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The Princess Bride was one of my favorite movies growing up. Just 5 years old when it was released, I thought it was a fantastic story about a young girl, a commoner, who was to become a princess and queen. As I grew older and continued to watch it, I realized how much of the film's satire and humor had flown over my head as a child. I began to recognize some of the actors through other work they had done; Billy Crystal, Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, and Christopher Guest to name a few. Altogether, I thought Rob Reiner did a wonderful job bringing screenwriter William Goldman's screenplay to life with the right balance of action, humor and heart.

About four years ago, I was given the 30th anniversary edition of The Princess Bride novel by William Goldman. I thought initially that it would be very similar to the movie, and in fact it was. There are several classic lines which are taken directly, verbatim, from the novel. There is, however, a fantastic opportunity in reading the novel. The reader becomes enmeshed into the lives of each of the characters; rather than displaying on screen in two hours the basic storyline (which is fantastic in and of itself).

The novel goes into detail about the farm life between Westley and Buttercup; how their love came to be and the true torture they each endured when discovering it. It describes Inigo's relationship with his father, how he witnessed his father's murder and the subsequent devotion to revenge he nurtured for twenty years. The reader learns about how Fezzik came to be a legendary giant, well known in Europe for his ability to fight many men at once. There are even back stories and illustrations about Prince Humperdinck's previous betrothed.

All in all, the novel is truly satisfying to a fan of the movie. If reading is a passion, as well as sarcasm and wit, I definitely recommend reading this book. One confusing point is William Goldman's insistence that this was a novel written by "S. Morgenstern", which he adapted and abridged for the purposes of keeping the good parts. The reader gets to decide whether this is a true fact or just a brilliant storytelling tactic.

Happy Reading!

Learn more about this author, Mollie Thomasina.
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