As You Wish

I'll write a blog post about this one day, but YA literature is overrun by the need for the main characters to be likeable, but that's not the case in most literature. The main characters aren't always partially likeable in real life, and this is something that's definitely glossed over in YA lit. Nevertheless, I think Eldon is a very complex character, and his good qualities still shined through. He cares for his sister and feels guilt for when he does something wrong, although he doesn't always acknowledge this.

It shows how he isn't a completely hopeless case as he continues to feel the guilt, whether it's when he blows off his mother or tricks the principal, Mr. Eldon still has a long list of flaws, arrogant and careless as he goes to parties and engages with multiple girls. He's inobservant, especially when it comes to his best friend Merrill, and he has no sense of what he wants to do in the future. In all honestly, he's quite the asshole. He's got a short temper and is also very selfish and self-centered, just look at his ex-girlfriend, Juniper.

All of this makes Eldon sound like a pretty bad character, but throughout the novel I saw him change and slowly realize that he's been going about things wrong. The largest change in his character comes during the end of the novel, but I enjoyed seeing the little things, like when he visited his sister. I think the plot was structured well, though it definitely picked up in the last few chapters. I'm a person who doesn't mind reading slower paced books, which it is during the first half this book is something pages and so a lot of time was put into shaping Eldon's character, which I enjoyed.

Either way, the plot was formed well and there was foreshadowing to what would happen during the ending. I enjoyed the plot twists as they were fully justified and helped further the plot rather than drag it along. It took me a while to decide whether I should dub this magical realism or not, but in the end I decided it fell under the category as magical realism is when the magical seems normal to people. A lot of books are falsely categorized as magical realism, but As You Wish definitely falls in the category. Sedoti forms the town of Madison into an almost cult-like group of people whose lives center around wishes.

The story isn't just about Eldon, there are short chapters telling the stories of other people in the town and how their wishes affected their lives. Whether it's Barnaby who accidentally made the wrong wish, or Mayor Fontaine and his sleazy wish, or other people in the town. These chapters are a lot like The Sun Is Also a Star when there are chapters about other people, for instance Irene the security guard.

I enjoyed reading this and it made it not just the story of Eldon, but of the whole town. There is little to no romance in this book as it's more of a coming of age novel rather than a romance. Mentions of sex and more mature topics are referenced from time to time but it's not the main focus of the novel. I didn't not like anything about this book, and I think it was executed nearly perfectly. It's important to remember that not all main characters have to be likeable, they just have to change. I found Eldon likeable enough because I could relate to him, but I know some people might not connect with his character.

All in all, I enjoyed reading As You Wish as it was a thought provoking novel about a flawed boy figuring out his life. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a meaningful read with some magical aspects to it and who doesn't mind some snark and anger and complexity to the main character. The gold on the cover is stunning! I'll end with a quote from the digital review copy subject to change in the published version: You're looking for someone else to save you, when really, we can only ever save ourselves.

What really drew me in to As You Wish was the premise, because mysterious small desert towns have such a surreal setting. As You Wish is set in a small, middle-of-nowhere town called Madison, where nothing ever happens - except for that everyone, on their eighteenth birthday, gets to make one wish, and one wish only. And everyone always regrets their wish. Eldon's eighteenth birthday is coming up, and so is his wish.

I was very frustrated with Eldon a lot of the time during this book, because he What really drew me in to As You Wish was the premise, because mysterious small desert towns have such a surreal setting. I was very frustrated with Eldon a lot of the time during this book, because he just was very self-centred. Which is totally a flaw that was brought up, but he doesn't really change in that aspect even though he does change in other ways.

Even though I could emphasize with him, I kind of wanted him to notice more things that were going on around him and that even though he was going through some pretty tough events, other people were as well. As for plot and pacing, I felt like it was pretty slow, and not too much happened. However, the magical realism elements were fairly good - I don't usually like magical realism, and it was one of the more fascinating parts of this book. My favourite part of this book was the setting, because I feel like Sedoti got the aesthetic and mood of the mysterious desert town down pat.

Everyone knows each other, and each other's secrets, and all the secondary characters were a lot more interesting than the main characters, honestly. For me, Fletcher and Penelope were the most interesting characters because it brought up the question: What happens when your wishes interfere with someone else's life?

There were a lot of philosophical questions brought up in As You Wish and it was quite thought-provoking. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this book in exchange for review consideration. This review and others can be found on my blog. Jul 28, Kira Simion rated it liked it Shelves: While I absolutely adore the premise, the beginning narrator, and the torment of magic in wishes, I felt that flame slowly dwindle down to a spark then to ash.

The protagonist, Eldon, is truly unique. He is wise in that he knows his wish can have a m "Everyone gets a wish He is wise in that he knows his wish can have a monumental impact now, but could be 'just another wish' in the future. However, while he seemed wise, realistic in some ways, and a bit like me in his trust issues, he was also cynical, rude, and pessemistic in addition to all that.

Thing is, the 'bad' outweighed the 'good' when it came to his attitude. This was not the case. He makes changes to other people, their secrets, and relationships, but never did I ever see effort of himself altering himself. I was disappointed in that. However, I did have some aspects I did enjoy. Oh my gosh, this idea was absolutely the main reason I wanted desperately to read this book! Tragedy in some sense! When one person in this town turns 18, they get a wish. On one side of the coin, one can view the possibilities: Yet, on the other side of the coin, something else to consider, though as ugly as it may be, is the flip side.

The obsession that comes with the wish for love. The downfall when you become the best of the best only to have it ripped away from you with another's wish for the same or more. This was the main reason I jumped for joy when I saw I was given a copy. And I thank you for this opportunity Soucebooks Fire. In addition to that, there was the setting that creeped me a bit out, intrigued my curious, mystery loving side, and made me want to live in the place Madison for a while. Though not forever because I have a home here where I am and I quite enjoy it.

Thank you very much Sourcebooks Fire for giving me an electronic copy and for Chelsea Sedoti for writing! I can't wait to read! The idea itself sounds so unique! With its outstanding mystery and interesting storyline, I couldn't get enough. Finding her sophomore novel on Netgalley made me even happier, as the storyline looked yet even more interesting than that of her previous novel.

And it turned out to be that I was right! From its 3-dimensional characters to the beautiful way of words that Sedoti has, you honestly can't go wrong with this book. To sum up the plot, it follows Eldon, who lives in a small town named Madison in which people are able to make wishes on their 18th birthday. The small catch is that these wishes cannot leave the town, and outsiders can't know about them. Eldon is about to turn 18, but as he watches all of his friends turn of age and make their wishes, he senses something very wrong with the picture and decides to take action.

I had mixed feelings about Eldon while reading. At first, he was quite judgmental and arrogant as he often gave out mean remarks and got into physical and verbal fights with others. As the story continued on and as Eldon looked more and more into the realm of the wishes, I was able to see what a selfless, brave, wise person he really was. All he wanted was to do some good for his community, and I could tell that he would have done whatever it took to get there. I was always eager to read and never, ever eager to set my iPad down. The details and events were smooth, and this story always had something interesting going on.

For the cherry on top, I also loved how this book ended - I won't spoil anything, but let's just say that something that should have happened so long ago in their world finally happened. It gave out so many life lessons, had extravagant character growth, and a riveting storyline. After you make your wish, your birthday stops mattering. Nothing is ever going to top the year you turned eighteen. So everyone stops celebrating, and it becomes just another day. In the town of Madison, Nevada, on every child's 18th birthday they have to make a wish that can change their life forever.

Whether it be to become rich , have someone fall in love with you, or basically anything it will come true as long as your wish stays in Madison. If you leave so does your wish. I enjoyed this book. I started it last week on a road trip home. I was auto approved for this book on Netgalley so thank you to Sourcebooks Fire. This isn't my first read by Chelsea Sedoti. I don't know what I was expecting from this book but I got a lot more than expected. Like I mentioned Eldon's 18th birthday is coming up and he has no idea what to wish for.

His parents tell him to wish for his sister to get better who is in a nursing home on the brink of death after getting hit by a car. Throughout the book Eldon interview past wishers and asked them how their wish changed their lives. For example, Eldon's mom wish was to have this popular boy who wouldn't give her the time of day to fall in love with her when she was in high school.

There was one guy who wished away his sexuality. I found it interesting to be going along with Eldon and his best friend Merrill as they figured out what Eldon should wish for. It became nerve-wracking at times cause it was so much he could have wished for but he didn't want to mess his life up. This book touched on how one wish can change your life. No spoilers but there was one part where one character regretted their wish. Eldon was a mysterious character then towards the end I didn't really like him.

