Rating: 
Summary: wonderful book
Review: I loved this book. It was just so funny and warm and appealing, and totally different from what I expected it to be. With a name like "The Princess Bride", it sort of sounds like a very girly book, but it wasn't at all! Throughout the whole thing the author has a wonderful sense of humor, and there was a lot of action scenes and interesting characters (Inigo is my favorite, I must say). There's something about the characters that just makes one feel compassion for them, yet they have flaws, just like real people. I got very caught up in the story and all the different characters, and the whole thing is actually very exciting and nerve wracking. I liked how not all of it was happy and idealistic (some parts are actually a little dark). I strongly recommend that you read get the 25th anniversary edition that has the first chapter of the sequel, because it adds a lot of insight into Inigo's character, and in general shows you how things are going with Buttercup and Westley.
Rating: 
Summary: A good read, but I'd have to say I prefer the movie
Review: In reading the novel form of The Princess Bride, rather than Fred Savage, we are treated to bits of William Goldman's childhood, his woes with his editor, and in the foreword and afterword, his family life. I really would have liked it better without, at the least, the bits of the editor and his family.
Goldman portrays his wife and son in less than flattering... perhaps even less than loving... manner. In fact, at times he out-and-out insults them. I found myself wishing I could smack him on the head and tell him to get on with the story. The rest of the text was somewhat tainted by the unflattering portrayal of Goldman that he brought upon himself in these areas.
In another section, we're informed that Goldman's editor forced him to cut out a large part of the adventurous text, where Inigo and Fezzik are journeying to gather the materials necessary for Miracle Max's potion to heal Westley. This bit of text seems little more than Goldman being rather hissy towards his editor, like a child who has had a toy taken away, and only serves to call that much more attention to a loss of text that nothing can be done about.
Personally, I think that "The Princess Bride" needs a 'Really Good Parts' version... as told by someone other than Goldman.
Rating: 
Summary: Just watch the movie!
Review: If you love the movie, don't bother reading the book. While I did like that it adds more of a plot to the movie, it is so painful to read that I've actually tried to finish it about six times and have never succeeded. First off, the author uses italics and parentheses in every other sentence, which gets to be really annoying after the first few pages. And not only that but they don't actually give any important information. For instance the author will write about Buttercup styling her hair and he'll write something like 'then Buttercup looked in the mirror (this was after mirrors were invented) and let her hair dry (this was before hair dryers were invented).' It does that through the entire book, no matter what the situation!!!!
Then the clincher, which is when I usually stop reading, is when Westley slaps Buttercup! If you remember in the movie he almost slaps her and then he says how it was a warning...well in the book he actually does it. How very unromantic. I love the movie and hate the book.
Rating:
Summary: OH FOR FUN
Review: I bought this book as a gift for my sister and I ended up reading it before I gave it to her. All I can say is that it was the most fun I have ever had reading a book in my entire life.
Rating:
Summary: CLASSIC
Review: A wonderfully written book. Goldman's introduction alone made me laugh out loud numerous times and makes the story all the more heartwarming. I think the best thing about the Princess Bride is that it can be enjoyed by girls and guys of all ages. A true classic.
Rating:
Summary: Everybody cracks me up!!!!!!
Review: Who cares about the "real" author?!?!?! Just enjoy the book and the movie and get over it!!!!! It is the best book ever written and everyone is too concerned about the author. No one is paying attention to the greatness of the book and movie. I have read this book at least 50 times and watched the movie even more! I grew up on The Princess Bride. Back then we did not care who actually wrote it. We knew a good thing when it came along!
