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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
Erg. I read and liked McKinley's earlier retelling of [b:Beauty and the Beast|41424|Beauty A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast|Robin McKinley|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169613617s/41424.jpg|2321285], and while there are some interesting new elements, and it feels more mature on the whole, the story is also somewhat plodding for the first two thirds and then impossibly rushed for the last third, and I wasn't quite sure what was happening in the final twenty pages or so except that it was really boring and confusing. There are about six pages of straight-up exposition from a figure who has, until now, been mysterious and shadowy, and on the whole I didn't feel there was anything new until the end...
[spoilers:]
I've actually played with the idea that a human prince would not feel the same to Beauty in a short story, but while keeping him a beast is an interesting change, I literally wasn't sure that that was what had happened until I hopped over here to read the reviews. McKinley didn't really do anything with it, and after pages of opaque and rambling description, it was annoying to have the one original element of the story get buried at the end.
[spoilers:]
I've actually played with the idea that a human prince would not feel the same to Beauty in a short story, but while keeping him a beast is an interesting change, I literally wasn't sure that that was what had happened until I hopped over here to read the reviews. McKinley didn't really do anything with it, and after pages of opaque and rambling description, it was annoying to have the one original element of the story get buried at the end.
Maybe more like 3.5 stars. The language of this book is very pretty to read and it's very much like a fairytale, but it did make it slow going
It was a little slow for me, but a good twist on the Beauty & the Beast tale.
another Beauty and the Beast retelling by McKinley that still feels very traditional but manages to do some interesting and fun things at the same time. oddly I am not sure I like it better than Beauty and it's so similar that they kind of merge in my mind.
Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley – I know what you are thinking because I thought the same thing. Why would you write another version of Beauty and Beast when the other one is Elizabeth Lickliter’s favorite book in the entire universe? Because you are Robin Mckinley! I actually read them back to back because once I read the Blue Sword, I inhaled every Robin McKinley book I could get my hands on. And this one lovely in its own right, but it should be read as its own completely separate thing. Don’t bring any of your thoughts from Beauty, or Disney, or just about any other BatB you have ever read into this book, and you will love it too! Happy Reading!
After reading Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast I found I couldn't really get into this one.
As you have probably noticed, I have not rated this book in stars. What am I supposed to rate it against? It hardly seems fair to compare it to other tellings of Beauty and the Beast, because frankly this one is quite different.
I honestly am not quite sure what to say about this book. I enjoyed it. Here are a few thoughts;
During some of the time when the pacing of Beauty's story grew almost unbearably slow, I wished that we could instead engage more in her sister's story. Her sisters grew a lot and had distinct personalities which were alive and fun to read. I wished that I could say the same about Beauty. I liked her, let that not be questioned. But her character didn't seem to really develop throughout the book. Most of what she needed, character-wise, she already had. So while she wasn't unpleasant and was quite likeable, in some ways I enjoyed reading about her sister's journeys more.
This telling was very fairytale oriented, which was at times difficult to follow, but breathlessly exciting and wondrous as well. Robin McKinley has a very distinct, almost old style, of writing, which at time moves much too in depth, but other times fills what is greatly needed.
Perhaps I will read this book again someday, swinging on a hammock or bench swing on a hot summer day perfect for fairytales. Perhaps I will not read it again.
I think it was rather wonderful that McKinley decided to write another telling of her favorite fairytale. And I quite enjoyed it. I suppose I shall let this book simmer in my mind for a while and maybe one day I will be able to give it a just rating. For fear of doing it wrong however, it will remain safely blank. And I think that I will read it again one day, perhaps in a flower garden in England.
I honestly am not quite sure what to say about this book. I enjoyed it. Here are a few thoughts;
During some of the time when the pacing of Beauty's story grew almost unbearably slow, I wished that we could instead engage more in her sister's story. Her sisters grew a lot and had distinct personalities which were alive and fun to read. I wished that I could say the same about Beauty. I liked her, let that not be questioned. But her character didn't seem to really develop throughout the book. Most of what she needed, character-wise, she already had. So while she wasn't unpleasant and was quite likeable, in some ways I enjoyed reading about her sister's journeys more.
This telling was very fairytale oriented, which was at times difficult to follow, but breathlessly exciting and wondrous as well. Robin McKinley has a very distinct, almost old style, of writing, which at time moves much too in depth, but other times fills what is greatly needed.
Perhaps I will read this book again someday, swinging on a hammock or bench swing on a hot summer day perfect for fairytales. Perhaps I will not read it again.
I think it was rather wonderful that McKinley decided to write another telling of her favorite fairytale. And I quite enjoyed it. I suppose I shall let this book simmer in my mind for a while and maybe one day I will be able to give it a just rating. For fear of doing it wrong however, it will remain safely blank. And I think that I will read it again one day, perhaps in a flower garden in England.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Exactly why Robin McKinley wrote a second Beauty and The Beast story is a bit beyond me, but I found it rather disapointing. Sure, some scenes were particularly well done, but I didn't like it as much as her first, and no matter how much reviewers rave about how delightful and 'mature' it is, I personally don't think its worth reading.