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A review by egbella
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
After years of the movie being one of my favorites, I've finally read the book! Or technically listened to it. I listened to the audiobook version of this, narrated by Rob Reiner (the director of the movie!), and it was fantastic. He did an excellent job, and having watched the movie first, I couldn't help but see those scenes in my head as he was reading.
This is such a fun, quirky, and classic story, and I smiled during most of it. It's definitely one I'll be purchasing a paperback copy of at some point. In addition, I finished the book with an even greater appreciation for the movie! It was such a faithful adaptation of the book, down to very specific lines of dialogue and pacing. Of course, the book had some extras, but I can see why they weren't included.
My only qualms were the ending being a bit confusing (maybe because I was listening to the story, rather than reading it) because I couldn't tell exactly where the narration of the story stopped and the "author's" interjections began at some points. I also could have done without some of the phrases used, particularly by Westley to Buttercup. I'm not sure whether it's a product of the times when the book was written, or I'm not catching subtle satire clues, but several times it felt like he was being outright cruel, or objectifying her.
Overall though, I absolutely love this story. Controversial: I'd say the movie is still a tad better (for once!), but I'm very glad to have finally read the book. I'll want to keep it around, and probably re-read it myself at some point. Highly recommend for fans of quirky and charming adventure stories!
This is such a fun, quirky, and classic story, and I smiled during most of it. It's definitely one I'll be purchasing a paperback copy of at some point. In addition, I finished the book with an even greater appreciation for the movie! It was such a faithful adaptation of the book, down to very specific lines of dialogue and pacing. Of course, the book had some extras, but I can see why they weren't included.
My only qualms were the ending being a bit confusing (maybe because I was listening to the story, rather than reading it) because I couldn't tell exactly where the narration of the story stopped and the "author's" interjections began at some points. I also could have done without some of the phrases used, particularly by Westley to Buttercup. I'm not sure whether it's a product of the times when the book was written, or I'm not catching subtle satire clues, but several times it felt like he was being outright cruel, or objectifying her.
Overall though, I absolutely love this story. Controversial: I'd say the movie is still a tad better (for once!), but I'm very glad to have finally read the book. I'll want to keep it around, and probably re-read it myself at some point. Highly recommend for fans of quirky and charming adventure stories!