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece.. A Parody Of Romantic Adventure
Review: William Goldman's novel, "The Princess Bride" is a must have for fans of fantasy, romance and adventure. Tinged with sophisticated humor, parody, satire and fairy tale elements, there is no literary work quite like it. William Goldman has written for the movies (Butch Cassidy and the Sun Dance Kid, The Stepford Wives) and "The Princess Bride" itself became a popular film in 1987. There are, in the market, two versions of the novel- paperback and hardcover. This hardcover edition boasts on having "the good parts", abridged so that only the more appealing aspects remain, alluring its reader to the fabled classic by S. Morgenstern. S. Morgenstern had written prolifically and abundantly on court etiquette and a history of the fictitious European kingdom of Florin. Goldman proceeded to abridge the long novel and leave only "the good parts"- fencing, poison, daring escapes, true love, hate, revenge and good guys versus bad guys.Of course, this is merely to attract the impressionable and excitable young reader. There is no S. Morgenstern, it is all William Goldman's fabrication. But the idea works in this novel. The novel is written in comprehensible diction, it is not stuffy, not eloquent or lofty in language. It is dramatic, exciting and very convincing. The novel, after all, is a parody of escapist fantasy romance. Buttercup was a farmer's daughter who fell in love with the field hand Wesley. Wesley went to America to seek his fortune but never returned. Thinking he had died or was captured by the "dread Captain Roberts", an evil pirate, Buttercup mourned his absence and vowed "I will never love again." Wesley, however, is not dead, and returns to Florin to seek his true love. Nevertheless, he finds that Buttercup has become betrothed to the wicked, odious Prince Humperdinc. Humperdinc is a vain, conceited and sinister man. His motives for marrying Buttercup were never those of true love. Being the villain, his real goal is to have her killed. I will not give out the rest of the story for those who have not read it. As always, my advise is to read the novel first, then see the movie. But you will be greatly satisfied with the novel. The characters are rich, unforgettable and highly entertaining- we are amused by the witty repartee of the genius Italian bandit who captures Buttercup, his sidekick the less intelligent giant, and the brave and daring Spanish hero, Inigo Montoya. This novel is romantic, witty, humorous, exciting, and never dull. The novel is a welcome collection in your bookshelf. Kudos to William Goldman for his creative genius on this very literary and sophisticated work of fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Goldmans humor at work
Review: First The Princess Bride is a great book. One of the things people don't realize is how sarcastic Goldman really is. It's wonderful.
Have you ever tried to find the Original book by S. Morgenstern written in the 1600s? S. Morgenstern doesn't exist. Neither does the original The Princess Bride. (These points won't mean anything to anyone that hasn't read the book) William wrote the whole book, the first and only one. He made the book to seem like he is just Rewriting this Classic. His father is not from Florin, because Florin doesn't exist on any map except in the book. His father didn't read this book to his went he was a kid, because the book didn't exist. So, basically most of his personal intro of the book is just made-up.
And all throughout the book, (he talks within parentheses, expressing his thoughts and concepts about the book). When all the time he just talking about his own book that he is writing. Often he will say what an amazing writer that S. Morgenstern is, when all the time he just talking about his own writing. Also, he says the original has 43 pages about the current hat styles but that he is going to skip them to get on with the action. He just made that up. Isn't it great!
Goldman is a very intelligent writer and just as funny and humorous. Once I realized that that S. Morgenstern never existed, I found the book more enjoyable. You saw all the inside jokes that Goldman made for himself and the readers that "got it." One point I want to make it that Goldman is often more than he seems. He has a great, sarcastic sense of humor. I have never laughed so long and hard reading a book as I did read the Princess Bride. Sometimes when he says something, he's just making it up. It's his book... why not? His writing style is constant no-stop creativity. Definitely read it. And Enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Overall very well done.
Review: The only drawback about this version is all the cut out portions. Sometimes you don't want to read 21 pages all about hats but I feel you should at least once. If you don't, you can't really say that you've read said book. But no matter what you do to this story it will still be amazing and timeless.
Rating:
Summary: The Princess Bride
Review: If you are looking for a fun book to read, then you've found it. I would definitely recommend The Princess Bride. For those people that have seen the movie, I believe they would enjoy the book even more. The book is a more detail version of the movie. Each character has their own story to tell about their childhood and how they got where they are. But best of all, the book is funny. It had me laughing through almost every single page. Not only is the story itself is funny but William Goldman's abridged notes are fantastic. He'll break into the story every once in a while and give you a little background of what's happening or a story of himself.
William Goldman's notes are one of the best parts in the book, but at times they can get a little long. The beginning is his longest note. I was left wondering when he was going to get into the story itself. But by the end you appreciate the notes that he makes. He does comments on them later in the book so it worth reading the whole thing.
The story of Buttercup and Westley is so much better in the book then it is in the movie. There are many more details on what Buttercup was like as a child and how Westley came to be working for Buttercups parents. The reader gets to see how the relationship starts to grow over the years and new obstacles that Buttercup must over come, like her jealously of the Countess and her desire for Westley. We also get to see a more realistic couple. In the novel Buttercup and Westley get into little spats every once in a while, which I thought just made them a more believable couple.
The novel also gets more into the supporting characters Inigo, Fezzik, Vizzini, and more. You get to read about Inigo's quest to become the best swords man to avenge his father's [life], and Fezzik's career before he became a kidnapper with Vizzini. And Vizzini himself is much more diabolical in the novel then he is in the movie.
Overall, the novel is fantastic. I enjoyed ever page of it and I would recommend it to anyone that asked. Its fun and clever and to date, my favorite book.
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