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sarah_zaffiro's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Confinement, Racism, and Alcoholism
Minor: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and War
bearystarry's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
William Goldman is insufferable. At least his fictionalized self is. Horrific fatphobia and sexism and being creepy about young women.
At least when he shuts the hell up the actual story is sometimes thrilling and interesting and romantic. But the sexism especially creeps into the main narrative as well, unfortunately. I definitely think the movie is better in most ways, but mainly in the framing device. Would've been awful to see some weirdo middle-aged man trying to cheat on his wife in LA instead of a child sick in bed listening to his lovely grandfather read him a story. Also was very surprised to read a racial slur. Extremely weird.
At least when he shuts the hell up the actual story is sometimes thrilling and interesting and romantic. But the sexism especially creeps into the main narrative as well, unfortunately. I definitely think the movie is better in most ways, but mainly in the framing device. Would've been awful to see some weirdo middle-aged man trying to cheat on his wife in LA instead of a child sick in bed listening to his lovely grandfather read him a story. Also was very surprised to read a racial slur. Extremely weird.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Torture, Racial slurs, Fatphobia, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Body shaming, Pregnancy, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Medical trauma, Confinement, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Transphobia, and Animal death
Minor: Animal cruelty
monstrouscosmos's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Characters: 8/10
Relationships: 5/10
Atmosphere/Setting: 10/10
Writing Style: 6/10
Plot/Intrigue: 7/10
Internal Logic: 8/10
Entertainment: 8/10
Overall: 52/70, 3.75*
this was recommended by a beloved friend, and I'm glad to have finished it for the first time. it's definitely fun! it absolutely reads like what it is, which is well written scenes tied loosely together. the framing device is really fun! but I found it quite difficult to follow along as an audiobook. maybe it would be easier to sight read? I found myself repeated passages and chapters, and ended up listening to it twice all the way through back-to-back just to keep up. I loved the exploration of Inigo's backstory and the fight scene on the cliff especially, I think they were some of the more detailed scenarios which definitely helped me follow what was happening. my wife and I watched the movie together while I was reading (my first time watching it all the way through), and this is one of the few times I think I prefer the movie to the book!
Relationships: 5/10
Atmosphere/Setting: 10/10
Writing Style: 6/10
Plot/Intrigue: 7/10
Internal Logic: 8/10
Entertainment: 8/10
Overall: 52/70, 3.75*
this was recommended by a beloved friend, and I'm glad to have finished it for the first time. it's definitely fun! it absolutely reads like what it is, which is well written scenes tied loosely together. the framing device is really fun! but I found it quite difficult to follow along as an audiobook. maybe it would be easier to sight read? I found myself repeated passages and chapters, and ended up listening to it twice all the way through back-to-back just to keep up. I loved the exploration of Inigo's backstory and the fight scene on the cliff especially, I think they were some of the more detailed scenarios which definitely helped me follow what was happening. my wife and I watched the movie together while I was reading (my first time watching it all the way through), and this is one of the few times I think I prefer the movie to the book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Torture, and Misogyny
Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Confinement, and Grief
elizlizabeth's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Conflicting thoughts because the cynical approach of the "annotations" contrasts so heavily with the plot that it made me lowkey hate the annotator and wish Princess Bride were a real unabridged book I could read. As a satire it works really well and ages fantastically, I legit felt that a bitter little twitterman was commenting on an age old classic and ruining it in the process.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Death of parent, and Confinement
falcarragh's review against another edition
It's odd. I loved this book and couldn't put it away... But then after finishing most of it, I was simply annoyed and fed up. The characters are static and the 'old-fashioned gender roles' became dominting. I simply lost interst in reading "the ending" of the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Blood, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, and Violence
samchase112's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I will just say this: I am glad I read it because I can say I have, but from now on I think I’ll simply stick to the film.
