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A review by janessa
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- 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
As a long-time lover of the Princess Bride movie adaptation, I've had this book on my "To Read" list for a very long time. And to be sure, the main story-line of the book lived up to the fun, ridiculous romp which was the movie. With many of the most famous lines of the movie being taken straight from the book, you almost feel as though you are getting the chance to watch the movie as you read, with more back story and depth of plot sprinkled throughout.
BUT I have issues with the book as well. My problem mainly lies with the self-named, "William Goldman" narrator throughout the book. I hated him. He was a gross misogynistic, fat-phobic, self-absorbed man. I do not know if Goldman thought himself clever or satirical in the making of this character, but the acidic hatred in the narrator's words about his son and his wife was beyond repair. Thank goodness I knew the story that was going to follow the little introduction to the "abridgment" or I would have stopped out of sheer distaste for the narrator himself. Not to mention how in the 25th-anniversary edition (the version I read) you finish the great tale only to enter back into a slog of the narrator's fat-phobic, misogynistic rantings again, and a truly weak final chapter addition to the book. I would highly suggest readers only read the original version, or skip the Buttercup's Baby portions of the novel altogether as they add nothing of substance to the book itself.
If I could get an abridged version, removing all of the parts spoken by the "William Goldman" character, I would be able to give THAT book five stars.
BUT I have issues with the book as well. My problem mainly lies with the self-named, "William Goldman" narrator throughout the book. I hated him. He was a gross misogynistic, fat-phobic, self-absorbed man. I do not know if Goldman thought himself clever or satirical in the making of this character, but the acidic hatred in the narrator's words about his son and his wife was beyond repair. Thank goodness I knew the story that was going to follow the little introduction to the "abridgment" or I would have stopped out of sheer distaste for the narrator himself. Not to mention how in the 25th-anniversary edition (the version I read) you finish the great tale only to enter back into a slog of the narrator's fat-phobic, misogynistic rantings again, and a truly weak final chapter addition to the book. I would highly suggest readers only read the original version, or skip the Buttercup's Baby portions of the novel altogether as they add nothing of substance to the book itself.
If I could get an abridged version, removing all of the parts spoken by the "William Goldman" character, I would be able to give THAT book five stars.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Torture, Violence, and Animal cruelty