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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
I was so ready to settle down and love this book. I loved the style, I loved the absolutely delicious descriptions of the setting, I loved the premise... but then, nothing ever happened.
Really, all the action in Beauty is squashed into the last forty or so pages--and it's confusing, in the way that vaguely written fairy tale magic can be infuriatingly confusing. I love fairy tales, no mistake, but when there's no reason for anything and seemingly no limit to what magic can do, there are no stakes and therefore no reason for me to care. I was, yet again, extremely disappointed with the ending (Beauty chose what she did for her reputation! The other option included her being able to do great good in the world! But she would rather be thought well of. That was like negative character development to me, both baffling and aggravating. ). Don't even get me started on the nonexistent romance; you'd think that in a fairy tale so focused on romance there would be some chemistry or buildup, and yet here we are.
I honestly just got sad, reading Beauty. It had a great start but slowed to a crawl--a messy, repetitive, contrived crawl. I can't in good conscience recommend it to anyone, especially when I know Robin McKinley has the ability to write wonderfully intriguing fantasies with great character development like Hero and the Crown. I hope that the next novel I pick up by her will be less of a disappointment.
#readdownyourbookshelf verdict: This one is off to the book exchange.
Really, all the action in Beauty is squashed into the last forty or so pages--and it's confusing, in the way that vaguely written fairy tale magic can be infuriatingly confusing. I love fairy tales, no mistake, but when there's no reason for anything and seemingly no limit to what magic can do, there are no stakes and therefore no reason for me to care. I was, yet again, extremely disappointed with the ending (
I honestly just got sad, reading Beauty. It had a great start but slowed to a crawl--a messy, repetitive, contrived crawl. I can't in good conscience recommend it to anyone, especially when I know Robin McKinley has the ability to write wonderfully intriguing fantasies with great character development like Hero and the Crown. I hope that the next novel I pick up by her will be less of a disappointment.
#readdownyourbookshelf verdict: This one is off to the book exchange.
In Rose Daughter, McKinley expands on and enhances Beauty, a book she wrote twenty years earlier. Both are retellings of the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast.
I actually liked Beauty, the shorter work of the two, better as I didn't feel that Rose Daughter added anything meaningful that wasn’t already there. Part of what’s missing for me is the natural progression in Beauty’s relationship with The Beast – i.e. from fear to love through trust and compassion. In this book Beauty shows little or no terror at being completely uprooted from her family and forced to cohabitate with a beast-like creature. As a result, her ultimate love for this creature is less satisfying to the reader than it could have been. Still, I recommend it to readers who continue to enjoy the magic of fairy tales, adults included.
I actually liked Beauty, the shorter work of the two, better as I didn't feel that Rose Daughter added anything meaningful that wasn’t already there. Part of what’s missing for me is the natural progression in Beauty’s relationship with The Beast – i.e. from fear to love through trust and compassion. In this book Beauty shows little or no terror at being completely uprooted from her family and forced to cohabitate with a beast-like creature. As a result, her ultimate love for this creature is less satisfying to the reader than it could have been. Still, I recommend it to readers who continue to enjoy the magic of fairy tales, adults included.
Some years ago (it was like 2013) I read Beauty, by Robin McKinley. It was an enchanting story of courage, beauty, and seeing past exteriors. Since then I have read many other YA fairytale retellings, some wildly different to the Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson originals (and of course the oral stories told for hundreds of years before that). Beauty’s plot line was quite similar to the original, but the voice and storytelling style is still enchanting. Then I realised it was series. How could I hep ordering the next book from the public library?
Reading Rose Daughter was a little bit of a strange experience. Same writing style. Same name. Same merchant with three daughters who moved to the country. Same lyrical, gentle voice. The plot though, and the location (I think that there was more magic/magical beings in this one) and third person made this a bit different. And it is still a lovely story. I recommend reading Beauty and Rose Daughter either really close to each other or really far apart, because there are unavoidable comparisons.
Roses are beautiful. Their heady scent, their wild variety, the emotions that they evoke: these permeate the story. I loved all the gardening. Beauty is practical (the book one Beauty was rather more whimsical) and she loves roses. I liked the extended metaphor of roses as a way to find peace and how that which you might give up on (like horrific beasts or dead looking roses) holds the most precious things of all.
Beauty was a wonderfully written character. She loves roses. She is always patient, but she feels the loss of her mother. Once she left the city, I loved the dynamic between the sisters. They had to work together, and discovered that they were good at it. Beauty is also really willing to give people a second chance; her father (way nicer than the father in Beauty), the Beast, even the enchanted palace. She has a bad lot but does the best that she possibly can with it. She is very patient with the beast, and the perpetual animals. She blooms under all conditions, like the hardiest rose, and lights dark corners with her curiosity. Her recurring corridor dream serves as an effective motif for her constant sense of abandonment and unease. And ultimately, her compassion for all things: roses, animals, humans and Beast leads to the stunning climax. I liked the ending a lot more than I liked the ending of the first book.
The plot isn’t fast, but clues and revelations about the nature of magical palaces and rose growing keep it engaging. It follows fairly closely to the original story (not that I’ve ever read it or watched Disney…I think) and is appropriately magical. All the salamanders and dragons and mages and whatnot were much more interesting, and I would have loved to see that aspect explored more. The writing style is very pretty and has some lovely words. There is quite a bit of telling to explain the palace, but it is fairly subtle. Most things are shown through Beauty’s experience. The entire small town feel and recurring motif of dreams is interesting.
