81. As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Recommended by:
Author: Cary Elwes
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir, Humor
259 pages, published October 14, 2014
Reading Format: Audio Book
Summary
As You Wish is the story of the making of the classic film “The Princess Bride” as told by actor Cary Elwes who played the iconic role of Westley. Elwes takes you behind-the-scenes with delightful stories and interviews with costars Robin Wright, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, and Mandy Patinkin, as well as author and screenwriter William Goldman, producer Norman Lear, and director Rob Reiner. The Princess Bride, a family favorite for 30 years has been designated by the American Film Institute as one of the top 100 Greatest Love Stories and by the Writers Guild of America as one of the top 100 screenplays of all time.
Quotes
“Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautiful ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Pain. Death. Brave men. Cowardly men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles.”
“Is it fair to call The Princess Bride a classic? The storybook story about pirates and princesses, giants and wizards, Cliffs of Insanity and Rodents of Unusual Size? It’s certainly one of the most often quoted films in cinema history, with lines like:
“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.”
“Inconceivable?”
“Anybody want a peanut?”
“Have fun storming the castle.”
“Never get involved in a land war in Asia.”
“Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.”
“Rest well, and dream of large women.”
“I hate for people to die embarrassed.”
“Please consider me as an alternative to suicide.”
“This is true love. You think this happens every day?”
“Get used to disappointment.”
“I’m not a witch. I’m your wife.”
“Mawidege. That bwessed awangement.”
“You seem a decent fellow. I hate to kill you.”… You seem a decent fellow. I hate to die.”
“Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while.”
“Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!”
“There’s a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a pity to damage yours.”
And of course…
“As you wish.”
“Mandy swears that barely a day goes by that he isn’t asked by someone, somewhere, to recite Inigo Montoya’s most famous words, in which he vows vengeance on behalf of his father. “And I never let them down,” he says.”
“We got to the moment when I wake up from being “mostly dead” and say: “I’ll beat you both apart! I’ll take you both together!”, Fezzik cups my mouth with his hand, and answers his own question to Inigo as to how long it might be before Miracle Max’s pill begins to take effect by stating: “I guess not very long.” As soon as he delivered that line, there issued forth from Andre’ one of the most monumental farts any of us had ever heard. Now I suppose you wouldn’t expect a man of Andre’s proportions to pass gas quietly or unobtrusively, but this particular one was truly epic, a veritable symphony of gastric distress that roared for more than several seconds and shook the very foundations of the wood and plaster set were now grabbing on to out of sheer fear. It was long enough and loud enough that every member of the crew had time to stop what they were doing and take notice. All I can say is that it was a wind that could have held up in comparison to the one Slim Pickens emitted int eh campfire scene in Mel Brooks’s Blazing Saddles, widely acknowledged as the champion of all cinematic farts.
Except of course, this one wasn’t in the script.”
Vizzini: HE DIDN’T FALL? INCONCEIVABLE.
Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
My Take
If you like The Princess Bride (I love it), then you will really enjoy As You Wish which brings back wonderful memories from the classic film and includes great stories from its making. Not only was Cary Elwes dashing as the perfect Westley, but he is also a talented writer who knows how to spin an engrossing tale. After listening to this book (which was wonderfully narrated by Elwes along with others involved in making The Princess Bride), I recommend a re-watching of The Princess Bride. With the added insight provided by As You Wish, you should enjoy the movie even more.