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The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure by William Goldman.

"If you haven't seen the movie, reading the book is basically just like watching the movie, only on paper and you can use your own imagination to fill in the characters. It gave more detailed backgrounds to beloved characters such as Inigo and Fezzik and though some parts were added and others removed, for the most part, it was an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to watching the movie as a way to round the whole thing out."

3 Stars. 

Pros: It gives more background to the characters of Inigo/Fezzik/Some of the best lines from the movie are in the book since Goldman wrote the screenplay.  

Cons: Buttercup's Baby was an interesting "sequel" but how Goldman left it off was just...well...it's left to interpretation but at the same time, as a reader, you want to know what happens/Goldman's afterword was just the tired, angry rant of a spurned author and almost made me put the book down before getting to Buttercup's Baby. 

Full Review: 

If you haven't seen the movie "The Princess Bride" but have instead decided to read this book, adapted by William Goldman, you'll not be missing much. Most of the best scenes in the movie are in fact, in the book, since Goldman wrote the screenplay. Though the original text by Morgenstern was 1,000 pages long, Goldman decided to do as his Father did when he was reading it to him as a child and abridge it, just cut to the good parts. And I can say, honestly, that the book was entertaining with Goldman's edits. Morgenstern, apparently kept a lot of Florinese history intact and it's hard to struggle through 80+ pages of history and royal etiquette when all you want to know is what happens to the characters. 

Amusing for all its quirks, The Princess Bridge has everything the movie has only in more detail. We learn exactly what happened to Inigo, the dashing, sword master, who's sole purpose is revenge against the man who killed his Father. We learn of Fezzik's childhood, growing up as a prize fighter, able to best the most gifted fighters in the world simply because he's so big. And even though he's the "biggest and strongest" he has a heart of gold and is easily one of my favorite characters. And, of course, there's Westley, the dashing, romantic lead out to rescue his beloved Buttercup from marrying another man. Count Rugen, the six fingered man, Prince Humperdink, the cocky, "wart hog faced buffoon" and all the rest are found within the pages of the book. 

There were a few scenes that didn't make it into the movie that I felt added a good bit to the book as a whole. The Zoo of Death, where Humperdink constantly challenges himself against various animals of size and shape to hone his hunting skills. And the scene where Fezzik and Inigo enter the Zoo of Death in search of the Man in Black is full of such white knuckled suspense, but the way Morgenstern/Goldman handles it at the end is great. Some people might consider it a let down but I thought it was pretty funny. 

I'm glad I read this book as I'd been meaning to for many, many years. And also, after reading the book, it gives me an excuse to watch the movie, which is always a good thing. It wasn't the greatest book I ever read but I had to smile and laugh at the memories it brought back. The movie is a classic and the book, I believe, will always remain one as well. 

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