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megs_k's review against another edition
4.0
The genius of “Beauty and the Beast” lies in its engagement with the cultural contradictions that riddle every romantic relationship, as well as the perils of leaving hone and the possibilities of new family constellations. ~ Maria Tatar
cat_queen005's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
chroniclesofabookreader's review against another edition
5.0
I had never read Beauty and the Beast before this, my only knowledge of it coming from the old Disney classic movie and in details regarding the upcoming revival, but we all know it. The romantic tale of a beautiful bookworm falling in love with the beast of a man. This version compared to Disney's is very different, as is to be expected, but it is just as magical.
I loved reading this anthology of folklore and mythology and seeing how Beauty and the Beast shaped the stories after it. How each culture and country (from Japan to South Africa to Italy) has replicated the story in their own way. Each story magical and filled with lessons for its readers. But it has others stories, too; fairy tales the likes of which we've come to adore like Cinderella and Zeus and Europa.
All of these stories have a connection, a common theme, with a love story involving some sort of animal. The editor who compiled all of these tales, Maria Tatar, goes into depth about the mythology of love stories involving animals and the origin of our main story, something which I found very fascinating. Each story, none very long, began with a foreword from Tatar, explaining the story to us. Beauty and the Beast: Classic Tales About Animal Brides and Grooms from Around the World isn't a story just for adults who wish to relive the beauty of folklore, but it can be shared with their children, too. With the upcoming movie, I think this novel is a great pairing to what lies beneath the surface of the tale, and how love can transcend everything.
**Received an early copy via the Publisher; Voluntarily reviewed**
I loved reading this anthology of folklore and mythology and seeing how Beauty and the Beast shaped the stories after it. How each culture and country (from Japan to South Africa to Italy) has replicated the story in their own way. Each story magical and filled with lessons for its readers. But it has others stories, too; fairy tales the likes of which we've come to adore like Cinderella and Zeus and Europa.
All of these stories have a connection, a common theme, with a love story involving some sort of animal. The editor who compiled all of these tales, Maria Tatar, goes into depth about the mythology of love stories involving animals and the origin of our main story, something which I found very fascinating. Each story, none very long, began with a foreword from Tatar, explaining the story to us. Beauty and the Beast: Classic Tales About Animal Brides and Grooms from Around the World isn't a story just for adults who wish to relive the beauty of folklore, but it can be shared with their children, too. With the upcoming movie, I think this novel is a great pairing to what lies beneath the surface of the tale, and how love can transcend everything.
**Received an early copy via the Publisher; Voluntarily reviewed**
morgonwashere's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have always loved beauty and the beast and seeing this at my local library made my day. Would recommend to anyone who lives for fairytales.
marinuchi_goo13's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
emlickliter's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Beauty and the Beast by Maria Tatar – Need a new spring board for your BatB retelling? This book takes you back to the origin stories of my favorite fairy tale! Happy Reading!
oliviakateamerica's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
kikiandarrowsfishshelf's review against another edition
5.0
Note: I have an ARC, picked up during the 2017 MLA gathering. It was free.
Nice collection of beauty and beast stories, including the classic Frenh tale but also various male beauties as well.
Nice collection of beauty and beast stories, including the classic Frenh tale but also various male beauties as well.
emilythesmelly's review against another edition
4.0
A pretty interesting introduction to "Beauty and the Beast," though that title is a broad application. The introduction was the most interesting part for me, and I appreciated the look into the academia surrounding the mythoses. The stories were less interesting to me, partially because they're short, old tales told with varying levels of engagingness in their prose/structure, and partially because they were quite repetitive if you read them in a row.
One thing I didn't love was that the analysis is pretty much confined to the introduction. Any insight for the stories comes in a very short blurb preceding it, and I did want a bit more than that as I went, I think.
However, I read this to get a better handle on the subgenre/story, and I definitely feel like I got that, so I'm happy.
One thing I didn't love was that the analysis is pretty much confined to the introduction. Any insight for the stories comes in a very short blurb preceding it, and I did want a bit more than that as I went, I think.
However, I read this to get a better handle on the subgenre/story, and I definitely feel like I got that, so I'm happy.