Trust & Obey

You know how when a movie adaptation of a book comes out the readers say things like “It wasn’t as good as the book” or “They left that part out.” There are a few times when the readers are overall pleased with a movie, or movies, but usually Hollywood ruins what made a book really great. Well, I have finally found a movie that was truly greater than the book.

The movie “The Princess Bride” is a cult classic that just about every American has seen at least once in their life by the time they are ten. It’s got everything from action to fantasy to comedy to romance. If you don’t like action, that’s alright! The gripping romance of Wesley and Buttercup will win you over. It’s one of those that just about everyone likes. Well, I was in an English class this year and my professor assigned The Princess Bride book by William Goldman. My interest was piqued, I wasn’t ecstatic but I was willing to give it a go. You probably can guess what I’m going to say and yes it was not as good as the movie. I felt like I could literally recite the book (I have seen the movie a million times) but that wasn’t my issue since it was written first. My problem was that the movie breathed even more life into the story than the book did. On top of that, the comedy of the book was not that entertaining. Obviously, humor is very subjective but it seemed to be a more sarcastic story but it’s very difficult to convey that on paper. That sarcasm was translated much better in a movie than a book.

Alright, so I didn’t like the book but here is something I did like, I liked hearing the backstories. Goldman tells you all about Inigo’s father and his relationship with him. He also shared about Buttercup’s snarky, stupid nature not just her beauty in contrast with Wesley, who is just all around incredible. The Princess Bride book went deeper into the past in a way that showed you why each character was the way they were. It gave the characters more depth and more of a connection.

I know there may be many readers who are sad to hear that there was one time that a movie actually made a book better or they may disagree but I still stand by this. The Princess Bride novel made me dislike the story instead of causing me to fall in love with it even more and I think we can all agree a book shouldn’t dissuade you but persuade you to fall even deeper into a world. Unfortunately, I did not find that with the novel The Princess Bride.

Do you like the Princess Bride movie or book better? As always, let me know in the comments!