Scan barcode
imbored_soillread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Kidnapping, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Blood, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Ableism, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual content
anion's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Sexism and Torture
Moderate: Animal death, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Suicide attempt
belladonnashrike's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I like fourth-wall breaks and humor in books but what I can’t stand is arrogance. I understand the whole joke and everything but goldman comes off extremely arrogant (whether or not it’s a joke, it’s so annoying. it’s not a trait I enjoy even comedically) and it was so distracting. I was literally rolling my eyes every time.
aside from that I really liked the book… but I prefer the movie 🫣 the movie is just perfect and improved upon the text - I know there’s obvious bias there, since it’s been my favorite movie since childhood, but I really think not having as many interruptions so that the author can stroke his dick makes it objectively better.
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, and Torture
Moderate: Murder, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Minor: Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Drug use, and Suicidal thoughts
jem_carstairs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Violence, Death, Torture, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Misogyny
Minor: Antisemitism and Pregnancy
abbyluvsfrogs444's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Bottom line: THE MOVIE IS BETTER!
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Torture, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Gore, Kidnapping, and Misogyny
Moderate: Body shaming, Classism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, and Grief
rgraham's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Violence, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Blood, Body shaming, Torture, Ableism, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
reneetrinket's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Moderate: Classism, Kidnapping, Torture, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Fatphobia, Sexism, and Misogyny
candycain's review against another edition
- 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
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
lycheejelly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, and Torture
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexism
kelseyr713's review against another edition
- 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
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.
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