The Princess Bride Deluxe Limited Edition: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure

by William Goldman

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Classics, Fiction, Adventure, Humor

464 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 2025

About the author

Goldman grew up in a Jewish family in Highland Park, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, and obtained a BA degree at Oberlin College in 1952 and an MA degree at Columbia University in 1956.His brother was the late James Goldman, author and playwright.

William Goldman had published five novels and had three plays produced on Broadway before he began to write screenplays. Several of his novels he later used as the foundation for his screenplays.

In the 1980s he wrote a series of memoirs looking at his professional life on Broadway and in Hollywood (in one of these he famously remarked that "Nobody knows anything"). He then returned to writing novels. He then adapted his novel The Princess Bride to the screen, which marked his re-entry into screenwriting.

Goldman won two Academy Awards: an Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and an Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay for All the President's Men. He also won two Edgar Awards, from the Mystery Writers of America, for Best Motion Picture Screenplay: for Harper in 1967, and for Magic (adapted from his own 1976 novel) in 1979.

Goldman died in New York City on November 16, 2018, due to complications from colon cancer and pneumonia. He was eighty-seven years old.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think to truly love this, you had to grew up with the movie. Which I didn't, so it was just okay-ish to me, i guess. The writing was something else, I've truly never read something like this. Also the story was good plotwise. The characters tho.. Frezzik was an absolute delight to read about. The rest, not so much. I feel like I had no time to actually fall in love with the mc's which obv doesn't help with me liking the book better.

[Pages & Cup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous!

[gabby ୨ৎ {matching with lyds}]

I neeeeed this what the heck

[Julie Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea this would be what it was. I DID grow up adoring this movie, so I just assumed the book would be a longer, better, more detailed version of the movie adaptation, but it wasn't at all. It was SO much more.

First, this deluxe edition is gorgeous and impossible to resist. The edges are decorated with images from the movie (the Cliffs of Insanity with Westley's ship at the base, the silhouette of the lovers with "as you wish" scrawled across the pages in a delicate script...Oh, the feelings just LOOKING at the book evokes!

The book starts with Goldman addressing the audience with a narrative about how the book came to be written and a lot of his life story thrown is (childhood and adult years) and alludes to the legal troubles he's had with the author of the original Princess Bride book his father read to him as a child as he began to write the abridged version for an American audience. Whoah! I never knew that this was an abridgment? For real? He writes about how the original was a true story, a chronicle of real historical events of the country of Florin, how he visited the museum in Florin and actually saw the giant's footprint preserved and the 6- fingered sword enshrined in a case, and how he wants to abridge the sequel, Buttercup's Baby. All of this delivered with wit that had me laughing and smiling and totally captivated. He got me, hook, line, and sinker, and if I had read this pre-internet age, it would have been quite a ride.

The story (abridgment) itself is as wonderful as expected, with hilarious asides from Goldman as he explains the decisions he made, the parts he cut out and why, how his editors and publishers are responding, etc....he even encourages you to write to his publishers asking for a part that was omitted (and people did! I would have in the 80's or 90's! What a ruse!) I've never seen anything like this before.

After the story ends (as expected), he goes on with this equally captivating story about some conflict he is having with Stephen King and the Morgenstern estate and again, you totally think this really happened and enjoy every word of it, and then he gives you the first chapter of Buttercup's Baby (which will never be written), and you close the book wondering what just happened and how the price of this book was way under its value. It's worth hundreds.

Absolutely LOVED every part of reading this novel, and I wish I could do it all over again for the first time.

[Allison Brooks Hendon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The edition was a lot of fun to read.
I went back and forth on what to rate it, and I think the overall commitment to the bit by William Goldman is what won me over. The two intros done by the author where he was still going along with Florin being a real place and S. Morgenstern being a real person was quite honestly great.
Inigo and Fezzik are my favorite characters; Buttercup is stronger than people give her credit for; and Westly needs to learn some manners.
After finishing the book, I watched the movie for the first time and I can see why people fell in love with it. But the charm really is all in the book and Goldman committing to this world he created.

[Taylor Forshee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really really enjoyed the story telling and the details kept in. I loved getting to understand more about Inigo and Fezzik with their background stories. This really would be a 5 star book but I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t read the introduction and I don’t think I’m gonna read the abridged version of buttercups baby chapters at the end. I really didn’t even mind when Goldman interjected because it felt like the movie, how his grandfather stops reading at certain points to explain stuff, but I really just don’t care to read about how Fezzik dies. He means too much to me 😭

[David Perkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those books I always wanted to read, but never got around to. Emily got it for me for Christmas, and I’m very thankful she did. This is my favorite movie, and I’m glad to say the book is excellent as well. There’s a lot more character development in the book, specifically for Inigo and Fezzik, which I appreciated. The humor is much the same, and there’s large sections of the book that were put directly in the movie. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this and highly recommend anyone else who loves the movie does the same.

