By William Goldman, original book by S. Morgenstern
Buttercup is a young girl living on a farm with a farm boy named Westley who always says "As you wish" at a command. She is also one of the 20 most beautiful people on Earth, but she doesn't really care about that. One day, the Count and Countess come to take a look at the supposedly high-quality cows on the farm. When she sees the Countess flirting with Westley, she is overcome with a fit of sudden jealousy and falls in love with him. She tells him so that night and is afraid she has ruined everything when Westley shows up to tell her he is leaving. He says he is going to go to America to make a new life there and will send for her when he is ready. They share a heartfelt goodbye, and from that day on, Buttercup starts to fuss over personal hygiene so much she becomes the most beautiful person alive. But one day, she receives news that his ship was captured by the Dread Pirate Roberts, who kills all captives. She vows never to love again.
For the next few chapters, we learn about Prince Humperdinck, prince of Florin, Buttercup's city. He is an excellent hunter and spends lots of time in his Zoo of Death, where he keeps all sorts of creepy animals to kill. His father, King Lotharon, is getting old, and it is about time for Humperdinck to find a wife. So he invites the princess of Guilder, their rival neighbor city, but discovers that she is bald. His closest lieutenant, Count Rugen, leads him to Buttercup, whom he demands as his bride. Buttercup says she can't love him, but Humperdinck tells her there will be no love involved, so she agrees.
For the next few years, Buttercup is taught to be royal, and Humperdinck prepares their wedding. Unfortunately, Buttercup is kidnapped the night after her royal debut by three criminals named Inigo, Fezzik, and Vizzini also referred to as the Sicilian. They are followed by a mysterious black boat, which holds a man masked in black. He follows them up a cliff, and first battles Inigo, a wizard fencer. Quick background: Inigo is the son of Domingo Montaya, the greatest sword maker in the world. One day when Inigo was young, a six-fingered man came to ask for a six-fingered sword. For a year, Domingo toiled to make it, but it wasn't enough. Enraged at the insult, Domingo spoke in an off-handed manner to the man, who was a noble and was killed. Inigo immediately challenged the man and was scarred for life. He now battles the man in black with the six-fingered sword and loses. Then Fezzik, who is an abnormally large man with wrestling records, was knocked out, and Vizzini is finally killed in a game of wits. Buttercup is terrified, but the man in black turns out to be Westley, who is now the Dread Pirate Roberts due to an odd series of events.
The two are chased by Prince Humperdinck and go through the terrifying Fire Swamp to avoid him, only to run straight into his army. Westley is taken to the Zoo of Death to be tortured and eventually killed, while Buttercup returns to the castle after Humperdinck promises Westley will live (which he does not).
Meanwhile, Fezzik and Inigo meet up at the Thieves' Quarter in Florin with a plan to find the man in black and take him as their new leader, for he has defeated Vizzini. Buttercup's love for Westley will not end, enraging Humperdinck so much that he kills Westley in the bottom level of the Zoo of Death. This is where Fezzik and Inigo find him. They take him to Miracle Max, who gives them a little ball that will bring Westley back to life. He will have 40 minutes before needing to recuperate. Inigo has also discovered that the six-fingered man is Count Rugen.
They all break into the castle, Inigo goes off to kill the Count, succeeds, and gets lost in the castle. Fezzik also gets lost in the castle and shows up later. Westley, meanwhile, ends up in the Prince's chamber just in time to stop Buttercup's suicide, for she has been married to the Prince. Of course, the Prince shows up, angry, but Westley pretends that he is still strong and can kill the Prince, even though his minutes are almost up. The Prince is tied up, Inigo and Fezzik show up, and the four of them make their escape on the Prince's super-fast horses. Unfortunately, Buttercup's horse throws a shoe, Westley's time is up and he passes out, a wound Inigo got from the Count reopens, and Fezzik takes a dead-end path...
Note: No, they don't die, but there is a sequel, Buttercup's Baby, which I have not read yet.
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