Rating: 
Summary: Not good at all
Review: I feel very cold towards Mr. Goldman, because now that he's made the abridgement, I can't seem to find an original copy anywhere, and most of the information he left out could have been very important to me. Even if he cut down 1,000 pages to 300, he left out some parts I would have enjoyed reading, for example, I am interested in medieval etiquette, and can rarely find that without at least one hundred pages I'm not interested in.
Rating: 
Summary: a great book
Review: "The Princess Bride" is one of the rare books that, when adapted to a movie, didn't lose any of the charm. The book differs from the movie in no way except to tell even more about the lives of the characters before they became involved in the adventures in the book.
Rating: 
Summary: I loved it almost as much as the movie
Review: I only got this book from the library because I had seen the movie in my childhood and I wanted to experience it again in a different way. I realize my opinion may have been swayed only because I saw the movie first, but I liked the film a bit better than the book. However if I had read the book first, I assume I would have liked that better. But don't take this the wrong way, it's a wonderful book, and well worth reading. If you're a fan of the Princess Bride and you still haven't read this book, then you really should. It's an enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: It's just fun!
Review: How many books can you say that about now days? It's the kind of book you'll read when you just need a good laughIt's not trying to teach you anything aside from the "Life isn't fair" speech and even that is done with fantasic humor! Now alittle bit on the whole real or not real thing. People look it up, a florin and a gilder are cuerency- coins! not contries! that alone tells you that this is fiction. The whole "Good Parts" thing a ruse! Stop searching for an original that doesn't exsist! Some of the funniest parts are the "notes" Goldman made. Just enjoy the book!
Rating:
Summary: There is no unabridged book!
Review: This book has been one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life. I spent most of my formative years playing "Dread Pirate Roberts" with my siblings after we watched the movie, but there was always something missing. I found that the book was a magical experience and though I have seen the movie innumerable times, I still found the book to be suprising and wondrous. And Kathy_J, as much as I would be interested in seeing an unabridged version of this story, there is none! It's all a facade, brilliantly carried out might I add.
Rating:
Summary: Unconventional look at the conventional romantic adventure.
Review: This 1973 book is fast becoming a classic, and the movie version has done much to popularize it. Goldman takes the conventional tale of romantic adventure featuring a kidnapped princess who is rescued by a gallant knight. However, Goldman departs from the stereotypical mould of the romantic adventure by exaggerating the conventional roles to the point where the story evolves from a serious tale of adventure into a farcical spoof. It is not so much a contemporary version of the Sir Walter Scott type adventure as it is an exaggerated version. The delicious and distorted blend of the lofty and the mundane that Goldman serves up results in a comical buffoonery. After all, who ever heard of a princess called "Buttercup", a prince called "Humperdinck" and a hero (appropriately just a farm boy) called "Westley"? And who ever heard of countries that go by the names of currencies like "Florin" and "Guilder"? And who ever heard of pirates who retire? Goldman heightens the farcical effect by writing under the guise of an editor who is merely abridging the supposed longer work by the early 20th century writer S. Morgenstern (an approach similar to that later used by Michael Crichton in "Eaters of the Dead"). Of course Morgenstern is entirely a figment of Goldman's imagination and a fictional creation, as is evident from the numerous contemporary jokes found throughout which clearly originate from Goldman, and not an older Morgenstern. This is in fact an ingenious literary device that successfully enables Goldman to get outside the story and give his own pithy commentary about the action. The fact that it has fooled some readers to unsuccessfully endeavour to discover more about the mysterious Morgenstern can only serve as a tribute to the effectiveness of this literary device! The story itself features an evil villain (Humperdinck), a beautiful princess (Buttercup), and the humble hero (Westley). Westley needs to overcome the legendary Cliffs of Insanity and the dreaded Fire Swamp with its renowned R.O.U.S.s (Rodents of Unusual Size). In what appears to be a farcical version of the three musketeers, he must also master the hired hands of his adversary, the infamous "Sicilian Crowd", composed of the Turk Fezzik (a huge idiot whose contribution is his strength), the Spaniard Inigo (a tall athlete whose contribution is his sword), and the Sicilian Vizzini (a thin leader whose contribution is his brains). Just so you can picture this farcical trio accurately, imagine Fezzik as a bulk who started shaving in Grade 1, Inigo as a madman who has devoted only 72,000 hours to prepare for a single fencing battle with his father's murderer, and Vizzini as a criminal mastermind who defies anything that doesn't fit with his logic as "inconceivable." Of course the mixture of strength, sword and brains doesn't faze our hero, and after he successfully overcomes the skill tests of strength, swordmanship, and brains, some of the Sicilian Crowd become his personal allies in the quest against Humperdinck. Ultimately, they are the ones who rescue him from death by forcing a resurrection pill (you haven't heard of those either, have you?) down his throat, and help him rescue Buttercup and ride off into the sunset with her on four white horses. But this isn't a typical adventure-romance, remember, so of course Goldman presents an alternative ending where there is no sunset, and the hapless hero is forever chased by the villains. The movie version sticks very close to the book, and fans of the movie will especially enjoy this book. It is marred by a few instances of blasphemy, and the glorification of Inigo's obsession with revenge. But as a farce on the traditional romantic adventure, this book can be enjoyed by anyone with a sense of humor, and a vague awareness of the literary conventions that Goldman is mocking. As Goldman describes it: "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." Take these ingredients, mix well with a grain of salt, a sense of humor, and a strong measure of exaggeration and farce, and you have "The Princess Bride." It's the recipe for success, and this book proves it.