He started to be annoying. This review is so sporadic but overall I enjoyed this book. It was light hearted at times thanks to Merrill and Eldon is really sarcastic which was funny at times as well. This was more emotional than I expected it to be. I didn't cry but it did tug at my heart strings. This doesn't come out until January so be on the lookout for it Mar 19, Mel Epic Reading rated it really liked it Shelves: This was a surprisingly compelling and morally interesting book.

Chelsea Sedoti has taken the idea of having one wish and applied it to so many different outcomes. Both good and bad. This young adult book is a version of a coming of age novel but it doesn't read like any I've read before. The Wish Stories Without a doubt the best part of As You Wish are the stories that are told by town members about what they wished for and why. Each of them is like a fable.

as you wish

There is a reason, a justification, an This was a surprisingly compelling and morally interesting book. There is a reason, a justification, an outcome and ultimately emotion that lingers long after. These are the cornerstone of the moral issues that Sedoti is focusing on throughout the book.

Characters Here's where Sedoti falls down a bit. The characters are fairly cliche. Mostly only defined by what they wished for, or plan to wish for in the case of the students. At the High School we have the jock, the pretty girl, the nerd, the social justice warrior, etc.

Then there's also townsfolk that are even more cliche if possible: While I understand that there are a fair number of characters that Sedoti wants our main guy to encounter so he can collect their wish stories the reality was that they felt just a bit too boxed in. Definitely room for improvement here. This couldn't be a story told in any other setting due to it's focus on keeping secrets. Interestingly the setting asks it's own moral question to the reader. At what point are you hiding and hoarding something in order to protect it versus not share it?

I don't know if Madison is a real town in Nevada or not; but having been at and spent a lot of time in the small town my grandparents live I've long learned that small towns have a personality and mind of their own and Sedoti has set-up Madison to be no different, and yet extraordinarily different, from any other town. The Ending While there was perhaps too many pages after the ultimate climax; I still loved the ending of this book.

However as we experience life alongside our main guy there is cause for concern that we were going to have a very different ending. I'm thankful that it was the ending I was hoping for. This doesn't happen often so it's nice to read a story from someone who thinks of the world the way I do. Any number of endings could have been impactful here; but I think Sedoti chose perfectly. It even brought almost tears to my eyes which is quite the feat! Overall I would definitely recommend this book for anyone that wants to read about moral issues young or old.

Ultimately I'd say this is more of a 3. You'll find yourself asking some of the big questions in life: For this and more of my reviews please visit my blog at: Epic Reading Please note: This is an honest and unbiased review. Feb 26, Figgy added it Shelves: It's really hard to get invested in a story when the point-of-view narrator is such a self-absorbed, oblivious, self-righteous jerk throughout the whole story. The premise is intriguing, and the ways that everyone having a wish granted on their eighteenth would change the general, day to day life, was definitely interesting Eldon didn't grow or learn, and it made it really hard to care.

I love books with magical realism and was really intrigued by this premise. I was curious to see where Sedoti would go with this idea, and while I was not disappointed, I was not blown away either. I was immediately pulled in this story. I thought Eldon had a great voice, which was perfect for this story, and I liked being in his head. I don't exactly know why, but the middle of the book seemed to drag a little. Maybe the book was too long? I was really surprised and pleased with I love books with magical realism and was really intrigued by this premise.

I was really surprised and pleased with the ending. This wish was probably the biggest decision Eldon ever had to make, and it was important that he struggled with it, because it was about more than the wish. This was him making a grown up choice and marking that passage from childhood to adulthood. Eldon's immaturity was addressed in many different ways, and I did think that he grew some during the story. He had a long ways to go, but he was slowly making progress.

I adored all the things I learned about Eldon's sister and wished with my whole heart that we could have gotten to know her better. The Wish Histories were fabulous! It was an interesting way for us to examine the cause and effect related to other people's wishes. I found these passages very insightful, and they left me really contemplating the saying, "be careful what you wish for".

I did find myself feeling quite a bit of sympathy towards Eldon, when his life was so negatively impacted by the wishes. He lost his social status, athletic status, and even more due to wishes. I could totally understand his reluctance to embrace his wish. There are some really touching moments shared between Eldon and his family and friends. I enjoyed being a part of Eldon's journey as he struggled with how to use his wish. This concept was intriguing and left me with a lots of things to consider. Jun 14, Allie rated it really liked it Shelves: This felt like a very smartly done allegory about the all the pain and suffering that can come from never forgiving; oneself or each other.

