80 Quotes & Sayings By William Goldman

I love you, ' Buttercup said. 'I know this must come as something of a surprise to you, since all I've ever done is scorn you and degrade you and taunt you, but I have loved you for several hours now, and every second, more. I thought an hour ago that I loved you more than any woman has ever loved a man, but a half hour after that I knew that what I felt before was nothing compared to what I felt then. But ten minutes after that, I understood that my previous love was a puddle compared to the high seas before a storm. Your eyes are like that, did you know? Well they are. How many minutes ago was I? Twenty? Had I brought my feelings up to then? It doesn't matter.' Buttercup still could not look at him. The sun was rising behind her now; she could feel the heat on her back, and it gave her courage. 'I love you so much more now than twenty minutes ago that there cannot be comparison. I love you so much more now then when you opened your hovel door, there cannot be comparison. There is no room in my body for anything but you. My arms love you, my ears adore you, my knees shake with blind affection. My mind begs you to ask it something so it can obey. Do you want me to follow you for the rest of your days? I will do that. Do you want me to crawl? I will crawl. I will be quiet for you or sing for you, or if you are hungry, let me bring you food, or if you have thirst and nothing will quench it but Arabian wine, I will go to Araby, even though it is across the world, and bring a bottle back for your lunch. Anything there is that I can do for you, I will do for you; anything there is that I cannot do, I will learn to do. I know I cannot compete with the Countess in skills or wisdom or appeal, and I saw the way she looked at you. And I saw the way you looked at her. But remember, please, that she is old and has other interests, while I am seventeen and for me there is only you. Dearest Westley--I've never called you that before, have I?--Westley, Westley, Westley, Westley, Westley, --darling Westley, adored Westley, sweet perfect Westley, whisper that I have a chance to win your love.' And with that, she dared the bravest thing she'd ever done; she looked right into his eyes. William Goldman

The Queen's Pride was his ship, and he loved her. (That was the way his sentences always went: It is raining today and I love you. My cold is better and I love you. Say hello to Horse and I love you. Like that.) William Goldman

I've been saying it so long to you, you just wouldn't listen. Every time you said 'Farm Boy do this' you thought I was answering 'As you wish' but that's only because you were hearing wrong. 'I love you' was what it was, but you never heard. William Goldman

Westley: This is true love – you think this happens every day? William Goldman

Do you love me, Westley? Is that it?’ He couldn’t believe it. ‘Do I love you? My God, if your love were a grain of sand, mine would be a universe of beaches. If your love were–‘ ‘ I don’t understand the first one yet, ’ Buttercup interrupted. She was starting to get very excited now. ‘Let me get this straight. Are you saying my love is the size of a grain of sand and yours is this other thing? Images just confuse me so–is this universal business of yours bigger than my sand? Help me, Westley. I have the feeling we’re on the verge of something just terribly important.’ ‘ I have stayed these years in my hovel because of you. I have taught myself languages because of you. I have made my body strong because I thought you might be pleased by a strong body. I have lived my life with only the prayer that some sudden dawn you might glance in my direction. I have not known a moment in years when the sight of you did not send my heart careening against my rib cage. I have not known a night when your visage did not accompany me to sleep. There has not been a morning when you did not flutter behind my waking eyelids…. Is any of this getting through to you, Buttercup, or do you want me to go on for a while?’ ‘ Never stop.’ ‘ There has not been–‘ ‘ If you’re teasing me, Westley, I’m just going to kill you.’ ‘ How can you even dream I might be teasing?’ ‘ Well, you haven’t once said you loved me.’ ‘ That’s all you need? Easy. I love you. Okay? Want it louder? I love you. Spell it out, should I? I ell-oh-vee-ee why-oh-you. Want it backward? You love I.’ ‘You are teasing now; aren’t you?’ ‘ A little maybe; I’ve been saying it so long to you, you just wouldn’t listen. Every time you said ‘Farm boy do this’ you thought I was answering ‘As you wish’ but that’s only because you were hearing wrong. ‘I love you’ was what it was, but you never heard, and you never heard. William Goldman

