The Sword and Laser discussion

When I first read The Princes Bride in high school, I accepted everything Goldman said about how dull and ponderous Morganstern's original was. But when I was in college, I was browsing the library one evening when I came across a battered old copy of the unabridged book, and I decided to give it a try.

After plowing through all 1200 pages of tiny print, I have to say that Goldman was completely wrong. I can certainly understand why the unabridged book wouldn't appeal to a ten year old, but Morganstern wasn't writing for ten year olds. The Florinese critics are correct that Goldman completely missed the point and lobotomized the novel with his abridgement.

For example, in Chapter Two, Goldman excises a long section on the history of the Florin royal family, saying it was sixty pages of begatting. But he completely misses the humor. If you know about 19th Century European monarchs, it's absolutely hilarious. I especially love all the digs at the British for being ruled by Germans (Queen Victoria had as much German blood as Kaiser Wilhelm) and how Florin is the only country in Europe not ruled by Victoria's descendants (an exaggeration, but not by much). But because a ten year old wouldn't get it, Goldman throws it out.

If you ever have the chance to read Morganstern's original, I highly recommend it.

YHBT as they used to say.

Skip wrote: "YHBT as they used to say."

Ix-nay! Ix-nay!

i found the commentary on the "machine" a great and rather insightful.

Sean wrote: "Ix-nay! Ix-nay!"

What? The Yellow Heavy Bear Threat isn't a spoiler, it isn't in the abridged book. Unless I'm forgetting something.

Sean, you're so lucky to have had your hands on the unabridged version! I've heard these days all copies have been squirreled away by greedy Florinese scholars, who won't part with them for love nor money.

(Money having been invented long before love. When man first crawled from the primordial ooze and sought shelter in a cave, another man was there charging for it. Love came 3 days later.)

Well now I dont feel so bad about not being able to find a copy of the unabdridged version. At 1200 pages I'd be reading it until 2012.

Jlawrence wrote: "Sean, you're so lucky to have had your hands on the unabridged version! I've heard these days all copies have been squirreled away by greedy Florinese scholars, who won't part with them for love no..."

Epic, you win. I could not have said it any better...

Seriously looked for the unabridged version for days before breaking down and getting the abridged. I almost cried when Tom said it was all made up.

Awwww ... now I feel bad. YHBT is You Have Been Trolled. I seriously looked for the same way years ago when looking at the book in a book store, and past on it because I wanted the "whole" book.

Skip wrote: "Awwww ... now I feel bad. YHBT is You Have Been Trolled. I seriously looked for the same way years ago when looking at the book in a book store, and past on it because I wanted the "whole" book."

You are not the only one, me to.

It's kind of fun to go read all the Amazon customer reviews of the book...quite a few people complain that they couldn't get the unabridged version (even marking down their rating for the book because of it).

I know, many others mark the book down because they don't get the "Author's comments" are part of the fictional book.

That's why I asked in another thread about whether or not a reader understood the concept of the book. You can critique the book for not being good, or for pulling off a bad joke poorly; but you have to understand it to provide valid criticism. In the case here, he did get it, just didn't care for it, which is perfectly valid. It is far from a perfect book.

So Sean do you really have an S. Morgenstern original or is S. Morgenstern just made up by William Goldman?

Logan wrote: "So Sean do you really have an S. Morgenstern original or is S. Morgenstern just made up by William Goldman?"

Are you questioning the veracity of William Goldman? Of course I have a copy of Morgenstern's original. It's on my shelf right next to Last Dangerous Visions and De Vermis Mysteriis.

So the copy you have is not written by William Goldman? What year ws the original printed in?

This thread sent me to wikipedia..I need to read this book one day..I'll probably stick to the abridged version though..

Logan wrote: "So the copy you have is not written by William Goldman? What year ws the original printed in?"

I don't actually own a copy -- as I said in the first message, I found it in the library at college. Searching their online catalogue, it would seem to be the Hotch & Woller edition of 1933. I'm not sure if there is a more modern edition -- remember how Goldman discusses how difficult it was to find a copy in his intro to the abridgement -- so you'll probably have to dig through Alibris and the like.

Logan wrote: "So the copy you have is not written by William Goldman? What year ws the original printed in?"

If you go to the Library of Congress website you might be able to research it.
http://www.loc.gov/index.html
Then again, it is a very rare book so may not be available to the general public. It's a lot like the original Necromomicon by Abdul Alhazred.

Okay thankyou both. Im just glad to know that there is a real book so I wont be looking in vain lol. :)

When I was little I wrote to the publisher asking for a copy of the reunion scene between Wesley and Buttercup. In return I received a hilarious letter explaining the many lawsuits restricting the publication of such. I keep it in a place of honor.

Kathryn wrote: "When I was little I wrote to the publisher asking for a copy of the reunion scene between Wesley and Buttercup. In return I received a hilarious letter explaining the many lawsuits restricting the..."

Talk about meta: In the 25th anniversary edition, Goldman talks about all the requests the publishers orginally received about that scene. I always thought it was joke...

Nope. Here's the letter to readers: http://splitsider.com/2012/01/the-pri...

Ah yes I picked up an original copy while backpacking through Florin after College.
Unfortunately the book was so heavy and large that while backpacking back OUT of Florin it pulled me off balance down a hillside and into one of Florin beautiful rivers. I had to drop the pack or risk drowning, being pulled under the waters by the weight of Morganstern's epic tome. There it lay until devoured by a school of well educated fishes