The Princess Bride

I learned a very interesting piece of information today about the book that inspired one of the best movies of all time, The Princess Bride. I have had the book on my Amazon wish list for some time, waiting to no avail for it to go on sale. So, I decided to check it out at the library today.

Feeling overly excited that I was finally going to read this book, I started a search in the library database and all I could come up with was what appeared to be an abridged version titled “The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure” by William Goldman. I decided I should search for S. Morgenstern, just in case something different would pop up. Much to my dismay, I got the same book result in a paperback version, a limited edition, and an audio book.

Out of pure curiosity about this copy of The Princess Bride, I headed down the fiction aisle and found the book by William Goldman. I opened directly to the title page where it said that this book was the “good parts” and therefore was abridged. I have to confess that any books that say abridged cause me to turn up my nose a little, put the book back on the shelf, and go on the quest to find the full version. I left the library today without a copy of the Princess Bride, knowing that it would sit on my wish list a little while longer.

After getting home I was still unsettled about this whole “good parts” business and decided to search online to see if I could find the full copy. I Googled the phrase “the unabridged version of The Princess Bride” and what I found was actually quite comical. The full version of The Princess Bride is truly written by William Goldman. The copy at the library, though it clearly says the “good parts” and “abridged” on the title page, was the full version of the book.

The book “The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure” is the unabridged, original version of The Princess Bride by William Goldman. Goldman invented S. Morgenstern. There is no “original” version by Morgenstern. Both are fictional. This was simply a literary device used by Goldman and was not all that uncommon to do when he wrote the book.

A quick side note: The introduction to the book, highlighting Goldman’s life, is also fictional!

So, with my mind at ease and actually quite intrigued, I have decided to purchase this beloved story and read the “good parts” for myself.

Get the book The Princess Bride

Get the movie the Princess Bride

If you have not yet seen the movie, it is a must. In fact, this movie is a must own!