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The Princess Bride

by William Goldman · 1973

The Princess Bride is William Goldman's 1973 comic fantasy adventure, framed as his "good parts" abridgement of a much longer classic supposedly written by the fictional author S. Morgenstern. Set in the Renaissance-era… more

First published 1973 · 493 pages · English

28 quotes ★ 4.27 (958,938) Fantasy

Quotes from the Book

When I was your age, television was called books.
Life isn't fair, it's just fairer than death, that's all.
Just because you're beautiful and perfect, it's made you conceited.
Inconceivable!" "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!
Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches.
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.
Who says life is fair, where is that written?
We’ll never survive!” “Nonsense. You’re only saying that because no one ever has.
Love is many things none of them logical.
Her heart was a secret garden and the walls were very high.
True love is the best thing in the world, except for cough drops.
Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning.
Who are you?" "No one of consequence." "I must know." "Get used to disappointment.
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.
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.
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.)
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.
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.
I’ll tell you the truth and its up to you to live with it.
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.
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?
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.
This is my favorite book in all the world, though I have never read it.
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.
No more rhymes now I mean it!” “Anybody want a peanut?” “AAHH!
Westley: This is true love — you think this happens every day?
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.

Did you know?

  • The book is framed as Goldman's abridged "good parts version" of a longer work by the fictional author S. Morgenstern.
  • Goldman began the story for his young daughters, one of whom asked for a tale about a princess and the other about a bride.
  • The action takes place in the invented kingdoms of Florin and Guilder.
  • Goldman wrote the screenplay for the acclaimed 1987 film adaptation directed by Rob Reiner.
  • A planned sequel, Buttercup's Baby, was never completed before Goldman's death in 2018.

About William Goldman

William Goldman (1931-2018) was an American novelist and screenwriter, celebrated as a Hollywood script doctor and winner of two Academy Awards for his screenplays for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President's Men.

More about the author →

About the book

The Princess Bride is William Goldman's 1973 comic fantasy adventure, framed as his "good parts" abridgement of a much longer classic supposedly written by the fictional author S. Morgenstern. Set in the Renaissance-era kingdoms of Florin and Guilder, it tells of Buttercup, a farm girl, and Westley, the farmhand who answers her every command with "As you wish." When Westley is reported killed at sea by the Dread Pirate Roberts, Buttercup is betrothed to the arrogant Prince Humperdinck, and the tale spins into kidnapping, sword fights, giants, and a long-plotted rescue.

The novel is famous for its playful metafictional conceit: Goldman inserts himself as narrator, claiming his father read him only the exciting portions of Morgenstern's book, and pausing throughout to comment on what he has "cut." This device lets the story blend earnest romance and adventure with irony, parody, and self-aware humor, gently subverting the conventions of the fairy tale even as it delivers fencing, fighting, true love, and revenge.

Though it sold modestly at first, The Princess Bride grew into a beloved cult favorite, aided enormously by Goldman's own 1987 film adaptation directed by Rob Reiner. Its themes of true love, loyalty, and the pleasures of storytelling itself, along with quotable lines and larger-than-life characters, have kept the book in print and in wide affection for decades.

Key characters

  • ButtercupA beautiful farm girl who becomes a reluctant princess-to-be
  • WestleyThe devoted farmhand who becomes the Dread Pirate Roberts
  • Inigo MontoyaA Spanish swordsman seeking revenge for his father's murder
  • FezzikA gentle, immensely strong giant
  • VizziniA scheming Sicilian criminal mastermind
  • Prince HumperdinckThe arrogant ruler of Florin betrothed to Buttercup

Book details

First published
1973
Length
493 pages
Reading time
10 hours
Genre
Fantasy
Goodreads rating
4.27 (959k ratings)
First line
“This is my favorite book in all the world, though I have never read it.”

Movie & TV adaptations

  • IMDb
    The Princess Bride 1987

    Film directed by Rob Reiner with a screenplay by Goldman himself.

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