My top ten works by William Goldman
1) The Season (1969, non fiction) - a simply wonderful book about Broadway, the best on theatre I've ever read
2) All the Presidents Men (1976, script) - I re-read this script every year it's so good, and people who believe Robert Redford's claims that Goldman didn't write any of it are idiots
3) Adventures in the Screen Trade (1982, non fiction) - marvelous memoirs, my first exposure to Goldman
4) The Princess Bride (1973, novel) - the film is lovely, the screenplay terrific but the real charm and heart come from the novel
5) Marathon Man (1974, novel) - pulpy, harsh, exhilarating writing
6) Heat (1985, novel) - a favourite of mine because of its description of Las Vegas and lead character, even though it was poorly filmed
7) Tinsel (1979, novel) - highly enjoyable Hollywood novel
8) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969, script) - Goldman overdoes the references and the middle bit is dull but so much of this is wonderful, including the first third and the end - and it's great to read
9) The Big Picture: Who Killed Hollywood and Other Essays (2001, essays) - collection of entertaining pieces, a bright (if also depressing) description of Hollywood in the 1990s
10) Boys and Girls Together (1964, novel) - thought provoking and gripping novel, although flawed - I think Goldman was better at genre pictures but this is something different
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