As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride

By Cary Elwes

From actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride, comes a first-person account and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film filled with never-before-told stories, exclusive photographs, and interviews with costars Robin Wright, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, and Mandy Patinkin, as well as author and screenwriter William Goldman, producer Norman Lear, and director Rob Reiner.

The Princess Bride has been a family favorite for close to three decades. Ranked by the American Film Institute as one of the top 100 Greatest Love Stories and by the Writers Guild of America as one of the top 100 screenplays of all time, The Princess Bride will continue to resonate with audiences for years to come.

Cary Elwes was inspired to share his memories and give fans an unprecedented look into the creation of the film while participating in the twenty-fifth anniversary cast reunion. In As You Wish he has created an enchanting experience; in addition to never-before seen photos and interviews with his fellow cast mates, there are plenty of set secrets and backstage stories.

With a foreword by Rob Reiner and a limited edition original poster by acclaimed artist Shepard Fairey, As You Wish is a must-have for all fans of this beloved film.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Australia
• Release date: Oct 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781925030587

Cary Elwes

Cary Elwes is a celebrated English actor who starred in The Princess Bride before moving on to roles in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Glory, Days of Thunder, Twister, and Saw, among many other acclaimed performances. He will always be indebted to The Princess Bride, he says, for changing his life and giving him a career that has spanned decades. He lives in Hollywood, California, with his family. Find out more about Cary Elwes on Twitter @Cary_Elwes.

Reviews for As You Wish

[schneider_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good telling of the making of the classic movie 'The Princess Bride' by much of the cast. Cary and the other players in the tale tell some good anecdotes and give the listener quite an original seat to sit in and watch the story unfold in to what this movie has become. Recommended.

[bookwyrmm_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Any fan of The Princess Bride needs to listen to this book. I guess you could read it, but listening lets you hear everything directly from most of the actors' mouths.

[jlharmon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Princess Bride is my favorite movie. While not quite as magical as The Princess Bride movie, this book was everything I wanted. Behind the scenes stories. Funny anecdotes. Fencing training. Andre the giant. There's all sorts of details in the movie that I never caught, but now I just want to watch it over and over. So much love and fun went into that movie.

I went to a book signing with Cary Elwes and it was one of the best book signings. I started reading the book, but left it at home for Christmas break because it was too big, but I started the audio book instead and it was even better. I loved that all the actors and other involved persons shared their own memories. This book was surprisingly emotional, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[ashleytylerjohn · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I think 2 stars is fair. It was okay. Because of an interest in the film, I basically enjoyed reading it ... but not as much as most other books about films I enjoyed (or didn't!)

What prevented a higher score:
a. bland, serviceable text
b. Elwes' point-of-view predominated, but I got little sense of him as a person, and he's the main character
c. not much insight into the directorial process, art direction, costume design, anything other than sword-fighting and how he got along with the other actors
d. there were constant sidebars from other actors, all saying either "Cary was lovely" or "this was a dream project and filming was a joy" over and over.

(Note: 5 stars = rare and amazing, 4 = quite good book, 3 = a decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. There are a lot of 4s and 3s in the world!)

[justagirlwithabook · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tags: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Making of a Movie, The Princess Bride, 1980s Cinema, Cult ClassicOverview: This book is told by Cary Elwes who recounts the making of The Princess Bride in the 80s, from start to finish. Cary Elwes (the man in black) is the main narrator of his own book, but the audio also pulls in other actors and producers that were a part of the making of the film, such as Rob Reiner (producer), Billy Crystal (Miracle Max), Robin Wright (Princess Buttercup), Wally Shawn (Vizzini), and others.Highlights: I found myself laughing out loud at parts, they were so funny. This book brought back so many memories of my childhood, just reliving the movie through the eyes of the actors and actresses. I was at my parents’ house when I had finished the book and hadn’t returned it yet to the library, and I found myself telling my dad about a few chapters that had me practically rolling on the floor. Before I had any time to think, I had pulled up the audio and revisited the chapters to play it for him — we were both laughing by the end of it we had tears in our eyes.Pre-Requisites: If you haven’t seen the movie, this book isn’t any good to you. I’d also go so far as to add that you really should read the book, The Princess Bride, as well, just as a matter of principle. The book is incredible and written by William Goldman, who is mentioned multiple times throughout As You Wish (and another person who brought me pure delight).If you like: books made into movies, the making of a movie, The Princess Bride and other cult classics, reading about well known actors, producers, and the like