And when she at last came out, her eyes were dry. Her parents stared up from their silent breakfast at her. They both started to rise but she put a hand out, stopped them. ‘I can care for myself, please, ’ and she set about getting some food. They watched her closely. In point of fact, she had never looked as well. She had entered her room as just an impossibly lovely girl. The woman who emerged was a trifle thinner, a great deal wiser, and an ocean sadder. This one understood the nature of pain, and beneath the glory of her features, there was character, and a sure knowledge of suffering. She was eighteen. She was the most beautiful woman in a hundred years. She didn’t seem to care. ‘You’re all right?’ her mother asked. Buttercup sipped her cocoa. ‘Fine, ’ she said. ‘ You’re sure?’ her father wondered. ‘ Yes, ’ Buttercup replied. There was a very long pause. ‘But I must never love again.’ She never did. . William Goldman

We’ll never survive! ” “Nonsense. You’re only saying that because no one ever has. William Goldman

I am your Prince and you will marry me, " Humperdinck said. Buttercup whispered, "I am your servant and I refuse."" I am you Prince and you cannot refuse."" I am your loyal servant and I just did."" Refusal means death."" Kill me then. William Goldman

Now what happens?" asked the man in black. "We face each other as God intended, " Fezzik said. "No tricks, no weapons, skill against skill alone."" You mean you'll put down your rock and I'll put down my sword and we'll try to kill each other like civilized people, is that it? William Goldman

I’m going to tell you something once and then whether you die is strictly up to you, " Westley said, lying pleasantly on the bed. "What I’m going to tell you is this: drop your sword, and if you do, then I will leave with this baggage here"–he glanced at Buttercup–"and you will be tied up but not fatally, and will be free to go about your business. And if you choose to fight, well, then, we will not both leave alive." You are only alive now because you said 'to the pain.' I want that phrase explained." My pleasure. To the pain means this: if we duel and you win, death for me. If we duel and I win, life for you. But life on my terms. The first thing you lose will be your feet. Below the ankle. You will have stumps available to use within six months. Then your hands, at the wrists. They heal somewhat quicker. Five months is a fair average. Next your nose. No smell of dawn for you. Followed by your tongue. Deeply cut away. Not even a stump left. And then your left eye–" And then my right eye, and then my ears, and shall we get on with it?" the Prince said. Wrong! " Westley’s voice rang across the room. "Your ears you keep, so that every shriek of every child shall be yours to cherish–every babe that weeps in fear at your approach, every woman that cries 'Dear God, what is that thing?' will reverberate forever with your perfect ears. That is what 'to the pain' means. It means that I leave you in anguish, in humiliation, in freakish misery until you can stand it no more; so there you have it, pig, there you know, you miserable vomitous mass, and I say this now, and live or die, it’s up to you: Drop your sword! " The sword crashed to the floor. . William Goldman

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? . William Goldman

And what have I done?" What? WHAT?...You've stolen them." With that, Cornelia fled, but Buttercup understood; she knew who "them" was. The boys. The beef-witted featherbrained rattledskulled clodpated dim-domed noodle-noggined sapheaded lunk-knobbed BOYS. William Goldman

I mean, I really do think that love is the best thing in the world, except for cough drops. But I also have to say, for the umpty-umpth time, that life isn't fair. It's just fairer than death, that's all. William Goldman

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. . William Goldman

Who can know when his world is going to change? . Who would suspect that in the morning a different child would wake? . Perhaps I should have at least known something, but maybe not; who can sense revelation in the wind? What happened was just this: I got hooked on the story. For the first time in my life, I became actively interested in a book. Me the sports fanatic, me the game freak, me the only ten-year-old in Illinois with a hate on for the alphabet wanted to know what happened next. . William Goldman

