The Princess Bride: S Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
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| Author(s) | William Goldman |
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| Subtitle | S Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure |
| Publisher | Del Rey |
| Westley…handsome farm boy who risks death and much, much worse for the woman he loves; Inigo…the Spanish swordsman who lives only to avenge his father’s death; Fezzik…the Turk, the gentlest giant ever to have uprooted a tree with his bare hands; Vizzini…the evil Sicilian, with a mind so keen he’s foiled by his own perfect logic; Prince Humperdinck…the eviler ruler of Guilder, who has an equally insatiable thirst for war and the beauteous Buttercup; Count Rugen…the evilest man of all, who thrives on the excruciating pain of others; Miracle Max…the King’s… | |
Westley…handsome farm boy who risks death and much, much worse for the woman he loves; Inigo…the Spanish swordsman who lives only to avenge his father’s death; Fezzik…the Turk, the gentlest giant ever to have uprooted a tree with his bare hands; Vizzini…the evil Sicilian, with a mind so keen he’s foiled by his own perfect logic; Prince Humperdinck…the eviler ruler of Guilder, who has an equally insatiable thirst for war and the beauteous Buttercup; Count Rugen…the evilest man of all, who thrives on the excruciating pain of others; Miracle Max…the King’s ex-Miracle Man, who can raise the dead (kind of); The Dread Pirate Roberts…supreme looter and plunderer of the high seas; and, of course, Buttercup…the princess bride, the most perfect, beautiful woman in the history of the world.
S. Morgenstern’s timeless tale—discovered and wonderfully abridged by William Goldman—pits country against country, good against evil, love against hate. From the Cliffs of Insanity through the Fire Swamp and down into the Zoo of Death, this incredible journey and brilliant tale is peppered with strange beasties monstrous and gentle, and memorable surprises both terrible and sublime.
Reviews
Amazon.com
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
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First published well, in 1973 actually, this book spawned the Rob Reiner-directed cult film of the same name. It’s a tongue-in-cheek fairytale of love, life, action, death and life again. Featuring the obligatory handsome Prince and supremely beautiful princess, it also boasts a Spanish sword wizard, the Zoo of Death, a chocolate-coated resurrection pill and lots of villains, who span the spectrum from evil, through even more evil to (gasp) most evil. And then there’s Fezzik, the gentle giant addicted to rhyming.
William Goldman—who’s won two Oscars for his screenwriting (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men), and has endeared himself to dentists and their patients planetwide through his novel Marathon Man—has always claimed he merely abridged this text, extracting the “good parts” from an inventive yet wordy classic by Florinese literary superstar, S Morgenstern.
It has, however, been whispered in certain circles that Morgenstern himself is a figment of Goldman’s ultra-fertile imagination. Read Goldman’s original and special Anniversary introductions and make up your own mind. Oh—and don’t forget his explanation as to why he’s only “abridged” the first chapter of the sequel Buttercup’s Baby—which appears here for the first time—and why it took him so long to get round to it.
Completely delightful, suitable for cynics and romantics alike. Suspension of disbelief optional. —Lisa Gee
Barnes and Noble
Originally published in 1972, William Goldman’s delightful, so-called “abridgement” of S. Morgenstern’s classic swashbuckling tale of true love and epic adventure, The Princess Bride, has reached an enormous audience, thanks greatly to Rob Reiner’s wonderful film version featuring Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Billy Crystal, Andre the Giant, and William Goldman’s sharp and vivacious screenplay. If you enjoyed the movie—and I’ve never met a person who didn’t—you’re certain to treasure this 25th-anniversary editon for many years to come. If you haven’t yet delved into its enchanting pages, you’ll find it utterly delightful, romantic, and entertaining read.
Because I saw “The Princess Bride” (many times now) well before I picked up Goldman’s abridgement, I took it on with some reservation: How can anything possibly live up to that sharp and engaging movie? I was bucking for a serious letdown. Well, wasn’t I surprised to discover that the film masterfully recreated the novel’s brilliance? The sidesplitting humor, the appealing mood, and the romantic atmosphere are not unique to the film; these traits were lifted straight from Goldman’s pages. Not only do I now have a deeper respect for Goldman’s screenplay, but I have a fuller understanding of the fabulous characters that grace Reiner’s film.
Remember Inigo Montoya—the Spanish master swordsman whose life ambition is to find the evil six-fingered man who killed his father? Who can forget his famous line: “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed father, prepare to die”? And Fezzik, the tenderhearted giant who—although weak-minded—is powerful in physical strength and loyalty. And of course, Westley and Buttercup who, as symbols of true love and unblemished perfection, must suffer greatly before they can be truly joined. While the movie does an excellent job familiarizing us with their individual stories, Goldman’s novel grasps who these characters really are and how each ended up in common struggle. The novel adds a significant dimension to the story that—believe it or not—makes each character even more unforgettable.
Goldman’s story is without a doubt a timeless classic. The sharp wit, snappy dialogue, and wonderful characters that engrossed us in the film spring to remarkable life in the novel. Experience the high adventure and the true love of The Princess Bride all over again. —Andrew LeCount
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Screenwriter William Goldman’s novel The Princess Bride earned its own loyal audience on the strength of its narrative voice and its gently satirical, hyperbolic spin on swashbuckled adventure that seemed almost purely literary. For all its derring-do and vivid over-the-top characters, the book’s joy was dictated as much by the deadpan tone of its narrator and a winking acknowledgement of the clichés being sent up. Miraculously, director Rob Reiner and Goldman himself managed to visualize this romantic fable while keeping that external voice largely…
