Very, very, very few movies are better than the book. Having watched The Princess Bride approximately 546 times, I thought it was high time to read the actual book. A few years I go, I took the leap and assumed, of course, it would be just as riveting.
Sigh. A gripping story, certainly. But the movie was far better.
Anyone who knows me well knows that The Princess Bride is my favorite movie. Of. All. Time.
It is still inconceivable to me that the book was such a far cry from the magic of the movie. After I finished reading it, I almost cried. No, wait, I actually did cry.
The book and film essentially tell the same storyline. The author writes two stories in one; one tale is a archetypal fairy tale adventure, the other one is a contemporary story of how such timeless fantasies keep us spellbound, no matter our age, location or shoe size.
The Princess Bride includes so many themes it’s hard to keep up, but that’s part of the adventure. True Love, Revenge, Giants, Poison, Brave Men, Beautiful Women, Rodents, Torture.
Let me sum up.
Princess Buttercup and servant boy Wesley embark upon a true love story. Life circumstances initially draw them apart, yet ultimately they come together in fairy-tale romance style through a series of clever trials and tribulations. Inigo Montoya and Prince Humperdinck excel as supporting antagonist characters, contributing to the witty banter that ensues throughout the movie and film.
Things happen along the way. Miracle Max comes to the rescue to revive Wesley after he is tortured and supposedly dead. And then finally, Buttercup and Wesley are reunited because nothing can stop True Love.
Essentially, the plot and themes of the book and movie are the same. What I could not cope with was Goldman’s use of the fictional tale of the author. Yes, those parts were italicized, but if I wanted to go from one “scene” to the next, I had to wade through 50 pages just to get there. Major detraction. The only stylistic credit I’ll give to Goldman is his masterful use of the run-on sentence.
Come to think of it, I think I’ll do a review soon that is a 500-word run-on sentence and see if anyone notices.
Before I throw myself into the pit of despair about the book, please just save some time and keep to the movie. Make it a game – see how many lines you can memorize. Then, drop a few of the most memorable ones into casual conversation or client meetings.
No, reading The Princess Bride didn’t put me off books forever. It just reminded me that I had to go back to the beginning. And read the next book on my list.
Are there any movies you deem better than the book? Why? Is it because of the plot, character development, a hot actor/actress? Let’s discuss.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Can’t think of any offhand. But dialogue from The Princess Bride?
Around our house, “my name Inigo Montoya.
You killed my father. Prepare to die.” is
said with comic flourish frequently.
I love it, Linda! That is one of my favorites – I imagine your house is full of laughter and fun :)
Dear Laura, step away from anything that will throw you into a despair. Some books suck. Some movies suck more. Sometimes both suck. I read Mario Puzo’s “The Godfather” and it was DELICIOUS! I of course love the first Godfather movies – my grandfather used to love them in Iran – and I am going to watch this movie again so I can see what all the fuss is about :)
No just kidding – excellent fun compare of your book and movie analysis….You rock with that cute writing voice!
Haha, you are too cute, thank you! I don’t know why, but it seems to be the common wisdom in my head that movies are always worse in the book, so I felt compelled to call out my dissent :) I hope you’re doing well friend and look forward to talking soon! Let me know how the movie goes!
Hi Laura,
Without doubt, it would have to be Lord of the Rings.
I’ve read LOTR twice -once at age 13, then again at age 24. I began reading it a third time at age 37 ,whilst stuck in Lukla, Nepal after I’d climbed halfway up Mt Everest – but only got halfway through the first book when the weather cleared and we could fly back to Kathmandu…but I digress!
Why are the LOTR movies better than the books? Here we go:
1. Tom Bombadil was absent in the movie. I don’t meant to offend anyone, but Tom Bombadil did nothing to advance the plot of LOTR. Furthermore, I suspect Tom Bombadil drops way too much acid for my liking.
2. Peter Jackson nuked the boring bits. Does anyone recall chapters in LOTR like the Council of Elrond or the whole series with Ents? Snooze-inducing monsters that just didn’t add anything to the story? In the movie, they’re actually useful and the main plot or information points aren’t lost in someone breaking into a long poem about Isildur’s cousin’s long lost shoe.
3. Gender Equality. Let’s face it: LOTR was born of Tolkien’s academic boys’ club in the 1920s & 1930s. Apart from Eowynn, Tolkien’s female characters were little more than pretty props – even someone as powerful as Galadriel was far from an ass-kickin’ or a deep and meaningful character. Peter Jackson fixed that and put us gals up there with the main event.
Yes, I raved on a bit here (sorry), and I’m sure some Tolkien purists will make voo-doo dolls of me, but meh! LOTR is a film trilogy that I never grow tired of watching. The books, on the other hand … there is much, much better fantasy out there now.
Hey Amanda – Never apologize for the rave! I haven’t read LOTR – and I may not now – only because I treasure the memories of the films. And sometimes, images and movement do wonders for bringing out the essence of characters – more than words could ever do (like Galadriel). Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment!
I only just saw The Princess Bride for the first time recently. My husband and I thought it was hilarious, but our 12-year-old daughter didn’t get the camp humor. She also was bothered that the princess was so useless. I agree on that last count. I haven’t read the book, but your review doesn’t make me want to.
Usually I prefer books to movies. The only example I can think of a movie being much better than the book would be The Devil Wears Prada, thanks to Meryl Streep and a tight script. The book had uneven pace, weak writing and got too sentimental. The only good parts were about the fashion industry, which worked better visually.
I never made it through all of The Lord of The Rings, but I saw and loved the movies, so I’ll second Amanda. Although the movies wouldn’t be there without the brilliant books.
Some movies are as good as books such as Brokeback Mountain due to amazing acting and stunning scenery. I also liked the movie of The Shipping News almost as much as the book so maybe Proulx’s writing translates well to screen. I also love good film adaptations of Shakespeare such as Romeo and Juliet with Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio. Plays are better watched than read. I still prefer live theater to most movies.
Interesting post, question and discussion!
Hi Sarah! So nice to hear from you – I, too, usually prefer books to movies so this was something that I had to speak out on. I’m glad you and your husband enjoyed it (even if it wasn’t up your daughter’s alley) :) Absolutely agree about plays and have to get myself to more of them – the live energy between people in a room together often tells and additional story. Thanks so much for sharing!
FIGHT CLUB! Besides having a much better ending, the movie features Brad Pitt. Shirtless. A LOT.
Melanie! You made my day – how could one go wrong with that? :) Hope you had a fab weekend.