The Princess Bride

If you've read my blog you might have come to realise I'm a massive fan of the 1987 film, "The Princess Bride". It is certainly one of my favourite films. I often shout in my best Vizzini, "inconceivable" and I can't tell you the number of times I've filled out a "Hello My Name Is" badge with "Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die".

But the book itself, which is read by Columbo to that kid from The Wonder Years? I spent a lot of time looking for it starting some time in the mid-90's. Finally I bought "The 30th Anniversary Edition" last year.

"You know that's abridged, right?" Monsieur Redacteur said to me.

I did know it was abridged. I knew because every copy I'd ever seen was abridged. I was sick of waiting around to find one that wasn't. Except that it wasn't actually abridged. It never had been.

The book, "The Princess Bride" and the movie of the same name is a sort of wonderful joke. The inside title page reads:

The Princess Bridge

S. Morgenstern's classic tale of love and adventure

The "Good Parts" Version Abridged by

William Goldman

Now I don't know why or when or how or what made me think it was and had always been a book originally written by S. Morgenstern that had only been brought to light by author William Goldman, but it got stuck in mind and remained unchanged. The title page above is the only version I'd ever seen. The introduction itself leads you, at least in the beginning, to believe that it is indeed a story William Goldman found and brought to light on the behalf of someone named S. Morgenstern. 

So I turned to Wikipedia. It only made me feel more like an idiot.

S. Morgenstern did not exist. But I wasn't the only one who thought he did.

According to the book's Wikipedia page:

In the novel's commentary, Goldman writes that he added nothing to the "original" Morgenstern text, although he comments that he did write one original scene, a loving reunion between Buttercup and Westley, but claimed that his publisher objected to this addition. He invited any reader who wanted to read the "Reunion Scene" to write to the publisher (formerly Harcourt Brace Jovanovich; now Random House) and request a copy. Many readers wrote in to the publisher and did receive a letter, but instead of an extra scene, the letter detailed the (obviously fictitious) legal problems that Goldman and his publishers encountered with the Morgenstern estate and its lawyer, Kermit Shog. This letter was revised and updated periodically; the 1987 revision mentioned the movie, while the 25th Anniversary Edition publishes the letter with an addendum about Kermit's lawyer granddaughter Carly. The 30th Anniversary Edition has a footnote at this point saying that you can now find the three pages of the reunion scene online. However, if one goes to the website detailed in the footnote, all they receive via email is the text of the three letters.

Now does it make me feel slightly better that I wasn't the only one duped? Not really.

But I suppose it's part of the charm now. The book is very similar to the movie except that there's quite a bit of commentary from the author. I chose to ignore those passages of text and read the story as S. Morgenstern intended. I figured I'd read it with the commentary track later.

Now aside from the joke William Goldman played on me and that I find his commentary a bit boring - I will say that The Princess Bride might just be one of the best stories ever written. It's downright hilarious most times and even the bits that the kid from The Wonder Years thought were "icky" at first (like kissing), had their own special charm. When Buttercup realises she loves Wesley is one of the sappiest scenes I've ever read, but its brilliant use of satire and exagerration somehow render the lines endearing. I got to know my favourite characters, Inigo and Fezzik even better. Thankfully The Man In Black poisons Vizzini when he really starts to deserve it. Wallace Shawn's portrayal of Vizzini is spot on reading the book proves. I'm even more glad that The Man In Black has that inconceivable immunity to iocane powder than I was while watching the film.

It's no wonder that the scenes in the book I liked the most - Fezzik climbing up the cliffs followed by The Man In Black and then the subsequent duel - are also two of the most memorable scenes from the film. William Goldman wrote a number of screenplays for other successful films including "All The President's Men", "Maverick", and what was considered Stephen King's unadaptable "Misery", which won Kathy Bates an Oscar.

If only I'd come across this particular version of the cover in my search for the book then maybe I wouldn't have been so duped.

But read it. Or as Inigo and Fezzik might have said:

Inigo: But really you must read it.
Fezzik: Anybody want a peanut?

* It's also now Number 1 on my list of "Movies As Good As Their Books". "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" / Bladerunner is now Number 2.