I thought an hour ago that I loved you more than any woman has ever loved a man, but a half hour after that I knew that what I felt before was nothing compared to what I felt then. But ten minutes after that, I understood that my previous love was a puddle compared to the high seas before a storm. William Goldman

She had never looked as well. She had entered her room as just an impossibly lovely girl. The woman who emerged was a trifle thinner, a great deal wiser, an ocean sadder. This one understood the nature of pain, and beneath the glory of her features, there was character, and a sure knowledge of suffering. William Goldman

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. William Goldman

I must court her now, ' said the Prince. 'Leave us alone for a minute.' He rode the white expertly down the hill. Buttercup had never seen such a giant beast. Or such a rider. ' I am your Prince and you will marry me, ' Humperdinck said. Buttercup whispered, 'I am your servant and I refuse.' ' I am your Prince and you cannot refuse.' ' I am your loyal servant and I just did.' ' Refusal means death.' ' Kill me then.' ' I am your Prince and I’m not that bad – how could you rather be dead than married to me?' ' Because, ' Buttercup said, 'marriage involves love, and that is not a pastime at which I excel. I tried once, and it went badly, and I am sworn never to love another.' 'Love?' said Prince Humperdinck. 'Who mentioned love? Not me, I can tell you. Look: there must always be a male heir to the throne of Florin. That’s me. Once my father dies, there won’t be an heir, just a king. That’s me again. When that happens, I’ll marry and have children until there is a son. So you can either marry me and be the richest and most powerful woman in a thousand miles and give turkeys away at Christmas and provide me a son, or you can die in terrible pain in the very near future. Make up your own mind.' ' I’ll never love you.' ' I wouldn’t want it if I had it.' ' Then by all means let us marry. William Goldman

Love is the best thing in the world, except for cough drops. William Goldman

It was only when the giant got halfway down the incline that he suddenly, happily, burst into flame and continued his trip saying, "NO SURVIVORS, NO SURVIVORS! " in a manner that could only indicate deadly sincerity. It was seeing him happily burning and advancing that startled the Brute Squad to screaming. And once that happened, why, everybody panicked and ran... William Goldman

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?) William Goldman

The hollowness was in his arms and the world was snowing. William Goldman

Nobody knows anything...... Not one person in the entire motion picture field knows for a certainty what's going to work. Every time out it's a guess and, if you're lucky, an educated one. William Goldman

I understand everything, ” he said.“ You understand nothing, but it really doesn’t matter, since what you mean is, you’re glad to see me, just as I’m glad to see you because no more loneliness.”“ That’s what I mean, ” said Fezzik. William Goldman

May my hands fall from my wrists before I kill an artist like yourself, " said the man in black. "I would as soon destroy da Vinci. However"–and here he clubbed Inigo's head with the butt of his sword–"since I can't have you following me either, please understand that I hold you in the highest respect. William Goldman

The dweam of wuv wapped wiffin the gweater dweam of everwasting west. Eternity is our fwiend, wemember that, and wuv wiw fowwow you fowever. William Goldman

Hello there, " Inigo hollered when he could wait no more. The man in black glanced up and grunted." I've been watching you." The man in black nodded." Slow going, " Inigo said." Look, I don't mean to be rude, " the man in black said finally, "but I'm rather busy just now, so try not to distract me."" I'm sorry, " Inigo said. The man in black grunted again." I don't suppose you could speed things up, " Inigo said." If you want to speed things up so much, " the man in black said, clearly quite angry now, "you could lower a rope or a tree branch or find some other helpful thing to do. William Goldman

Princess. By S. Morgenstern. It's a kids' classic. Tell him I'll quiz him on it when I'm back next week and that he doesn't have to like it or anything, but if he doesn't, tell him I'll kill myself. Give him that message exactly please; I wouldn't want to apply any extra pressure or anything. William Goldman

He's gaining on us, " the Turk said. "That is also inconceivable, " the Sicilian said. "Before I stole this boat we're in, I made many inquiries as to what was the fastest ship on all of Florin Channel and everyone agreed it was this one." "You're right, " the Turk agreed, staring back. "He isn't gaining on us. He's just getting closer, that's all. William Goldman

