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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
adventurous
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really enjoyed reading the original story and the design of this edition is lovely. Recommended!
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I love the original story of The Beauty and the Beast and, while quite different to the story we all know from the movies, I found both the story and the illustrations in this particular edition to be magical and enchanting. I cannot imagine owning any other edition!
MINALIMA EDITION REVIEW
2 stars
The cover is beautiful and I love interactive books, but I felt letdown after opening the book (as these editions usually come wrapped in plastic.) Despite the plastic covering and numerous paper protectors, I still received some parts of the book that were damaged on the inside. The illustrations were either a hit or miss, most being a miss and lacking a creativity. As for the interactive elements, it felt like seeing a book's cover and then reading it, realizing the cover artist knew nothing about the story. Most of the interactive elements were plain, unimaginative, and I felt there were many missed opportunities for the art to elevate the tale.
STORY REVIEW
If you are looking for a heartfelt love story that teaches "not to be deceived by appearances" and that "beauty is found within," I'd recommend skipping this tale and sticking to the Disney version.
This book was published in 1740 France, so the values have to be taken with a grain of salt, but oh man, did this age like milk. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite stories of all time and from a child I loved seeing these two strangers in an enchanted castle overcome their prejudices, grow as people, and fall in love.
Divulging into the original piece I knew the nature of fairy tales which tended to be darker and terrifying to implement fear in the reader to act virtuous rather than what many of us have first been exposed to the Disney-fied, censored version.
Firstly, I have to acknowledge than even going into this knowing it is nearly three centuries old and "times were very different back then," it is still incredibly hard to get through all the sexism, purity indoctrination, and the incest, oh god, the incest. You really should have seen my face as they are talking about how I read with a sour face thinking "surely they aren't...,"
All of the morals and teachings that are associated with modern day retellings are also to be found nowhere.
a) The Beast is not cursed for his vanity, arrogance, or any other flaw that shows a lack of character on his part. The Fairy (the one who takes care of him, because nobody has a name in this book besides Beauty, and there are at least 3 different fairies who are important characters and they are all referred to as "the Fairy," which is very confusing) who has been taking care of the Prince all of his life since he was a baby, when he is around 15, proposes to him. The Queen and the Prince are like, "Um, hell no," and call her, and I quote, "horribly ugly." Honestly, that whole section is highly entertaining:
"In truth it was impossible to conceive one more ridiculous. In addition to the almost decrepit old age of the Fairy, she was horribly ugly. Nor was this the effect of time. If she had been handsome in her youth, she might has preserved some portion of her beauty by the aid of her art; but naturally hideous, her power could only invest her with the appearance of beauty for one day in each year, and that day ended, she returned to her former state."
Did they really have to roast her that bad? Either way, she doesn't take the rejection lightly and curses him. Problem is, he's just cursed and he has no lesson to learn, he's just being punished because he doesn't want to marry an old hag.
b) This edition has many more characters and a whole other side story, which takes an immense amount of spotlight off of our two main characters. This story is supposed to revolve around Beauty and the Beast and their love, yet in this they seem to become, especially in the second half, background characters to their own story. Their fate is seemingly out of their hands and everything seemed to be predestined in the first place.
c) This story teaches love all wrong. What Beauty feels for the Beast is not love, but instead appreciation that he has taken care of her every need and a sense of obligation, and that is not love. She's not even given a real chance to fall in love with him as their conversation is very limited to a few minutes a day, the ending which is always an awkward, "So...want to marry me yet?" While she does appreciate the Beast not eating her and fulfilling her every whim, she is not in love with him. But of course, through gaslighting from her loved ones, she finally relents and pledges herself to him, to which he pledges only to never take any wife except her. Thanks, I guess?
d) Fairy tales are typically heavy on teaching a lesson, yet the author does not seem to settle on the lesson she wants to teach and frequently contradicts herself.
e) So many conveniences and messy loose ends that confuse the reader. Why does the Merchant not realize his baby was switched out for another child who is 3 years old? Why is the father happy upon learning that his supposed *favorite* of his children is not actually his? Why doesn't he ask what happened to his actual child?
This story focuses too much on a side story which is uncompelling and takes away from our perceived main love interests (who would have honestly been much happier without the rest bogging them down.) From a reader's perspective, the prose was enchanting in that characteristically fairy tale style, however, I often felt the story pandering and rambling on at parts.
Despite my distaste of the original tale, I am grateful Mrs. Barbot de Villeneuve wrote this as it eventually evolved into one of my favorite retellings, and academically and historically, it is relevant and interesting to analyze. Nonetheless, as a reader, I cannot agree that it was an enjoyable tale nor did it teach anything of value.
1 Star because it made me laugh at how ridiculous the whole thing was.
2 stars
The cover is beautiful and I love interactive books, but I felt letdown after opening the book (as these editions usually come wrapped in plastic.) Despite the plastic covering and numerous paper protectors, I still received some parts of the book that were damaged on the inside. The illustrations were either a hit or miss, most being a miss and lacking a creativity. As for the interactive elements, it felt like seeing a book's cover and then reading it, realizing the cover artist knew nothing about the story. Most of the interactive elements were plain, unimaginative, and I felt there were many missed opportunities for the art to elevate the tale.
