Sarah Williams Popular Books

Sarah Williams Biography & Facts

Sarah Williams is a fictional character and the protagonist of the 1986 musical fantasy film Labyrinth. Portrayed by Jennifer Connelly, Sarah is an imaginative teenager who wishes for the goblins from her favourite story to take away her baby brother Toby. When her inadvertent wish comes true, she must solve an enormous otherworldly labyrinth in thirteen hours and rescue Toby from the castle of Jareth, the Goblin King. Created by director Jim Henson and writer Dennis Lee, the character was developed by a number of colleagues including screenwriters Laura Phillips and Elaine May as well as executive producer George Lucas. Sarah is Labyrinth's central character, in whose imagination the film's fantasy settings and characters exist, based on the books, posters and toys in her bedroom. Elements of her adventure were inspired by fairy tales and classical stories, as well as fantasy literature such as Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. Reception to the character upon the film's release was mixed, although Sarah has grown in the esteem of critics in recent decades. Reviewers were divided over her initial petulant attitude, with some regarding her as unsympathetic, while others have found her to be an identifiable teenage protagonist because of her flaws. The character's intelligence and perseverance have also received praise. Connelly's role as Sarah brought her international fame and has remained one of the actress's best known performances. Development Concept and writing Labyrinth started as a collaboration between director Jim Henson and conceptual designer Brian Froud following their previous collaboration, The Dark Crystal (1982). In making Labyrinth, Henson wanted to create a film that combined elements of fairy tales and classical stories in a script that would appeal to a modern audience. According to Froud, he and Henson decided to have human characters as the lead roles to make Labyrinth "more accessible and immediate" than The Dark Crystal, which had featured only puppets. Henson explained that they structured Labyrinth "in a way that the human is really carrying the whole picture" and acts as a "bridge" between the fantastical puppets and the audience. The protagonist of Labyrinth was, at different stages of its development, going to be a boy, a king whose baby had been put under an enchantment, a princess from a fantasy world, and a young girl from Victorian England. According to Henson, the decision to have the lead character be a girl was made "because so many adventure films feature boys. We just wanted to even the balance." To make the film more commercial, they made Sarah a teenager from contemporary 1980s America. Henson stated: "We basically wanted to make Labyrinth about the growing-up process of maturity, working with the idea of a young girl right at that point between girl and woman, shedding her childhood thoughts for adult thoughts. Specifically, I wanted to make the idea of taking responsibility for one's life — which is one of the neat realizations a teenager experiences — a central thought of the film." According to co-writer Dennis Lee, he and Henson defined two main characteristics for Sarah as being "spunky, feisty, high-spirited" and "very volatile – poised on the brink of womanhood, and capable of trying out very different versions of whom she might be". Henson also wanted her to be initially spoiled and petulant to allow for her character to grow out of these flaws over the course of the film. Acknowledging that the character cannot experience every aspect of maturity in the course of an evening or an hour-and-a-half movie, Henson said that the film concentrates most of all on Sarah learning to take responsibility for her life as well as for her baby brother she is supervising. According to Henson's eldest daughter Lisa, Sarah's personality was partly modelled on Henson's second-eldest daughter, Cheryl, who had been "very romantic in her outlook" and passionate about fantasy and theatre as a teenager. Cheryl, who was a puppeteer on Labyrinth, admitted that she had inspired some aspects of the character, such as Sarah being "a little selfish, a little too smart for her own good", and her desire to escape to a strange world. Jim Henson was living with his three daughters while making Labyrinth, all of whom he had witnessed going through the same period of their lives as the teenaged Sarah, which according to Cheryl was significant to "the level of honesty" in the character's depiction.Between the more than twenty-five iterations of the Labyrinth screenplay, the character was continually tweaked to create a lead role that audiences would find sympathetic and be able to relate to. Henson hired Fraggle Rock writer Laura Phillips to rewrite primary screenwriter Terry Jones' script, providing more insight into Sarah's inner life and personal interests. To further develop Sarah's character, Henson sought input from executive producer George Lucas, writer Elaine May and numerous colleagues. Lucas advised the structure of Sarah's journey based on his knowledge of mythological motifs and the work of Joseph Campbell. May's contributions "humaniz[ed] the characters", and made Sarah "a more authentic girl". Early production meetings also gave focus to reflecting Sarah's emotional journey through the film's visuals. Froud had suggested to Henson the idea of a labyrinth as a setting for the film, partly because he recognised it as symbolic of Sarah's mind due to its resemblance to a brain. According to Lee, the use of graphic artist M. C. Escher's work as basis for one of the set designs (the "Escher" staircase scene) served to create a scene where Sarah is forcibly detached from her previous taken-for-granted assumptions about the reliability of her own senses and her perception of time and space.The dream world of the Labyrinth created for the film is centered around Sarah, with the influences of the film also being the influences of her mind. Henson stated, "the world that Sarah enters exists in her imagination. The film starts out in her bedroom and you see all the books she's read growing up – The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, the works of Maurice Sendak. The world she enters shows elements of all these stories that fascinated her as a girl". Additional titles shown briefly in Sarah's room at the start of the film are Through the Looking-Glass, Grimm's Fairy Tales, a book of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, and Walt Disney's Snow White Annual. The goblins that come to take her brother away, as well as Sarah's monologue that she recites to defeat the Goblin King, are from her favourite story, a play called "The Labyrinth" which she rehearses at the beginning of the film. Sarah's experiences in the Labyrinth are also reflective of the objects shown in her room. Many of the characters she encounters bear a resemblance to her toys, including a statuette of the Goblin King. The Labyrinth itself resembles her maze-puzzle board game.... Discover the Sarah Williams popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Sarah Williams books.

