The Princess Bride
By Ellen Dendy,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Fast-paced fun, but more intense than the movie.
Add your rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
Based on 4 parent reviews
The Princess Bride - Novel
Best book ever
What's the Story?
After learning that her wayward true love, Westley, will never return for her, beautiful, brokenhearted Buttercup agrees to marry entirely undeserving Prince Humperdinck. But before the wedding festivities can commence, Buttercup is kidnapped and whisked away in a boat, her life in the hands of a vicious gang.
Thus begins an edge-of-your-seat adventure involving a six-fingered killer, a royal fiend, a misunderstood giant, a vengeful Spaniard, a retired miracle worker, and the mysterious masked man in black. Toss in a desperate race up the Cliffs of Insanity, wild swordfights, hungry rodents of unusual size, screaming eels, and even more trouble, and it's hard not to believe that the young maiden is doomed.
Will Buttercup survive her increasingly perilous circumstances to find true love again? Rest assured, happiness prevails in the end.
Is It Any Good?
Goldman's wild ride evokes virtually every emotion possible, and the plot moves so quickly in most parts that readers may need to remind themselves to breathe.
It's impossible to review THE PRINCESS BRIDE without comparing it to the popular film version of the edgy fairy tale. William Goldman wrote both the book and the screenplay, but the more detailed book includes darker, scarier situations.
Two standout differences in the book are Prince Humperdinck's Zoo of Death (where the brutish royal fights caged animals to the death and always wins), and further development of Fezzik and Inigo Montoya through poignant childhood flashbacks. The description of Humperdinck's "hobby" adds a touch of pure evil, and the flashbacks add so much to the story that you'll wish Miracle Max could magically add them to the next edition of the DVD.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about their favorite scenes and characters in The Princess Bride. How does the book differ from the movie, if you've seen it?
How does humor add to this book? Would it be a completely different book if the humor was left out? Do you think you'd like it as much?
Buttercup and Westley are heroic, but sometimes their pride gets in the way. Can you think of scenes when this happened?
Does the background on Fezzik's and Inigo's childhoods help explain their thoughts and actions as adults? If so, how?
Book Details
- Author: William Goldman
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Del Rey
- Publication date: January 1, 1973
- Number of pages: 400
- Last updated: June 9, 2015
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate