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The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
 
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The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure (Ballantine Reader's Circle) (Paperback)

by William Goldman (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 429 pages
  • Publisher: Ballantine Books Inc.; New title edition (Sep 2003)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0345418263
  • ISBN-13: 978-0345418265
  • Product Dimensions: 20.9 x 14.2 x 2.9 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (57 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 626,428 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #14 in  Books > Fiction > Authors, A-Z > G > Goldman, William

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review

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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.



Review

`A swash-buckling comic fantasy fairytale adventure ... my favourite book in all the world'
--The Princess Bride - William Goldman --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
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The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure (Ballantine Reader's Circle) 4.6 out of 5 stars (57)
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Customer Reviews

57 Reviews
5 star:
 (43)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (7)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (57 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars It gets better than this ? Inconcievable!, 24 Mar 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: The Princess Bride (Paperback)
A long time ago - many years before Amazon I watched the movie and really enjoyed it...several years later in a second hand bookshop I got a copy of the book...and discovered everything I'd loved in the movie - AND MORE !!. Unlike most films they had stayed very true to the book - which is billed as 'the good parts version'. I'm now on my third copy - it gets lent to nearly everyone I know (at some time) - when they stop laughing I have to borrow it back from them and tell them to get their own (this is how I'm up to my third copy). Even if you've seen the film (which means you have the characters already firmly in your imagination as looking that way) lets face it your imagination can do things an awful lot cheeper than a movie budget - and in some cases probably an awful lot more believable ! Gives you an awful lot more background on Buttercup (and the ratings for the most beautiful women in the world), Inego, Fezzick, Westley and all the other characters that if you've seen the film you wil already love. And also the reason that someone is REALLY trying to start a war (which is not explained in the film - but I wont go into the who and why's here incase you haven't seen it !). Full of great catchphrases including the 'possibly' imortal 'Hallo my name is Inego Montoya - you killed my father prepare to die '. This is one book which does live up to everything it promises to be full of swordfights, logic games, dramatic locations - the zoo of death and the fire swamp to name only two. Heroes, Villans, a beautiful princess, miracles and of course....true love One of the VERY early (1970's - after Douglass Adams but before Pratchett and Asprin) attempts to mix humour and fantasy - and all those fairy stories you got told as children. It hasn't dated and may well have impoved with age...infact having talked about it I MUST read my copy again..I dont think I'm doing anything else I cant put off for an hour or two...... #heading for the bookshelves# Francesca
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Hugely entertaining, but also passionate and poignant, 31 Jan 2004
By Martin Turner "Martin Turner" (Marlcliff, Warwickshire, England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)      
This is a post-modern fairy tale that manages to mix daft fun with a passionate and poignant outlook on life and a thorough knowledge of renaissance fencing technique.

If you've enjoyed the film and are wondering about the book, then you are in for a treat and a surprise. The film (which is also great fun) is really no more than an excerpt from the book, which is part William Goldman autobiography, part 'hot' fairy tale, and part semi-historical novel.

'The Princess Bride' is a book within a narrative within a book. It's partly the story of how William Goldman tried to bond with his son. It's partly the (fake) story of how William Goldman himself learnt to read as a result of his grandfather reading him Morgenstern's classic story 'The Princess Bride'. And it's partly the story of the Princess Bride herself, with wise-cracking commentary by Goldman.

The book is seamless. You can't establish where Goldman is gently teasing and where he is revealing his soul. In any case, the writing is utterly captivating.

This is a book which works well on so many different levels. Whether you are a fan of humour, fairy-tale or swordplay, or all three or none of them, you are still certain to find a level at which this book demands your full attention until all the pages are done.

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Simply the best., 10 Dec 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: The Princess Bride (Paperback)
What can be said about The Princess Bride? I've never been able to read a book so many times. I'm still not sure what it is about the book that does it. Goldman puts it best when he says "nobody writes books like that anymore." He was of course referring to the "prepare to die" scene. And i think thats what makes the book so good. It does take us back into the romantic age.

As a young boy what can be more exciting than duelling dukes, saving damsels, storming castles and doing it all in a cool black outfit? And as a young girl what can more thrilling than true loves rescuing each other, beutiful princesses and dashing heroes?

Yes the book has all this and more. When you read this book you become the characters. When a book does this you know it's something special.

Everybody should read it.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The perfect fairy tale for grown-ups!
I love the film of `The Princess Bride' and so was really, really excited to finally get to the novel. Read more
Published 25 days ago by Snapdragon

4.0 out of 5 stars The Princess Bride
Everything was in order, the product was in good condition and was packaged correctly. It arrived when I wanted it, so all in all I'm very happy with it
Published 1 month ago by Mr. Ba Williams

5.0 out of 5 stars If you only read one book of this genre make it this one. You won't be sorry!
Wow wow wow, what can I say about this book? Has it got any sports in it? Only "Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Linzi

4.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the film?
The film was original and utterly charming; the book is far too wordy and at times irritatingly smug. Wouldn't recommend this unless you were an absolute die-hard.
Published 6 months ago by Barney McGrew

2.0 out of 5 stars Disapointment
I was bitterly disapponted after I had read this book as I had heard so many good reviews. As I had not seen the film before I read The Princess Bride, I did not find it helpful... Read more
Published 8 months ago by H. Jackson

3.0 out of 5 stars A Disappointment
I had been meaning to read 'The Princess Bride' for years. I must have watched the movie dozens of times since first catching it on VHS as a teenager and it remains a personal... Read more
Published 8 months ago by C. Green

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read especially if you love the film
This seems to be a cheaper edition than the other paperback doing the rounds but it's fine - of good quality.
Published 8 months ago by Pete

5.0 out of 5 stars Legendary
Fantastic adventure book!
Probably the best book I've ever read, mentally stimulating and exciting.
Published 8 months ago by Hannah Gibson

5.0 out of 5 stars Literary gymnastics...
Clever, touching and laugh-out-loud funny, this book captivated me. I was a huge fan of the offbeat film, but the written format gives the wily author his voice back... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Sazu

5.0 out of 5 stars My new favourite book
I've never seen the film but I kept picking this up in bookshops and almost buying it so I thought I'd give it a chance. Read more
Published 14 months ago by N. Lavender

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