The Princess Bride – William Goldman (1973)

The Princess Bride by William Goldman, published in 1973, is a modern fantasy classic that blends romance, adventure, satire, and metafiction into a single, unforgettable narrative. Framed as an abridgement of S. Morgenstern’s “classic tale,” the novel presents a story-within-a-story in which Goldman adapts the supposed original text, offering commentary throughout. Although it stands on its own, the book gained massive popularity in part due to its iconic 1987 film adaptation, and it continues to charm readers with its wit, heart, and swashbuckling energy.

Plot Summary

Once upon a time in the land of Florin, there lived a young woman named Buttercup, who, without realizing it, was becoming the most beautiful woman in the world. She spent her days riding her horse and commanding the farm boy, Westley, to fetch her things. He never said more than three words in reply – as you wish. What she didn’t know was that he meant I love you. And when she finally understood, it was too late. Westley had gone to seek his fortune across the sea, determined to return rich and worthy of her hand.

But news soon came that his ship was taken by the Dread Pirate Roberts, who famously left no survivors. Buttercup, shattered by grief, vowed never to love again. When Prince Humperdinck, heir to the Florinese throne, selected her to be his bride, she agreed, resigned to a loveless life as queen. The people rejoiced for the engagement of the beautiful commoner to the powerful prince, but Buttercup’s heart remained sealed, locked with the memory of her lost farm boy.

Not long before the wedding, Buttercup was kidnapped by a trio of unusual criminals. Vizzini, the self-proclaimed genius; Inigo Montoya, a Spanish swordsman with a vengeance in his heart; and Fezzik, a gentle giant with unmatched strength. They spirited her away across the Florin Channel with plans to frame the nearby country of Guilder for her murder, inciting war. But their escape was shadowed by a masked man dressed in black, climbing the Cliffs of Insanity behind them.

The Man in Black bested each of the kidnappers in turn – defeating Inigo in a dazzling sword duel fought with mutual respect, overcoming Fezzik in a battle of strength and kindness, and outwitting Vizzini in a battle of logic and poisoned wine. With Buttercup now his, the Man in Black fled through the Fire Swamp, a deadly forest filled with lightning sand, flame spurts, and rodents of unusual size. There, she learned the truth – the Man in Black was Westley, her Westley, returned from the dead.

Westley, it turned out, had not been killed by the Dread Pirate Roberts but had become him. Or rather, he had taken up the title when the previous Roberts retired, handing down his name and ship. His love for Buttercup had kept him alive, and his quest to reclaim her had kept him moving. But the joy of their reunion was short-lived. As they emerged from the Fire Swamp, Humperdinck and his men awaited them. Buttercup surrendered herself to spare Westley, who was taken away to the Prince’s secret torture chamber – the Pit of Despair.

There, Count Rugen – Humperdinck’s cold-hearted ally and the very six-fingered man who had murdered Inigo’s father – oversaw Westley’s torment. He drained Westley of life using a terrible machine, until the farm boy was nothing more than a lifeless husk. Meanwhile, Buttercup, unaware of Westley’s fate, agreed to marry Humperdinck on the condition that he promise not to harm her beloved. The Prince lied easily, fully intending to kill her on their wedding night and blame Guilder.

But Buttercup’s fate would not go unanswered. Inigo, who had long searched for the six-fingered man, learned that Count Rugen was within the castle walls. Joined by Fezzik, who had been aimlessly wandering since Vizzini’s death, he formed a plan to storm the castle and rescue Westley. But they needed the farm boy – even dead, his mind was the sharpest among them. They recovered his body and carried him to Miracle Max, a disgraced healer now living in seclusion with his fearsome wife, Valerie. Max confirmed Westley was only mostly dead – and mostly dead, he claimed, was slightly alive.

With a miracle pill shoved into his mouth and flames shooting from his revived body, Westley awoke, barely able to move but still full of fire. They snuck into the castle on the night of the wedding. Westley, propped by Fezzik and speaking through gasps, led the charge with cleverness and bluff. Inigo found Rugen and faced him at last, steel against steel, vengeance against cruelty. Though wounded, Inigo pressed on, fueled by the memory of his father. With trembling hands, he delivered justice at last.

Inside the royal bedchamber, Buttercup stood with a dagger to her chest, moments from ending her life before Humperdinck could kill her. But Westley, pale and broken, was there. He bluffed the Prince into surrendering, threatening to maim him in ways both gruesome and poetic. Humperdinck folded like a coward, tied to a chair and left to sulk. Westley collapsed again, his body nearly giving out.

