This was a hilariously rollicking adventure story that I found through Booktube (can’t remember from whom). Hadn’t heard of it before but I’m glad I found it. It had my kind of humour and was a great pick me up read after The Memory Police! 

We’re following the adventures of Buttercup and Westley, from the farm where they’ve both grown up and first met through their very often absurdly over-the-top journeys involving kidnappings, attempted murders and death itself. Honestly, the characters maybe cliched &  stereotypical, their actions largely predictable, but Goldman’s self-deprecating humour hits my sweet spot every time. There’s rarely a boring moment and I’ve laughed out loud many, many times 😄

Goldman’s imagination is on steroids! He’s invented stuff that I couldn’t imagine nor have I read of before. The Zoo of Death, the Fire Swamp, the Cliffs of Insanity and the R. O. U. S (rodents of unusual size), are all unique and scary. The Machine, whose description is still an enigma to me, is a terrible invention of Count Rugen that painfully sucks the very life out of human beings 😱 My favourites however are Inigo and Fezzik ☺️ Their friendship, loyalty and humour have my ♥️

Vizzini, Count Rugen and Prince Humperdinck make for a fabulous evil trio and although their single-minded dedication to wickedness is horrible, they’re great villains. Goldman thankfully doesn’t reduce them to caricatures (well, maybe sometimes!), but makes them intelligent and in their own way courageous characters. They lend lots of colour and excitement to the narrative. 

Goldman presents the book as an abridged version of a book called The Princess Bride by S. Morgenstern, first read to him by his father when he was ill with pneumonia. I must confess I googled Morgenstern to see if he was real which tells you what a great job he’s done with the narrative. His writing is pithy, witty and racy! After a while, the asides (presented in brackets and italics), did become repetitive and the novelty of breaking the fourth wall faded, but by then, I was hooked on to the story. 

All in all, a fun, engaging read with a hint of magic, a touch of absurdity, loads of action and dollops of humour 😄 A great read at all times for fans of adventure tales but especially after more serious, literary reads. The fantastic cover helps! Recommended ☺️