William Goldman Books

I was afraid to read this book and avoided it for many years. I so dearly love the movie and I just didn't want to be disappointed either way. If the book was better, as is usually the case, then my movie experience would be tarnished. If the movie was better then I'd be wasting my time with the book.

Well nevermind to all of that, because I LOVE this book and now the two separate entities will forever positively reinforce each other in my mind. There are some significant changes from the movie which should help separate them.

I love the inclusion of the character, "William Goldman". Oh, he's not a character you say? He's the author? Well he's one of my favorite parts of this book. I love the interaction between the characters, especially Fezzik and Inigo who throughout the book had me in all kinds of tears: of laughter, of joy, of sadness.

I read every word of "The Princess Bride" and I'm usually a big skimmer and skipper.

The first time I read this book, I loved it, fullstop. The second time I read it, I was pretty angry about being tricked, but it was still awesome. Reading it all these years later as an adult, I noticed how sexist, racist, and lazy this book is. Don't get me wrong- enough of it is still entertaining that I didn't try to set my copy on fire, but it's not nearly as good as I remember it being.

I had a hard time emotionally engaging in this book. It is mainly a frenetic joke that speeds rapidly by. I love Rob Reiner as a director and William Goldman is one of my favorite screenwriters. I just didn't love this book. I have always liked the movie, not loved it but thought the book would be better. It just isn't for me.

There were a few clever lines throughout the story that had me chuckling. It appears that the author Goldman edited a story written by Morgenstern. There were many places in which Goldman described why he omitted various pages of Morgenstern's work, but what he kept were in Morgenstern's original words. Goldman's editing comments took me out of the story too much. I would have preferred the story without comments. The characters, plot and action were interesting, but Morgenstern's writing style was tedious.

At the end of this book, Goldman edits the first chapter of a second Morgenstern book called "Buttercup's Baby." That chapter provides more details for the ending of "The Princess Bride" which is nice, but it also leaves the reader hanging because it starts a new story with unanswered questions. The writing of this chapter was not done chronologically which was confusing and made the story less enjoyable. My rating reflects my bias toward romance novels. Readers who love action, adventure and heroes with amazing powers would probably like this story more than I did. The ideas were creative and fun but the book needs a modern day rewrite.

Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: none. Setting: Unknown time (during sword fighting days) in Europe. Copyright: 1973. Genre: young adult, adventure fiction.

On of my favorite movies to sit down and watch or come into the middle of and pick it up at that point is The Princess Bride. Ahhhh, such a tale that everyone loves. Who doesn't have a favorite character (or two). However, this review deals with the book that the movie was developed from.

The book of The Princess Bride is self described as the abridged telling of S. Morgenstern's classic tale of true love and high adventure. However, rather than being an abridged story, this is the full story (sorry if you're looking for Morgenstern's tale, a little lie). That said, the tale is told as a writer who's abridging a classic tale from his youth that his dad read to him when he was sick. In `abridging' Morgenstern's work, Mr. Goldman inserts his own comments, whether it's his memory of when his dad read the story to him or when he explains why he removed part of Morgentstern's work.

The Good
The book follows the movie (or is it the movie follows the book, a little hard to say) very well. All of the scenes you love in the movie are in the book. Additional data is provided usually, but it doesn't hurt what we saw in the movie in the least. In addition, we're given additional back ground data on Princess Buttercup, Wesley, and all of the major characters. I was particularly happy with the additional information on Inigo and Fezzik. While I enjoyed them in the movie, the book brings them forward! Especially when you learn what Fezzik went thru.

The Bad
Sometimes Mr. Goldman is a little long winded. I know he was trying to capture a writing style, but I think he took it a little to far. Particularly when describing the Prince and his Zoo of Death. As a matter of fact, this caused me to put the book down for a little while.

The Rating
Boy, on the front half I was only thinking 3 stars. I mean it was a little slow, Mr. Goldman spent a fair amount of time coming up with the idea of abridging the book, acquiring the book, and writing the abridged work. However, once Princess Buttercup is kidnapped the story picks up and the story steps up to 4.5 stars. Given this, I'll call this one a 4 star book. The strength of the book is what we've seen in the movie, quick action with an excellent story that everyone loves.