The story was fun, an exciting adventure, and certainly could have gone without the constant abridgment-interruptions or the maddeningly long introduction. It just got the point where after I’d finished the main story, I just didn’t even bother with Buttercup’s Baby. But I just give props because the story itself is, generally, a good one. It just happens to work better as a film, where Golding’s writerly shortcomings aren’t an issue. Ah, as I said, I’m glad I can say I read it.
The story was fun, an exciting adventure, and certainly could have gone without the constant abridgment-interruptions or the maddeningly long introduction. It just got the point where after I’d finished the main story, I just didn’t even bother with Buttercup’s Baby. But I just give props because the story itself is, generally, a good one. It just happens to work better as a film, where Golding’s writerly shortcomings aren’t an issue. Ah, as I said, I’m glad I can say I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Animal death, Death of parent, Confinement, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Blood
candycain's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Torture, Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Body shaming, Abandonment, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
kelseyr713's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Second time I've read this, the first being sometime in high school so somewhere between 15-19 years ago.
The story of The Princess Bride itself is great. I think the movie version is even better, one of the rare cases this applies. The best subplots that don't make it to the movie are Fezzik's backstory and even more of Inigo's. The Zoo of Death is a little tedious.
I mostly like the commentary by Goldman, who is not himself in the book but rather another character. But I don’t understand why he portrays "himself" so unsympathetically and would appreciate more context into the parts where he talks about "his" life. Some of it is real, but he invents a different wife and a different child, among other things, and isn't nice to either of them. The asides during the book are mostly funny though, and every time Stephen King pops up is great. He clearly has a lot of thoughts on the abridgment process, and this is an interesting way to explore those.
I also think it's interesting that the overall theme of the book, which he overtly mentions a few times, is that life isn't fair. Subverting a lot of fairy tales and perhaps inserting some of his own outlook.
Content warnings: a lot of fatphobia, a homophobic slur, an ethnic slur towards a Spanish person.
The story of The Princess Bride itself is great. I think the movie version is even better, one of the rare cases this applies. The best subplots that don't make it to the movie are Fezzik's backstory and even more of Inigo's. The Zoo of Death is a little tedious.
I mostly like the commentary by Goldman, who is not himself in the book but rather another character. But I don’t understand why he portrays "himself" so unsympathetically and would appreciate more context into the parts where he talks about "his" life. Some of it is real, but he invents a different wife and a different child, among other things, and isn't nice to either of them. The asides during the book are mostly funny though, and every time Stephen King pops up is great. He clearly has a lot of thoughts on the abridgment process, and this is an interesting way to explore those.
I also think it's interesting that the overall theme of the book, which he overtly mentions a few times, is that life isn't fair. Subverting a lot of fairy tales and perhaps inserting some of his own outlook.
Content warnings: a lot of fatphobia, a homophobic slur, an ethnic slur towards a Spanish person.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Body shaming, Torture, Fatphobia, and Murder
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, War, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Homophobia, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia
dune1984's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This might be my favorite book ever. Like most, I saw the movie first, and I recommend that order. The movie is amazing, and tells the story of Buttercup and Westley beautifully and hilariously, but the book is an entirely different experience. You might be thrown off by the metanarrative of the fictional William Goldman's regaling of his family troubles as he supposedly abridges a book from his youth, but it is all part of the larger narrative. You read the epic tale of love and loss that is Buttercup and Westley, but also the fictional C.S. Morgenstern, desperate to tell the storied history of his home country, and William Goldman himself, who married a wife he doesn't love, writes books he doesn't like, and has a son he doesn't connect with. And the writing itself is astounding, expanding upon the scenes you so loved from the movie. The first few minutes of the movie are blown into a long introduction chapter, with Buttercup navigating her own prejudices and feelings, culminating in the news of Westley's death. It's hilarious too, with running jokes that make no sense, claiming history that doesn't exist, interjecting with statements from the supposed "reviser". It's an amazing book, and well worth the read if you are the type willing to wade through an extremely wordy book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Kidnapping, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Antisemitism
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