Fezzik arrived with four white horses, the perfect escape plan in place. Inigo, victorious but bleeding, joined them. Buttercup and Westley rode together, their love alive once more. Fezzik smiled wide. Inigo considered a future beyond revenge. Westley whispered that maybe, just maybe, he would retire as Dread Pirate Roberts and spend his life with the woman he loved.

And so they rode through the moonlight, four souls changed by pain, love, and adventure. And for a moment, everything was perfect.

Main Characters

• Buttercup – A spirited young farm girl who grows to be the most beautiful woman in the world. Initially prideful and dismissive, especially toward her farmhand Westley, she later evolves into a loyal and brave woman when faced with loss and danger. Her love for Westley defines her journey, as she moves from innocence to understanding the deeper costs of love and sacrifice.
• Westley – The devoted farm boy who responds only with “As you wish” to Buttercup’s every command, a phrase that becomes his quiet declaration of love. Thought lost at sea, Westley returns as the mysterious and formidable Man in Black. Courageous, intelligent, and driven by love, he exemplifies the fairy-tale hero with a sharp edge and relentless determination.
• Inigo Montoya – A Spanish swordsman driven by vengeance for his father’s murder. Trained in fencing from a young age, Inigo is fiercely loyal and passionate. His famous vow, “You killed my father. Prepare to die,” defines his character arc, culminating in a battle between justice and revenge.
• Fezzik – A gentle giant with tremendous strength and a poetic soul. Fezzik is often underestimated due to his size but proves himself a loyal friend and protector. His childlike innocence and loyalty provide warmth and comic relief throughout the tale.
• Vizzini – A cunning Sicilian criminal mastermind who frequently declares things “inconceivable.” Arrogant and verbose, Vizzini leads the initial kidnapping of Buttercup but is swiftly outwitted by Westley. He embodies the self-assured villain undone by his own hubris.
• Prince Humperdinck – The devious heir to the Florinese throne who seeks to marry Buttercup and start a war through her assassination. Skilled as a hunter but cruel and manipulative, Humperdinck is a caricature of tyranny and cowardice cloaked in royal grandeur.
• Count Rugen – Humperdinck’s right-hand man and the six-fingered man who murdered Inigo’s father. Cold, intellectual, and sadistic, Rugen oversees the Pit of Despair and embodies calculated cruelty.

Theme

• True Love: The central theme is embodied in the love between Westley and Buttercup, a love tested by separation, death, and betrayal. It’s presented as rare and sacred, enduring even the most fantastical trials. Their devotion serves as a beacon throughout the chaos of the narrative, celebrated and idealized but not without sacrifice.
• Revenge and Justice: Inigo’s pursuit of Count Rugen for his father’s murder exemplifies the long-burning flame of vengeance. His journey underscores the fine line between justice and obsession, and his eventual triumph is both redemptive and cathartic.
• Satire of Traditional Fairy Tales: Goldman frequently undermines classic fairy tale tropes – beautiful princesses, brave heroes, evil princes – by infusing them with humor, self-awareness, and real-world cynicism. This ironic tone gives the story modern relevance while still honoring the genre’s spirit.
• The Nature of Storytelling: The book is as much about how stories are told as it is about the story itself. Goldman’s interjections and metafictional framing challenge the reader to consider the roles of author, editor, and audience. It’s a narrative about the narratives we inherit and the emotional truths they hold.
• Heroism and Identity: Every major character struggles with their own identity and role – Westley hides behind masks, Inigo is defined by vengeance, Fezzik by his strength. The novel examines what it truly means to be a hero: not perfection, but courage, loyalty, and resolve.

Writing Style and Tone

William Goldman’s writing in The Princess Bride is a unique alchemy of parody, earnestness, and metafiction. His playful narrative voice blends irreverent humor with genuine affection for the adventure genre. Goldman disrupts the flow of the fairy tale with running commentary, often inserting himself (as a fictionalized version of himself) to reflect on the text, his childhood, or how he came to “abridge” the story for his son. These intrusions create a layered reading experience, simultaneously telling a sweeping tale and questioning the act of storytelling itself.

The tone vacillates between whimsical and heartfelt, comedic and tragic. Moments of romance and sorrow are not undercut by parody but rather enriched by it – the humor adds humanity to archetypes and the sincerity grounds the satire. The dialogue sparkles with wit, the action scenes burst with energy, and even the darkest moments have a glimmer of hope or absurdity. In essence, the tone walks a tightrope between homage and mockery, never losing sight of the story’s emotional core.