Rating:
Summary: Someone tell me where to find the original!
Review: Someone please tell me where to find the original S. Morgenstern book! I love the Princess Bride, but I just want to read the original, unabridged book, not all the stuff William Goldman says. I know that it is funny and all but I like to read passages uninterrupted, without him putting in his two cents about his family or teachers. Besides that, it is a wonderful book and a great movie too. Does anyone know where to find a copy of the real book?
Rating:
Summary: AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: This book has it all: humor, drama, love, adventure, a little more humor, a complex plot, a good style of writing, and a few quirky twists in the plot. William Goldman (The Author) Is truely a genius, he is a master of the written, and adds just the right of comic relief to make this book extreemely enjoyable to anyone of any age!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: My favorite movie is now a book!
Review: I loved The Princess Bride movie from the first time I saw it as a child. It is my "I'm staying home sick and watching an old favorite" movie. After years of wishing, I find out there is a book!?! Now it is my favorite "I need to beleive in love again" book. This book is a classic and has all the love, hope, hate and adventure one could hope for. I can not wait to read it to my children, and rediscover the magic of William Goldman's writting. It is soothing to know there are books that still can bring us our dreams.
Rating:
Summary: Laughter be told, I laughed long and BOLD
Review: The Princess Bride, S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure, The 'good parts' version Abridged by William Goldman. I suppose that says it all, and it does, except for the part about the movie. I know what you're thinking, "Well, I've seen the movie..." and yes, but you haven't READ the book. The movie, which follows the book so closely, is a wonderfully outstanding companion to the novel because it follows so closely at times even to quote the dialogue. There are some slight changes with the dialogue and narrative, perhaps the title of the movie should have been:... Abridged by William Goldman and Further Abridged by Hollywood. As I was saying if you loved the movie you'll the love the book and if you like the movie then at least (shirley) you will love the book and if you didn't like the movie or even hated it the book has such funny moments you'll probably forgive it for being so similar to that movie you couldn't stand. There is one paragraph in the book that begins towards the bottom of page 47 and ends towards the bottom of page 48; I only mention this because it was by far one of the funniest passages I have ever read. The movie simply does not do it justice, the scene where Buttercup tells Westley she loves him. I won't say anymore for fear that I should say too much and ruin it for you. Back to my point about the movie being a fab companion for this book. The scene with Miracle Max and his wife is out and out better in the movie, but the book has greater detail than the movie, so it is rather quite interesting. The additional details in this book really make it the "good parts" version and the movie while good has its limitations. Of course the book has its limitations too. One of these is the lack of Cary Elwes. Another limitation is the decided absence of hearing the Archdean's speech impediment, "Mawidge". A greater limitation is that some of the lines in the book are not as funny as the movies or are better when delivered by one of the actors, but the way around these problems is to play the movie when you feel like taking a break from the reading. You can even time it to see your favorite parts after you've just read them. Really though, the best part of this book is the stuff about the kid and how William Goldman found the book in the first place and all the details about what he cut out. I don't intend to rag on Fred Savage's performance or the producer's, director's, script writer's, costume designer's, casting's, go-for's, or even the extra's but the stuff in the book about the kid is actually moving. In the movie it's all, "Yeah, yeah the kid is sick, amazingly clever plot device, now! Get on with it." I mean do they expect us to buy all that serious crap about being sick, first he's sitting up playing a video game, second I've been sick and if you haven't let me tell you he don't look it, and thirdly it takes, what, a day to read the book and he's all apt with attention, not even a break for a nap. If he could sit up and stay that interested all day then he should be in school. Don't get me started, but I digress. In the book the illness is real and serious and you feel what this kid is going through, trying to pay attention, wanting to hear more despite having to go to bed, and boy when he gets frustrated and pisses his father off, whew! At this point, if you're like me when the review is boring and too long and the writer obviously is more interested in what she or he has to say than ever getting to the point you've skipped to then for the sum up, is this book good enough to buy or even worth dragging my lazy bum to the library? A simple yes, definitely. Do so right now, you're one click away from laughing so loud as to get strange looks. Here follows the paragraph you were skimming for. Buy this book, buy it now, or regret it later and for the rest of your life until you finally buy the stupid thing and be done with it already. Trust me, I can feel the (buy book) little nag back in your mind just where the hard skull is preventing you from (buy book) scratching at it. The other great thing is that if you buy the new edition you get the first chapter to the sequel, which everyone is overtly anxious for. One more quick note I could quote "I had such rhymes for you..." about how love is true "You're not going anywhere until I know those rhymes", to be had if that sort of thing makes you glad let your guide be Goldman read on, read on! readon!
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