As you wish : inconceivable tales from the making of The princess bride

As one who loves Princess Bride both as book and as movie, I felt some trepidation going into As You Wish. I needn’t have worried: my experience of both is enhanced. Elwes was already a fan of [b:The Princess Bride|21787|The Princess Bride|William Goldman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327903636s/21787.jpg|992628] before he was approached for the role, and he treats the process and everyone involved with the respect and kindness I was hoping for; even with humility. Elwes, in fact, comes across as a helluva decent fellow—I hate to kill him.

Brief word about where I’m coming from: I’m not a movie person. Not the type who sits at home or goes to the theater; maybe one DVD every two months, one big-screen movie likewise. I don’t watch extras, outtakes, makings-of. I contemn the American fascination with Hollywood beautifulpeople. And, despite all that, I really enjoyed and appreciated As You Wish, and I recommend it.

As You Wish is warm; sweet with no hint of syrup; thoughtful; and interesting even to a non-movie-nut. Elwes relates his memories of the prep work, casting, interactions with the cast and crew, his and Mandy Patinkin’s laborious training for the swordfight scene, and many more insights into what sounds like a beautiful once-in-a-lifetime moviemaking experience. As bonus, there are frequent sidebar vignettes from other voices adding welcome context and insights.

What a wonderful, true, story about the making of a fabulous, fun, movie! I appreciate the way he pointed out the comradarie that was generally felt amongst the actors and director of the movie!
The director, Rob Reiner, had a definite idea of what he wanted, and it seems that he figured well ahead of time should be playing each role, but the doubts on several of the actors as to whether or not they were on the verge of being fired were made clear, and everyone had together and make a fabulous movie! They were able to weather difficulties together, and they dealt with the fact that neither Cary Elwes nor Mandy Patinkin could fence, and they all worked together and getting them up to speed so they could represent the best fencers in the world.
The book was good and that it showed humanity and reality, as well as showing the love of the characters for each other. When Cary Elwes broke his toe, Rob Reiner did his best to show Cary that it was okay, but he also did his best to indicate that the disappointment if Mr. Elwes accidentally screwed up majorly would be shared by the whole crew. He didn't try to make Cary feel bad, but he tried to make it clear that it was all a joint effort!
I'm sure the fact that I love the movie affects my view of the book, but I really enjoyed the book, too.