldman's talk of Guilder and Florin and Morgenstern's original version. But, there is no Morgenstern! There are no countries of Guilder and Florin. (But Goldman's commentary at the end talk about him visiting Florin and the real Cliff's of Insanity). It is all part of Goldman's imagination. The preface and commentary talk about Goldman's struggle with Morgenstern's estate is also made up. Everything about the book's publication and legal battles are fictional. I wish I would have know that before I read the book, preface and all. It would have made more sense, but discovering this after the fact, I found it quite dissapointing.
As to the actual story: I grew up quoting the Princess Bride movie. I have most of it memorized. So, it was quite fun to relive the story. Goldman also wrote the screenplay for the movie, so it follows the book very faithfully. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the movie.
Vizzini: "Fool. You fell victim to one of the classic blunders. The most famous is 'Never get incolved in a land war in Asia,' but only slightly less well know in this: 'Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line.'"
Classic.
"Inconcievable". "You keep using that word! I don't think it means what you think it does."
"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya (btw it took me forever as a child to learn how to pronounce that); you killed my father; prepare to die."
The book did explain in more detail the background of Inigo and his father's death. The part about Wesley's torture is pretty grusome, so skip that part. Goldman's commentary is also quite boring and contains lots of swearing.
This version contained a preface and Goldman's abridgement of the first chapter of the sequel "Buttercup's Baby". I did not like it at all. Btw, there is no sequel. Goldman never got past the first chapter. And remember Morgenstern is fictional, so the abridgement is not an abridgement but Goldman's original work.
Rating:  -
This is an amazing book with a little bit of everything; swordfights, hand-to-hand combat, romance, mystery, adventure, true love, chases, torture, revenge, magic, death (and the mostly dead), humor, bravery and cowardice.
It can get a little wordy at times, but mostly it does serve to move the story along. This is different than the movie, so don't expect a word-for-word printed version of the movie. The book does do a better job of fleshing out the characters.
The book starts with an introduction meant to lead the reader into thinking this is an abridged version of the childhood story the author heard from his father. The book is full of parts that have been "cut" from the story for our reading enjoyment. It can sometimes get a little confusing to keep straight, and occasionally the extra bits can distract from the flow of the story, but overall, the whole package makes for a very fun and entertaining read.
Rating:  -
I had been wanting to read this book for years. I guess it was a big buildup that led to me be disappointed. I recommend if you want to read this book, skip over everything written in italics. Goldman should have just written his own story. The whole Morgenstern history and museum and all that was a major distraction.
Rating: -
I loved watching this movie when I was younger and when I read the book I thought of that movie! Great book!
Rating: -
For the first time ever, I feel the movie was better. The author interrupts constantly with comments that bring you out of the story and it is not as "charming" as it plays out on the screen. Did not make it till the end--despite that this movie was a "cult classic" for my generation/age group.
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