The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride is a 1973 adventure novel by American author and screenwriter William Goldman. It uses a unique framing narrative to tell two interwoven stories and claims to be a retelling of an older novel (one that does not actually exist). The Princess Bride was adapted into a film in 1987. Critics regard the film as one of the greatest cinematic accomplishments of all time, and it appears on numerous “best of” lists, including The American Film Institute’s 2002 list of the 100 greatest love stories on film.

This study guide refers to the 1973 hardcover edition.

Content Warning: The source material contains suicidal ideation, alcoholism, sexual exploitation, and domestic violence.

Plot Summary

A fictionalized version of the author William Goldman introduces S. Morgenstern’s The Princess Bride, a novel that his father read to him when he was young. The book introduced young Goldman to the adventure genre and had a major impact on his life, so he wants to get a copy for his own son’s birthday. Once he does, however, he realizes that the novel is dense and overwritten and that his father only read him the “good parts.” He decides to release an abridged version focusing only on the adventure and romance of the story.