Best Seller Sarah Williams Books of 2024

  • Somewhere in the Crowd synopsis, comments

    Somewhere in the Crowd

    Katrina Logan

    The most joyous romcom you'll read in 2023!Four friends. Twelve years. One Eurovision . . . Eurovision is always the highlight of Millie's year. So when she and her best friend Jam...

  • Captive synopsis, comments

    Captive

    Sarah Williams

    Lux Swithin wakes up in a hotel room that she has no memory of falling asleep in. Alone, disorientated and far from home Lux fears the darkness. She fears the man who will inevitab...

  • Their Perfect Blend synopsis, comments

    Their Perfect Blend

    Sarah Williams & Serenade Publishing

    When her biological clock sets off an alarm, can she conceive a plan to give her a baby… minus the commitment?Maleny, Australia. Greer Montgomery has enjoyed a successful career as...

  • Beyond the Barre synopsis, comments

    Beyond the Barre

    Sarah Williams

    She's wounded from her past. He never sees the same woman twice. When the music starts, will their hearts dance for two?Retired ballerina Scarlett Matthews struggles with her body ...

  • The Italian Wedding synopsis, comments

    The Italian Wedding

    Nicky Pellegrino

    Two feuding families, two love stories and a lot of delicious Italian food.Pieta Martinelli's sister is getting married. Since she is a bridal designer it falls to her to make th...

  • Black Silk and Sympathy synopsis, comments

    Black Silk and Sympathy

    Deborah Challinor

    A dazzling new series from bestselling historical fiction author Deborah Challinor, exploring the fascinating world of Victorian funeral customs and featuring Sydney's first female...

  • Flame Tree Hill synopsis, comments

    Flame Tree Hill

    Mandy Magro

    A heartfelt rural romance about courage in the face of adversity from bestselling Australian author Mandy Magro. Kirsty Mitchell fled Flame Tree Hill after a tragic accident three ...

  • Everything is Fine synopsis, comments

    Everything is Fine

    Gillian Harvey

    'Just the escapism we need right now' EVENING STANDARD'Hilarious and relatable' WOMAN'A perfect weekend read' GRAZIAJessica Bradley has it all: the perfect boyfriend; influential h...

  • Speaking with Confidence synopsis, comments

    Speaking with Confidence

    Nick Gold

    Does the thought of delivering a presentation make your heart skip a beat? Do your pitches fall flat no matter how much preparation you put in? Are you often comparing yourself to ...

  • Milking Time synopsis, comments

    Milking Time

    Rachael Treasure

    The gorgeously funny, uplifting and entertaining new novel from Rachael Treasure, author of iconic, bestselling and muchloved stories of Australian rural life, including Jillaroo a...

  • P.S. Come to Italy synopsis, comments

    P.S. Come to Italy

    Nicky Pellegrino

    'The ultimate escapist read!' VERONICA HENRY on To Italy, with Love'Deliciously romantic' ERICA JAMES on P.S. Come to ItalyWish you were here?When Belle's quiet, idyllic life on th...

  • Beyond The Barre synopsis, comments

    Beyond The Barre

    Sarah Williams & Serenade Publishing

    She's wounded from her past. He never sees the same woman twice. When the music starts, will their hearts dance for two?Retired ballerina Scarlett Matthews struggles with her body ...

  • To Italy, With Love synopsis, comments

    To Italy, With Love

    Nicky Pellegrino

    'An uplifting and delicious taste of Italy' ERICA JAMES'The perfect recipe for the ultimate escapist read!' VERONICA HENRY 'Knowing, compassionate and moving' CATHERINE ROBERTSON ...

  • Sarah E. Williams v. St. Paul Ramsey synopsis, comments

    Sarah E. Williams v. St. Paul Ramsey

    Court of Appeals of North Carolina

    Where the employee relies upon the same facts and seeks redress for the same allegedly discriminatory practices to support both a reprisal and a separate retaliation claim, the exc...

  • Twelve Years a Slave synopsis, comments

    Twelve Years a Slave

    Solomon Northup

    The story that inspired the major motion picture, with an introduction by the bestselling author of Wench, Dolen PerkinsValdez, Twelve Years a Slave is a harrowing, vividly detaile...

  • Being Sam Frears synopsis, comments

    Being Sam Frears

    Mary Mount

    This is Sam Frears' story.This is also the story of an actor, a rockclimber and a man born with an extremely rare genetic disorder only affecting Ashkenazi Jews. Sam was supposed t...

  • Estate of Sarah Williams v. Potter synopsis, comments

    Estate of Sarah Williams v. Potter

    First Appellate District, Division One District Court Of Appeal Of California

    Alleging ownership of a parcel of real property, plaintiffs brought this action against defendants Hadgis and James Arnold to remove the cloud of an alleged invalid attachment levi...

  • Lost in Shadows synopsis, comments

    Lost in Shadows

    Sarah S. Williams

    "Lost in Shadows is an emotionally gripping tale of resilience, redemption, and the enduring power of love. Follow Adam, a young boy neglected by his abusive parents, as he embarks...

  • Willie Elmer Williams Et Al. v. Sarah synopsis, comments

    Willie Elmer Williams Et Al. v. Sarah

    Supreme Court of Alabama

    MERRILL, Justice. This appeal is from a decree in equity, the effect of which was to dismiss appellants' petition for adoption of a child on the ground that the written ...

  • Get Honest or Die Lying synopsis, comments

    Get Honest or Die Lying

    Charlamagne Tha God

    From Charlamagne Tha God, multihyphenate mogul, host of the morning radio phenomenon The Breakfast Club, and founder and CEO of iHeartRadio’s Black Effect Podcast Network, a rundow...

  • Not OK, Cupid synopsis, comments

    Not OK, Cupid

    Anna Kaling

    Anna Kaling's sparkling debut romcom, Not OK, Cupid, is perfect for fans of Sophie Ranald, Jo Watson and Sally Thorne. Readers are raving about Not OK, Cupid!'I'm pretty sure I hav...

  • Lost in the Wilderness synopsis, comments

    Lost in the Wilderness

    Sarah S. Williams

    Introducing the Bestselling Thriller of the Year: "Lost in the Wilderness Unveiling Secrets, Survival, and a Terrifying Nightmare!" Are you ready to embark on an adrenalinefueled...

  • Silent Whispers of Danger synopsis, comments

    Silent Whispers of Danger

    Sarah S. Williams

    Introducing "Silent Whispers of Danger: When Silence Becomes the Loudest Threat" an enthralling and suspenseful thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very...

  • The Glass Orchid synopsis, comments

    The Glass Orchid

    Sarah S. Williams

    Step into the gripping world of "The Glass Orchid Whispers of Art and Murder," a riveting crime thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the first page to the hea...

  • How to Hire an Editor synopsis, comments

    How to Hire an Editor

    Sarah Kolb-Williams

    How to Hire an Editor: The Indie Author’s Guide to Finding and Working with the Right Editor for Your Book shows new independent authors how to make sure their manuscripts receive ...

  • Made In Scotland synopsis, comments

    Made In Scotland

    Billy Connolly

    THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Where do you come from? It's one of the most basic human questions of all. But there is another question, which might sound a wee bit similar but is act...

  • Sarah M. Williams v. U. S. Postal Service synopsis, comments

    Sarah M. Williams v. U. S. Postal Service

    Supreme Court of Delaware

    ORDER This 7th day of October, 1986, upon consideration of the briefs of the parties, it appears to the Court that:

  • Forever Delighted synopsis, comments

    Forever Delighted

    Virginia Taylor

    Feuding families, two lovers, one choice, wife or mistress.The disreputable Earl of Delmore, tossed out on his ear by his latest mistress, has decided to rusticate. During his firs...

  • Cracker Times and Pioneer Lives synopsis, comments

    Cracker Times and Pioneer Lives

    James M. Denham & Edgar Canter Brown Jr.

    Wild and wooly recollections from the Florida frontierCracker Times and Pioneer Lives brings together the reminiscences of two pioneers who came of age in antebellum Florida's Colu...

  • Wish Lists and Road Trips synopsis, comments

    Wish Lists and Road Trips

    Lauren H. Mae

    Two stranded strangers agree to travel together in order to return home, but when a slew of misadventures derail their plans, it might mean a chance to fall in love . . . A sexy, o...

  • Jacaranda synopsis, comments

    Jacaranda

    Mandy Magro

    From bestselling Australian author Mandy Magro comes a passionate rural romance about realising what you need has been with you all along.Molly's life is almost perfect. She's the ...

  • The Sky over Brigadier Station synopsis, comments

    The Sky over Brigadier Station

    Sarah Williams

    He guards his heart. She yields to no man. Will a chance encounter set a course for true love?Noah McGuire buries his demons deep inside. But when he's forced to return home to Bri...

  • Christmas at Brigadier Station synopsis, comments

    Christmas at Brigadier Station

    Sarah Williams

    She thought they'd missed their chance. But he never forgot her.When Tom Carmody buys a rundown cattle station in outback Queensland he is shocked to discover that the woman living...

  • The Long Walk Home synopsis, comments

    The Long Walk Home

    Val Wood

    At only thirteen, Mikey Quinn is arrested for stealing a rabbit to feed his family. Despite his age, he’s shown no mercy by the wealthy lawyer who sends him to prison. He returns h...