Reviewed by Patricia (Class of 2012)
"Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly. " I love this book because Kyle (who get turns into a Beast by a witch/classmate named Kendra) learns that looks and moeny arent everything and they cant get you through every single little mistake of life. Kyle finds true love and how to care about others. P.S. its going to be turned into a major movie next year :) ( )

Robin McKinley's Beauty is a beautiful and wonderfully written romantic re-telling of the classic story of Beauty and the Beast. The youngest and plainest of three daughters, Honour - nicknamed "Beauty" - lives very happily in the city with her loving father and sisters until their fortunes change suddenly and they are forced to sell their grand house and things and move into the country. The family adjusts well to their reduced circumstances, and are happy together in the country.

On his way home from a business trip into the city, Beauty's father becomes hopelessly lost in an enchanted forest. Out of his mind with fatigue and cold, he happens upon a magical castle at the center of the wood. In stopping to rest, Beauty's father unknowingly will change the course of the lives of all of his family.

In case you are unfamiliar with the classic tale, I will not spoil it for you here with further details. One thing you should know is that despite being packaged and targeted toward a YA audience recently, you will be missing out on something really special if you dismiss it as a "kid's" book. Beauty is a rich re-telling with vivid details and captivating characters.

McKinley's writing is incredible, with an astounding depth that the classic tale doesn't have. The characters are animated and brilliantly defined, becoming dynamic and realistic for the reader. Beauty is a fantastic heroine - full of strength, intelligence and bravery. Though she doesn't see herself as beautiful, the Beast certainly does. He is an amazingly sympathetic character, with profound insight into character and integrity.

In Beauty, Robin McKinley paints the reader into the marvelous world of fairy tale and myth. Her descriptions - which a few reviewers refer to as "too much" - were delicious to me, making the overall story all the more enjoyable for me. The atmosphere she created left me spellbound and wanting more!

I initially chose to read Beauty - as part of the Take a Chance Challenge - because it was first published in 1978, the year I was born. Since I have previously read McKinley's Sunshine and found it somewhat lacking, I'm not sure I would have picked up Beauty had I not needed to read a book published in 1978. Fortunately, Beauty more than met my expectations. It is an enchanting story, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys the fantasy of fairy tales. ( )

Given the book summary and some other reviews, I was expecting to read the screenplay for Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Thankfully, the book was much better - very imaginative! I enjoyed the book almost all the way through. At the end it felt like the story was wrapped up in a hurry, and in order to do so, some of the characters transformed in Disney-like fashion to the stereotypical fairy tale roles. Still a good read. ( )

an enchanting love story ( )

This is one of my favorite books and it is my favorite version of Beauty and the Beast, I can still remember my delight when first reading it and over the years images from it have stayed with me.

I remember being enraptured by the descriptions of the environment, the library, I have LONG coveted that library, and the characters. They felt like real people to me instead of made up fairy tale tropes and it was nice that none of them were bad or truly selfish, perhaps not realistic or appropriate for a story that is supposed to teach a lesson but made it all the more enjoyable for me and is one of the things that stood out over the years.

There is enough ugliness in the real world, sometimes it's nice to have a safe gentle story to escape to, especially one as well written as this. ( )

What a "beauty" of a book. Sweet and romantic and perfect for all ages. I just hope Robin Mckinley received a check from Disney when their "Beauty and the Beast" came out, because they totally stole her ideas in parts.

My only complaint is I wish the ending were more detailed. Still, I loved the book so much that I can't really muster up too much of a gripe about it.

Sweet as sugar. ( )

I like that McKinley creates a realistic setting, although with magical elements, and real life problems for Beauty and her family to struggle through. The family has lived a charmed life until a string of bad luck reduces them to living on a very small farm, having to learn chores and to do for themselves. Beauty avoids the mirror and revels in being the tomboy she always has been at heart, thinking herself plain and mousy. She has courage to make a sacrifice for her family and in doing so discovers more about herself and what she desires out of life. She overcomes her timidity with the Beast and eventually realizes, like how she views herself, that one's heart and character on the inside is more important than what one looks like on the outside. There are many themes that young adults can relate to: courage, honor, working hard, sacrifice, true beauty, being humble and thankful, etc.

What I found odd about the Beauty storyline was that it was not linear. McKinley would reference present events and then skip back to past events to explain and expound and then skip back to the present events. Seemed hodge podge when past events could have been all explained in a prologue. That said ... McKinley created interesting characters each with their own quirks.

