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The Princess Bride
RECOMMENDED: The Princess Bride by William Goldman is $2.99! We previously ran a Squee from the Keeper Shelf review of The Princess Bride. I’ve read the book and seen the movie, and both are enjoyable. I don’t know if I could choose which one I liked more. How would you compare the two?
William Goldman’s modern fantasy classic is a simple, exceptional story about quests—for riches, revenge, power, and, of course, true love—that’s thrilling and timeless.
Anyone who lived through the 1980s may find it impossible—inconceivable, even—to equate The Princess Bride with anything other than the sweet, celluloid romance of Westley and Buttercup, but the film is only a fraction of the ingenious storytelling you’ll find in these pages. Rich in character and satire, the novel is set in 1941 and framed cleverly as an “abridged” retelling of a centuries-old tale set in the fabled country of Florin that’s home to “Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passions.”
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The Rogue
The Rogue by Katharine Ashe is $1.99! This is a first book in a new historical romance series that seems to have a lot of catnip: a second chance romance, a scarred hero, and a marriage of convenience. Trigger warning: Some reviewers warn that there is rape and torture as part of the heroine’s backstory. The next book in this series, The Earl, is also on sale.
Lady Constance Read is independent, beautiful, and in need of a husband—now. The last man on earth she wants is the rogue who broke her heart six years ago, never mind that his kisses are scorching hot…
Evan Saint-André Sterling is rich, scarred, and finished with women—forever. He’s not about to lose his head over the bewitching beauty who once turned his life upside down.
But Constance needs a warrior, and Saint is the perfect man for the job. Only as a married woman can she penetrate Scotland’s most notorious secret society and bring a diabolical duke to justice. When Constance and Saint become allies—and passionate lovers—he’ll risk everything to protect the only woman he has ever loved.
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An Unsuitable Heir
An Unsuitable Heir by KJ Charles is $1.99! This is the third book in the Sins of the Cities series and is a gay historical romance. Some say the romance feels a bit rushed and that there’s an ongoing mystery from previous books. However, others loved the hero, Pen. Some reviews mention that Pen is trans, while others mention that Pen is non-binary. Feel free to clarify in the comments! It has a 4.1-star rating on Goodreads.
A private detective finds passion, danger, and the love of a lifetime when he hunts down a lost earl in Victorian London.
On the trail of an aristocrat’s secret son, enquiry agent Mark Braglewicz finds his quarry in a music hall, performing as a trapeze artist with his twin sister. Graceful, beautiful, elusive, and strong, Pen Starling is like nobody Mark’s ever met—and everything he’s ever wanted. But the long-haired acrobat has an earldom and a fortune to claim.
Pen doesn’t want to live as any sort of man, least of all a nobleman. The thought of being wealthy, titled, and always in the public eye is horrifying. He likes his life now—his days on the trapeze, his nights with Mark. And he won’t be pushed into taking a title that would destroy his soul.
But there’s a killer stalking London’s foggy streets, and more lives than just Pen’s are at risk. Mark decides he must force the reluctant heir from music hall to manor house, to save Pen’s neck. Betrayed by the one man he thought he could trust, Pen never wants to see his lover again. But when the killer comes after him, Pen must find a way to forgive—or he might not live long enough for Mark to make amends.
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The Rogue’s Conquest
The Rogue’s Conquest by Lily Maxton is 99c! This historical romance has so much catnip: a heroine who disguises herself as a man and loves science, a prizefighter hero, and an opposites attract romance. Hello! However, be warned that the romance is on the shorter side at a little under 250 pages.
Wallflower Eleanor Townsend is not like most women. She has no interest in marriage, the ton, or fashion. Instead, her heart lies with science. And when the opportunity to present a paper arises, she takes it, even though it means dressing as a man. But her disguise doesn’t quite work. Someone notices—and the brute intends to blackmail her!
Former prizefighter James MacGregor wants to be a gentleman, like the men he trains in his boxing saloon. His first step is gaining a beautiful, wealthy wife. Eleanor Townsend is not that woman, but a chance encounter gives him the leverage he needs. She’ll gain him entry to high society and help him with his atrocious manners, and in return, he won’t reveal her secret. It’s the perfect arrangement. At least until the sparks between them become more than just their personalities clashing. But there’s too much at stake for James to give in to his growing attraction.