Mr. Goldman has written a classic. A great panacea for anyone that gets too starry-eyed over celebrities and aspires to "make it big" in show business. I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Goldman's no-holds-barred approach to explaining just how Hollywood works. His book is instructive and illuminating. His sarcastic approach is extremely funny and a great stress reliever. His quasi-sequel, Which Lie Did I Tell?, was also very enjoyable. I would highly recommend both books.

What kind of book can the writer of such great screenplays as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Marathon Man, A Bridge Too Far, Dreamcatcher, and my sentimental favorite, The Princess Bride write? A romping, great ride through the movie making business, complete with behind-the-scenes stories. It opens with an astutely worded history of Hollywood, covers splendid tales about movie stars--both good and very, very bad, and the screenwriting process. `Adventures In The Screen Trade' is a true classic.

Goldman understands movies and more than that, he truly understands how to tell a story and be funny at the same time. In the book, he writes that comedy is not his forte. Nonsense! I was laughing half the time I was reading; I had to put the book down occasionally, I was laughing so hard.

More than simply comedy, the book is filled with insights not only on human nature, but also on writing about human nature. Near the end of the book, after a most enjoyable read about what parts he played in the many good movies he's written or had a part in writing (including only the last line from the Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman movie, Papillon), he shows his true genius. He actually demonstrates his thinking process in adapting a short story of his into a screenplay.

After reading that story, but before I read his working plan of adaptation, I decided to experiment and see what angle I could come up with on the story in a rough outline. After doing that, I read his plan of attack in comparison and I was simply blown away. Here is a master storyteller at work--I'm not worthy.

I enjoyed reading this book and if you're a fan of film, you'll like this one too.

this is a must for everyone interested in screenwriting...a little slow in the beginning but riveting after that

Reading this book makes you feel the writer is talking to you personally - it is written in a conversational style .
The author sometimes can't believe the sort of conditions he himself works in or the type of surroundings , he is as confused by them as we are . He is also as captivated by them as we are , coming from a pure love of movies and their magic .

If you are a film fan , do not delay in buying this book .
It will bring a new perspective to viewing a film .
Once you've read it , go and watch BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID , for which the author wrote the screenplay .
A fantastic book !!

This is not a text book, but it should be required reading for anyone who wants a career in the motion picture industry - or anyone who loves film in general. Why is it not a textbook? Because it is one heck of an entertaining read. The book runs almost six-hundred pages and I devoured it in just a couple of days.

William Goldman is one of most respected screenwriters alive; he knows as much about it as anyone. What he gives us is a picture of Hollywood (the business and who does what), the art of writing a screenplay, the process of working on a film, and his own personal anecdotes. One of the chief pleasures of the book is how cheerfully gossipy it is. "PART ONE: HOLLYWOOD REALITIES" is full of stories of the excesses of Hollywood that people out there consider normal. A lot of the time he doesn't supply names, but sometimes he does. (Dustin Hoffman, while a brilliant actor, is notorious for being a bit eccentric.) He also gives us an idea of how the studio works and how pictures get made.

The last third of the book will primarily interest serious film students. Goldman includes his entire script for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and uses it as a teaching tool. Then he presents a short story he wrote and uses that as a teaching tool regarding adapting previously written material.

This book was written in 1982 and reading it is a stroll down memory lane. That was a dark time in motion picture history. Most of the films he references from that period have been forgotten. In other words, it is just like today. We need to read this book again more than ever.

I won't lie to you. I never really liked the Goldman family. They came across as way too functional to me and slightly pretensious and the book only enhances that impact. Sadly, the Goldmans rely on the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office and the Los Angeles Police Department for the truth. Of course, the L.A.P.D. is responsible for the Rodney King's savage beating, losing key evidence in the city's most famous unsolved murder of the Black Dahlia a.k.a. Elizabeth Short, etc. The only reason that their killer got away in the criminal trial is that he had the resources to hire high-powered attorneys like Johnnie Cochrane, Robert Shapiro, Barry Sheck, Alan Dershowitz, but they forget to list Sara Caplan as one of his attorneys. I don't think the Goldmans ever considered anybody else as a suspect and convicted the killer before he stood trial. Regardless, they became amateur court television viewers in the courtroom but they were biased in their views and opinions. I was expected to read more about them to get a better feeling of them but it didn't. I only resented them more because they are just pigeon-holed into believing black and white. They lost me when the killer's sister, Shirley, did something during the civil trial and Patti concluded that violence must run in the family. Regardless, you don't know everything even with two trials under your belt and I have read every true crime out there except about the Simpson case. When you seek the truth, you can't be blinded by your bias and prejudices. The Goldmans moved from one white community in Illinois to another in Los Angeles and again to Arizona. They never cite any contact with African Americans in the book. For the record, I am white, female school-teacher who works with predominantly African-Americans and Hispanic students in New Jersey. My students told me that all whites were rich but I didn't have time to explain that poverty exists in white America as it does in black America.

