@DVK-in-exile Probably shouldn't be too restrictive with the on-topicness here :-) Knights in fantasy are still on-topic, even if we're talking about what word to use for them.
Recommendation request: should I read/watch The Princess Bride? I've always subconsciously got it mixed up with another book in my head - possibly The Frog Princess or maybe something else - which is why I've never been interested in it, but from a quick scan of Wikipedia, it looks like it might be a nice example of classic high fantasy. If it's anything like Stardust, I'll take it - that's one of my all-time favourite films, although sadly I haven't read the book.
It seems much of The Princess Bride's appeal is due to a humonguous cult and nostalgia factor that might not be easily reproducible in a viewer from a culture/age that did not grow up on it. Which doesn't mean it's not a fun film, but don't expect the astonishment and greatness that the internet is suggesting you to expect from it.
(But of course I'm talking solely about the film and know that my taste in stuff goes largely incongruent to your's anyway. Thus there is no guarantee this assessment is of any worth for the actual question if you would personally profit from engaging the film, let alone the book.)
@NapoleonWilson Contrary to my usual approach, I was actually thinking mainly about the film here. Maybe it's because I enjoyed the film Stardust (which I imagine is comparable?) without having read the book, or because there's a lot of good fantasy books but very few good fantasy films, so I'll snap up any good fantasy film I can find.
@Randal'Thor OK, try not to burn the place down while I actually try to answer Q&As :)
@Randal'Thor I definitely wouldn't call "The Princess Bride" "high" fantasy, but it's worth reading and watching IMHO. Some people like the book more, some the film. They are different enough (and, uncharacteristically, BOTH good) that you should probably do both. A large charm of both works is irony/fun.
@NapoleonWilson Same for me. But I still greatly enjoyed both the film and the book once I discovered both as an adult. I definitely don't belong to the "cultist" side of fan spectrum, probably due to reasons you mentioned. But still a fan.
It may be heresy, but if you like "Myth" series of books, or Pratchett, I think you'll find Princess Bride in a bit of a similar vein.
user132126
2:55 AM
There's a cultist side?
user132126
Okay, I've probably got family members that can quote every line.
user132126
But there's a lot of quotable parts in it that are definitely part of a lot of cultural references.
@CreationEdge Perhaps not the most accurate wording. Basically, people who ascribe the importance and meaning to the work that is significantly out of band with its actual importance and meaning, as much as the latter can be assessed non-subjectively.
@CreationEdge "The Godfather" is the I Ching. "The Godfather" is the sum of all wisdom. "The Godfather" is the answer to any question - that type of approach.
It's an incredibly complex narrative, with tons of characters with interesting relationships, lots of politicking and intrigue, and villains working in secret so you're never sure who you can trust.
Because of the scope and length of the series, the author can afford to leave important facets of the story mysterious and unexplored for the first few books, and then let understanding of them come slowly and gradually.
@Randal'Thor If you're into multi-tome, complex narratives and politics, and can stomach lack of fantasy in favour of SciFi, I would highly recommend David Weber's "Safehold" series.
room topic changed to SFF On-topic Chat: SciFi and Fiction on-topic discussions (no tags)
