The Princess Bride Quotes

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Source: The Princess Bride

Author: William Goldman

Life is pain. Anybody that says different is selling something.

Context

Well, gee, ain't that uplifting? You might not expect such a downer line from such a fun, light book like The Princess Bride. But hey, literature is full of surprises, right?

This quote comes from Fezzik's mother, when she and her husband are trying to get their son to become a fighter. Fezzik is big and strong, and his parents know they can make a lot of money with him in the ring, but Fezzik is a timid soul who finds pleasure in rhyming things. So when Fezzik complains about the likelihood of being hurt, this is his mother's response. 

She's a tough cookie.

Where you've heard it

"Wait a minute!" you're thinking, "Westley is the one who say's this, and he says it to Buttercup!

But, alas, we are talking about the book here, remember?

Yes, it's true—this is one of the more famous quotes from a movie full of famous quotes, but it actually originates from a character who was never in the movie to begin with. Regardless of its origin, you'll hear this one exactly when you would expect to: "Life is hard"/"deal with it" is a common sentiment, and this is just a fun take on the idea.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Anyone who actually takes the effort to quote some fairly obscure passage from the novel instead of the well-known movie line must have a hidden agenda.