I don't think Ron would have wanted his family to suffer. He would want them to live life to the fullest. The killer didn't take that away from them, they choose to hurt themselves and remain in mourning. Regardless of such a loss in the family whether by accident, murder or illness, a surviving relative moves on with their lives. I can't tell you how many people who have lost their loved ones on 09-11-01 and on Pan AM 103 and the many men and women overseas in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Goldmans have been regular guests on television shows with the other book which I won't comment but I believe it's also biased in it's view and trash. Instead of using the airtime to bring light about the victims of violence, they use it to target the one person that they hate so much. I couldn't get talk shows to recall the tragic event of December 21, 1988 when 270 lives were snuffed out by terrorism over Lockerbie, Scotland. Every year goes by, it's bearly mentioned and when Daniel and Susan Cohen writes about their pain, anger, and frustration. People criticize them for not having peace. In fact, their book is one of the most heartfelt book in my collection and they can't even get on Larry King Live or get a film made about it.

It's sad really because they should have some closure, some peace but only if they choose to except it in their lives.

You wonder if Ron and Nicole weren't attractive that people would care as much about them.

If you believe in heaven and an afterlife, you have something to look forward too. In fact, everybody who has had near death experiences regrets and cries coming back to life. The Goldmans don't believe in anything at all. But I can't stand to see the family in pain, maybe I just don't like them because they are so naive about life. I believe that when you die, it's your time regardless of the cause of death. I believe in something more than this earth.

I Have read this book about 3 times it is very good and very very interesting. it is the best book on this case so far. So many things are brought out in court that the public did not hear that I was shocked that he got away with it. I think a lot has to do with the judge being star struck.
If the things brought out in court are true then how can anyone just overlook that? I will never understand that. This is a goooooooooood! book!

I have read this book over and over.
It is written in such present tense, that I am right
there, feeling the emotions.
Nearly every time I check my messages on my answering
machine.......I think of Ron's messages those couple days.
I have never seen such injustice.
*
Lawyers and judge Ito were too star struck
to even realize there were two Precious Stars
crying out the name of their killer....
....O.J. SIMPSON! Brutal murderer...and arrogant
about it.
I love the Goldmans and they don't even know me!
They don't know how many prayers and tears I have
for them!
I keep the hardback book on my coffee table.....
I pick it up often......
sometimes just to look at the pictures.

* We did have a case here in Louisville several years
ago. Mel Ignato got away with murder, also.
Due to an incompetent prosecuting attorney;
....Ernie Jasmine! and, like O.J. it was a slam dunk
case! I'm just waiting for O.J. to go into the ministry
like Mel Ignato did!

I think this is one of the saddest, yet most hopeful books I have ever read.. The Goldman family handled their tragedy with grace and dignity, and set an example for the entire world in which to follow.

Fred Goldman has always impressed me. Here is a guy who was forced to deal with his tremendous grief in a very involuntarily public fashion, who totally kept his act together while expressing as much rage as possible without comprising his credibility. There was no rush to forgiveness of his son's killer, as we too often see as a symptom of this country's desire to conflate unconditional forgiveness with "enlightenment." Did most rational people secretly hope Fred would shoot OJ outside the courtroom or run him over with his car in the streets of Brentwood? Of course. However, the Goldman family didn't need the additional difficulty of Fred's arrest, and their case didn't need anything to detract from the monumental evidence supporting OJ's commission of the murders. Sadly, it was Johnnie Cochran and his "Scheme Team" that derailed the locomotive of justice, through at least race-mongering and conspiracy theory.

