Five Books that Shaped Me—Framing a Fantasy

DAY 084 - 26/25/3 -

Not long ago I came upon the question, "What five books inspired your writing?" I have since explained the details of the third novel, so it's time to discuss the fourth. That honor goes to S. Morgenstern's classic tale of true love and high adventure, better known as...

#4 - The Princess Bride

- William Goldman

I sat in English class with my finished midterm on my desk. My teacher asked if I had any studying I could do. I told her this midterm was my last. So, she let me go to the library on one condition; that I take a Doctor Who personality test.* While I was there, reclining in one of the aisles, I saw a big green book. The spine was covered with stickers, so I pulled it out to look at the title. It was The Princess Bride. I was astounded.

I didn't know it was a book. I thought it was just a wonderful film. My sister saw it first and then she recommended that Grandma watch it. Grandma loved it and bought the VHS. Then, she showed it to my brother and me. I always wanted to spend more time in that world, and I was gonna get my chance through that book.

When I started reading Morgenstern's tale, I had a hard time finding the first page. The novel began with a prelude, an introduction, and a 36-page prologue. None of it mentioned the maiden Buttercup or the farm boy Westley. Instead, it talked about the book's publisher, William Goldman. He wrote about his childhood memories with the book, and how he wanted to read it to his son the same way his dad read it to him. None of that interested me. Figured I'd read it later.

My eyes glazed, until I found "Part One. The Bride." There was the country of Florin, Buttercup and her horse. "The horse's name was 'Horse.' (Buttercup was never long on imagination,)" (42). I was laughing again, but then the book got interrupted. On page 46, the text stopped. Written were the words, "All abridging remarks and other comments will be in this fancy italic type so you'll know." I skipped that to get back to the action.

Those italics showed up a few times, and all they did was annoy me. Then, I arrived at "Part Four. The Preparations." The entire chapter was in italics. Goldman wrote, "Would you believe that in the original Morgenstern this is the longest single chapter in the book?" (93). He removed the chapter, because "from a narrative point of view, in 105 pages nothing happens." (94). Now, I knew something was up. No one proudly states, "I removed a chapter," without expecting some kind of backlash. It was time I got to the bottom of this.

I read the prelude, the introduction, and (most) of the prologue. In it Goldman talked about how Morgenstern's book was full of stuff he didn't remember. That's because his dad skipped those parts when he read it. Goldman had no intention of publishing those parts. He even said that his publishing was The Good Parts Version. "Fine. I'll read Goldman's book," I thought, "but I want the unedited one, when I'm done."

Take it from me: Don't skip the italics. Half of the joy of Goldman's Good Parts was reading his remarks. Those interruptions changed my perspective, allowing me to appreciate the story through Goldman's eyes. It was as if he was reading the book to me, the same way his dad read to him. There is a perceived tenderness when someone takes their time to read you a story. Reading alone is empowering, but reading together is bonding. Goldman highlighted that distinction. I never would have experienced it, if he didn't abridge Morgenstern's tale.

Well, I've left you hanging for too long, so it's time to come clean. Ladies and gentlemen, Goldman made it up. There is no Morgenstern who lived in Florin. There was no book that his dad used to read. Goldman didn't even have a son (he had two daughters). The prelude, the introduction, the prologue and the italics, was all part of an elaborate fiction.

Why was The Princess Bride written this way? It could be because fairy tales are easy to ignore. Most fantasies are scoffed at by cynical adults. So, what Goldman did to get around this is he crafted a frame—one that allows audiences to admire the story without being too invested in a "child's tale." This is even done in the film, where the story is told by a grandpa who keeps interrupting himself. Those interruptions frame the story. It's how the author is able to look at his audience and say, "I know you don't believe this, and you're too good for a fairy tale, but you're still listening. Aren't you?"

This realization had such an impact on me. I wrote a college paper on it, and my professor submitted it to a conference. A year later, that conference said they wanted me to give a presentation. That's how I ended up standing before a room of scholars, holding a DVD and a library book. What a day that was, and it wouldn't have happened if The Princess Bride didn't have those annoying italics.

Presenting at the ECA 2018 conference

Make sure to come back for the last part of this series, where I'll discuss the thriller that showed me how an author can approach his narrative and readers, and the distinction between the two.

* This is true. At the time most people in my class were fans of Doctor Who. My English teacher took the test herself and believed it couldn't be forced into giving a desired answer. When she sent me to the library, she wrote the link to the test on my hall pass. I was not to return without a print-out of my results. According to the test, I am most like the 10th Doctor.