What would you wish for, if given the opportunity on your 18th birthday? What happens when that wish is permanent, can never be undone, even if you regret it terribly and it hurts other people? Wishing is a magic, cultural rite of passage in Madison, Nevada. Everyone gets one wish--with only a few restrictions--in the hour of their birth on their 18th birthd This felt like a very smartly done allegory about the all the pain and suffering that can come from never forgiving; oneself or each other.

Everyone gets one wish--with only a few restrictions--in the hour of their birth on their 18th birthday. They walk into a magic cave, hovered over by the frightening mayor and his goons, with only a candle to light their way. Most of them speak aloud the wish they've been ruminating over for their entire lives. But what happens if you don't know what to wish for? What happens if you're overcome with the enormity of committing to one particular desire for literally the rest of your life?

What happens when everyone you know is unhappy and unsatisfied with their wish? Do you wish at all? Eldon doesn't know yet. He knows what his mom wants him to wish for, he knows what he "should" wish for, but he can't and he doesn't know what to do. This was an addicting and thought-provoking story. It reminded me of what it felt like to be on the cusp of high school graduation, with adulthood looming before me, and how big and permanent those decisions felt. I can't imagine what it would be like to live in a world where mistakes are inevitable but not allowed, at the same time.

To never be forgiven for them, to only pay in misery for the rest of your life. I'm glad I was never given the opportunity. But I am glad I read this book. I didn't enjoy the sexism, the derogatory name-calling by Archie a minor character, but still , or the pseudo-science perpetuated by the Freudian school counselor. The book will be published in , yeah? So it's beyond time we leave all that behind, methinks. I love the cover of this book as well. I highly recommend, if you're a reader who enjoys YA! I was given a free ebook copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jun 17, Greg Andree rated it it was amazing. I love the concept of this story, and I can feel this town existing out in the desert. The idea of getting one wish that will come true, especially when you're so young, is scary. The wish I would've made when I was 18 would not have ended well for me. And seeing teens making these choices that determine their entire lives, choices many will live to regret, is so realistic.

Of course it mirrors the fact that in reality teens do make big choices that set their lives on a certain course, and it's I love the concept of this story, and I can feel this town existing out in the desert. Of course it mirrors the fact that in reality teens do make big choices that set their lives on a certain course, and it's so great to see the mc grapple with the choice of what he should wish for, to research all the wishes people in the town have made over the years, to see all the regret along with the people who found contentment.

To see him be afraid to make a choice. I know I was terrified at 18 about making the wrong choice, or that I'd already made the wrong choice and my life was irredeemable. I love that this book looks at all those big ideas. I know my 8th graders will get a lot out of it and be drawn into the wishing world. This would make a fantastic tv show: Feb 13, Sarah Louise rated it liked it.

After reading chapter one, I was instantly in love with this story. In the town of Madison, an unexplained phenomenon in the form of a wish takes place on your eighteen birthday. It will be granted. Sure, Eldon is a bit of an insufferable jerk as he navigates this mystical town, but he knows it, and I enjoyed his impulsiveness. With a grudge against wishing, he begins the task of learning the ways wishing has benefited, or perhaps corrupted, the lives of the locals.

Not kno After reading chapter one, I was instantly in love with this story. Not knowing what to wish for, and the pressure from his mother to wish the impossible, Eldon isn't ready to to commit. It's such an interesting story, and one that hits on a great message, but it was a slow progress. I loved the secrecy behind the wishes, and the stories spread within the chapters on each of the townspeople, but it became less interesting as it went. I think chopping this book down by pages would have helped a lot. Jul 31, Jenny Bravo rated it it was amazing. Eldon is a selfish, conceited, jock and takes every opportunity to show what a horrible person he is.

But the growth that he goes through and everything that he learns and changes, just makes this book so rewarding. I couldn't put it down. I really enjoyed the chapters that were written explaining the wishes of other townspeople. The writing style was thoroughly Eldon. Spoken like a 17 year old, I related to some of his emotions from that age.