"His Name Is Ron" allows the Goldmans to vent some of their anger, and recounts the life and death of their son and subsequent trials with great detail, dignity, and a surprisingly amount of objectivity. They didn't need the money for the book: its writing arose to counter "works" from the dark side, including from the killer himself, and from a desire to set the record straight about their son. The Goldmans were never baited by the black-white race card played by the defense team; they, like so many of us, hated OJ because of what he did, not who he was. Expressions of the Goldmans' understandable erosion of faith in the legal system are balanced with a continued recognition that, defects notwithstanding, we still need fair legal representation for criminals and to at least attempt to conduct fair trials. Certain Goldman family members even remain opposed to the death penalty, despite the fact that OJ made many nation-wide change their mind in favor of capital punishment.

For anyone who wasn't familiar with all the finer points of the Trial/Blunder of the Century, this book is gives a clear and informed account, and is particularly eye-opening with respect to the pain endured by the Goldman family. As the litany of horrors described grew, so did my admiration for Fred, Kim, Patti, etc., and for their ability to not suffer nervous breakdowns. The non-exhaustive list of insult added to the Goldmans' injury includes watching OJ laugh and joke with his oily lawyers, taunt the victims' families, and recount his golf game during the trials; witnessing a juror throw a black power salute to the criminal defense team, definitively acknowledging the trial boiled down to nothing more than race; being scolded by courtroom officials for drinking bottled water during the trial, and risking losing courtroom seats that weren't filled every day; lectures about courtroom decorum from the trashy family of Nicole Brown; an interloping mother of the deceased, who had no involvement with the family until she saw dollar signs from Ron's death; and death threats made against the family and its legal counsel.

Sadly, I recently heard that the Goldmans have yet to see any money from OJ- not because they need the money, but because every dollar gained represents one lost by the killer. I also believe that Safe Streets, the victims-rights organization that Fred Goldman become a part of, is no more. This country needs a lot more advocacy for real victims than for criminals, and people like Fred Goldman help us make gains to that end, turning pain into progress. One final wish is for the Goldmans to realize their dreams of OJ's premature (though by now, already too late) death sometime soon.

If you like intelligent and slighty naughty you'll love this one!

also up there with Geek Love(Dunn), Post Office(Bukowski), Tom Robbins, Martin Amis and a bevy of others...

I had first read this novel back in '64 or '65 and was mesmerized by it then. Now, 42 years later, I decided to see if I would enjoy it as much today as I had back then. I did, perhaps even more so. Goldman's style is crisp and measured, all of his characters carefully delineated and believable, and the story-line moves along at a brisk rate.

If Philip Roth, Harold Robbins, Jacqueline Susann, Rona Jaffe and Mary McCarthy all met for dinner and collaborated on a story to pass the time before the main course, (and Edgar Allan Poe rushed in at the end to add to the climax) the result would have been something similar to this novel which is actually from the talented mind of one man: William Goldman. I'm surprised I'd gone so long without ever having heard of this novel, but then I think Goldman's work as a screenwriter and more popular works like "The Princess Bride" have overshadowed this earlier work.

Despite its seemingly unwieldy length and dense word count, "Boys and Girls Together" is an unforgettable reading experience that moves quickly. I thought I'd be with this book for most of the summer, and ended up getting through it in less than two weeks. Goldman is so convincing that every character comes alive. You'll think you'll hate somebody, but then we learn more about them and we see what they're thinking and feeling. The result is a fantastic dissections of mid-twentieth century America.

This isn't to say the book doesn't also get mired in the very mindset it's skewering. The novel is notable in that it features gay characters as protagonists but also assigns their conditions to pop-psychology conventions then popular i.e., smothering mother or fatherless homes. Being published only a year after "The Feminine Mystique" where homosexuality was described as a "murky smog" covering America, the inclusion of gay characters is both progressive and negative. But to be fair, not many of the other characters fare much better, trapped as they are under their own idiosyncracies like ditzy Jenny and clueless Walt.

The book builds to a climax that is inevitable, but the execution is a bit heavy-handed as the finale takes on the aforementioned Poe-like quality. I'll take it though, as by then, I'd been with the characters for nearly 700 pages and I wasn't going to let that mar a great reading experience; you'll never look at a fire escape the same way again.

I hated for this book to ever end! The characters were all so interesting yet so sad. It isn't a feel good book by any means! I felt very anxious through the majority of the book, which may not be a good thing since it is close to 800 pages, but it so well written! It is one of William Goldman's best books! I read alot of books and it is rare to find a really good book these days!! Thank Goodness I've found William Goldman! He seldom lets me down!

