Horror Book Reviews
|
Title: Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast |
|
Review of Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast
A strange imprisonment
Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhaps make up for in courage.
When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father protests that he will not let her go, but she answers, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?"
Robin McKinley's beloved telling illuminates the unusual love story of a most unlikely couple: Beauty and the Beast.
Product Description
- This much-loved retelling of the classic French tale Beauty and the Beast elicits the familiar magical charm, but is more believable and complex than the traditional story. In this version, Beauty is not as beautiful as her older sisters, who are both lovely and kind. Here, in fact, Beauty has no confidence in her appearance but takes pride in her own intelligence, her love of learning and books, and her talent in riding. She is the most competent of the three sisters, which proves essential when they are forced to retire to the country because of their father's financial ruin.
The plot follows that of the renowned legend: Beauty selflessly agrees to inhabit the Beast's castle to spare her father's life. Beauty's gradual acceptance of the Beast and the couple's deepening trust and affection are amplified in novel form. Robin McKinley's writing has the flavor of another century, and Beauty heightens the authenticity as a reliable and competent narrator.
This was McKinley's first book, written almost 20 years ago. Since that time she has been awarded the Newbery Medal for The Hero and the Crown and has delighted her fans with another retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fable, Rose Daughter. Still, McKinley's first novel has a special place in the hearts of her devoted readers, many of whom attest to relishing Beauty time and again. (Ages 11 to Adult)
Amazon.com
[ Back to Homepage | Back to Horror Movie Reviews Index ]
HellHorror.com not responsible for reviews/comments and they may be removed at any time.
Submit Comment
Login / Join/Register for a free account
Comments for Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast
- Posted on 2008-08-29
An easy nd imaginative read.
The book is very fun and intreging. The details and diction used are captivating. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite story and this version has become one of my favorites.
Score: 5
- Posted on 2008-08-10
I couldn't put it down...
I liked this book. It has a little bit of magic. It keeps you guessing through the whole book.
Shannah
Score: 5 - Posted on 2008-07-30
Find love or die in the pursuit
Master of the castle, enchanted to find love or die to the curse, negotiation for love, a beast and then a gentleman, a hero to ward off the wolves, two finding each other and coming together on their own, a villainous Geston, and Belle confessing her love to a dying prince. Time is short, man must find love whether he wants to or not, too survive. Without love man's escape is death; he is desperate to find a woman who brings love, caring, and warmeth to his castle. A warrior well proven in battle, a slayer of his enemies, a builder of fortress strong, a man who confides weakness in none other, a bringer of fear and terror; he must find love or die; he must champion and win the heart of his woman. Death and lack of love combine into the awful monster.
Pride and Prejudice shares a central theme, a powerful Lord, devoid of love, must find love or perish in despair; "if not Belle then who will he find to love him"; a prisoner of love, harsh terms, and brutal commands of control; a disclosure of vulnerable secret revealing hidden secret; a champion against evil rescuing the dame in distress; a soften of heart, a dinner, and a delightful dance; escape from reality through tales of excalibers swords, a Camelot story. The prince thought to possess love but instead discover that he had to win love. Love could not be commanded or possessed, it had to be freely given. The prince fell helplessly in love with the independent mind of Belle.
Phantom of the Opera, a transformation from peasant girl to princess; to love is to be human; all are confined to roles more robotic, slaves within their domain to an ungrateful master; song and dance of the cups, forks, and saucers.
Cinderella, the beast dies but the prince lives again happily ever after. The love of a father siding with Belle, believing in her, an eccentric fellow of no following, a genius before his time, a lost fellow in the woods, a man to be rescued by his daughter.
Lancelot and Quinivere, the forbidden love between a Queen and her servant; the noble house falling for the love of a peasant; both forbidden by code and culture
Score: 5 - Posted on 2008-07-17
Splendid
What an wonderful retelling of Beauty & the Beast! I actually like it better than the 'original'. Beauty is more beautiful inside than out (her real name fits her better than 'Beauty'), her father, sisters and brother-in-law are loving and only want what's best for her. I really enjoyed the growing relationship between Beauty and her Beast, especially the way she comes to think of him *as* 'her' beast, and the way their interests seemed so similar. The ending was not in the least 'mawkish' or overly sentimental but I was glad she left out the outraged villagers led by the jealous huntsman trying to kill the beast that we saw in the play. All in all, a wonderful story for those who love fairy tales with happy endings - a real keeper.
Score: 5 - Posted on 2008-07-12
One of My Favorite Books
This is a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story. McKinley did a wonderful job of describing visual details and emotional pangs, making this a delightful read. I've read several books by this author and this is my favorite. The story's enchanted world was just a little different than usual and the characters had more depth and more admirable qualities than in the traditional telling.
I liked that Beauty grew into her beauty, rather than being gorgeous from the start like her sisters. The love shared between the family was a good aspect of the story and brought lovely motivations for each of the characters. I don't mind that Beast was relatively civil, seeing as he had been a beast for hundreds of years. He had already had loads of time to come to grips with his new self, leaving him sorrowful and repentant more than angry and fierce.
Score: 5
