Title: The Tragedy of the Korosko
Author: Arthur Conan Doyle
Type: Fiction
Page Count: 126
Rating: 3.75/5
This book is definitely a product of its times and there are a few bits here and there which were borderline racist, but it was also a cracking story of intrigue and adventure. Essentially, we follow a bunch of holidaymakers who’ve travelled to Egypt as they’re hijacked by camel-riding Arabs who plan to sell them into slavery and who give them the choice of converting to Islam or being put to the sword.
Overall, probably not worth reading unless you’re a Conan Doyle fan, but I was pretty happy with it and plan to read everything he wrote. Getting there!
Cary Elwes – As You Wish | Review
Title: As You Wish
Author: Cary Elwes
Type: Non-Fiction
Page Count/Review Word Count: 262
Rating: 5*/5
Cary Elwes – As You Wish
This was inconceivably good.
True, it might not make much sense to you unless you’re already a fan of The Princess Bride, because this is basically a memoir of the movie’s creation. Written by Cary Elwes, the actor who played Westley, and with support from Joe Layden, who’s written or co-written over thirty New York Times bestsellers, you know you’re in for a treat here.
I particularly enjoyed the fact that each of the actors also contributed to the book, although the way that their comments were inserted was occasionally clunky and/or repetitive. There’s not much point including a quote from Christopher Guest, for example, if he’s just repeating what’s already been said. But overall, it was better for including those comments and so I can’t complain too much.
Granted, I’m only three books into the month so far, but I think this has a decent shot at being my book of the month. The Princess Bride has been a favourite film of mine since I was a kid, and I particularly enjoyed reading about how Elwes and Mandy Patinkin trained up for their epic sword fight. I used to watch that fight over and over again, rewinding our VHS copy so many times that it ended up ruining the tape and making it unwatchable.
And of course, The Princess Bride itself is based on a cracking book by William Goldman. Read Goldman’s book, watch the film and then read this.
Cary Elwes
Click here to buy As You Wish.