I guess I was expecting more content and fluidity to the writing and the numerous spelling mistakes were distracting. It was a bit difficult reading the first half of the book getting used to the abrupt sentence structure. Although if I think the writing style would suit pre-teen and teen readers well. Solidly young adult fiction although I would recommend anyone can read the story and enjoy it.

http://myobsessionwithbooks.blogspot.... ( )

Awards and honors:
Phoenix Honor (1998) Children's Literature Association
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (1978)
A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book (1979)
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (2000.02 | Romance -- Passion and Heartbreak, 2000)
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (2010.01 | Twists on the Tale, 2010) ( )

Even though Honour is not nearly as beautiful as her two older sisters Grace and Hope, she has always been nicknamed Beauty, a contradiction she frequently shrugs off. Beauty loves learning and reading and takes great pride in the books she owns; she can own quite a few due to the wealth of her father. While her sisters meet potential husbands, Beauty reads. All this changes when their father’s fleet is lost at sea. Not only has his wealth vanished but so has Grace’s fiance. The family moves inland, away from the city, to a small town on the outskirts of an enchanted forest. When Beauty’s father inadvertantly meets a beast, he must promise to remain forever unless one of his daughters is willing to take his place. Beauty knows her duty and heads into the forest for the confrontation of her life and the making of her future.

I’m very excited about fairy tale retellings these days and I have informally decided that Robin McKinley is the queen of that special feel which only fairy tales have. She hasn’t let me down yet, and she certainly didn’t in this one. When I was a little girl, Beauty and the Beast was one of my favorite movies. I love it now because it’s a love story which does not, for once, revolve around beautiful people, but rather personalities. Beauty must be strong enough to face the Beast and tame him, but he must have an extraordinary personality for her to see past his hideous appearance and love him. I love this dynamic, sucker as I am for romance, and McKinley does it SO. WELL.

I’m assuming everyone knows how the story goes, so I’m not going to try and avoid spoilers, especially because my absolute favorite part was the ending. As we all know, when Beauty admits that she loves the Beast and wants to marry him, he becomes human again. Her shock at his newly attractive appearance - and insistence that she couldn’t marry him, he wasn’t her Beast - was a splendid and moving scene. I could completely believe in this love story and I adored the ethereal feel which Robin McKinley is so, so good at. Yes, I’m in love with this book, and I’m not really ashamed to admit it!

A couple of little things also swept me away in the telling of this story. I loved that the Beast’s library was full of books from the future. It fit in with the magical setting and allowed Beauty plenty of distraction. I think this is meant to be a medieval or early modern world, so books in print would be quite rare at that time. Secondly, I love that Beauty became beautiful as she fell in love and the story went on. She seems young in the beginning, but as time goes on she grows up and grows into her body, which I think is a wonderful physical representation for the growth of her feelings and love towards the Beast.

Anyway, I will now stop my endless rambling and just tell you that you really ought to read Robin McKinley if you haven’t before. I missed her as a child and I regret this so much! I’m loving my discovery of her books and I hope that you would, too. Highly, highly recommended for anyone who loves fantasy or fairy tales.

http://chikune.com/blog/?p=1099 ( )

Call me a sap, but I like a fairy tale retelling where nobody's wicked, and everybody's acting from the best of motives, and things just work out for everybody. McKinley's writing is so beautiful I often am brushing away tears even as I flip pages. ( )

I read this book as it seems to be a favorite with several authors that I have currently read. It was a nice retelling of Beauty and the Beast, but personally, I do not see the "hype" that has been attached to this book. I actually read it some time ago, and ended up rereading it - as it did not stick with me as being a memorable book the first time. I personally think that the writers of Disney's B&B took some ideas from this, as I was reminded of that movie. My main complaint of the book is the ending which was quite truncated - the author could have spent more time explaining everything better. Personally, even though it is a Young Adult book, I would not recommend it to our teenage daughters - maybe if they were in middle school. ( )

The classic retelling of the story of Beauty and the Beast. Wonderfully literate and interesting. One of the best.

This is absolutely the greatest retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" that I have ever read.
I grew up on the Disney movie, but this book breathed new life into the story for me.
It is enchanting, captivating, tenderly and powerfully written, and I recommend it to everyone who is looking for a book that will stay with them long after the story has ended. Wonderful. ( )

Anyone who loves the story of Beauty and the Beast will completely enjoy this book. The story is so much more in depth than the Disney movie. It is beautifully written and the story line is a lovely one to follow. The ending does not let you down. This is one of those books that you will want to read many times. ( )

Beauty is a wonderful re-telling of a cherished love story: Beauty and the Beast. It is the traditional telling of the fairy tale and my only gripe is that it wasn't long enough and sometimes weeks in the story line would be skipped with just a glossing over of the events that occurred. I am looking forward to reading Rose Daughter though. ( )

Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales. Beauty isn't just a pretty girl combing her hair while waiting for a white knight to rescue her and sweep her off her feet. She does some rescuing of her own, first saving her father from the beast and then saving the beast from his curse.

This retelling stays close to the original story. It's told from Beauty's perspective, and you just can't help but like her. I got completely caught up in the romance, I'll admit it. If you enjoy darker retellings, this is not your book, but if you want a simple, sweet happy ending, you'll love this. ( )

Robin McKinley’s retelling of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast is a quaint and idealistic vision of the old story. Everyone loves a fairy tale, but not everyone can re-imagine one and have it feel as classic as McKinley. Disney doesn’t hold the market on recreating a fantastic tale. For those of us who grew up with the Disney retellings of classic fairy tales there will certainly be parts of this narrative that differ from what we expect when we think of Beauty and the Beast. Those, however, who are more acquainted with the original tale will find little variation, but a beautiful adaptation.

The tale focuses on a young girl who was originally named Honour, but at her insistence at a very young age was nicknamed Beauty. However as she grew this name became inappropriate, at least in her own eyes. Beauty is a bookworm and prefers the company of old languages and learning to parties and playmates. Her older sisters treat her kindly, but are themselves social butterflies. They are the daughters of a wealthy merchant and have been living a life of apparent luxury until news comes to them that all of their merchant ships appear to be lost at sea. Read More of this review ( )

This is the first McKinley book I ever read, years ago I fell in love with it. I've read it many times since. In this version of Beauty and the Beast, the protagonist isn't a gorgeous belle. Compared to her two pretty, graceful sisters, Beauty is the tomboy of the family. When her father looses his fortune and the family has to move from the city to a humble little village, Beauty tries to see the adventure in it all. Far from being intimidated by the dark forest behind their house, rumored to harbor an enchanted castle and a ferocious beast, Beauty is merely curious. When her father (as the familiar fairy tale goes) becomes lost in the forest and enrages the beast, Beauty offered herself up and goes to live in the magic castle. The mysterious enchantments of the castle and Beauty's reactions to them are so well-described in this book, the details are just sumptuous. Gradually Beauty grows used to the strangeness of her surroundings and even the fearsome Beast himself. I loved how she asserted herself, arguing with the invisible servants and trying to accustom her terrified horse to the Beast's presence. The love story here unfolds very gradually, Beauty and her Beast slowly growing more comfortable with each other until they find they are good friends, and then something more. Lovely.

from the Dog Ear Diary ( )

I was hoping for more from Beauty.

I think that when an author tackles an old story, they should have a new "take" on it. Besides the lovely writing, I did not find the story to be re-imagined, nor especially creative. The writing is certainly flowing.

I also think that the author didn't give enough thought to the premise of the story. If beauty is not required for love, why did the Beast and Beauty both end of beautiful? Obviously, the Beast must transform. However, the main character of Beauty seemed to be a less aesthetic character at the beginning. Why did she change at the end? I think this ending with two physically beautiful characters was WRONG! It nullified what I thought was the premise: love is blind.

I also believe that the author totally ruined the Beast's character. He was far, far too nice. He wasn't a beast at all! In fact, when the beast said that he would have let Beauty's father go in the first place, and she didn't love the Beast yet, she should have said, "Fine! See ya!" Because at that point she knew he wouldn't do anything. Where is the conflict that actually MAKES the character act? Even Disney got this part right!

And just in general, there was not enough conflict. Conflict is what keeps the reader tense and interested in continuing. Tension is missing from this book.

For the lovely writing, I've given this book a few stars. ( )

A very sweet retelling of the traditional story. It clings pretty tightly to tradition. McKinley's writing is stellar, as always. Gently paced and wonderfully re-readable. ( )

http://tinyreadingroom.blogspot.com/2... ( )

A fantastic retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast story. I love that Beauty is only a nickname and that it's ironic, not that she is beautiful. The deviations from the classic tale are wonderful and help to keep the reader's attention. The chapters are a bit long but the book is hard to put down anyway so it gives the reader a good excuse to keep reading. Overall it's a wonderful retelling of a favorite tale. ( )

This is exactly what the cover claims: a retelling of Beauty and the Beast. If I had to shelve it in a bookstore, I would probably put it in YA fantasy. Overall, a fun read. Short and easy and not requiring much active thought. ( )

Ah, revisiting this old friend was lovely - I do not know how long it has been since I last read it. In this retelling, Beauty's name is an irony, as she is the least attractive of three daughters. Her family handles their fall from wealth to near poverty with such a lack of whining that it is difficult not to admire them all.
When they relocate to a small town at the edge of a dark wood, the eeriness of the forest invades the cosy family story, and an air of menace enters. When the Beast demands either the father or a daughter in payment for a stolen rose, Beauty of course volunteers, and of course her family cannot stop her. Beauty's growing relationship with the beast is believable, and it is with real urgency the reader awaits her return to him.
The very ending is a little bit of a let down, as it happens too quickly, and I don't have time to get used to the sudden release of enchantment before the words stop and the story is over.
I would give this to readers looking for atmospheric stories, fairy tale retellings, fantasy stories, or romance stories. ( )

Classic. Thats all - its a beautiful and enchanting retelling of beauty and the beast. ( )