[askelmore · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Best for: Readers who like to learn about the behind-the-scenes world of film-making but aren’t looking for salacious gossip.In a nutshell: Sweet actor writes sweet book about sweet film.Line that sticks with me: “But there was no hiding for Andre. When you are that big, there is no possible disguise; no way to shrink into the background.”Why I chose it: I recall it getting good reviews in the cannonball read previously, and it happened to be on sale. Win win!Review: Long before my husband and I got engaged, we were out drinking with two of our friends. The husband in that couple joked that he’d be happy to officiate our eventual wedding, and that he’d just model it after the ceremony in The Princess Bride. Two years later, he stood before us and 80 of our friends and families and bellowed “Mawwiage. Mawwiage is what bwings us togethew today. And wove, twue wove,” followed by “oooh, sorry, wrong ceremony.” Pretty much everyone except my mother and a couple relatives in their 70s were laughing out loud. Given that the age range was 3-70+, I’d say it shows just how deeply this film has made it into our culture.I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, as I haven’t seen the film in awhile. I wasn’t sure if I’d be missing out on nuances or not be able to place the actors Mr. Elwes discusses. Ha. Yeah right. It’s all perfectly clear in my mind even without the adorable pictures that he includes. The stories he shares are just lovely, and paint everyone in a very good light. I’d question whether he is providing an overly rose-colored view of things, but I found it all convincing. I think it was a group of kind, funny people who made a terrific movie.I chose a quote about Andre the Giant as the line that sticks with me because I found the stories about him to be the most enjoyable. He led a life that others might find challenging, but he seemed to make the decision that he was going to figure out how to live a life as a literal giant. He seemed to suck the marrow out of life (I hate that imagery but it fits so well) and also gave to so many others.The only real issues I had with the book are that the quotes from interviews with other actors on set are interspersed in little text boxes that aren’t at an easy stopping point in the main text. So I’d sometimes get lost in a story and then have to go back and find that the text box actually related to that story. And sometimes not so much.This was a quick read, and it made me want to go rewatch the film. (As of this writing, it seems to be available for rent on Amazon streaming, so off I go!)

[ragwaine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you love the movie, you'll really like (at least) this book. There's nothing mind-blowing or shocking about it, but it is really nice to feel like you were there. I highly recommend doing this on audio, it's narrated by Cary Elwes and also many of the other people involved read their quotes on the different events. Cary also does many imitations of the other actors and he's good at it.I guess the most surprising thing is that the movie didn't do well at the box office. I think that If it came out today it would be an instant hit, considering how being geeky is cool now.

[jerry.yoakum · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The audiobook is the way to go with this gem. Cary Elwes, the Dread Pirate Roberts, is a pleasure to listen to and many others involved in the making of the Princess Bride also contribute their voices to this audiobook. The stories about Andre The Giant alone make this book worthwhile but their is so much more. If you love the Princess Bride then this book is a must.

[melydia_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The actor who played Westley in the iconic film tells of his experiences making it. Elwes's writing is frankly amateurish, but he's so enthusiastic that it's actually kind of charming. Most of the stories I already knew, but it was still a lovely walk down memory lane. My favorite part was the sweet remembrances of Andre the Giant. I need to go watch the movie again.

