The Princess Bride by William Goldman Book Review

As the royal troops are gaining on them, Indigo is bleeding to death, Westley begins to die again, Buttercup’s horse loses a shoe, and Fezzik gets them lost. This right here is not your typical fairytale ending demonstrated in William Goldman’s “The Princess Bride.” As a result, it is unquestionable that The Princess Bride should classify as a satire. This gets perfectly demonstrated in the way the author inverts the typical elements of a fairy tale by betraying the happily ever after ending as well as the use of humor that portrays the characters such as Fezzik. A good connection between Goldman’s real-life lesson that “life isn’t fair” and how the ending of the story alters the archetypal end in fairy tales as well as creating Fezzik as an atypical assassin to add humor. 

In other words, the element Goldman changes is a happy ending which is illustrated in the standard fairy tale outcome, “happily ever after”. This author's novel certainly does not end like this. This ending alters the classic that most fairy tales end with like, Cinderella, Snow White even Shrek. Satire is used here as the author throws around the tradition fairytales have and the readers then call into question it. Even young Goldman thought that this novel would end like every other one. As shown here: Young Willy states after reading the opposite of what would've been a happy ending at the time “I spent that whole night thinking Buttercup married Humperdinck. It just rocked me. How can I explain it, but the world didn't work that way. Good got attracted to good, the evil you flushed down the john and that was that.” (Goldman 172) In the typical fairytale would the princess go marry the evil prince and abandon her true love? It was rather believed not so as this was what made Willy question the whole story at the moment and be completely baffled. The satire messes with the common theme and archetypal ending where the good guy would save the princess as she surely picked his side which makes the readers believe that is what always happens. Furthermore, throughout the book, Goldman states that life isn't fair. This is stated multiple times round the book and if he said otherwise he would be a hypocrite. The present good connection between the author's real-life and the ending of the book is just fascinating when it is all connected to the introduction and early life of his. As demonstrated here Goldman explains how the unrealistic thoughts of the usual fairytale affected him “The wrong people die, some of them, and the reason is this: life is not fair. Forget all the garbage your parents put out. Remember Morgenstern. You'll be a lot happier.”(Goldman 174) This part of the quote puts a different perspective out for the readers as fairytales put out unrealistic expectations and parents make it even higher when they conspire on it. Goldman tinkers with the standard ending using satire but for the better of his audience showing the unfairness of life circumstances. Moreover, Goldman does other things as well to show that his novel classifies as a satire. 

That being said, establishing Fezzik as an abnormal assassin was to add humor to the way he is portrayed. Most monsters (like giants, trolls, goblins, etc.) in the novel, are wicked and cruel, but Fezzik the giant is nowhere near those attributes. He is more like a 5-year-old. He needs someone to tell him what to do and is forgetful, shown thoroughly here: "I just feel better when I know what's going on, that's all," the Turk mumbled. "People are always thinking I'm so stupid because I'm big and strong and sometimes drool a little when I get excited." (Goldman 87) The first part of Fezzik wanting to know what is going on shows the curiosity that a younger child would have, which is the opposite of a typical giant. When he mentions that he is big and strong, it contributes to the typical monster image but backfires with a child's innocence when the part about him drooling when he gets excited, this humor's the reader and shows Fezziks innocent heart. An assassin who loves to rhyme more than kill... 

Well, who would not laugh at a supposedly terrifying giant who is strong, but rather takes joy in constructing rhymes? Fezziks love for rhymes is demonstrated here "-he just loved rhymes. Anything you said out loud, he rhymed it inside. Sometimes the rhymes made sense, sometimes they didn't."(Goldman 122) The satire here is shown indisputably because the use of humor and exaggeration of Fezzik's love for poems is shown. The quote above supports two attributes in satire displayed here: the idea of a giant with the looks of Fezzik would certainly make the readers giggle plus, the exaggeration of him rhyming everything inside that you would say just shows how much Fezzik is into it. Both of these techniques are used adequately in satire. How the humor of Fezzik's childish self amuses the readers will be summarized along with all the other points in the following explanation.

Without a doubt, The Princess Bride classifies as a satire since the humor in the author's tone exaggerates the unusualness in Fezziks character along with the infringement of basic rules in a fairy tale by proving the unfairness of life circumstances. Additionally, Goldman and how he uses satire in the book is appealing with the author throwing around the tradition fairytales have and the readers questioning it as well as the way the author uses humor to portray characters in the book oppositely than what we would expect. To conclude, The Princess Bride a classic didn't end like the rest of the fairy tales we know, but did have us baffled with the unusual ending and undoubtedly surprised by the humor incorporated in Fezzik; therefore: classify The Princess Bride as a satire.