[Michelle Cotnoir · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic! It was so entertaining, almost like watching the movie

[Noah Merriman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not so sure about Goldman's editorializing, but credit where it is due: S. Morgenstern is an impressive storyteller.

[Sonia Koss · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️an absolutely hilarious story 😭 it had me laughing out loud at so many different points. I can’t wait to rewatch the movie now and compare the two.. what a classic novel

[Lucy Paredes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful story. I like it even better than the movie as you get more backstory to characters I've loved since childhood ❤️

[Emma McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s only January 4th but this will probably be my favorite read of the year. The narrative devices?? The framing?? The dialogue?? I would like to illegally download this book straight into my brain stem

[Gracie Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is beautifully written and follows one of the most engaging adventures I have ever seen in the pages of a book. I have never read anything like this before; it's truly unique. However, this uniqueness is also what prevented me from honestly giving this book a five-star rating. I acknowledge that Goldman was dabbling in satire, but I don't think it was very effective in this case. I usually love satire in literature, but I would much rather Goldman just write the story of Fezzik, Inigo, Westley, and Buttercup. Someone needs to abridge this "abridged" version of "Morgenstern's" "classic tale". I'm genuinely curious if anyone is even remotely interested in Goldman's fake life; I know I'm not. Also, the ending is so disappointing. Does Goldman really think he can get away with writing such a lazy ending by blaming it on Morgenstern (who's not real btw)? And everything after Buttercup's rescue was just stupid. It's like Goldman gave up. How did Westley's pirates know to be hiding in the exact spot the group ended up in when Fezzik took a wrong turn? Buttercup's Baby made me so angry. What do you mean Fezzik is all of a sudden a smart, nimble-fingered obstetrician? And shame on you, Goldman, for blaming the flaws in your story on a man who isn't even real! That being said, this book is goated. I would absolutely read it again. But I'd probably just only read the "good parts" :)

[Courtney Shapiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75
This may be one instance where I enjoy the movie adaptation more than the book. It was super cool to get the backstory into all of the characters, and I liked Goldman's writing style. I love these characters, and I enjoyed how each one got their moment to shine. It was humorous and light, which I enjoyed. The pacing was a little off for me. At times, I was flying through, and at others I felt like it was dragging. But other than that, the love story is timeless, and I love Buttercup and Westley's story.

[Aj Yogi · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 🌟

I was very excited to read this since I, of course, love the cult classic movie. I was happy to see that the style of writing is very similar to the movie style and that the movie was very close to the happenings in the book. The only two deviations I caught were that in the movie Buttercup is swarmed by shrieking eels instead of sharks, and the Pit of Despair is actually the Zoo of Death in the book.

Highly entertaining fantasy read!!

[Emma Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first time reading The Princess Bride and I can see why it’s such a beloved book. It’s funny, adventurous, harks back to the whimsical classic fairytales we all grew up with.

And to top it off, it’s sarcastic “breaking-the-fourth-wall” tone offers a unique and timeless energy to the narrative.

[Caitlin Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite movies of all time and I’ve finally read the full text! I just adore this story so much and I loved Goldman’s inserts during the story - just an added unique element to the storytelling. Love love love this!!

[Rachel Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

After falling in love with the movie at 8 years old and getting a tattoo in its honor in my 20s, I finally got around to reading the book and it did not disappoint! The entire reading experience felt like having a beloved ongoing bit with a longtime friend

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favourite films of all time! Santa brought me this abridged version with some funny commentary. This is the rare instance when the movie is better than the book but here we are. RIP Rob Reiner, you were a legend and made these funny words on paper, come to life in a classic and whimsical fashion. Indeed a good read.

[Valerie Kolbinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
lu parce que je voulais écouter le film avec mon copain (qui veut que je l’écoute avec lui depuis quelque mois)
c’était très adventurous et pas un livre comme les autres.
Honnêtement je ne m’attendais pas à ça mais j’ai aimer l’histoire c’était assez farfelu.

[Kevin Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is exactly what you you want it to be. In other words, it's "As You Wish" it to be.

As a fan of the film, there's several things I didn't realize about the book: It's written by the same person who wrote the screen play, and it has the same story within a story structure. Both are very pleasant surprises.

You'll laugh, you'll cry, and yeah, it's cheesy. But that's what true love and high adventure are all about.

Whether you've seen the film or you're going in blind, THE PRINCESS BRIDE is a must read if you've never had the pleasure.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I made it to page 79 before calling it quits.

