The Sword and Laser discussion

I know this book uses a lot of formatting in it's paper version. It appears though that it is absent from the Nook and Kindle versions and there doesn't appear to be an iBook version available yet.

Does anyone have an e-book version, and is it readable; or am I better off slogging around the dead tree version for a few days?

I loaned out my paper version and never got it back, so I went ahead and downloaded the Kindle Edition. There's one major formatting problem -- the Table of Contents goes:

Introduction to the 30th Anniversary Edition

Introduction to the 25th Anniversary Edition

The Princess Bride

If you click on the Princess Bride, it takes you to start of the narrative, skipping over the original introduction, which is vital to understanding the book. Without it, Goldman's asides make no sense.

Well Veronica mentioned it was on Kindle but when I went to download it I couldn't find it. I think this is just a legal thing as I live in the UK so I have had to buy the book, which I would of preferred not to but its better than not reading it.

Just as a side note. Alot of the recent books that have been read on S&L have not been available on the UK Kindle store, which sucks but I know its not something that V or Tom could check that easily being from the US. O well.

I've already owned the paperback, so yea the choice is easy. But on the whole, while I love e-books and audiobooks, nothing can beat a lazy saturday with a paper book.

I also think you could find a copy cheap at used book store. I paid $2 for mine a copy years back.

It's only $5 online, and an e-book is much easier for me to read on a train and in bed.

I'm really only worried about the formatting for the "author" comments. If I have time I may check out the paper version at the book store before I catch the train home.

I'm trying it out on Kindle, and I'll make sure not to skip the introduction!

I got the B&N version, they offered a sample and Amazon didn't. Remembering which books are where is going to be a pain eventually.

What formatting are you guys talking about? I have the paperback and the author comments are all in italics. Does Kindle not do italics?

The Nook version isn't italicized, but it is separated noticeably. I had no issue telling the "abridgement" from the "author commentary".

The Nook version also doesn’t skip the introduction like the Kindle does. I'm not sure it's really a feature as much as they just open the book to start of the file rather than to page 1.

Sean wrote: "I loaned out my paper version and never got it back, so I went ahead and downloaded the Kindle Edition. There's one major formatting problem -- the Table of Contents goes:

Introduction to the 30..."

I got the Kindle edition similar to Seans, above. Only knowing of the movie and not the book, I am glad I just started at the beginning with the introductions before getting to the actual narrative. I just hate jumping around on the Kindle anyway. He really sets up the book, but I now have all these questions on Florin as Goldman talks about it has a real place in the introduction. It took a trip to good the good ol Princess Bride Wiki. With respect to the introductions, it is somewhat of a spoiler, but for me it really adds to the story.

I have the Kindle edition. Skipped the introduction. I usually read introductions to older books after digesting the book as they tend to get spoilery. Besides, he sets the book up well at the beginning of the narrative in "The Princess Bride" section. That might technically be part of the introduction but it read like a story so I started there. One of those things that's hard to tell on a kindle. The kindle does support italics.

Did anyone else notice the Kindle version has no cover image?

I got the B&N version for the Nook app on my iPad. It doesn't have cover art either.

John wrote: "I have the Kindle edition. Skipped the introduction. I usually read introductions to older books after digesting the book as they tend to get spoilery."

Ya, I usually skim the intros, but because this was on the Kindle, it just came up first (no cover art on my edition either)so I read it. Was also interested in the author. What you will find out is that in this case the introduction to both the 25th and 30th anniversary are actually part of the whole story. Spoiler ---> the intros are pretty much fiction. I am not even sure the story he tells of talking to Andre on the set of the movie were real. This is the first time I have read a book where the introductions were written in jest such as these. The wiki goes into details, see previous link.

I am finding the whole thing to be a bit like reading a National Lampoon version of something, like it, a lot, don't get me wrong.

Yes, the introductions in this case are actually part of the story.