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Eventually she realized that her true passion is writing about flawed teenagers who are also afraid of growing up. Books by Chelsea Sedoti. Around this same time Rob was putting the finishing touches on Stand by Me, an adaptation of a Stephen King novella that would be recognized as one of the best coming-of-age stories Hollywood has ever produced. Later on, after I arrived in London, he arranged a private screening for me at Pinewood Studios, and I remember being deeply moved by it.

His films were all very different in tone and genre, and they all ended up doing very good business. He was a director with a unique vision who made memorable films. There was really no one else doing the kind of work that he was doing. So with that impressive body of work behind him, Rob had earned the right to choose his next project based primarily on what he wanted to do rather than what was expected of him.

Essentially, he was given carte blanche. As I understand it, the conversation between Rob and the then head of Columbia Pictures, which was releasing Stand by Me, went something like this: And so for a while the project seemed to stall. Although he has an extraordinarily warm and generous spirit, and is not at all prone to the sort of rampant ego that is not uncommon among some of the upper echelon of Hollywood talent, he is hardly a pushover.

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In fact, it was his sheer determination and his vision that were largely responsible for making the film happen. Time has obviously proven that Rob was the right man for the job. Like most people who read it, he had been a huge fan of the novel. He also had supreme confidence in his ability to blend all the different genres that filled its pages: He would take these elements and turn them on their heads.

He would have fun doing it and, in turn, create a movie that would be fun for others. He tricks you with good writing. One whose success had left him with nearly complete artistic control over his projects. He was able to release his films the way he wanted them to look, as he had final cut in the editing rooms, something that hardly exists today.

And he used his clout not to accumulate staggering wealth with superficial blockbusters, but rather to tackle something far more ambitious. Something near and dear to his heart. I read literally every book he had ever written. He was doing a book about one season on Broadway in called The Season, and my dad had had a play on that year, titled Something Different, which Bill had devoted a chapter of his book to. Shortly thereafter, Bill finished The Princess Bride and sent it to my father to see if he was interested in making it into a movie.

I mean, I just fell in love with it. And after the first couple of movies I started thinking, Well, they make movies out of books, and I started thinking about what book did I really enjoy, and I remembered The Princess Bride was my favorite book of all time. Norman Jewison, Robert Redford, etc. It was in one of those cinema books as one of the greatest screenplays ever written that had never been produced.

I had my agency get in touch with Bill to see if he would be willing to meet with me. It was still in a rough-cut form, but I arranged a screening for him to see it. This was all just for Bill to agree to meet with me. How could one not admire that? He took with him the person who accompanied him to all his meetings: As Rob and Andy were to soon discover, the writer had evidently nearly lost all enthusiasm for the movie business.

Nor had he had any luck with them, or with anyone else for that matter, trying to get it made. In order to better understand Mr. Which is when Goldman bought the rights to his book back from Fox unheard of to this day, I imagine , to protect his cherished work and prevent them from letting someone else rewrite the script. And believe it or not, the Greenlight Guy was in the middle of negotiating with Goldman when he, too, was fired over the weekend just as the deal was about to close.

Another small movie studio literally folded during negotiations. And so it made sense that Goldman was naturally reticent to let his heart get excited all over again only to be potentially disappointed. Lear read the script and immediately agreed to finance the movie. And, after a few false starts, Fox reluctantly agreed to distribute the film, whereupon Rob immediately set about the task of assembling a cast. I want it on my tombstone. I hope this is going okay. I thought, My God, this is like the greatest! This guy that I admired so much was basically giving me a stamp of approval to go ahead.

So then we went to get all the financing together and we got it made. But to me, the highlight of my career was getting William Goldman to agree to let me do this thing. Rob had done some terrific movies that I liked. And I liked him personally. The first people Rob hired were his buddies for two of the pivotal roles: Chris Guest was coming off his genius performance as Nigel Tufnel, the dim but lovable metal guitarist in Spinal Tap.

After my first trip I became fascinated with all things American. There were many things to be excited about, and one of them was TV. You see, in England, we had only two TV channels, whereas in the United States the cable explosion was just under way. I understood exactly what was at stake in this meeting. There was no disputing the impact this role could have on my career. A German-sounding voice came over the phone from the front desk: Shall I send them up? What surprised me as I opened the door a few minutes later were two of the biggest smiles I had seen in a long time greeting me. The problem I had with The Princess Bride was that I had to get a young, dashing, swashbuckling kid, and a young girl to play opposite him.

