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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
How do I always forget this for the high level readers who want something 'cleaner'?? Plus, love the sisters.
A lovely cosy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, still my favorite story ^^
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
While reading an interview with Naomi Novik about her latest novel Spinning Silver, she mentioned a few titles including this one. Since I’m waiting for her book to be delivered, I decided to give this one a go - that and the fact that Beauty and the Beast is my favourite fairy tale.
McKinley’s story is a pretty straightforward retelling, but her writing style is so charming that you can’t help but be captivated by it. From the portrayal of Beauty and her family to the enchanted castle and grounds, and the Beast of course, I loved it all. The only aspect I would have liked a little different is the ending, which was a bit rushed.
McKinley’s story is a pretty straightforward retelling, but her writing style is so charming that you can’t help but be captivated by it. From the portrayal of Beauty and her family to the enchanted castle and grounds, and the Beast of course, I loved it all. The only aspect I would have liked a little different is the ending, which was a bit rushed.
Beauty was interesting for me because the entire time I was reading it, I kept remembering having read it before, even though I am 99% sure I have never made it to the end of this book (Or even past the halfway mark) in my life.
That said, this is pretty typical McKinley fare. Beauty is the heroine whose name doesn't match her face, who loves to read, who would rather have been a boy. She works as a smith, she helps with the field work, she rides her horse and helps her father. I'm not sure why this stereotype works for McKinley when it fails for so many others. Maybe because McKinley's heroines are actually sincere, and have distinct (or more distinct) voices.
Once we're introduced to Beauty, the plot follows the standard Beauty and the Beast formula--fortune lost, relocation, fortune regained, tragic circumstance that leads to Beauty living with the beast, magic castle, enchanted/invisible servants, true love, happy ending. It isn't a hard plot to follow, and McKinley doesn't do anything different or new with her book. What she does that makes Beauty stand out from other retellings is give Beauty a voice, and let her tell the story her own way.
I quite enjoyed reading this, even if I wasn't impressed one way or the other by it, and I'm looking forward to reading more McKinley in the future.
That said, this is pretty typical McKinley fare. Beauty is the heroine whose name doesn't match her face, who loves to read, who would rather have been a boy. She works as a smith, she helps with the field work, she rides her horse and helps her father. I'm not sure why this stereotype works for McKinley when it fails for so many others. Maybe because McKinley's heroines are actually sincere, and have distinct (or more distinct) voices.
Once we're introduced to Beauty, the plot follows the standard Beauty and the Beast formula--fortune lost, relocation, fortune regained, tragic circumstance that leads to Beauty living with the beast, magic castle, enchanted/invisible servants, true love, happy ending. It isn't a hard plot to follow, and McKinley doesn't do anything different or new with her book. What she does that makes Beauty stand out from other retellings is give Beauty a voice, and let her tell the story her own way.
I quite enjoyed reading this, even if I wasn't impressed one way or the other by it, and I'm looking forward to reading more McKinley in the future.
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-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:
No
Such an excellent retelling of a classic story! The writing is very atmospheric, and Beauty is a compelling main character; we fall in love with the Beast as she does.
When I read this book as a teenager, I was completely enchanted. Now, ahem years later, I was equally so.
This is good story-telling. I got wrapped up in the descriptions and wanted to keep reading to find out exactly what would happen next, even though we all know the outline of the story. It was enjoyable. It had some thematic elements, but it definitely isn't great literature. There are some holes you can drive a truck through, if you think about it very much. Still worthwhile as it is a fairly quick read.