3 stars

I’ll do my best to make it through this review without quoting The Princess Bride. It’ll be difficult, but we’ll see how this goes. 

This is a wonderful book for all the die-hard Princess Bride fans. The ones who know every scene, every line, every character, every actor. Those people who have lost count of how many times they have seen the movie. It is filled with fun anecdotes and provides an insider look into the making, release, and aftermath of the movie.

I love The Princess Bride. I wouldn’t say I am a die-hard fan, but I have seen it at least a dozen times and enjoy watching it. I quote the most popular lines along with the movie and my heart swoons for Inigo every time. But again, not a die-hard fan. I think for those of us who don’t live and breath Princess Bride, this book gets a little too detailed at times. While most of the stories are interesting, sometimes they go on to the point where they are a bit dull. I think really intense fans would still find it interesting, but for people who like the movie a normal amount, some of the pacing felt a bit slow with too much detail. Also, by the end, I was a little sick of hearing about how pretty Robin Wright is. Almost every person commented on her beauty. At some point it’s like, we get it, Buttercup is beautiful, Robin is beautiful, moving on. 

However, the book does have a lot of “fun facts” that I am sure would make any reader seem like an expert when they recite them while watching the movie with a group. Things like, “In this scene, Elwes had a broken toe” or “He wasn’t acting here. That was actually a real reaction.” Interesting things like that. 

While the book focuses mostly on Elwes’ experiences, there are tons of quotes and snippets from various people involved in the movie. Most of these quotes are read by the actual person in the audiobook version, which makes for an ever more engaging reading experience.

And of course, the majority of the book is read by Cary Elwes and just listening to his voice and accent is splendid. He also does some great accents and impersonations, which is fun. 

Overall, a good read. Sometimes a little too detailed, but great for fans of The Princess Bride. 

Yes, I did it. Got through without a single quote. I am so proud.

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