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Cover of The Princess Bride by William GoldmanThe Princess Bride
Classic · Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

The Princess Bride

by William Goldman
1973 · 456 pages · Fiction
73.8Must-Read
Score Classic
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 11 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time, and he turns out to be a lot less than the man of her dreams? William Goldman's tale of true love, swordfights, giants, pirates and revenge is presented as the 'good parts' version of an older book.

Why it's worth reading

It's a beloved classic of adventure and comedy, and the basis for the famous 1987 film.

You'll love it if you liked

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The HobbitJ. R. R. Tolkien

Good to know

Goldman's frame story, with his interruptions, is part of the fun. Fans of the film will find more here.

By the numbers

73.8Must-Read Score
  • Readers86 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller36 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Reads as

Adventurous, Moving

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 233 rankedClassic booksTop 25 · 762 rankedBooks of the 1970sTop 25 · 131 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 ranked

Quick answers

Is The Princess Bride worth reading?

Yes. It's a beloved classic of adventure and comedy, and the basis for the famous 1987 film. It ranks #917 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 73.8 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Princess Bride about?

What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time, and he turns out to be a lot less than the man of her dreams? William Goldman's tale of true love, swordfights, giants, pirates and revenge is presented as the 'good parts' version of an older book.

How long does it take to read The Princess Bride?

About 11 hours (456 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Princess Bride?

If you liked it, try Stardust by Neil Gaiman, Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett or The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien.