First published well, in 1973 actually, this book spawned the Rob Reiner-directed cult film of the same name. It's a tongue-in-cheek fairytale of love, life, action, death and life again. Featuring the obligatory handsome Prince and supremely beautiful princess, it also boasts a Spanish sword wizard, the Zoo of Death, a chocolate-coated resurrection pill and lots of villains, who span the spectrum from evil, through even more evil to (gasp) most evil. And then there's Fezzik, the gentle giant addicted to rhyming.

William Goldman--who's won two Oscars for his screenwriting (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President's Men), and has endeared himself to dentists and their patients planetwide through his novel Marathon Man--has always claimed he merely abridged this text, extracting the "good parts" from an inventive yet wordy classic by Florinese literary superstar, S Morgenstern.

It has, however, been whispered in certain circles that Morgenstern himself is a figment of Goldman's ultra-fertile imagination. Read Goldman's original and special Anniversary introductions and make up your own mind. Oh--and don't forget his explanation as to why he's only "abridged" the first chapter of the sequel Buttercup's Baby--which appears here for the first time--and why it took him so long to get round to it.

Completely delightful, suitable for cynics and romantics alike. Suspension of disbelief optional. -- Lisa Gee

'Brilliant and funny.'

'A wonderful fairytale.'

'As brilliant and funny as its screen version-the magic doesn't dull and will happily survive at least another twenty-five years.'

'A spoof fairytale...Terrific.'

'Classic...Fearfully comic.'

First published in 1973, The Princess Bride is a cult book which later became a cult film. It tells the story of Buttercup, the most beautiful girl in the world. And of fencing, fighting, torture, poison, true love, hate, revenge, giants, hunters, bad men, good men, beautifulest ladies, snakes, spiders, beasts, chases, escapes, lies, truths, passion, and miracles.

William Goldman has been writing books and movies for more than forty years. He has won two Academy Awards ( for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the Presidents's Men), and three Lifetime Achievement awards in screenwriting. His novel Marathon Man has made him very famous in Dentists' offices around the world.

2008-07-01 This Is My "If you were trapped on a desert island and can only take one book" Book

This is one of the very best books I've ever read.

A friend of mine who doesn't read had told me to watch the movie years ago, and I had politely nodded and told him that I would look into it, but all along was thinking "Princess Bride? CHICK FLICK!! No way am I going to bother with that." Years later I was moseying through one of my favourite book stores and saw the book on display there with a rapturous "Staff favourite" mini-review underneath it. I didn't have any pressing reads at the time, so picked it up alongside a few other books.

When I did eventually get around to opening it, I had two or three laugh out loud moments in the first twenty pages, and didn't put the book down until I'd finished it, other than to send a text message to my friend half way through to tell him that it was the best book I'd ever read.

The story is of the great love between Buttercup (the beautifulest girl in the world) and Westley (a farm boy with some surprising talents). There are pirates, torture, giants, ROUS's, a battle of wits to the death, sword fights, the BEST kissing scene imaginable, miracles...

I have bought this book for so many people, all of whom have (at the very least) liked it, and am hanging out for my niece to turn old enough to appreciate me reading it to her.

Pick it up and enjoy yourself!