Oh, and a giant. I believe there was only one person that could play each of those parts. And so I wanted them to have an English accent. At least Westley and Buttercup. Prince Humperdinck and Count Rugen and so on. I thought, He certainly looks right. He resembles a young Douglas Fairbanks Jr. You have to strike the balance. So we flew over to Germany, where Cary was filming a movie. What struck me about these guys was their beautiful friendship.

I was immediately taken not only with their personal charm, which was considerable, but also with their passion for the project.

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That they worked really hard so that they could make it look good. My sister fenced in high school, and her fencing instructor, talked bout how good the fencing in the movie looked. Most of all I love how much of a loving tribute this was to the movie, and the process of making it. I loved the respect, and admiration the cast had for each other. I liked what they had to say about each other, and I liked how different people opened up about their fears, and insecurities. It was refreshing to read a book like this that didn't trash anyone.

It was a heart warming read without feeling too cloying. How could I not love such a gracious ode to one of my favorite stories of all times. PS - I have extra respect for Wally Shawn now. I had no idea exactly how smart he is. View all 10 comments. Ok so I absolutely love this movie and did enjoy hearing all of the behind the scenes stories!! But oh my goodness that felt like reliving the entire process of making the movie I was pretty bored in a lot of areas, buuuut can't bring myself to give a book about the making of The Princess Bride less than 3 stars.

Jun 12, Nancy rated it really liked it. I remember seeing "the Princess Bride" at the dollar movie at the end of I loved it completely and wondered why I'd never heard of it. Of course, I was smitten by Westley. I bought the book at the campus bookstore before I graduated the following year. The movie has since become a classic and my children quote it better than I ever did.

The actor playing Westley grew up and wrote a memoir on the making of this epic movie. I do not use epic lightly. Cary Elwes a little known actor who was ju I remember seeing "the Princess Bride" at the dollar movie at the end of Cary Elwes a little known actor who was just getting some solid experience in the business when he was approached by Rob Reiner to play Westley.

Turns out, this was a very special and exact movie, a screenplay written by the author of the novel, years earlier for his daughters. How do you make a perfect movie for the perfect book? The right director, the right cast, and best supporting staff, and some magic thrown in by Miracle Max. The movie is an anomaly; the perfect balance of satire and fairy tale. Every character given perfect lines some ad libbed , yet a perfectly clean, seamless adventure, love story, fairy tale emerges.

So, it seems, the making of this movie was also. A few wonderful secrets are given away like how they climbed The Cliffs of Insanity and the story of the broken toe, the secrets of the swamps, the fire, and best of all, the sword fights. Big spoiler here, the sword fights were real and hard earned. This is really the story of what can happen on the set of a movie when there is mutual love and respect for one another and a true passion about the art. View all 4 comments. As with a few things in life, I discovered The Princess Bride late in life, this past week to be exact.

However, from the first scene onwards I was enthralled and in love. Therefore, and because Ginger said it would be immensely funny and insightful, I had to read this book I'm usually too sceptical about memoirs or making-of books. It tells the story of how Rob Reiner made the movie adaptation of William Goldman's The Princess Bride as told by "Wesley" aka Cary Elwes, with the kind "help" of his fellow cast members of which several interview snippets are thrown in. Though the print edition has cool production pictures and even some private ones from the cast and crew, this audio version was the best because it made it even funnier and lovelier.

We start with the horrendous ordeal almost any movie has to go through to get approval Hollywood is just stupid , followed by Rob Reiner meeting the author and convincing him to grant them the rights after the Hollywood disaster the author had bought the rights back. Then comes casting and, finally, the actual production and reception which wasn't too good at first. But this description sounds dull.

This book, however, is anything but. The way Cary Elwes lovingly retells his experiences, the fact that all the cast members contributed, the humbleness and heart of all involved, the genius of Rob Reiner, Also, some experiences are almost unbelievable. Like when Elwes meets a fan who tells him how the movie saved his life: My favourite story about this involves a man and his son whom I met while I was filming a movie in Rochester, New York. The father told me how the movie actually saved him from going insane. I always have time for fans but this guy definitely piqued my interest.

His base had been located in a highly dangerous area. There were lots of snipers, IEDs, and mortar fire, he told me. After losing a lot of his comrades, morale amongst the unit had sunk to an all-time low. So every night from that point on, before the soldiers went out in their Humvees to secure the perimeter or go on patrol, their commanding officer would give them their orders and send them on their way with these words: And that did a lot for morale.

