I can’t remember when I had a summer as eventful as the summer of 2024. Oh, I know I’m writing this in early September, which falls into astronomical summer, because real fall doesn’t start until September 22. Some of us, however, returned to school and work in August, which feels like our summer is truncated, even though our school years end in May, which is technically not summer, but spring.
My point is not to give you a lesson in the astronomical seasons, but to tell you that I had an adventurous summer. My family and I traveled to and through eleven states (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma) to attend a funeral, bar mitzvah and a family reunion. We visited three national parks and two national monuments. We hiked, swam, fished, drove and drove and drove. I got shingles in my eye, had some kind of bronchial infection, and entered into a new phase of my life that feels insanely unique but is experienced by half of the human population — menopause. I’ve learned that “this stage of life” is still discussed in hushed whispers amongst friends and acquaintances. Whispering is not my style, so I’m going to keep on sharing.
I feel like I have been kidnapped by two different parties — one that wants me to never sleep, and one that wants me to sleep for long hours. Every evening, my criminal menopausal mind asks me to choose between Doritos or ice cream for dinner, sans salad. Every morning, I feel like I’m climbing the Cliffs of Insanity after avoiding the Fire Swamp where Rodents of Unusual Size entangle me in the bedding (hear me, Ladies?).
Okay, I may be borrowing from William Goldman’s adventure novel The Princess Bride, S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High-Adventure, The “Good Parts” Versions, abridged by William Goldman, which was published fifty-and-still-counting years ago. This book is one of my all-time favorites, and the first one we listened to during our car trip through eleven states earlier this summer. More than ever, I appreciated the characters, the adventures, and the unpredictability. In my current “stage of life”, I can be as mean as Count Rugen, as selfish as Prince Humperdinck, as alone as Fennik, as vengeful as Inigo Montoya, and as heroic as Westley. Buttercup’s beauty is difficult to contest, but, well, she is still young. I’d like to see how she behaves during “this stage of life”.
The Princess Bride is one of my favorite books not only because it is humorous and adventurous, but because the good guys win and the bad guys lose. I hope not to lose my sanity to menopause. And to win back my ability to focus for more than five minutes. I would also like to lose the weight I’m gaining, the sudden cravings for something sweet or crunchy, and the sweating. So. Much. Sweat. I’d like to lose the mood swings. I hate mood swings. I hate the sweats. I hate the cravin – wait, I think I like the cravings! I love Doritos and chocolate chip ice cream! They’re unpredictable.
The Doritos and chocolate chip ice creams aren’t unpredictable; everything else is. And that’s something that menopause and The Princess Bride have in common. Nothing happens as predicted and every event is the beginning of something new – a new stage in life.
This ordinary girl, during this somewhat unpredictable and adventurous stage of her life, wrote a review of William Goldman’s The Princess Bride, S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High-Adventure, The “Good Parts” Versions, abridged by William Goldman, during the first two weeks of September, which is technically summer but somewhat fall. Enjoy!
Review
Reviewed Work: William Goldman, The Princess Bride, S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High-Adventure, The “Good Parts” Versions, abridged by William Goldman (Harcourt, 2007), 456 pp. ISBN 978-0-015-603521-7.
Review by: A. M. Cosgrove Wimberly
599 words
September 9, 2024
William Goldman’s (1931-2018) enchanting novel The Princess Bride, S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High-Adventure, The “Good Parts” Versions, abridged by William Goldman, was published in 1973. Goldman completed the screenplay on May 3, 1986. The Princess Bride movie, directed by Rob Reiner and released in 1987, pleased critics but not mainstream audiences. The film became popular after it reached the home movie market in July 2000.
Goldman wrote the book in a manner that is meant to be seen and heard. The story begins with a fictional Goldman who reveals that his grandfather read The Princess Bride to him when he was ill. The narrator Goldman reads the book to his son. He tells his son that the book was written by S. Morgenstern, setting himself up as a believable unreliable narrator.
Goldman further engages his readers by creating memorable characters. Each character has a unique voice and physical trait. Fezzik, the giant from Turkey, likes to rhyme. Inigo, the skinny Spaniard, repeats his name and vengeance. The short Sicilian Vizzini speaks in conditional statements and labels every conclusion as “inconceivable”. The very strong and handsome Farm Boy, also known as Westley and the Dread Pirate Roberts, proclaims his love for Buttercup by answering her every need with “As you wish”. Buttercup begins as nothing more than the most beautiful and innocent woman in the world but raises her voice as a queen when needed. Goldman cloaked every character with such vibrancy that, once read, are seen and heard.
Goldman burdens his characters with unforgettable inherited traits. Buttercup’s beauty is her curse, because it attracts the attention of Prince Humperdinck. Prince Humperdinck has no interest in marriage but is obligated to do so to keep his position upon his father’s death. Wesley is strong and handsome and loves Buttercup but is poor. Although these traits impede each character’s progress, they become strengths throughout moments of uncertainty.
Goldman knows that a good story also needs physical obstacles. His characters swim past shrieking eels, climb the Cliffs of Insanity, partake in sword fights, play with poison, endure the Fire Swamp, and withstand separation and near death in the names of vengeance, trust and true love.
Goldman makes every character work very hard for what they want. He recognizes that in order to write a compelling story, no character is allowed to accomplish victory alone. Goldman introduces new, and just as colorful, characters at the mid-point and again at the beginning of the climax. One midpoint character is the albino who helps the six-fingered duke torture Westley, and the climax characters include the affectionate couple who are not witches, Valerie and Miracle Max. The addition of these characters prevents readers from becoming bored with the mainstream cast and add increased action and interest to the story.
The theme of this fairy-tale is true love, as written in the title. Goldman avoids definitively granting true love to Westley and Buttercup. He also is careful to not make Westley the only hero of the story. Inigo and Fezzik experience the classic hero’s journey — profound physical and emotional journeys that result in personal tragedy and triumph — more so than Westley, who always knew who he was through his love for Buttercup.
The Princess Bride, S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High-Adventure, The “Good Parts” Versions, abridged by William Goldman contains every element required for a captivating story —colorful characters, awful obstacles, lack of successes, and a strong theme. The humorous book and movie continue to enchant audiences, some of whom still search for additional works by the fictional S. Morgenstern.