I love this book. I've read it six times and I seldom read a book more than once....but this book, I don't know, I just love it. However, I have recommended it to several my friends who usually enjoy my recommendations and all but two (who LOVED it!) have disliked or said they actually hated it. So I guess it's safe to assume it's a "love it or hate" it kind of thing. All I can say is, if you appreciate really terrific writing and interesting charactors, give this book a try. If you're looking for a fairy tale and fairy tale ending with happy fairy tale charactors, look elsewhere. But I gotta say it again....I LOVE THIS BOOK!!

Arrived on time, exactly what I asked for, great condition, no problems. I would definitely order again!

This book, not surprisingly as a Cecil's line book, is wonderful.The material is great, the figures are rich, well printed and make even more easier to comprehend what is written. The texts are very comprehensive, the subdivisions inside the book and the colorful appearance make it very practical, easy and fast to consult. I find all the answers i'm looking for, in an "uptodated" manner, based on reliable and recent articles published even at 2007, making me feel that I have reliable information and the newest scientific knowledge available in the world. I feel it is what i used to need as my Clinical medicine book. I received it in the 18th business day after my purchase, that means exactly inside the period of time i was told by "Amazon.com".

Easy to consult, the new edit. is simply fantastic.
Items 're treated no so in depth like the standard of Harrison but... each chapter of the book is a review, written by authors at the top of the scentific scene.
It's very uptodate abt the bibliograf.and the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to every problem is practical and evidence based.
I tell you, the book is ok not only for a student but for every phis. very busy in clinical practice.
I've studied internal medicine on Harrison, Kelley, Stein and some old edts of Cecil (It's with regret that Kelley and Stein disappeared probably for editorial policy) and now i can say that the new edt of Cecil is the best.
Now it will be interesting to see if the good Harrison in the next edts will change the style of the layout.....well i'm afraid yes.

You may just be interested in only Harrison's and may ignor Cecil's. But if you pay some attentions and seriously consider Cecil's, I am sure you will find out a lot of superb practical chapters and approaches to patients. Many of the chapters were written by world experts and authorities. Compared with Harrison's, Cecil's may contain more world experts and authorities. Many many chapters, written by the authors from the major well known subspecialty textbooks, were excellent and easy to understand. I highly recommend this textbook to medical students, internal medicine residents and internists.

The new Cecil (23rd edition) set a new high standard for an Internal Medicine Textbook. Up until now Harrison has been my standard textbook but with the 23rd Cecil, I have to say:" Hasta la vista, Harrison" . I have been using it for the past few weeks and I must say I am very impressed.

The quality of printing is superb; the book is filled with color figures, useful algorithms (better than UptoDate's), beautifical clinical pictures, and highly intelligent use of color text. Of course, the authors of such an important textbook are the Who's who in medicine, but the style of writing is not as condescending as Harrison's. The therapy section of each disorder is also highly practical and highly current. The use of the principle of evidence based medicine and the incorporation of treatment guidelines made this textbook highly modern. Even psychosocial oriented practitioners will enjoy the psychiatry chapter in this book: the discussion of psychopharmacology of various disorders is deep without being long-winded.

I have been using Medstudy for my board recertification, but now I am spending more time flipping through Cecil than any other Internal Medicine books. For day to day use in the clinic, UptoDate is slightly more up-to-date. But for learning and studying, Cecil is much more practical and it is an extremely good-buy. I just love those algorithms.

Drs. Goldman and Ausiello, thank you for your wonderful book. And now Harrison's editors have to try to play catch up with your excellant work. Residents will soon be quoting from Cecil's rather than Harrison's in morning round as the ultimate authority in Internal Medicine.

A great book that was well-written. It
doesn't have that many pages, but it
is still a great read

Judy Goldman speaks in a voice that resonates with me. I loved this book, and I have recommended it to several of my close friends. It is the story of a woman's emerging identity in her fifties within the context of her family relationships and her growing understanding of them as she matures. Perhaps because I am about the same age as the protagonist, and I am also a psychologist, the territory the novel explores is very familiar to me. I thought that the characters were exceptionally well-drawn, and I was surprised to find that other readers were not uniformly positive about this book. Perhaps my world view, like the protagonist's, has been shaped as much by the places I have lived as it has been by my family of origin and its traditions. In the same way that I love Rebecca Wells' writing, in part for her evocation of a time and place with which I am intimately acquainted, I loved this book. It made me feel at home.

