A closer look at The Princess Bride

[Serra K]

 

[RK Wallis]

I loved the book!

 

[MattScho]

The book sent me on a Goldman run, which, in the end, I found largely disappointing. I am not suggesting his other books weren't well done, just not for me. the Princess Bride is a masterwork about being an adult, being a dad, raising a kid, doing it all wrong but trying again.
I loved it.
Big fan of the movie, as well, but it's a very different story, isn't it? It's about Wesley and buttercup et al and the kid, grandfather story is a wonderfully warm sidelight.
A great example of how a book and the movie based on it can be two very different works of art.

 

[Serra K]

I'm looking forward to reading the book; I've only watched the movie (100 times).
Every now and then I revisit the stories from my youth. Reminds me of where I've been and where I'm going. I feel like a traitor, not having read the book yet, but when I stumbled across this video I knew it was time to get a copy for my shelf.

A great example of how a book and the movie based on it can be two very different works of art.

I couldn't help thinking of Rings of Power when I read this haha! Sometimes it works, as is the case of The Princess Bride, and then there's other times...

 

[MattScho]

I haven't seen the Rings of Power series. I suppose it was inevitable that it would suck. Still, gonna watch it.
The Princess Bride falls into a small category of books on the bookshelf of my mind: Not my favorites, but kick-ass reads. This category tends to get made into movies, and some of them are also decent movies. But, as is always the case, the books are better.
It's on the shelf next to Jurassic Park, Get Shorty, Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter, A Perfect Storm, the Portable Door, Shades of Grey, Early Riser, The Things They Carried, Trainspotting, the Chinatown Death Cloud Peril, The Colour of Magic, The Adventures of Cavalier and Clay, the Yiddish Policeman's Union and maybe a couple dozen others.
Sadly, I've moved so often that transporting books became too expensive, so I don't have a single copy of any of these. They are scattered among kids and friends. And, as i've read them, I don't see the point of re-purchasing this shelf on kindle. They exist entirely in my memory (well, for me).
I love this shelf, and i visit it fairly often.

 

[Serra K]

I wish my memory was that good! My brain is kinda broken. Funny how one of the strongest memories I have of my adult life was the day I called up a local second-hand bookstore owner to invite him to browse my shelves, see if there was anything he liked. This old man was such a hero to me. He'd sit by the window of the store in a rocking chair, with a colourful crochet blanket over his knees, smoking a pipe. There was a piano by the window too and he'd play from time to time. I used to go there and he'd teach me Latin, all of which I've forgotten.
But he came around, anyway, and I said goodbye to a treasure trove of books that day, because as you said above, I was moving house and could only transport so much. Jeez it breaks my heart but I can't even remember what the books were, so from time to time I'm reminded of one and I go and buy it again. Still, I envy the bookshelf in your mind. Far more practical.

 

[James Charles]

I didn't know all of this. Thanks for the history!