This was my first real attempt at reading a fantasy novel, and I genuinely thought this would be the one. The Princess Bride is a classic, beloved by so many, and I figured if I was ever going to enjoy fantasy, surely it would be this. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into it for the life of me.

My biggest issue was the writing style. The constant run-ons, tangents, and interruptions felt less charming and more distracting. Instead of adding depth or humor, they repeatedly pulled me out of the story, leaving me wondering what was actually happening by the end of the page. I found myself rereading sections not because they were rich or layered, but because I was confused.

I’ve also never enjoyed reading books written in third person, and I’m not sure why I thought this would be different. For me, a good book is about so much more than a good story. I need to feel something. I want to connect deeply to what the characters are experiencing—to step into their shoes and get lost in their emotions. With this book, I felt like I was simply being told a story from a distance, rather than living inside it. That emotional connection just wasn’t there for me.

One oddly memorable moment was the first “in-story” note from the author, where he mentions that the editor didn’t like his use of parentheses. I laughed—because I completely agreed. I was actively yelling at the parentheses while reading. One line in particular sums it up for me:

“I’ll leave the lad an acre in my will,” Buttercup’s father was fond of saying. (They had acres then.)

Okay… like, no shit. I didn’t need that spelled out for me. I want to discover those details naturally as I read, not have them handed to me with a wink.

Ultimately, this book just wasn’t for me, and it’s quite possibly turned me off from fantasy altogether—for now. I understand why so many people love The Princess Bride, and I don’t doubt its cultural significance. But reading is deeply personal, and this style simply didn’t align with what I look for in a book. I don’t want to be told a story—I want to feel it. And unfortunately, this one never let me in.

[Lori Hartgraves · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ Whimsical and fun and just lovely to read (with a little more detail!) the same abridged story that became the screenplay we all know and love. The Princess Bride will always be the ultimate fairytale!

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book!!!!😍
It was so good! I was laughing out loud 99% of the time, it was so funny! It’s just so dang FUN I never wanted it to end.
But I have a confession to make. . .
I watched the movie first.
My number one rule - ALWAYS READ THE BOOK FIRST - broken. Shattered, actually. Because I didn’t just watch the movie first. I watched it again and again and again. And who hasn’t? The Princess Bride is iconic.
But I haven’t said the worst yet. Because (and believe me, I regret it so much now) I never even wanted to read the book.
That’s right. My all time favorite movie, and I don’t want to read the book.
Because here’s the thing. I almost always don’t like the movie adaptations of books. The more I like the book, the less I like its movie form.
It’s because, to me, if you are going to turn a book into a movie, making a great movie is secondary. Your primary goal should be making the book as accurate to the book as possible. Call me crazy, and maybe I am, but any and all differences between movie and book just rub me the wrong way.
Even the Harry Potter movies, which are super accurate to the books, have little inconsistencies that bug me. And that’s the good (read: accurate) movies. Don’t even get me started on Percy Jackson, or, heaven forbid, The Voyage of The Dawn Treader.
I’m not saying it’s the movies’ fault - in fact I’m fully aware that it’s mine . That’s why I said I didn’t like movie adaptations of books, not that they were bad.
Which is all to say, that I was terrified that the Princess Bride movie, wonderful though it is, would ruin the book for me. Or worse, the book would make me hate the movie.
Could I have been more wrong?
The book had enough good moments of its own to keep me from feeling as though I was reading the script for the movie, but I never felt as though the movie was missing anything truly key.
Aside from the book’s inescapable connection with the movie, it was pretty much perfect. You just couldn’t help loving Fezzik and sympathizing with Inigo and just shaking your head at Buttercup.
Buttercup I think showed the author’s skill the most, because she thinks she is so smart, and is in reality so very stupid, that she would be all too easy to dislike. She is always so sure that she knows everything, especially about love, but she is constantly showing that she knows nothing, most prominently her own emotions and desires. But she has this way of taking her mistakes in stride, in accepting she was wrong and moving on with her life, that she was, in the end, just plain lovable.
Humperdinck, too, has so much more depth in the book than in the movie, because you learn all about his motives and his hunting and his thoughts and his plans. He was real to me, and just a deliciously casual villain - the type that never contemplated right or wrong, just does whatever he wants. And Count Rugen, his sidekick, is just so delightfully despicable. He gave me the shivers and yet even he was laugh-out-loud funny.
And Fezzik - you gotta love Fezzik. Fezzik and his rhymes and his strength and his childlike view of the world was the higlight of the book for me. Except, of course, in my head he wasn’t Turkish, which is what the book said. He was French. Because Fezzik is Andre the Giant and Andre is Fezzik. It’s just one of those facts of the universe, that you can deny if you want, but it will still be there.
All in all, The Princess Bride is 💯 one of the best books I have read all year, and almost undoubtedly the most a book has made me laugh! If you haven’t read it yet. . . Just go read it. Now.

