“Yes, I finally experienced the Princess Bride, both in book and in film.
The movie is one of those that you have to see if for no other reason than to stop people’s incredulity when you explain that you haven’t. There are plenty of other reasons to watch it, but good god, there aren’t many statements that bring forth as much shock and awe as “Princess Bride? Never seen it.”
Some statements that bring forth equivalent surprise:
“I’ve never been in a ball pit.”
“I’ve never see precipitation of any kind.”
“I’ve never seen the Goonies/the Breakfast Club/the Karate Kid.” (these I know from experience to be on about the same level)
I’m guilty of doing the same thing, though. When a friend recently told me she’d never seen Back to the Future, ANY of them, I said, “Really? None of them?”
It’s a nice way to communicate with someone, restating everything in question form.
“That’ll be $4.95.”
“Really? $4.95? In money? American money?”
The book is really good, though. It has a surprising element thatâs mostly absent in the movie, which is the author writing short asides explaining how he edited the original text and why. Great stuff, really funny. I can see why itâs so popular amongst adults. Itâs got that vibe to it, maybe the closest equivalent being a Pixar movie, where you feel like itâs for kids, but also that weâre being tricked into thinking itâs for kids when really itâs more for adults in a lot of ways. As if theyâre somehow made to make us feel nostalgia for the movies of childhood, but to feel the nostalgia when seeing something brand new and for the first time, as adults. Itâs very tricky.
One more thing: if a friend tells you that a book is a favorite, or a movie, or a song, itâs probably worth your time to see what the fuss is about. Seriously. Thatâs how I ended up reading a long form fairy tale in between a book about cage fighters and a book about a bomb tech.
The beauty of reading a friend favorite is that even if youâre not all that into the book, youâll still understand something new about your friend. So if it drags in sections or if it takes a little longer to convince you of its value, youâve got more reason to read it.
Everybody has plenty of stuff on the to-read list. But if youâve got a little time, try reading something that a friend or a loved one would claim as a favorite. Itâs time well spent.
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