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As an (alleged) adult, I enjoy both book and film versions of The Princess Bride, but they are very different. When I read the book as a kid, I was horribly disappointed in it after so many years of loving the movie.
While it’s a cracking read and very funny, there is a level of cynicism in the book that isn’t present in the film. The book is more obviously satirical, more cutting, a little crueler to its characters. The movie has some excellent humor, but overall it embraces its fable without winking, and the romance feels realer than the satire. If you want to be immersed in a funny fairy tale, watch the movie; if you want a snarkier take on some old tropes and don’t mind a less-than-perfect ending, read the book.
I read The Princess Bride after seeing the movie about 200 times, and my feeling about the book is “the same, but MORE.” If I’d read the book first, I probably would have been peeved by the cuts made for the movie, but reading it later was like getting The Expanded Edition.
Just to clarify on Unsuitable Heir: Pen is what we would call nonbinary and genderfluid. (Those aren’t terms used in the book because 1873.)
Yeah, whoever called Pen trans was perhaps using a wider definition that includes all variations on cis binary genders, but he’s clearly presented as neither a woman nor a man, with his preferences and presentation varying from day to day. Also: Strongly recommend this book for sensitive depiction of nonbinary lovers and how to care about them.
Love Unsuitable Heir so very VERY much.
It’s been awhile since I’ve read The Princess Bride, but I did enjoy it quite a bit despite the differences from the movie. I agree it’s snarkier and leans into the satire so much more.
If you love one or both, I strongly recommend As You Wish by Cary Elwes, a memoir about the making of the film. It often comes up on sale and the audiobook features cameo voices from almost all the major players involved including the author William Goldman. You learn from the memoir that everyone involved had a really deep love for the original novel and they worked hard to strike the right winking tone without going too snarky or too cheesy. And that the book is William Goldman’s favorite of all that he’s written.
I read (and loved) “The Princess Bride” long before it was a movie. Usually when a book you love is made in to a movie it’s disappointing, but I love the movie as well. I agree with the comments that the book is snarkier. But it’s also funnier, or funnier in different ways. And yes, read Elwes’ “As You Wish” as well. It was clearly a labor of love for everyone involved, including William Goldman, who did an excellent job of retaining the playfulness of the original but in almost completely different ways.
Not at all historical, but Kristen Ashley’s The Gamble is currently free to Kindle readers.
I’ve heard good things about Sleeping Giants (The Themis Files) by Sylvain Neuvel which is on sale for $1.99.
According to KJ Charles herself, Pen is genderfluid. Like Zee says upthread, those who used trans were probably unaware that it was the incorrect term.
Joining in the love for the book form of The Princess Bride. Hilarious, terrifying and really clear about how much work goes into swashbuckling romance. I loved the framing story, too.
Technically nonbinary and genderfluid people (as one of them!) ARE trans, so it’s not incorrect. Anyone who’s not cis is trans, including those outwith the binary.
I have read both The Rogue’s Conquest and The Rogue. The Lily Maxton novel is a quick read, but it is full of catnip! The scene where James calls Eleanor out on her charade is memorable. In the Katharine Ashe novel, the heroine has been through some seriously bad stuff. She and her hero are both scarred by life, but offered second chances, and the story really worked for me.
Y’all, Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos is 1.99 on kindle today. One of my all time squee favorite comfort reads. It’s dual narration by underachieving clever vintagey coffee shop girl Cornelia and eleven year old Claire whose wealthy and loving single mother has abandoned her (tw: mental illness, sensitively portrayed imo). It’s about all the forms of love, including romantic although the romance is not the central plot.
Read it. Then read the sequel, Belong to Me.
All the love.
The framing story in the book is much better (and more elaborate) than the one in the movie.
I honestly have never understood why everyone loves “The Princess Bride” so much. I’ve seen the movie, but was underwhelmed. It just doesn’t work for me; not as a romance, not as adventure/quest, not as humor.
I read the book The Princess Bride first in like the 5th grade and LOVED it so avoided the movie for quite a long time. Both are delicious.
I literally just finished reading The Princess Bride two days ago. I enjoyed it a lot, though the book was more satirical, and I think maybe a bit darker, than the movie (though it’s been years since I’ve seen the movie.)