[ladycato · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don't normally read autobiographies like this, but I've adored The Princess Bride since I was a kid... and I scored this signed-by-Cary Elwes hardcover for all of 50-cents at the VNSA sale in Phoenix. (Inconceivable!) This took about three hours to read, which I did in the course of a day, and I found it to be breezy and thoroughly enjoyable. It adds incredible depth to the film and the unusually deep friendships that the cast formed during its creation. In a way, the whole thing feels almost too positive to be true... but it totally lines up with what I have read elsewhere. The movie worked, in a large part, due to the chemistry of the cast.Much of the book is through Elwes' perspective, but there are anecdotes throughout by the rest of the surviving cast and crew. It's fascinating to read the same incident described from several viewpoints. I find it hard to choose a favorite bit, as everything is interesting, but I was delighted to read many stories about Andre the Giant and to find out that Elwes (when he was just a kid) had read the original Princess Bride book.If you love The Princess Bride, you'll be absolutely charmed by this book.

[kmajort · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An autobiography of a movie?
This was a quick, sweet read. Anyone who enjoys The Princess Bride (and if you don't love this movie then WHAT ARE YOU?) will be pleased with this inside/behind-the-scenes look at the making of this iconic fairy tale.
Not the *best* writing, but not the worst, and fine story telling.

Note: I never realized TPB wasn't a theater success... I encountered it via VHS and now own it in various media. Our entire family quotes lines, we dress up a favorite characters for Halloween (or whenever) and never tire of this wholesome movie.

[shaunesay · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I cannot say how much I loved listening to this. I was 14 when The Princess Bride came out, and it became one of the defining movies of my teen years. I've watched it I don't know how many times, quoted it endlessly with my friends then, and still do today. This movie touches people in a way no other can. It is so many things, a comedy, a fantasy adventure, and the ideal romance. It's the happy ending we all want. I've been itching to watch it again the whole time I've been listening.

What I dearly love about this book is the sheer love and delight towards the movie of everyone involved in making it. That really shines through and makes me so happy that the people who made one of my favorite movies share that love with me. It wasn't just another project they worked on, it was something incredibly special.

I could listen to Cary Elwes speak all day! Well, I sort of did or would have if I could have had that long uninterrupted! His delivery is perfect, joined by Rob Reiner and other cast members and combined with the stories from the making of the movie, fun facts, the actors real insecurities and downright fears, their personal struggles and camaraderie make this a book I will treasure. It adds an extra dimension to the story that makes it even more precious to me.

[gkarlives · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is a film buff or a fan of this movie in particular. There is a lot of great behind the scene information of how a movie goes from story to screen and the love that can happen while creating an enduring tale. Also, for anyone who follows Rob Reiner as a director, you will get to see him from an actors point of view, as well as, get interesting tidbits about his craft. Last, but not least, you will have a portrait of a young actor at the beginning of his carreer.

[namfos_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I love the movie. One of my favorites for sure, but this book is boring unless you are a totally gobsmacked fanatic about moviemaking and in particular the Princess Bride.

[ldvoorberg · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Read this only if you really really love The Princess Bride movie. It's just a capitalization on the film's latent success. There is so much praise and love in the anecdotes, it reads like a fairy tale itself. A few interesting behind the scenes stories, but nothing terribly profound or unexpected.

[bham255 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Genuinely entertaining as Cary Elwes recalls the behind-the-scenes stories about filming the movie. What I really enjoyed were the blurbs inserted on the sides of the pages written by Elwes' cohorts where they recount their own stories or reactions. A fun and quick read.

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was just ridiculously fun. If you're a fan of The Princess Bride it's a must read. There are sweet stories about auditioning for parts and performing scenes. I loved being able to learn about the whole process of making the cult classic. I will say that the audio version is essential with this book. It's read by Cary Elwes with sections done by most of the other main characters. I just couldn't stop grinning while I was listening to it and obviously I watched the movie again as soon as I finished.

