Goldman vs. Morgenstern

The Truth Behind The Names

Who is the real author of The Princess Bride? This question has long been debated since the book was first published, and even more so with the renewed insterest following the making of the film version of The Princess Bride. Some are convinced that Morgenstern is the author, while others believe it is all part of the tale by Goldman. I believe that I have provided below irrefutable evidence of the identity of the true Author:

• In the book, Goldman goes on and on about how offended the Florinese historians were that he cut out all the historical information and customs of the time. However, if you look in the dictionary, you'll find:
  Florin: (1)a British silver coin worth 10 pence or 2 shillings (2)a gold coin issued at Florence in 1252 (3)any one of various gold or silver coins used in different European countries since then, such as the Dutch "Guilder".
  Guilder: 1)a silver coin or unit of money of the Netherlands, equal to 100 Netherlands cents (2)a gold or silver coin formerly used in the Netherlands, Germany, or Austria.
  If S. Morgenstern really existed, then there would be a real book on the history of Florin and Guilder, which doesn't exist.
• If S. Morgenstern existed, don't you think someone would have found his book already?Erin
• The supposed original text from Morgenstern's novel is remarkably similar to that of Goldman's introduction and commentary. Meaning that his humor, satire, and basic style of writing in his introduction is in many aspects the same as the novel itself.
• If you look up S.Morgenstern, you'll find The Princess Bride and a book called The Silent Gondoliers. There are two versions of the latter one: A Fable by S. Morgenstern, with the author being William Goldman and another called William Goldman's The Silent Gondoliers, with the author being S. Morgenstern. Many authors have pen names, and it is believed that S. Morgenstern was Goldman's.
• In Goldman's book Five Screenplays, Goldman admits that he wrote the Princess Bride, and that he made up the whole Morgenstern thing.
• In the recently released , Goldman and Rob Reiner (Director) provide commentaries of the film. In this commentary, it is stated that Goldman wrote the book based on suggestions from his two daughters: when Goldman asked them what he should write about, one said "A Princess", and the other said "A Bride." Thus, the story of "The Princess Bride" was born. This story could not have been true had Goldman merely abridged a book previously written.

With these and other reasons considered, it cannot be refuted that William Goldman is the true original author. After reading the book again with this in mind, I find myself amazed at his brilliance and imagination to have developed this story in such a remarkable and unique way. All of the forewards, asides, italics, comments, and parenthesis are all written by Goldman and are all part of the novel, which is what truly makes it a supreme achievement in storytelling. You find yourself finding other stories intertwined with the main one; a story written in italics and margins that goes into yet another life that "just isn't fair."
If you have never considered the fact that Morgenstern is just another fable, I advise you to read the book again (if you haven't already done so) and come to appreciate how magnificent it really is.


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