But, of course, there were some incredibly funny moments too, like the toe story especially that Rob Reiner and Andy Scheinman thought he had just found a wonderfully elegant way of sitting down - bwahahahahaha. Then there were the impressive parts, most notably the fencing. Cary and Mandy had to learn to fence both left-handed and right-handed, and we wanted to make sure that they could design a really cool fencing sequence. So when we finally got to it, I was so proud of the fact that the two of them - I mean, Mandy had started working on it even before we went over to London; he was working on it I think for about four months, and Cary worked for only about two months - I'm very proud of the fact that every single frame of actual sword fighting is both of them.

There are no doubles except for the acrobatics when they flip off the bar. The actual swordplay, every single frame, is just the two of them. I put it up against any swordfight in movie history. It is also said at one point that the swordmasters made them train with their left hands first and that, in the end, "Inigo" was actually better with his left, despite being right-handed which explains why I thought his fight sequence right at the beginning of the iconic swordfight was better than when he had switched to his supposed strong hand. What struck me was how many people of the movie business back then I actually know without actively knowing them.

as you wish - Wiktionary

Like the two swordmasters Peter Diamond and Bob Anderson both dead in the meantime, sadly. I've been a fangirl of theirs ever since I saw my first swordfight on television! Let me tell you that Elwes' story of his fellow cast members were at least as intriguing as the production details themselves. We don't live so long. He never took a single day for granted, not knowing if it might be his last. He wanted to share how beautiful life was with everyone he came into contact with.

He was as generous-hearted and sweet a person as I ever hope to meet. The kind of guy who would give you the shirt off his back, a shirt big enough for four or five people. He never let anyone pay for a meal or drink as he wanted to be the one to give instead of receiving. Just to show anyone not knowing who I am talking about just HOW BIG this guy was it was genetic by the way and, yes, caused his death before he ever turned even only This is him in the movie with Princess Buttercup aka Robin Wright. The famous beer can picture, also mentioned in this book.

And yes, it's regular sized and has not been tampered with.

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• As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride;
• Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride!
• Donne indifese in Calabria (Viaggio in Calabria) (Italian Edition).
• Blood and Sawdust.

This is him with "Conan" aka Arnie. He sometimes made fun of his friends by moving their parked cars while they were in a building. It makes you relive the movie and get a deep insight into life back then and it gives you the impression of truly knowing all the people involved there were some surprising and personal revelations from all involved in here. However, it also makes you miss your childhood while still making you feel cozy - just like the movie itself.

I hope the movie will continue to be ageless and beloved and yes, I'm gonna rewatch it tonight. View all 8 comments. Jun 13, Bekka marked it as to-read.

As You Wish

Wonderfully narrated by many of the stars from the movie, reading their contributions. CE said he wrote it from his heart, and that comes through on every page. If you're a die-hard Princess Bride fan, you'll eat this up with a spoon. This is a light-hearted, charming account of the making of the movie from Cary Elwes' Westley's point of view. It's a definite love-fest between and about the cast members--no dirt dished here! That's okay, because we don't really want to think about our beloved PB characters being nasty to each other.

There's plenty of awed admiration for everyone from the young, star-struck Cary, who was only 23 at the time of the film If you're a die-hard Princess Bride fan, you'll eat this up with a spoon. There's plenty of awed admiration for everyone from the young, star-struck Cary, who was only 23 at the time of the filming. There are some genuinely funny stories, and some behind the scenes info that makes me impatient to watch the movie again. My favorite is the story behind Westley's first encounter with Count Rugen.

I've definitely got to watch that again! Anyway, if you're a PB fan, I suggest checking it out. The audio version is especially enjoyable, since you get to hear the entire story in Elwes's smooth British accent, along with inserted remarks from actual cast members. In this book, the PB world remains a fairy tale! View all 11 comments. Dec 02, Estelle rated it it was amazing Shelves: It was just lovely, heart warming and funny.

I listened to the whole thing with a big smile on my face and sometimes tears in my eyes. If you're a fan of the movie, you HAVE to listen to the audiobook. Just make sure you've got the dvd ready once you're done! Finished this one on the day I bought it. I'm thinking about buying it again, this time on audible so I can hear the author read it.