[gaillamontagne · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you loved The Princes Bride as my family and I did, you will enjoy this memoir delivered in audio form by "Wesley" himself. This book is heartwarming and humorous giving it's fans a backstage peek into the lives of the people who wrote and brought to life this marvelous movie. Cary, being a young man 23 with a bud of a career, expresses his gratitude and humility to have been chosen to be a part of this production. He has the ability to laugh at himself as he shares his experiences with Andre the Giant, (7 feet 4 inches), who actually was a "gentle giant", Rob Reiner the directer who encouraged the best out of his actors, and Bily Crystal who was only filming on the set for 3 days yet had an enormous impact on the movie with his humor as Miracle Max. This backstage account only helps you appreciate every scene even more than you already do. Wesley and Indigo did not use stunt doubles for the fencing scenes but only for the gymnastics. It took 8 hours a day of practice right up until the sword fight was filmed. I truly enjoyed listening to and learning more about one of my favorite movies. Waitresses take "Wesley's" order in a restaurant and then leave saying, "As you wish".

[vonze-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very enjoyable look back at the making of The Princess Bride!

In my opinion, The Princess Bride is a very unrated movie...even with me personally. When naming my favorite movies, I would probably forgot to mention it, although it had a big impact on my imagination and sense of humor.

When randomly browsing for books, how could the adventurous cover not catch your eye? My interest piqued, I asked for it for Christmas, being a film fan and Princess Bride fan in general.

However, having read the book, I have a whole new level of appreciation for the movie. The struggle the project had, the extremely hard physical work it took to create the fight scenes, and all the fun amongst the cast, really cemented the film in my mind. I suddenly have the fervor to re-watch the movie (it's NOT on NETFLIX, WHY??), buy a copy for my collection and future generations, and try to re-read the novel. There's even a game app that I'll probably be addicted to later. Strangely enough, it's also really piqued my interest in fencing. If I didn't have a bum foot, I'd probably be running around right now telling people to "Prepare to die."

Can you tell that I'm part of The Princess Bride cult now?

Again, a fun, enjoyable, heartfelt read!

[rivkat_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Adorable stories from the making of The Princess Bride. Fun for fans.

[jenniferlbean · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Do you love The Princess Bride? Then you will love this tale of the making of the movie. Elwes gives insight into what it was like to film this remarkable love story.

[narilka · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As You Wish by Cary Elwes is a memoir about his time making The Princess Bride. It gives insight into the film making process, how the movie almost didn't get made, the dedication it took to make the greatest sword fighting scene in history look effortless (all of which was performed by the actors, minus the one part on a high bar) and more. Cary's telling is absolutely charming. You really feel that he and the rest of the cast had a great time making a movie and are humbled by how long the movie has endured. If you've seen the movie and like behind the scenes stuff, this book is definitely worth your time.I listened to the audio book, which was narrated by the author. Cary's narration is great! He is funnier than I imagined, doing some impersonations of his fellow cast members in spots. Other cast and crew lend their voices to give their thoughts throughout. It was a nice touch. I'm going to have to rewatch the movie soon.

[murderbydeath · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I would have liked this book better in print. A narrator can make or break a book, and in this case, the narration did a bit of both. Listening, rather than reading, made it hard to gloss over those parts of the book that were weaker than others. What I didn't like:Cary Elwes was disappointing as a narrator: he wrote this book so it should have felt like he was living it, and instead it felt like he was just reading someone else's third hand narrative. I've seen the movie twice now and I get what all the love is about; it's a great movie that totally stands up to time. But Mr. Elwes went on and on about how special, how life-altering, how magical the filming of this movie was. Had I been reading this, it probably wouldn't have stood out as much as it did because I would have started skimming over it. The above applies as well to the importance of the sword fight. In audio, it was over-kill; by the time the filming of the actual scene came up in the book I was so honestly sick of hearing about how important it was, how much training they had to do, how important!!! The narrative sometimes felt a little ego-stroking; again, I think it wouldn't have come across this way in print, or even if Mr. Elwes read more naturally. What I really, really liked:Cary Elwes is pretty good at impersonations. When he was reciting dialogue between two people, his narration improved exponentially - even when he flubbed an impersonation (I'm betting Pope John Paul II's accent was Polish, not Italian) the narration become more lively and interesting. He nails Rob Reiner. I loved (and this surprised me) the parts involving Andre the Giant. I knew very little about Andre: he suffered gigantism and he was a wrestler. I don't think it's possible to care less about something than I do about wrestling, which is why I was surprised. He sounds like he was an incredible man, the kind you wish you could have met and gotten to know as a person, not a celebrity. Having the individual actors narrate their own contributions kept it lively and interesting. So, all-in-all, a solid 3 stars for me in audio format.

