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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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
I'm so glad I read this. This feels like the basis for Beauty and the Beast as we know it today. And perhaps it is? So many elements from this book I saw in other retellings I've read, and there were some pretty key details that seem copy and pasted from this 1978 novel to the 1991 animated movie.
I love Beauty and the Beast, and this rendition of it felt classic, timeless, polished and sophisticated.
I love Beauty and the Beast, and this rendition of it felt classic, timeless, polished and sophisticated.
apparently I never marked this read on goodreads?? read november 2024. completely slipped under my radar then..,,, it's not in any of my book lists. how.
I don't remember enough of it to say much but I did like it. Very meandering and dreamy as is McKillip's way of things, a classic retelling with a lovely cast. The romance was barely there tbh, so maybe not the most Beauty & the Beast of all time. Greatheart was my favorite.
I don't remember enough of it to say much but I did like it. Very meandering and dreamy as is McKillip's way of things, a classic retelling with a lovely cast. The romance was barely there tbh, so maybe not the most Beauty & the Beast of all time. Greatheart was my favorite.
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
um… i didn’t hate it but i’m not certain what to say about it.
all could think of was feyre and nesta the entire time reading and the beast’s castle was very reminiscent of something from faerie.
miss beauty and her “i’m not like other girls” had me screaming at the book by the end of it and the beast was only a beast in looks. his personality was very calm and well mannered which felt off the whole time.
i really did love the world that mckinley created and it was fun to live in it for a time but some of her descriptions go on for pages and it was a little much.
there was also no urgency, no tension, no problem that needed to be solved or antagonist. this was purely just vibes. cozy fantasy.
this might be something fun for a child to read or someone who doesn’t know the story of beauty and the beast.
all could think of was feyre and nesta the entire time reading and the beast’s castle was very reminiscent of something from faerie.
miss beauty and her “i’m not like other girls” had me screaming at the book by the end of it and the beast was only a beast in looks. his personality was very calm and well mannered which felt off the whole time.
i really did love the world that mckinley created and it was fun to live in it for a time but some of her descriptions go on for pages and it was a little much.
there was also no urgency, no tension, no problem that needed to be solved or antagonist. this was purely just vibes. cozy fantasy.
this might be something fun for a child to read or someone who doesn’t know the story of beauty and the beast.
Did a re-listen. Still really good, still prefer Rose Daughter. XD
this story pioneered the modern fairytale retelling genre- and i can see why. the prose is excellent (if filled with a few too many classical mythology and literature references, even for me). i will say that most of the book is narration, which i don’t mind, but there were often ten to fifteen pages between dialogue. the story itself was great, a faithful and interesting retelling. i enjoyed that “beauty” was in fact, ugly, and i loved her relationship with her family. the beast was well-written and i think the author successfully tiptoed around the stockholm syndrome criticism really well- i felt emotion from the beast and a true love growing in beauty. the thing that made it four stars rather than 4.5 was the ending- the timing confused me- logistically i don’t understand how the family could be there with all the guests and townspeople and city-folk when a page prior they had said it would be 12 weeks before the city people could be in the town, much less at the forest manor in a day’s time. it took me out of the story and left me feeling very perplexed, which was unfortunate as this story was incredibly easy to immerse yourself in. the ending, however confusing, did NOT ruin the book by any means and i highly recommend!
lighthearted
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
Title: Beauty
Author: Robin McKinley
Summary: Beauty's father wanders into an enchanted castle, where he is shown hospitality. As he leaves, he picks a rose for Beauty. But the Beast, the owner of the castle, tells him that he must bring back his daughter to live with the Beast or else come back alone and die. Beauty comes to live with the Beast and discovers that he is not what he seems. When she agrees to marry him, he turns into a prince.
Stars: 8. I like books that retell familiar stories (fairy tales and Shakespeare, for example).
Violence: 3 for when the Beast sends the horse off by smacking it on the flank with his claws. He frightens the invisible servants with a roar so loud that it actually tumbles Beauty over.
Romance: 6, since it is a princess story. It isn't graphic, though. The invisible servants try to make Beauty wear a dress that she considers . . . immodest . . . but it isn't described in that much graphic detail. (That was one of my favorite scenes.)
Language: 0
Appropriate for: 9+
Other: I really liked the description of places, especially of the castle. The invisible servants were - to say the least - amusing.
Author: Robin McKinley
Summary: Beauty's father wanders into an enchanted castle, where he is shown hospitality. As he leaves, he picks a rose for Beauty. But the Beast, the owner of the castle, tells him that he must bring back his daughter to live with the Beast or else come back alone and die. Beauty comes to live with the Beast and discovers that he is not what he seems. When she agrees to marry him, he turns into a prince.
Stars: 8. I like books that retell familiar stories (fairy tales and Shakespeare, for example).
Violence: 3 for when the Beast sends the horse off by smacking it on the flank with his claws. He frightens the invisible servants with a roar so loud that it actually tumbles Beauty over.
Romance: 6, since it is a princess story. It isn't graphic, though. The invisible servants try to make Beauty wear a dress that she considers . . . immodest . . . but it isn't described in that much graphic detail. (That was one of my favorite scenes.)
Language: 0
Appropriate for: 9+
Other: I really liked the description of places, especially of the castle. The invisible servants were - to say the least - amusing.