Synopses & Reviews
What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be...well...a lot less than the man of her dreams?
As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad's recitation, and only the "good parts" reached his ears.
Now Goldman does Dad one better. He's reconstructed the "Good Parts Version" to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere.
What's it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex.
In short, it's about everything.
Eventually to be adapted for the silver screen, The Princess Bride was originally a beautifully simple, insightfully comic story of what happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince in the world and he turns out to be a son of a bitch. Guaranteed to entertain both young and old alike by combining scenes of rowsing fantasy with hilarious reality, The Princess Bride secures Goldman's place as a master storyteller.
Review
"[A] timeless fairy tale recreated in a family-oriented form that appeals to people of all ages and reading tastes." Children's Literature
Synopsis
William Goldman's beloved story of Buttercup, Westley, and their fellow adventurers.
This tale of true love, high adventure, pirates, princesses, giants, miracles, fencing, and a frightening assortment of wild beasts was unforgettably depicted in the 1987 film directed by Rob Reiner and starring Fred Savage, Robin Wright, and others. But, rich in character and satire, the novel boasts even more layers of ingenious storytelling. Set in 1941 and framed cleverly as an "abridged" retelling of a centuries-old tale set in the fabled country of Florin, home to "Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passions."
William Goldman's modern fantasy classic is an exceptional story about quests -- for riches, revenge, power, and, of course, true love -- that's thrilling and timeless for readers of all ages.
Synopsis
William Goldman's modern fantasy classic is a simple, exceptional story about quests — for riches, revenge, power, and, of course, true love — that's thrilling and timeless.
Anyone who lived through the 1980s may find it impossible — inconceivable, even — to equate The Princess Bride with anything other than the sweet, celluloid romance of Westley and Buttercup, but the film is only a fraction of the ingenious storytelling you'll find in these pages. Rich in character and satire, the novel is set in 1941 and framed cleverly as an “abridged” retelling of a centuries-old tale set in the fabled country of Florin that's home to “Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passions.”
About the Author
William Goldman has been writing books and movies for more than forty years. He has won two Academy Awards (for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President's Men), and three Lifetime Achievement Awards in screenwriting.
Table of Contents
Contents~
and#160;
Introduction to the 30th Anniversary Editionand#160; vii
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Introduction to the 25th Anniversary Editionand#160; xxxi
and#160;
The Princess Brideand#160; 1
and#160;
Buttercupand#8217;s Baby: An Explanationand#160; 359
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Buttercupand#8217;s Baby, Chapter One: Fezzik Diesand#160; 389
and#160;
Reading Group Guideand#160; 451