[stefaniegeeks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I adored the audiobook of this memoir read by the author and littered with guest appearances by the people quoted in the book. If you are a fan of the film or want to become one, check this out. Both entertaining and informative on the movie-making experience and the love of the novel it's based upon.

[mistermelon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a nice little read. Several short, cute anecdotes from Cary Elwes (Westley/The Man In Black/The Dread Pirate Roberts) about the making of The Princess Bride. Several inserts throughout the book from the director and the other actors. Several photo pages in the middle. Signed copy too, which is a very nice touch. High literature this ain't, but if you love the movie, you'll enjoy this. I already can't wait to watch the movie again, with knowledge of all the behind the scenes tidbits that were going on.

[imperfectcj · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I love The Princess Bride (movie and book), but it turns out I don't love making-of stories, especially those that are primarily filled with actors gushing about how brilliant everyone on the movie is and what a blessing it was to work with such brilliant, hard-working people. Come to think of it, I think all of the making-of things I've watched or read do this same gushing. Not that I would want to read about a bunch of people complaining about everyone who worked on the movie and saying how amazed they are that the film turned out to be as popular and enduring as it was given that everyone hated making it. It's just that neither option would seem more pointless than the other.I did enjoy Wallace Shawn's perspective on the film and on his part in it, and Cary Elwes's impressions were fun, but aside from those, this audiobook didn't really do much for me. Well, except to remind me that there are essentially two women in the entire film, one of whom is a total damsel in distress, a fact that I try not to think about because it diminishes the pleasure I take watching an otherwise beloved movie. Thank you, Mr. Elwes, for bringing up such a painful subject. While you're at it, why don't you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it?

[sasham-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A must for any fan of The Princess Bride - the book or the movie :D

[shellys_70 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"The Princess Bride" is a wonderful, charming movie based on the book by William Goldman. I never read the book, but I've seen and been delighted by the movie. If you're a fan of the movie, you need to read this charming, delightful behind-the-scenes memoir written by Cary Elwes, who starred as Westley. Elwes, with help from co-author Layden, has a nice, breezy narrative style, and his anecdotes are supplemented with commentary from director Rob Reiner as well as other actors from the movie. Now I want to see the movie again.

[deslivres5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fabulous behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Princess Bride from the perspective of Cary Elwes. So many great stories! I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Elwes with interjections narrated by so many of the other cast members. Elwes himself is fantastic at doing impressions as well.I have another viewing of this movie queued up to watch ASAP so I can enjoy the tale once again and look more closely for the cool things he mentions.

[nonesuch42 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Princess Bride is my favorite movie. While not quite as magical as The Princess Bride movie, this book was everything I wanted. Behind the scenes stories. Funny anecdotes. Fencing training. Andre the giant. There's all sorts of details in the movie that I never caught, but now I just want to watch it over and over. So much love and fun went into that movie.

I went to a book signing with Cary Elwes and it was one of the best book signings. I started reading the book, but left it at home for Christmas break because it was too big, but I started the audio book instead and it was even better. I loved that all the actors and other involved persons shared their own memories. This book was surprisingly emotional, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.