STORY REVIEW
If you are looking for a heartfelt love story that teaches "not to be deceived by appearances" and that "beauty is found within," I'd recommend skipping this tale and sticking to the Disney version.
This book was published in 1740 France, so the values have to be taken with a grain of salt, but oh man, did this age like milk. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite stories of all time and from a child I loved seeing these two strangers in an enchanted castle overcome their prejudices, grow as people, and fall in love.
Divulging into the original piece I knew the nature of fairy tales which tended to be darker and terrifying to implement fear in the reader to act virtuous rather than what many of us have first been exposed to the Disney-fied, censored version.
Firstly, I have to acknowledge than even going into this knowing it is nearly three centuries old and "times were very different back then," it is still incredibly hard to get through all the sexism, purity indoctrination, and the incest, oh god, the incest. You really should have seen my face as they are talking about how
Spoiler
the King of the neighboring kingdom (who is Beauty's biological father) is the Queen's brother (the Queen, obviously being the mother of the Beast, a.k.a. the Prince.)Spoiler
and of course, Mrs. Barbot de Villeneuve kindly confirms that they are in fact cousins. But, you know, it's fine because at least Beauty won't be tainting the bloodline with her poor people blood and causing the Prince to absolutely degrade himself for being with her.All of the morals and teachings that are associated with modern day retellings are also to be found nowhere.
Spoiler
Here are some key differences:a) The Beast is not cursed for his vanity, arrogance, or any other flaw that shows a lack of character on his part. The Fairy (the one who takes care of him, because nobody has a name in this book besides Beauty, and there are at least 3 different fairies who are important characters and they are all referred to as "the Fairy," which is very confusing) who has been taking care of the Prince all of his life since he was a baby, when he is around 15, proposes to him. The Queen and the Prince are like, "Um, hell no," and call her, and I quote, "horribly ugly." Honestly, that whole section is highly entertaining:
"In truth it was impossible to conceive one more ridiculous. In addition to the almost decrepit old age of the Fairy, she was horribly ugly. Nor was this the effect of time. If she had been handsome in her youth, she might has preserved some portion of her beauty by the aid of her art; but naturally hideous, her power could only invest her with the appearance of beauty for one day in each year, and that day ended, she returned to her former state."
Did they really have to roast her that bad? Either way, she doesn't take the rejection lightly and curses him. Problem is, he's just cursed and he has no lesson to learn, he's just being punished because he doesn't want to marry an old hag.
b) This edition has many more characters and a whole other side story, which takes an immense amount of spotlight off of our two main characters. This story is supposed to revolve around Beauty and the Beast and their love, yet in this they seem to become, especially in the second half, background characters to their own story. Their fate is seemingly out of their hands and everything seemed to be predestined in the first place.
c) This story teaches love all wrong. What Beauty feels for the Beast is not love, but instead appreciation that he has taken care of her every need and a sense of obligation, and that is not love. She's not even given a real chance to fall in love with him as their conversation is very limited to a few minutes a day, the ending which is always an awkward, "So...want to marry me yet?" While she does appreciate the Beast not eating her and fulfilling her every whim, she is not in love with him. But of course, through gaslighting from her loved ones, she finally relents and pledges herself to him, to which he pledges only to never take any wife except her. Thanks, I guess?
d) Fairy tales are typically heavy on teaching a lesson, yet the author does not seem to settle on the lesson she wants to teach and frequently contradicts herself.
e) So many conveniences and messy loose ends that confuse the reader. Why does the Merchant not realize his baby was switched out for another child who is 3 years old? Why is the father happy upon learning that his supposed *favorite* of his children is not actually his? Why doesn't he ask what happened to his actual child?
This story focuses too much on a side story which is uncompelling and takes away from our perceived main love interests (who would have honestly been much happier without the rest bogging them down.) From a reader's perspective, the prose was enchanting in that characteristically fairy tale style, however, I often felt the story pandering and rambling on at parts.
Despite my distaste of the original tale, I am grateful Mrs. Barbot de Villeneuve wrote this as it eventually evolved into one of my favorite retellings, and academically and historically, it is relevant and interesting to analyze. Nonetheless, as a reader, I cannot agree that it was an enjoyable tale nor did it teach anything of value.
1 Star because it made me laugh at how ridiculous the whole thing was.
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Intact hymen and Stockholm syndrome
I'm not going to lie, I'm giving this 5 out of 5 stars simply because this book is so gorgeous. The illustrations are divine and the interactive elements are beautiful. I honestly can't recall the last time I was so bowled over by how pretty a book was. The text and story are quite different from what most people remember in the Disney version. The text in this book is used from one of the original French translations, so there are some big notable differences. Beauty has lots of siblings, there is no Gaston, no talking household items, lots of fairies, and trickery, and more. It's not bad, just different. The text can also be a little clunky, but I think that's due to the translation and time period it was written. Kids (and adults) will be enthralled enough in the illustrations and interactive elements to not care. A beautiful book that will light up any bookshelf.
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It was fun to read the original story of Beauty & the Beast, but it did wear me out after some time