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clevermird's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This book was given to me as a Christmas gift by my aunt when I was ten years old. I still have the same copy all these years later and periodically re-read it just because it makes me so damn happy.
Beauty is, as the cover says, a retelling of the classic fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" (seeming to take the most inspiration from Lang's version). It's a straightforward story, without any surprise twists or genre shifts. Honor "Beauty" Huston was raised in luxury, but a series of misfortunes leads to her, her father, and her two older sisters to take up a simpler life in the countryside. Her father gets lost in the woods one day and winds up in the castle of a monster who demands one of his daughters come live with him as a price for taking a rose. You probably know the rest, although McKinley's signature love of horses also features more prominently than many other takes on this story.
Modern readers might find Beauty to be oddly similar to the Disney treatment of the same story - I certainly did when I first read it, but this book predates it by almost 15 years. As I said earlier, this is a very uncomplicated retelling, but there are several creative choices I liked. For example, Beauty's name is given an amusing and (to me) logical backstory as a childhood nickname that stuck. And the stock trope where the character who thinks she's ugly turns out to actually be beautiful all along is justified here - the last time our protagonist regularly thought about her appearance was when she was an awkward teen who needed time to grow into herself, a situation that holds true for many woman I know in real life.
There are a few critiques of the story, though. First, as is also common for McKinley's work, the story struggles with pacing. At times, it seems that the book is more interested in telling us about Beauty's family life than it is in showing her developing relationship with the Beast. It takes a while to get going and the last couple of scenes in particular feel rushed. Additionally, the detailed descriptions of the enchanted palace, the fine food, and Beauty's luscious gowns might feel like a bit too much for some people. Although personally, I felt like it added to my enjoyment. And finally, the scene in which the family agrees to let Beauty take her father's place didn't quite ring true to me - there was a bit of a sense that everyone acquiesced because the story needed them to. None of these are major problems, but they do keep the book from being quite as good as it could be.
There's not a lot else to say, except that this book is the literary equivalent of hot cocoa. Perhaps not the most complex, perhaps not particularly substantial, but warm, sweet, and comforting, something that can be enjoyed by children and adults. And really, does it need to be more?
Beauty is, as the cover says, a retelling of the classic fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" (seeming to take the most inspiration from Lang's version). It's a straightforward story, without any surprise twists or genre shifts. Honor "Beauty" Huston was raised in luxury, but a series of misfortunes leads to her, her father, and her two older sisters to take up a simpler life in the countryside. Her father gets lost in the woods one day and winds up in the castle of a monster who demands one of his daughters come live with him as a price for taking a rose. You probably know the rest, although McKinley's signature love of horses also features more prominently than many other takes on this story.
Modern readers might find Beauty to be oddly similar to the Disney treatment of the same story - I certainly did when I first read it, but this book predates it by almost 15 years. As I said earlier, this is a very uncomplicated retelling, but there are several creative choices I liked. For example, Beauty's name is given an amusing and (to me) logical backstory as a childhood nickname that stuck. And the stock trope where the character who thinks she's ugly turns out to actually be beautiful all along is justified here - the last time our protagonist regularly thought about her appearance was when she was an awkward teen who needed time to grow into herself, a situation that holds true for many woman I know in real life.
There are a few critiques of the story, though. First, as is also common for McKinley's work, the story struggles with pacing. At times, it seems that the book is more interested in telling us about Beauty's family life than it is in showing her developing relationship with the Beast. It takes a while to get going and the last couple of scenes in particular feel rushed. Additionally, the detailed descriptions of the enchanted palace, the fine food, and Beauty's luscious gowns might feel like a bit too much for some people. Although personally, I felt like it added to my enjoyment. And finally, the scene in which the family agrees to let Beauty take her father's place didn't quite ring true to me - there was a bit of a sense that everyone acquiesced because the story needed them to. None of these are major problems, but they do keep the book from being quite as good as it could be.
There's not a lot else to say, except that this book is the literary equivalent of hot cocoa. Perhaps not the most complex, perhaps not particularly substantial, but warm, sweet, and comforting, something that can be enjoyed by children and adults. And really, does it need to be more?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Body shaming
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