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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
This book was notably darker than I was anticipating, and more memorable as a result.
This story starts with a deceptively simple premise: an ugly girl asks a fairy to make her beautiful. Immediately, nearly every man who sees her wants to rape her, while most women want to disfigure or murder her. (Themes of sexual assault run heavily though this book). Beauty, as she is then called, is swept up by a local knight and falls in love with him. But the fairy, Mab, who gave Beauty the blessing/curse turns out to have an agenda- stirring up chaos in the mortal realm. Mab urges Beauty to aim higher than a local knight- why not the king of the land himself? Beauty meets him, and falls in love with him as well. The king is already married, to the ambitious and possibly treasonous sister of the Boar King, his rival. Beauty's king also has a sister who is much, much smarter than himself. The King's sister manipulates her brother into divorcing his first wife and marrying Beauty instead. From there things become increasingly tangled and political, as many different players strive for power over the people and the very future of the land itself. Gorgeously drawn, striking from start to finish.
It was an OK book until the epilogue, then it was great. This book handles the subject of beauty and society's obsession about it in a different way.
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
On retrouve dans cette histoire tous les éléments d'un conte de fée, et pourtant, l'histoire est vraiment contemporaine et adulte, drôle (si on aime l'humour un peu noir) par moment, et offre une belle réflexion sur la beauté et le pouvoir dans la société.
Les dessins sont magnifiques et le livre est vraiment un bel objet : une excellente idée cadeau à mon avis, pour les autres, ou pour soi !
Les dessins sont magnifiques et le livre est vraiment un bel objet : une excellente idée cadeau à mon avis, pour les autres, ou pour soi !
Don’t let the gentle blurb fool you, this is a comic that really delves into the highs and mighty lows that come with receiving the glamour of perpetual beauty, and this is a story meant for an older reader to be sure.
This comic doesn’t shy away from the effects of appearing so beautiful, and sometimes relies on stereotypes to move the plot along. Especially when it comes to men and their ability to control themselves around attractive women. Normally, this might bother me, but since the story is told as a fairytale, I’ll give it a pass.
The different acts of the comic, as well as longer sub plot show just how refined Hubert and Kerascoët are as storytellers. Some elements of the story are predictable, but the extremes to which they are explored help it to feel original.
Coddie is what really drives the story along as she goes through drastic character development. It never feels forced or inorganic though. I loved her a lot as a protagonist, and loved getting to see her develop as she rises in station through the comic.
This comic doesn’t shy away from the effects of appearing so beautiful, and sometimes relies on stereotypes to move the plot along. Especially when it comes to men and their ability to control themselves around attractive women. Normally, this might bother me, but since the story is told as a fairytale, I’ll give it a pass.
The different acts of the comic, as well as longer sub plot show just how refined Hubert and Kerascoët are as storytellers. Some elements of the story are predictable, but the extremes to which they are explored help it to feel original.
Coddie is what really drives the story along as she goes through drastic character development. It never feels forced or inorganic though. I loved her a lot as a protagonist, and loved getting to see her develop as she rises in station through the comic.
Poor Coddie, repulsive and abused and constantly stinking of fish, accidentally frees a wicked fairy and wishes for unimaginable beauty. This beauty drives men mad, and almost immediately Coddie (later renamed Beauty) has to flee for her safety and her life. She's exchanged many times to many men, lusted over and hated for her beauty in equal measure. She does eventually find her strength, and this coupled with her beauty cows and subdues all before her.
Until then, unfortunately, Coddie is also vain, naive, and foolish. She sees the trouble her beauty brings, and is pathologically driven to be admired anyway. She's a good queen and mother, at stretches, but easily led and whimsical.
Unable to rely on men (except for her childhood friend, who meets an unfortunate end simply for being in her inner circle), she turns to the women in her life, who constantly let her down, out of greed or jealousy. The only positive female relationship she has is with her daughter.
The art the accompanies the story is absolutely gorgeous. Coddie's wish cannot change her physical appearance, just how people perceive her, and so for the majority of the story she is drawn as she is - big ears, weak chin, etc. But sometimes we get a beguiling glimpse of how others see her. This is an incredible way to portray the reality of her wish/curse (that could only be done in a graphic novel!).
Overall, an interesting and symbolic story about the true power of beauty and attraction.
Until then, unfortunately, Coddie is also vain, naive, and foolish. She sees the trouble her beauty brings, and is pathologically driven to be admired anyway. She's a good queen and mother, at stretches, but easily led and whimsical.
Unable to rely on men (except for her childhood friend, who meets an unfortunate end simply for being in her inner circle), she turns to the women in her life, who constantly let her down, out of greed or jealousy. The only positive female relationship she has is with her daughter.
The art the accompanies the story is absolutely gorgeous. Coddie's wish cannot change her physical appearance, just how people perceive her, and so for the majority of the story she is drawn as she is - big ears, weak chin, etc. But sometimes we get a beguiling glimpse of how others see her. This is an incredible way to portray the reality of her wish/curse (that could only be done in a graphic novel!).
Overall, an interesting and symbolic story about the true power of beauty and attraction.
Beauty is a fun lil' story in a fantasy kingdom all about the perceptions and costs of beauty. It follows a young female fishmonger who is considered the ugliest girl in the village. In a depression, she strikes a deal with a vain fairy and boom life changes forever. I found the pacing of the story to be a bit off but I definitely did not find it to be predictable or boring--just took a while to get to the point.