Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast

Beauty, youngest daughter of a merchant, takes her father's place as captive of a mysterious monster in an enchanted castle. (You all know the story.)

This may be my favorite book ever -- it's certainly always in the top three (along with The Blue Castle and Cyrano de Bergerac, if you were wondering). It's been a few years since I did a reread of this one, and I found myself entirely charmed, as if reading it for the first time. It's just so good. The characters, the dialogue, the descriptions... I cannot even tell you how many times I've read it since I discovered it as a battered paperback in the school library in seventh grade. It's my ultimate comfort read. For a fairy tale retelling, it's pretty straightforward -- it doesn't take show more the story in new directions, the way more modern retellings do (and don't get me wrong, I enjoy those, too). It just fleshes out the story so beautifully. If you enjoy fairy tale retellings, highly recommended. show less

Lovely as always. I've read this so many times I've about got it memorized - the language is beautiful, so I enjoy encountering it, but I don't find things I missed before any more. I love the way this puts real faces on the fairy tale characters - even the bit about how the older sisters asked for gold and jewels and fine clothes, while Beauty wanted only rose seeds from the city. Ger and Robbie are great, and I love Greatheart. The Beast is beautifully presented - both the indescribable shape of him, and his personality. Whoever wrote the script for Disney's Beauty had almost certainly read this - it's not the same story, by a long shot, but there's a similar flavor in those personalities. And Lydia and Bessie and the dishes bustling show more about... The ending is (always) a little annoying, making me wonder about things. The change itself is well-handled - well, reasonably handled. Beauty never loves Beast's appearance, only the man inside, so once she gets over her inferiority complex that's not a problem. And I can see the family being brought, though the details are weird - Robbie and Melinda at least have matters sharply changed for them. But the bigger problem is the crowds of others coming from far away - is the Beast once again the 'owner' of all the land thereabouts? It's been 200 years - what about what's grown up (politically, etc.) in the meantime? Or has everything been hanging fire waiting for the spell to end (unlikely)? There are awkward things going on somewhere. Still, a comfort read, and one I will continue to return to. show less

This particular retelling of the "Beauty and the Beast" story is by far my favorite. I've given away copies of this book and I've read it several times over the years. It's an irresistible tale with a heroine just designed for the young geek girl I was (and still am, deep inside).

McKinley took apart the basics of the story and added flesh and muscle to the durable bones. The heroine -- Honor -- isn't the typical Very Good Girl of Incredible Beauty, but a nerdy adolescent with brains and opinions and the ability to be wrong. The hero is also drawn with more nuance and depth than we typically get in this story. There are more characters, too. Honor has a family and she had friends. She has a complete life before magic befalls her. She's show more a person, not a symbol.

To those familiar with the Disney movie version, some small (and not so small) items will seem familiar. Rumors and stories going around when the movie came out was that the script was originally based on this book, but that Disney -- in typical fashion -- altered the story so much that McKinley disassociated herself from it. I do not know if this is the case, but considering how much was taken whole from her book, I hope she got paid. show less

Oh, Robin McKinley, I love you! This story has so much depth and, well, beauty. As in her other books, McKinley crafts a highly visual fantasy world that the reader inhabits right beside the protagonists. I should also add that the aspect of the book I was most impressed with was McKinley's ability to depict the Beast as both completely horrifying and strangely attractive. This line must be a very difficult one to walk, but she manages it. Finally, it's a testament to McKinley's power that, even knowing the tale's ending, I couldn't put this book down. Spellbinding.

I absolutely adore the story of Beauty and the Beast, and this version did not disappoint. I hadn't intended to read it all in one sitting, but here we are. For those expecting something similar to the Disney film, I must warn you that it's a bit different. The original French tale guides the story, however little details, such as the virtue inspired names, lend the common society an English, specifically Puritan feel. I understand that it's done to justify calling Honour "Beauty", but as no such explanation is provided in the original French, I imagine the choice was made as a clarification for modern American audiences.

Beauty is described as a retelling, however it often appears to be more of a translation, albeit with plenty of show more detail added. Few points are altered, though there are some key differences. In a tale where appearance is so important to the story, it's interesting that Beauty is not, in fact, beautiful. She is short and strong, with big hands and feet, and mousy brown hair. Her pastimes are books and learning, as well as helping the village people with her horse, Greatheart. Her sisters. Grace and Hope, are kind, pretty, good-natured, and selfless, a departure from the French edition. The beast is likened to a seven-foot-tall anthropomorphic Yggdrasil with human eyes, always clad in a velvet coat and lace. For those squicked out by incest, rest assured that Beauty and Beast are not described as cousins.

I suspect this book was a significant influence on the 1991 film, as certain details, such as Beauty's love of books and the Beast's attire are reflected in it. If you like fairy tales, then you'll almost certainly enjoy Beauty. It has a happy ending, I promise :) show less

I could reread this book endlessly. In fact, I have worn out two copies and had to replace it. Yet another retelling of the classic Beauty and the Beast tale, this version sees a Beauty who is awkward, tomboyish and lacking in patience with social graces and a Beast whose sardonic humour are softened by an almost wistful awkwardness as the two misfits come to know and care for each other. Wonderfully detailed and with the ability to make the reader feel like one of Beauty's family, this retelling deserves to be considered a classic in its own right.

What caught me this time was not the enchantment, or the falling-in-love, but Beauty's relationship to her family: that the people we love, the people who love us, often work keep us who we have been rather than accept who we are becom(ing).
I find less to adore in this book than I used to (but I know it very, very well) - but I'm still impressed by its calm, almost wry tone - like the narrator is actually recounting the tale. Telling it to who? It gives the impression of depth - like the story is ongoing, like there's more to tell, but Aunt Beauty had to stop in the middle to take out the new foal for some exercise.
Or something.

And of course I love Ger. Papa, buy me one of those!