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The Princess Bride Deluxe Limited Edition: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
464 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2025
61 people are currently reading
11018 people want to read
About the author
William Goldman
88 books2,665 followersGoldman 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 28, 2025
Fabulous!
Want to read
October 17, 2025I neeeeed this what the heck
November 6, 2025
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
December 1, 2025
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.
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.
January 1, 2026
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 somethung 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.
December 31, 2025
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.
And to top it off, it’s sarcastic “breaking-the-fourth-wall” tone offers a unique and timeless energy to the narrative.
November 20, 2025
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!!
December 29, 2025
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
December 19, 2025
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.
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.
December 25, 2025
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.
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.
December 26, 2025
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.
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.
November 22, 2025
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.
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.
November 1, 2025
A fantastic read. Having seen and appreciated the movie the main body of this text is very familiar as a whole. I knew going in that this book was going to have the same kind of meditextual breaks like the movie does but I didn't expect someone like Stephen King to play such a part in those moments at times. It was a great way to relive a good movie and now also a great novel.
I loved that with everything in this copy you can see how the book influenced the movie but also how the movie then reinfluenced the book especally in the Buttercups Baby section.
I loved that with everything in this copy you can see how the book influenced the movie but also how the movie then reinfluenced the book especally in the Buttercups Baby section.
December 22, 2025
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.
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.
December 30, 2025
4.5/5 ⭐️
Hello?? I grew up watching this movie and I always said I needed to read the book but never got around to it until now, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. Goldman is such a good author bc he had me believing Morgenstern was a real man who wrote this 😭
I loved how there are direct quotes from the book in the movie and how most of the details are the same. I loved learning about Inigo and Fezzik and their lives before ganging up with Vizzini. Overall I loved it, it really is a classic for a reason.
Hello?? I grew up watching this movie and I always said I needed to read the book but never got around to it until now, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. Goldman is such a good author bc he had me believing Morgenstern was a real man who wrote this 😭
I loved how there are direct quotes from the book in the movie and how most of the details are the same. I loved learning about Inigo and Fezzik and their lives before ganging up with Vizzini. Overall I loved it, it really is a classic for a reason.
October 22, 2025
I did not read the deluxe edition, but I read the regular book. I will forever love The Princess Bride and how Wesley and Buttercup had a love that stood the test of time. Buttercup, thinking that Wesley died and yearned to have him back and DRED pirate Roberts has a quest to get to Buttercup.. The book was made into a movie, but the book is always so much better. I always suggest reading the book before seeing this movie.
November 12, 2025
This is probably the most uniquely written fantasy book I’ve ever come across. Staged as if Goldman is abridging a history text when in reality the whole story is fiction.
I loved this movie growing up so reading buttercups baby was a bit of a shock and the ending upset me a little bit. Overall this was an excellent read and I love Buttercup and Westley’s story.
I loved this movie growing up so reading buttercups baby was a bit of a shock and the ending upset me a little bit. Overall this was an excellent read and I love Buttercup and Westley’s story.
December 8, 2025
The book was good but in this rare case the movie was better. It could be that it is because I watched the movie first and look back on it with nostalgia, but honestly the movie had better pacing and the changes they made were better choices. For example in the movie it is shrieking eels, in the book the water is just infested with sharks when Buttercup jumps in to flee her kidnappers.
January 1, 2026
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.
January 1, 2026
Although I enjoyed the comments and asides that the author had throughout the book, I was over it by the time I got to Buttercup’s baby. It was more exhausting than entertaining. The rest of the story was good and it’s always interesting reading a book after a movie. Overall I found it to be a fun and easy read.
October 4, 2025
I watched the movie scene by scene as I read through this book (book first and then movie). The book was so much richer as usual and I've enjoyed the author's comical and creative narrative of the entire story (weaving in fictional parts from S. Morgenstern).
November 30, 2025
This one of the few times where I will say that the movie is better than the book.
December 5, 2025
Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways for the Advanced Reader Copy! The design of the book is so beautiful and the story is such a classic.
December 14, 2025
A classic I still enjoy now at 23, but at time the self inserting does get annoying.
December 16, 2025
I really enjoyed this book; it went deeper into lore than the movie but the ending was weird and confusing
December 19, 2025
Would recommande to everyone. The story is incredible. Best live story ever.
December 31, 2025
Love love love... that's all
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews