Quotessence
Home / Authors / William Goldman
William Goldman

William Goldman Quotes

Novelist

Filter quotes by topic

AllPrincess BrideButtercupPrinces BrideSaidThinkingFezzikIfsLoveKnowsWorld

Famous William Goldman Quotes

“He held up a book then. “I'm going to read it to you for relax.” “Does it have any sports in it?” “Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True Love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest Ladies. Snakes. Spiders... Pain. Death. Brave men. Cowardly men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles.” “Sounds okay,” I said and I kind of closed my eyes.”

MenKindDoeSaidBookEyePainLyingHateFightingPassionSportsSoundAdventureOkayMiracleBraveRevengeGiantsTorturePoisonRelaxGood ManStrongestHuntersSnakesSpidersLove HateCowardlyBrave ManBad ManLies TruthFencingPain Death
Author:William Goldman
Create image

“Chapter One. The Bride." He held up the book then. "I'm reading it to you for relax." He practically shoved the book in my face. "By S. Morgenstern. Great Florinese writer. The Princess Bride. He too came to America. S. Morgenstern. Dead now in New York. The English is his own. He spoke eight tongues." Here my father put down the book and held up all his fingers. "Eight. Once in Florin City...”

BookAmericaFacesReadingFatherCitiesNew YorkFingersEightTongueRelaxSpokesPrincessChaptersBridesPrincess Bride
Book:The Princess Bride
Create image

“Everyone had told her, since she became a princess-in-training, that she was very likely the most beautiful woman in the world. Now she was going to be the richest and the most powerful as well. Don't expect too much from life, Buttercup told herself as she rode along. Learn to be satisfied with what you have.”

WorldWellsBeautifulPowerfulToo MuchTrainingSatisfiedMost PowerfulPrincessBeautiful WomenButtercupMost Beautiful Woman In The World
Book:The Princess Bride: An Illustrated Edition of S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
Create image

“The Countess was considerably younger than her husband. All of her clothes came from Paris (this was after Paris) and she had superb taste. (This was after taste too, but only just. And since it was such a new thing, and since the Countess was the only lady in all Florin to posses it, is it any wonder she was the leading hostess in the land?)”

WonderLandTasteHusbandClothesParisNew ThingsSuperbPosseHostesses
Book:The Princess Bride
Create image

“Flailing and thrashing, Buttercup wept and tossed and paced and wept some more, and there have been three great cases of jealousy since David of Galilee was first afflicted with the emotion when he could no longer stand the fact that his neighbor Saul's cactus outshone his own. (Originally, jealousy pertained solely to plants, other people's cactus or ginkgoes, or, later, when there was grass, grass, which is why, even to this day, we say that someone is green with jealousy.) Buttercup's case rated a close fourth on the all-time list. It was a very long and very green night.”

PeopleFirstsLongHas BeensFactsNightThreeEmotionCasesGreenPlantNeighborListsAll TimeGrassThis DayFourthCactusButtercupFlailing
Book:The Princess Bride: An Illustrated Edition of S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
Create image

“Writing is finally about one thing: going into a room alone and doing it. Putting words on paper that have never been there in quite that way before. And although you are physically by yourself, the haunting Demon never leaves you, that Demon being the knowledge of your own terrible limitations, your hopeless inadequacy, the impossibility of ever getting it right. No matter how diamond-bright your ideas are dancing in your brain, on paper they are earthbound.”

WayWritingIdeasMatterRoomsBrainOne ThingTerriblePaperDancingLimitationDemonHopelessDiamondImpossibilityHauntingInadequacyWords On Paper
Author:William Goldman
Create image

“When I left you, you were already more beautiful than anything I dared to dream. In our years apart, my imaginings did their best to improve on your perfection. At night, your face was forever behind my eyes. And now I see that that vision who kept me company in my loneliness was a hag compared to the beauty now before me.”

YearsMindSaidEnoughDreamEyeBeautifulFacesNightBehindsCompanyVisionForeverLonelinessPerfectionYour FaceButtercup
Author:William Goldman
Create image

“The Prince found Buttercup waiting unhappily outside his chamber doors. It's my letter,' she began. 'I cannot make it right.' Come in, come in,' the Prince said gently. 'Maybe we can help you.' She sat down in the same chair as before. 'All right, I'll close my eyes and listen; read to me.' Westley, my passion, my sweet, my only my own. Come back, come back. I shall kill myself otherwise. Yours in torment, Buttercup.' She looked at Humperdinck. 'Well? Do you think I'm throwing myself at him?”

ThinkingWellsSaidHelpingEyePassionFoundWaitingMy OwnDoorsSweetLettersSatChairsThrowingTormentChamberMy PassionButtercup
Author:William Goldman
Create image

“I just know once you're over your emotional outbursts, you'll come up with-' I mean if we even had a wheelbarrow, that would be something,' Westley said.”

IfsKnowsMeanSaidWould BeEmotionalCome UpOutburstWheelbarrowsEmotional Outbursts
Book:The Princess Bride: An Illustrated Edition of S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure
Create image