Quotes from The Princess Bride

William Goldman ·  398 pages

Rating: (670.4K votes)


“When I was your age, television was called books.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“Life isn't fair, it's just fairer than death, that's all.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“Just because you're beautiful and perfect, it's made you conceited.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“Inconceivable!"
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride



“Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“I love you,' Buttercup said. 'I know this must come as something of a surprise to you, since all I've ever done is scorn you and degrade you and taunt you, but I have loved you for several hours now, and every second, more. I thought an hour ago that I loved you more than any woman has ever loved a man, but a half hour after that I knew that what I felt before was nothing compared to what I felt then. But ten minutes after that, I understood that my previous love was a puddle compared to the high seas before a storm. Your eyes are like that, did you know? Well they are. How many minutes ago was I? Twenty? Had I brought my feelings up to then? It doesn't matter.' Buttercup still could not look at him. The sun was rising behind her now; she could feel the heat on her back, and it gave her courage. 'I love you so much more now than twenty minutes ago that there cannot be comparison. I love you so much more now then when you opened your hovel door, there cannot be comparison. There is no room in my body for anything but you. My arms love you, my ears adore you, my knees shake with blind affection. My mind begs you to ask it something so it can obey. Do you want me to follow you for the rest of your days? I will do that. Do you want me to crawl? I will crawl. I will be quiet for you or sing for you, or if you are hungry, let me bring you food, or if you have thirst and nothing will quench it but Arabian wine, I will go to Araby, even though it is across the world, and bring a bottle back for your lunch. Anything there is that I can do for you, I will do for you; anything there is that I cannot do, I will learn to do. I know I cannot compete with the Countess in skills or wisdom or appeal, and I saw the way she looked at you. And I saw the way you looked at her. But remember, please, that she is old and has other interests, while I am seventeen and for me there is only you. Dearest Westley--I've never called you that before, have I?--Westley, Westley, Westley, Westley, Westley,--darling Westley, adored Westley, sweet perfect Westley, whisper that I have a chance to win your love.' And with that, she dared the bravest thing she'd ever done; she looked right into his eyes.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“Who says life is fair, where is that written?”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“We’ll never survive!”
“Nonsense. You’re only saying that because no one ever has.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“Love is many things none of them logical.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride



“Her heart was a secret garden and the walls were very high.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“True love is the best thing in the world, except for cough drops.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“Who are you?"
"No one of consequence."
"I must know."
"Get used to disappointment.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“I am your Prince and you will marry me," Humperdinck said.
Buttercup whispered, "I am your servant and I refuse."
"I am you Prince and you cannot refuse."
"I am your loyal servant and I just did."
"Refusal means death."
"Kill me then.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride



“He held up a book then. “I'm going to read it to you for relax.”
“Does it have any sports in it?”
“Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True Love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest Ladies. Snakes. Spiders... Pain. Death. Brave men. Cowardly men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles.”
“Sounds okay,” I said and I kind of closed my eyes.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“The Queen's Pride was his ship, and he loved her. (That was the way his sentences always went: It is raining today and I love you. My cold is better and I love you. Say hello to Horse and I love you. Like that.)”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“You seem a decent fellow," Inigo said. "I hate to kill you."
You seem a decent fellow," answered the man in black. "I hate to die.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“I've been saying it so long to you, you just wouldn't listen. Every time you said 'Farm Boy do this' you thought I was answering 'As you wish' but that's only because you were hearing wrong. 'I love you' was what it was, but you never heard.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“I’ll tell you the truth and its up to you to live with it.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride



“you were already more beautiful than anything I dared to dream. In our years apart, my imaginings did their best to improve on you perfection. At night, your face was forever behind my eyes. And now I see that that vision who kept me company in my loneliness was a hag compared to the beauty now before me.” –Westley

Enough about my beauty.” Buttercup said. “Everybody always talks about how beautiful I am. I’ve got a mind, Westley. Talk about that.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“Now what happens?" asked the man in black.
"We face each other as God intended," Fezzik said. "No tricks, no weapons, skill against skill alone."
"You mean you'll put down your rock and I'll put down my sword and we'll try to kill each other like civilized people, is that it?”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“Why do you wear a mask and hood?"
I think everybody will in the near future," was the man in black's reply. "They're terribly comfortable.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“This is my favorite book in all the world, though I have never read it.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“There have been five great kisses since 1642 B.C...(before then couples hooked thumbs.) And the precise rating of kisses is a terribly difficult thing, often leading to great controversy.... Well, this one left them all behind.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride



“No more rhymes now I mean it!”

“Anybody want a peanut?”

“AAHH!”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“Westley: This is true love — you think this happens every day?”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


“And that's when she put her book down. And looked at me. And said it: "Life isn't fair, Bill. we tell our children that it is, but it's a terrible thing to do. It's not only a lie, it's a cruel lie. Life is not fair, and it never has been, and it's never going to be.”
― William Goldman, quote from The Princess Bride


About the author

William Goldman
Born place: in Highland Park, Illinois, The United States
Born date August 12, 1931
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