‘As You Wish: Tales from the Making of the Princess Bride’ by Cary Elwes

I was an ’80s kid. I remember when phones had rotary dials and cell phones looked like walkie talkies. Microwaves were the same size as a standard oven, and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” topped the music charts. It was a magical time of innovation and change. It seems like everything that was old is new again with many things coming back in style: Adidas, leggings, “Star Wars.” That decade also had great book-to-cinema adaptations with movies like “The Outsiders,” “Scarface,” “The Neverending Story” and “The Little Mermaid,” which all became film classics. One of my personal favorites, “The Princess Bride,” was also made into a film. I can’t express how happy I still am that they made this book into a movie. I could watch it every day for the rest of my life. So you can imagine my extreme joy when I found out last summer that Cary Elwes, who played Wesley in the movie, was releasing a behind-the-scenes, tell-all book about making the movie! I needed that book like I need air.We get a first-hand account from Elwes of his entire experience of filming. Right from the beginning we follow Wesley, oops I mean Cary, as he takes us to that first meeting and audition with the director and producer. What if he never got that part? Who else was up for the role? Soon we get to meet Robin Wright, aka Buttercup, as well as the other cast members. Crazy accidents happened during filming, which affected the movie in subtle ways. We see first hand the hard work of swordplay with Mandy Patinkin. We hear endearing tales of friendship about the late lovable giant Andre. We swoon in the fire swamp and learn the secrets of the R.O.U.S. What hilarious improv from the talented Billy Crystal was put into the movie? This book is full of weird and charming stories. “As You Wish” is a wonderful memoir packed with set photography and interviews from cast and crew, including Wallace Shawn, Rob Reiner and the lovely Robin Wright. We even get to hear from the brilliant author, William Goldman. If you are a fan of the film, you most definitely will enjoy this read.Cary Elwes is an English actor who has been in films such as “The Crush,” “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” “Glory” and “Saw.” He co-authored this memoir along with Rob Reiner, director of “The Princess Bride.” Cary Elwes now lives in California.Talisha Blackburn is the young adult library assistant at The Beardsley and Memorial Library. For this book or other books like this, search the catalog online at www.beardsleyandmemorial.org or visit the library at 40 Munro Place.