For some reason, nearly everyone of the Andre stories — — of which there are many — — kept making my eyes fill with tears. Sep 24, Meagan rated it liked it Shelves: If you're not a fan of The Princess Bride, inconceivable! Even if you're a big film buff or really enjoy entertainment memoirs, I'd say skip it. This isn't some Hollywood tell-all or insightful exploration of the movie business. There aren't juicy anecdotes about celebrity misbehavior. There aren't big technical explanations about filmmaking.

Instead, this is a big, gushy, enthusiastically nostalgic love letter to The Princess Brid First things first. Instead, this is a big, gushy, enthusiastically nostalgic love letter to The Princess Bride and everyone involved in making it. It's sweet and sentimental and affectionate. It also happens to be an incredibly fast read. I finished in two sittings.

• As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes!
• Concerto No. 2 in C Minor (Viola Part) from 6 Concerti Grossi - From 6 Concertos in 7 Parts?
• .

If you are a fan of what is arguably the most quotable movie ever made and one of my perennial favorites , then this is really worth reading. I was touched by how genuinely every one of the actors and crew members involved in the movie seem to care for it. They love it, they loved making it, and they love that we, the audience, love it. So we get little anecdotes about the making of the movie: How special the experience was. It's all very faraway, Vaseline-on-the-lens nostalgic.

But that's ok, because fans of this movie don't want to have their affection tainted by stories of bad behavior and arguments and sullenness. This movie is magical to the people who love it, and hearing that the people who made it feel that way too is exactly appropriate. Now, please excuse me. I have to go rewatch the movie. Feb 26, Heather K dentist in my spare time rated it liked it Shelves: A happy, cute, sweet insert sugary words here non-fiction story about the making of the classing movie, The Princess Bride.

Honestly, I don't what I was expecting. There is no juicy dish here, nothing out of the ordinary. Just a great group of actors who genuinely seemed to love each other talking about the rather mundane aspects of filming said movie. The most exciting part of the story was when Cary Elwes broke his toe.

A must read for The Princess Bride superfans, but just a mildly pleasant A happy, cute, sweet insert sugary words here non-fiction story about the making of the classing movie, The Princess Bride. A must read for The Princess Bride superfans, but just a mildly pleasant way to pass the time for everyone else.

Louis, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas. I was traveling with my daughter and husband, and we were all entertained by Elwes' memories of the making of the film. It's really not that easy to find a book that works for all three of us, but this was an absolute hit. I can't recommend it enough and if you're already a fan of the movie, I'm sure that you'll love it even more. Though it starts out a bit self-congratulatory in tone, throwing around words like "timeless", "modern classic", and "once-in-a-lifetime experience", As You Wish is ultimately, like The Princess Bride , a very sweet and and enjoyable memoir about the events behind the making of the film.

At first, as I said, I was afraid that I was going to be bored to tears. Rob Reiner wrote and narrated the foreward and it is sugary sweet in its praise of the author, the movie, and everything to do with either. This high praise, some may argue, is well deserved, but I thought that it might have fit better in the flow of the tale as an afterword.

First, the play then the applause, but, that's just my opinion. Some of the best parts of the memoir, not surprisingly, centered around Elwes' interactions with his colorful co-stars. Andre the Giant figures largely into this tale, as he did in life, not only because of the enormous size of his body but also his heart. The brightest among us always seem to burn too quickly. Another of my favorite parts is the description of Elwes' and Patinkin's struggle to film the "greatest sword fight in modern times.

From day one of filming, Elwes and Patinkin were schooled by some of the best sword fighters in the movie business. Now that I know, I'm going to have to re-watch the film. I had always assumed that the fight was done by stuntmen. How wrong I was If you enjoy the film, The Princess Bride , you must listen to this audiobook. It is a real treat and you'll appreciate some hidden gems revealed by Elwes' narration. To borrow some descriptors from the book, it was a magical, "once-in-a-lifetime" moment when talent and story mixed together to create a "timeless, modern classic".

Jun 04, Debbie Zapata rated it really liked it Shelves: At least five times, if not five dozen. Then you can come read As You Wish and see the movie in your head while you read. I thought it was just extremely good timing! We all made a trip to the video store this was before DVDs to pick an after dinner movie or two.

We rented a blood and guts one the guys insisted on also, but at the house it was ladies first, and we all liked The Princess Bride so much we watched it twice and never saw the gory movie at all.