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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Wonderful story. Ms. McKinley does a wonderful job of weaving in the essentials of the story, but not following the path of previous versions. Through Beauty's eyes, you not only see her side of the story, but also how her family feels as well as the Beast. You see an awakening in her and growth as she begins to see more of the magic around her and realize how she truly feels.
fast-paced
One of my favorite retellings of Beauty and the Beast.
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read this when I was a child and it was one of those things that stuck with me as special and magical. This is such a well written book and it’s deeply nostalgic for me, so the high rating is certainly biased but I can make no apology for it.
Upon reading it as an adult just now, I did deeply enjoy it and found myself captivated by the narrative.
During my reading of the book I did find myself wishing for the ending to be drawn out a bit more. The story of Beauty’s family took up more than the first half of the book, and while her time at the castle seemed adequate, the ending scenes seemed short and almost rushed. It would have been nice for the transformation and reconciliation scene to be a bit more drawn out, as well as the Beast’s explanation about the spell and its effect on him and the palace to be a bit more prosaic like the rest of the book had been.
All in all, delightful and anyone who enjoys fairy tales should absolutely read this.
Upon reading it as an adult just now, I did deeply enjoy it and found myself captivated by the narrative.
During my reading of the book I did find myself wishing for the ending to be drawn out a bit more. The story of Beauty’s family took up more than the first half of the book, and while her time at the castle seemed adequate, the ending scenes seemed short and almost rushed. It would have been nice for the transformation and reconciliation scene to be a bit more drawn out, as well as the Beast’s explanation about the spell and its effect on him and the palace to be a bit more prosaic like the rest of the book had been.
All in all, delightful and anyone who enjoys fairy tales should absolutely read this.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
SPOILER! If it weren't for the bizarre, rushed happily ever after ending where Beauty is transformed so much that her hair and eye color are changed, and her family appear within minutes after the enchantment is broken, I would have given this four stars, no doubt. I was disappointed with the ending, but the rest of the book was really good. McKinley's writing style is eloquent, and I was sucked into the world, both magical and non-magical.
I liked this however even though it was so short it felt like it really dragged. the first 40% was prior to the beast and was just beauty's life. I really enjoyed the 3rd part of the book it was interesting to see the difference to the story I am so familiar with.