I know something you do not know. I am not left-handed either. William Goldman

I am as devoted to adventure now as then, and that’s never going to stop. William Goldman

Buttercup dried her tears and began to smile. She took a deep breath, heaved a sigh. It was all part of growing up. You got these little quick passions, you blinked, and they were gone. You forgave faults, found perfection, fell madly; then the next day the sun came up and it was over. Chalk it up to experience, old girl, and get on with the morning. William Goldman

We are men of action. Lies do not become us. William Goldman

Who are you?"" No one of consequence."" I must know."" Get used to disappointment. William Goldman

You could concentrate much more deeply when you were alone with agony. William Goldman

Look. (Grown-ups skip this paragraph) I'm not about to tell you this book has a tragic ending. I already said in the very first line how it was my favorite in all the world. But there's a lot of bad stuff coming. William Goldman

Is this a kissing book? William Goldman

No. Not yet. A craftsman only. But I dream to be an artist. I pray that someday, if I work with enough care, if I am very very lucky, I will make a weapon that is a work of art. Call me an artist then, and I will answer. William Goldman

The tears that kept Buttercup company the remainder of the day were not at all like those that had blinded her into the tree trunk. Those were noisy and hot; they pulsed. These were silent and steady and all they did was remind her that she wasn’t good enough. She was seventeen, and every male she’d ever known had crumbled at her feet and it meant nothing. The one time it really mattered, she wasn’t good enough. William Goldman

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?"" It does seem a bit forward, " the Prince admitted. "It doesn't leave him a great deal of room to maneuver. William Goldman

[Prince Humperdinck] was seventy-five minutes away from his first female murder, and he wondered if he could get his fingers to her throat before even the start of a scream. He had been practicing on giant sausages all the afternoon and had the movements down pretty pat, but then, giant sausages weren’t necks and all the wishing in the world wouldn’t make them so. William Goldman

I must be overtired', Buttercup managed. 'The excitement and all.'' Rest then', her mother cautioned. 'Terrible things can happen when you're overtired. I was overtired the night your father proposed. William Goldman

Who can know when his world is going to change? Who can tell before it happens, that every priorexperience, all the years, were a preparation for .. . nothing. William Goldman

That's all you need? Easy. I love you. Okay? Want it louder? I love you. Spell it out schould I l-o-v-e y-o-u. Want it backwards You love I. William Goldman

My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die! William Goldman

I've been in the revenge buisness for so long, now that it's over I don't know what to do with the rest of my life. William Goldman

Give the reader what they want, just not the way they expect it. William Goldman

This book says 'life isn't fair' and I'm telling you, one and all, you betterbelieve it. I got a fat spoiled son�he's not gonna nab Miss Rheingold. And he's always gonna be fat, evenif he gets skinny he'll still be fat and he'll still be spoiled and life will never be enough to make himhappy, and that's my fault maybe�make it all my fault, if you want�the point is, we're not created equal, for the rich they sing, life isn't fair. I got a cold wife; she's brilliant, she's stimulating, she's terrific; there'sno love; that's okay too, just so long as we don't keep expecting everything to somehow even out for usbefore we die. . William Goldman

It must have been fifty seconds before Doc died. Long time. William Goldman

Love is many things, none of them logical. William Goldman

You had to admire a guy who called his own new book a classic before it was published and anyone else had a chance to read it. William Goldman

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. William Goldman

How can the removal of beauty from a world so lacking in beauty be anything but tragic? William Goldman

Is it safe? William Goldman

Screenplays are structure, and that’s all they are. The quality of writing–which is crucial in almost every other form of literature–is not what makes a screenplay work. Structure isn’t anything else but telling the story, starting as late as possible, starting each scene as late as possible. You don’t want to begin with “Once upon a time, ” because the audience gets antsy. William Goldman