Finally finished The Princess Bride by William Golding today. I began reading this book because I really like the movie. While the movie and book are different in some ways, they follow each other relatively closely. The basics in the movie are accurate, but the book provides much more, both good and bad. William Golding is rather cynical and satirical in this book, and he is not shy about telling you that. He often breaks up the reading by adding his own personal comments to the text. While this is at times entertaining, there are points where it gets to be a bit overwhelming. So if you like your adventure to be unbroken, beware of Golding's occasional rants. I did, however, like the background information that you get on characters in the book that you don't get with the movie. Inigo's revenge and Fezzik's unassuming demeanor become even more compelling with this personal background information. To be honest, Buttercup is very much downplayed in the book, almost becoming a "dumb-blonde" type of character throughout. So if you like strong female characters, this may not be a book for you. Overall, there are pluses and minuses to this book. I got what I wanted out of the book, even if I had to skip through some of Golding's rants. Good for reliving the movie, even if a bit long. :) Overall rating: 3 Paws (Satisfying Read) |