The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Hardcover
Ages 13+
*KRISTEN’S PICK!*
I know you have seen the movie, and loved it, (who didn’t love it?) but I can’t stress enough that you should also read this book. Read it for the hilarious ‘asides’ where Goldman takes you on an up close and personal tour of both his child and adulthood. Read it for the introduction, a beautiful and touching piece of writing (and includes juicy tidbits about making the movie). Read it for the “Buttercups Baby” explanation. Especially the conversation Goldman has with Stephen King (they are friends and have a sort of mutual admiration society going, a fact that never fails to delight me). The first line of the original text reads “This is my favorite book in all the world” and I couldn’t agree more.
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.”
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Hardcover
Ages 13+
*KRISTEN’S PICK!*
I know you have seen the movie, and loved it, (who didn’t love it?) but I can’t stress enough that you should also read this book. Read it for the hilarious ‘asides’ where Goldman takes you on an up close and personal tour of both his child and adulthood. Read it for the introduction, a beautiful and touching piece of writing (and includes juicy tidbits about making the movie). Read it for the “Buttercups Baby” explanation. Especially the conversation Goldman has with Stephen King (they are friends and have a sort of mutual admiration society going, a fact that never fails to delight me). The first line of the original text reads “This is my favorite book in all the world” and I couldn’t agree more.
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.”
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Hardcover
Ages 13+
*KRISTEN’S PICK!*
I know you have seen the movie, and loved it, (who didn’t love it?) but I can’t stress enough that you should also read this book. Read it for the hilarious ‘asides’ where Goldman takes you on an up close and personal tour of both his child and adulthood. Read it for the introduction, a beautiful and touching piece of writing (and includes juicy tidbits about making the movie). Read it for the “Buttercups Baby” explanation. Especially the conversation Goldman has with Stephen King (they are friends and have a sort of mutual admiration society going, a fact that never fails to delight me). The first line of the original text reads “This is my favorite book in all the world” and I couldn’t agree more.
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.”