[Rebekka NP · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Princess Bride is all about the narrator—and he is a lot. Think funny uncle energy: charming, warm, very sure of himself, and occasionally saying things that feel dated or uncomfortable now. The layered meta-setup (Goldman abridging Morgenstern, with constant commentary) is clever, but also means the story never just breathes. You’re always aware of being told a story about a story 😅

This book works best if you read it as a fairy tale tangled up in rambling commentary. Anything else sets you up for disappointment.

Buttercup and Westley didn’t work for me at all—empty fairy-tale shells by design, but not very engaging. The real fun is with Inigo Montoya and Fezzik, who are cliché, yes, but charismatic. Inigo’s famous line actually reached me years ago as a meme about good communication, which feels very on brand for how this story lives on.

Under the humor there’s a noticeable bitterness. The narrator feels like a disappointed middle-aged man, and that tone leaks into everything, including the refusal to give a classic happy ending. I mostly felt nostalgic for a version of myself who might have loved this at twelve—back when The Neverending Story ruled my heart. Now it just brushes past me and leaves me a bit melancholic.

Also: the 2007 deluxe edition is gorgeous ✨ but wildly overconfident—so many introductions assuming you already love the book. I didn’t. I skipped them, read the novel, then went back.

• Design / Edition: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• Did I enjoy it?: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[H. Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt really nostalgic reading this, it made me want to watch the movie again. I'm not sure if I'd say the movie is better, but there are a few differences.

I loved all 4 main characters. Westley (his sassy little self), Buttercup (who I didn't like at times), Inigo and Fezzik (the cute and underrated duo). I loved them so much. That final (bonus?) chapter with Fezzik though... got me a bit worried for him but, I agree with the author... they went through so much that I doubt he'd end it like that.

On that note... I skimmed or completely skipped some parts that talked about the author's life and what he had to do to write this version of the story that were in italics (I would recommend just skipping the introductions). Granted, I do appreciate that he cut out many things that added nothing but I also didn't care much about his life. If he wanted to add something I felt that maybe 2-3 paragraphs would have been enough instead of pages worth. Both introductions were unnecessary in my opinion, but I'm sure some people would have liked it. All in all, I enjoyed the book.

[Edmund Vale · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Princess Bride surprised me by how sincere it is beneath the humour. On the surface, it’s playful, ironic, and full of exaggeration, but what stayed with me was its quiet belief in loyalty, courage, and love that endures inconvenience, time, and absurdity.
I enjoyed how the story refuses to take itself too seriously while still caring deeply about its characters. The wit never feels cruel; it’s generous, even when it’s poking fun at fairy tales and heroic conventions. There’s something comforting in that balance the sense that life can be ridiculous and meaningful at the same time.
Reading it as an adult, I noticed how much of the charm lies in its awareness. It understands storytelling, understands romance, and understands disappointment and chooses hope anyway. That choice felt intentional, almost defiant.
This is a book that reminds you that joy doesn’t have to be naïve to be real. It can be clever, self-aware, and still sincere. I finished it smiling, but also oddly reassured.

[Kaitlynn Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this so much! The satire is stupendous and the story within the story that the author is narrating is so funny and convincing. I wish I could have read it when it first was published so I could have been one of the readers who wrote into the publishers office as he instructed us to do. Simply marvelous.

The Princess Bride itself has everything you want in a story: love, adventure, political intrigue, murder, torture, sword fighting, and lovable characters. The movie is amazing and does incredible justice to the source material, but the book adds a few touches that really help you understand the prince, the count, Fezzik, and Inigo, and honestly made me hate Buttercup 🙃

I will recommend this to anyone who reads fantasy.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I debated between 4 and 5 stars, but the language and manner of writing in the book was so fun to read that I just had to give it that 5. It’s so funky and unique and reminds me of the writing in Septimus Heap (a childhood favorite). I know some people have complained about the use of parenthesis to comment on things but they made it so funny and I truly loooooved that about the writing!

The storyline is obviously iconic although the ending was a bit ??? but there seems to be a level of acceptance about that within people who love the book as well as William Goldman himself - I’d read it again, but probably only until when Wesley gets captured before it devolves a bit. I enjoyed Goldman’s intermittent comments on his omissions of the original text when applicable, they were also funny! (Edit: I DID NOT KNOW S.MORGENSTERN IS A FICTIONAL AUTHOR CREATED BY GOLDMAN AND THAT THERE IS NO “ORIGINAL TEXT”????? I got got by Goldman, well played sir very meta of you)

Also Goldman mentions that his son is fat in his passages before and after the story maybe 5-6 different times, which is just wild to me. (Edit: just learned HE DOESN’T HAVE A SON.)