Overall, if you liked Beauty, then read this one, which was better in my opinion. However if stupid names (Oldhouse? Really? Jeweltongue, Lionheart, Beast) infuriate you and you don’t like traditionalist or repetitive or slow books, stay away.
Reading Rose Daughter was a little bit of a strange experience. Same writing style. Same name. Same merchant with three daughters who moved to the country. Same lyrical, gentle voice. The plot though, and the location (I think that there was more magic/magical beings in this one) and third person made this a bit different. And it is still a lovely story. I recommend reading Beauty and Rose Daughter either really close to each other or really far apart, because there are unavoidable comparisons.
Roses are beautiful. Their heady scent, their wild variety, the emotions that they evoke: these permeate the story. I loved all the gardening. Beauty is practical (the book one Beauty was rather more whimsical) and she loves roses. I liked the extended metaphor of roses as a way to find peace and how that which you might give up on (like horrific beasts or dead looking roses) holds the most precious things of all.
Beauty was a wonderfully written character. She loves roses. She is always patient, but she feels the loss of her mother. Once she left the city, I loved the dynamic between the sisters. They had to work together, and discovered that they were good at it. Beauty is also really willing to give people a second chance; her father (way nicer than the father in Beauty), the Beast, even the enchanted palace. She has a bad lot but does the best that she possibly can with it. She is very patient with the beast, and the perpetual animals. She blooms under all conditions, like the hardiest rose, and lights dark corners with her curiosity. Her recurring corridor dream serves as an effective motif for her constant sense of abandonment and unease. And ultimately, her compassion for all things: roses, animals, humans and Beast leads to the stunning climax. I liked the ending a lot more than I liked the ending of the first book.
The plot isn’t fast, but clues and revelations about the nature of magical palaces and rose growing keep it engaging. It follows fairly closely to the original story (not that I’ve ever read it or watched Disney…I think) and is appropriately magical. All the salamanders and dragons and mages and whatnot were much more interesting, and I would have loved to see that aspect explored more. The writing style is very pretty and has some lovely words. There is quite a bit of telling to explain the palace, but it is fairly subtle. Most things are shown through Beauty’s experience. The entire small town feel and recurring motif of dreams is interesting.
Overall, if you liked Beauty, then read this one, which was better in my opinion. However if stupid names (Oldhouse? Really? Jeweltongue, Lionheart, Beast) infuriate you and you don’t like traditionalist or repetitive or slow books, stay away.
I liked this one better than [b:Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast|41424|Beauty A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast|Robin McKinley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1294192311l/41424._SY75_.jpg|2321285] quite a bit, but if I was going to recommend a Gardener Beauty BatB retelling, I would recommend [b:Bryony and Roses|25566132|Bryony and Roses|T. Kingfisher|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1434283577l/25566132._SY75_.jpg|45364482] every time. Nothing really wrong with the story, though I did find myself super confused about who in the town was who whenever we went back there, and the ending slowed down to explain things to me but I'm still a little confused. I liked it just fine, but nothing about it grabbed me in any special way.
I read this book around 20 years ago and I loved it then. In fact, I believe it was this book that introduced me to Robin McKinley. I knew that I loved the book, but I didn't remember much beyond it's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
I was afraid that this wouldn't live up to my younger self's enjoyment of it. I was very happy to be proven wrong (and have my younger self be proven right!). This book was so enjoyable, so beautiful. The prose is lovely, the characters are all fleshed out, the magic is, well, enchanting.
I felt like I could be friends with any of the sisters, though at the beginning of the story I thought this would be a retelling with evil and selfish sisters. Not so! They all come together to get through their struggles.
I also liked the magic in this story. Magic is a common and accepted thing - so while characters are surprised by some of the things that happen or that they encounter, there isn't too much time lost with disbelief.
I can't wait to re-read/listen to the rest of her books!
I was afraid that this wouldn't live up to my younger self's enjoyment of it. I was very happy to be proven wrong (and have my younger self be proven right!). This book was so enjoyable, so beautiful. The prose is lovely, the characters are all fleshed out, the magic is, well, enchanting.
I felt like I could be friends with any of the sisters, though at the beginning of the story I thought this would be a retelling with evil and selfish sisters. Not so! They all come together to get through their struggles.
I also liked the magic in this story. Magic is a common and accepted thing - so while characters are surprised by some of the things that happen or that they encounter, there isn't too much time lost with disbelief.
I can't wait to re-read/listen to the rest of her books!
The first retelling of Beauty and the Beast by Ms. McKinley. A nice story, but her second retelling, Beauty is so much better.
I liked it but the end was confusing and could use some work I think. I wasn't sure what was going on. Though I did like how it ended and what ultimately ended up happening but I wasn't fond of the way it was written.
My opinion of this book has not changed. I like Beauty better.
I was reluctant to read this book, as it is another retelling of Beauty and the Beast by the author and I had loved her other retelling so much. But this was just as magical as the first one she wrote and it too has a wonderful twist that I loved.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A