The Slow Way Back is something special. Full of heart. Thoughtful. Well-written. A page-turner. A wonderful gift for someone you care about.

I wanted to like this book much more than I did. Although it was a pleasant beach read, the characters were bland and two dimensional, the dialogue did not ring true, and the relationships were confusing (e.g., Thea seemed to adore her aunt, yet the aunt, as seen through Thea's eyes and based on Thea's observations, was presented unsympathetically. It was probably the author's attempt to show the ambivalence inherent in family relationships, but it didn't work.)

The big family secret became obvious early in the book, which led the march towards its revelation to become tiresome, and the revelation itself was anticlimactic.

All in all, I would rate this as an uninspired but not unpleasant read.

I enjoyed this story of a southern family. Several generations of women learning about their family dynamics and the ways that concealed secrets have shaped their lives. It is interesting, though obvious at times, and sweet in the way the story plays out. Many a family has a heritage that gets lost or becomes vague and tapping into our roots is always enlightening. I read this quickly and would recommend it for a good, light read.

Have you ever wondered just how many people in a big city like New York are unhappy and have seen their dreams shattered ? This books gives an insight of characheters whose lives once filled with dreams are reduced to rational 'one a day at a time' lives.

The main story is about a young man Charles 'Chub' Fuller who writes a great novel about the woman of his dreams and the horrors of his childhood. Charles later suffers from writers block and is unable to write and ends up being a taxi driver and later a researcher.
The sadness in the novel is evident as virtually none of the characters achieves their dreams or actually lives a happy life. Despite a slow start, the authors style is great inspired me to want to be a writer.

A friend gave me this book to read, and I was very disappointed. This author seems to have a problem with women. All of the problems in the protagonist's life seem to have been caused by women. All of the women characters appear to be mentally deranged. I could't wait for it to end.

Yuck.

After reading the ratings and reviews of this novel, I was anticipating another excellent book by Goldman, and there was little dissapointment.
Goldman in recent years has become an outspoken critic on what good screenwriting is, and his recent own has been lukewarm to awful. The voice that Goldman brings to the reader is always wonderful and unusual, and this book is in a different vein than The Princess Bride and even Marathon Man. I hate saying too much about the plot about a book, and then spoiling it for a few interested readers, so I will leave the plot alone.
But all aspiring writers and average readers will get more out of this book that an enjoyable read. It leaves a strong aftertaste, and will inspire you to at least recollect your life, if not motivate you to do more with it.

This book is fascinating reading for anyone interested in the writing profession. Mr. Goldman's ability to bring characters to life with such eloquence is unmatched. The only other author I can think of to touch me so deeply is Don Robertson, and possibly John Irving . You feel for the characters, you ache for them, you laugh with them, and cry with them. I especially enjoyed it because of the references to Oberlin College (a stones throw away from me). But this book fascinated me from the first time I read it, and I continue to read every couple of years and it still moves me. Mr. Goldman is undoubtedly one of the greatest screenwiters and storytellers of our time. Princess Bride is one of my favorite movies, but that's another review. On to the next...

The Color of Light could possibly be the best book I have ever read. Combining every aspect of good literature you could ever want; humour, murder, sex, mystery, romance, tragedy. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry.
This story is about Charles Fuller, he is a writer, and the story covers over a decade in his life, so in some ways it has an 'epic' feel to it. Goldman creates several interesting characters in the story ( "Two Brew" Kitchel takes the triple crown ), but make no mistake the book is about Charles Fuller and nothing else.
Basically the synopsis is simple, a writer writes a very successful book in his early twenties and hits a 'writer's block' that spans into his Thirties. Fuller finds his passage again with the aid of a woman( well a couple of women actually )and once again returns to his old self.
This is a hugely simplified synopsis as this book has many sub-stories and twists. After reading several of Goldman's works I have discovered that the final two or three pages seal the quality of the fiction and leave the reader with full satisfaction. The only problem with this book...it had to end.

I found this book in a used bookstore and couldn't believe my luck. For a second I thought it proved the existence of Morgenstern...but the Goldman style is easy to recognize. This is a great book, but like ALL Goldman titles it is really hard to find. It's worth the effort!!

I read this book this morning for breakfast and will read it again later tonight for dessert.

