William Goldman Books In Order

Publication Order of Babe Levy Books

Publication Order of Screenplay Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

A novelist, playwright and screenwriter, the American writer William Goldman has carved himself a long and extensive career. With a highly impressive list of works, he’s a master of his craft and looked up to by both his peers and contemporaries alike. Having created a whole host of famous works, he’s become almost an institution, as many have attempted to mimic his work and will continue to do so for many years to come.

Early and Personal Life

Born in 1931 on the 12th of August, William Goldman was born and raised in Chicago in Highland Park, Illinois. Brought up in a Jewish family, his life and writing were greatly influenced by his upbringing during his early years. It was also during his adolescence that he had to face the horrible trauma of his father committing suicide, something which affected him greatly.

Attending the Oberlin College institute he soon graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in the year of 1952. This would later be backed up in the year of 1956 with masters of arts degree from Columbia University. During this time he would continue to write short stories of his own, all of which would help him to gain the foundations he needed for his writing career.

Typing for the Pentagon following being sent there in 1952, he spent a few years there before leaving with the rank of corporal in 1954. He also considered teaching following his graduation, along with working in advertising, but it was writing that he always came back to. All of this experience, though, allowed him to become the influential writer that he had always wanted to be.

With a vastly influential and impressive legacy behind him, he has been dubbed ‘one of the late twentieth century’s most popular storytellers’. A keen sports fan, he has followed the New York Knicks, contributing a number of sports related pieces on the team. This has all lead up to him becoming one of the most prolific storytellers to date, a legacy that will continue for some time yet.

Writing Career

It was in 1957 that William Goldman wrote his first novel with his publication of the book ‘The Temple of Gold’. Following years of writing short stories, this was the first full novel he had written having written the book in just three weeks over the course of the summer. Being well received in paperback, it quickly set him up as a fully-fledged writer who was well on his to making a long-term career for himself.

Writing across a whole range of different genres and for a whole variety of different demographics, William Goldman is known and praised for his versatility as an author. Writing books, plays, and films, he’s been one of the most prolific writers during the latter half of the twentieth century. His ability to craft an engaging narrative for a mass-audience remains unrivaled, as his gift for drawing in crowds remains admired throughout the industry.

Recognized by both his peers and contemporaries, Goldman has built a reputation that’s appreciated by his readers and the critics alike. Gaining awards for his work he’s received such accolades as the prestigious Academy awards for his films ‘All The President’s Men’ and ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’. Not only that, but he has also been awarded the Edgar Awards, which he gained from the Mystery Writer’s of America, along with a number of other awards.

Goldman has also written a number of non-fiction works as well, producing personal memoirs and tutorials on the craft of screen-writing. He’s also an avowed sports fan as well, partaking in a number of conversations on the subject, as well as writing extensively about it too. Writing under various pseudonyms as well, he uses his pen-names within his work to add another layer of depth, such as that seen in ‘The Princess Bride’.

Still writing to this day, he continues his presence within the industry, making appearances, although not so many. It’s his legacy that carries on, though, as people continue to recognize him as one of the foremost leading voices within his field. This will carry on for some time yet, as people will continue to discover his work, on into the foreseeable future.

The Temple of Gold

First published in 1957 on the 14th of October, this was the first novel from William Goldman, and the one that essentially launched his career as a writer. Brought out through the Alfred A. Knopf publishing house, this was what really made his name as a writer. Whilst it may be the early stages of his career, it provides a fascinating insight into the development of his career and is a must for any fans, as well as newcomers too.

Taking place in the midwest of America during the 1950s, it tells the story of Ray Trevitt who is eager to find his place in the world. Young and handsome, he desperately wants to make his way in the world in what’s to be his rite of passage into adulthood. Looking to escape, he aims to explore relationships and love, army life and married life, losses and gains, all in the hope of finding out who he is. Will he be able to find what he is searching for? Can he ever really know? Where exactly is the temple of gold?

The Princess Bride

This is the work that William Goldman would perhaps become best known for, with it being made into a classic 1987 film directed by Rob Reiner. Originally published in 1973, it was first brought out through the Harcourt Brace Jovanovich publishing label to much acclaim. Using a post-modern structure as its framing device, it takes the classic fairy tale and updates it for a contemporary audience.

Starting out with the (later said to be fictional) claim that he used to enjoy hearing his father read the (later said to be fictional) author S. Morgenstern’s classic ‘The Princess Bride’, William Goldman sets about restoring his father’s ‘version’ of the story as a novel. Apparently, his father would read him the story with all the supposedly boring bits edited out, and it is with this framing device that Goldman narrates his own fairy-tale. Taking the tropes of the classic fairy-tale, it attempts to take everything in what is essential an homage to the classic stories combining love, revenge, dueling fencers and heroic battles against huge monsters. Will the story ever be able to reach its epic climax? Can good really triumph over evil? Just who will become the princess bride?