This gorgeous little fable turns words so well it deserves to be read aloud, to your children, to your lover, whomever. I found it even more charming than "The Princess Bride."

Luigi is an affable every-man who simply has a dream. I fell in love with him, thinking about him in his gonodolier's costume poling down The Grand Canal with his godawful singing voice, the latter of which resonates personally for me. Also, like Luigi, I have a goony smile.

Hopefully I'll visit Venice someday, and until then, this book will take me there whenever I wish.

I found my copy yesterday in my favorite used book store, (shout-out to Book Castle in downtown Burbank) and it's in perfect condition. Even the dust jacket is as crisp as it was back in 1983. The illustrations are flawless and exactly what would excite a child's imagination.

I notice this version is only available used. Buy it and promise to read it aloud. It will not disappoint.

I've had this book forever and had no idea it was rare. I love it because it is clear at a younger age but doesn't get boring or repetitive, as one of those classic books that just get better. I think it is superior to the Princess Bride as the characters are beleivable. I highly recommend it!

I rarely laugh outloud at a book, but The Silent Gondeliers had me literally falling out of my chair. A fellow singing friend of mine happened to see me reading The Princess Bride at one of our rehearsals. I mentioned how much I loved that book, and he pulled from his bag, this great book! "Well, if you like William Goldman, you'll love this one!" As an opera singer, I could appreciate much of the humor. It's about a gondelier who cannot sing, and how his mishaps are the reason why today's gondeliers are silent. Wonderful book!

This is a great book, and it deserves to be in print! I stumbled across it in a university library (if you've ever searched for light reading in a library geared for research, you'll realize how lucky I was) and it was very good. I think in some ways I liked it better than THE PRINCESS BRIDE. I think that maybe have been because Luigi, the main character, wasn't perfect at all the way Buttercup and Wesley were. (Well, Buttercup was too stupid to be perfect, but otherwise . . .) If you can find a copy of it, read it!

An excellent reference for the physician who cares for hospitalized patients. Just enough detail to care for patients of every severity and type of illness, yet not so much that you are bogged down in unimportant trivia and esoteric controversies. The book is up to date, and the authors obviously know their stuff. Things like indications for ICU admission and indications for discharge make this book invaluable for physicians who care for hospitalized patients. Now if only someone will write a similar one for pediatrics....

awesome book...has flow charts for treatment...etc...

one big neg..no pathophys... see medicine: the true explanation by Dr. V. Shinde.

This is a great overview of the vast subject that is inpatient internal medicine. The young specialty of hospitalist is one that has needed its own dedicated text for some time. This second edition is definately it. While there is still some slight fine tuning to be done, Dr. Wachter continues to do great work for us as the Father of the Hospitalist Revolution that is occuring.
It goes without saying that Hospital Medicine is essential to the library of every Hospitalist, but should also be required reading by all Internists, FPs, and IM residents. This book brings together the various aspects of inpatient medcine from nutrition to the business of medicine to procedures and perioperative care. There are also very nice sections on critical care and cardiovascular disease as well as the vital role of consultation. My highest reccomendation.

THIS BOOK IS SIMPLY AND UNDENIABLY AMAZING. I've read No Way To Treat A Lady and it is and continues to be the best of his books yet. Goldman wrote this the way every book should be written; he allowed the characters to carry the story instead of letting the plot lead or get in the way of the characters. He makes this book all about The Story and the roles the characters play within it. It's amazing, though, that it's the characters that bring the story to life. Even though it lacks the vivid descriptions and details about each person that most authors think imperative to a book, these characters capture our feelings, allowing us to imagine and create their character, thus allowing us to empathize with them.

To be less scholarly, however, let me say that this book is also the funniest thing I've ever read (surprising as it's a murder mystery)! I laughed out loud at several moments. And I could NOT put it down! I read it in one sitting! I've given it to every one of my friends, who agree it's one of if not the best books they've ever read. It has so much witty dialogue - how could you NOT love that?!

Goldman is an intelligent author and absolutely one of the best of our time. (He's also a screenwriter, which begs the question: WHY ISN'T THIS A MOVIE?!?) READ THIS BOOK! You will NOT regret it.

I've read several William Goldman books and like his others, this one is an easy and fun read. However, I found some of his other books to be more engrossing (The Princess Bride, Marathon Man etc.) Still, this book about a serial killer on the loose in New York is a good read....creepy, scary and very entertaining.