Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast | Robin Mckinley

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast | Robin Mckinley | Beauty By: Robin McKinley

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Beauty: A Retellin...

	Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast Robin Mckinley HarperTeen, 2005 - 336 pages average customer review:based on 242 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The perfect title

This book has been given the perfect title. It is charming, beautiful, and a breeze to read. If ever you have loved the tale of Beauty and her Beast, then you should pick up this book as fast as you can. It's not just the familar story; there are new twists, new faces, and new names. It is a way to reach in and find your true beauty, even if it had already been there to begin with.

I would recomend this book to anyone.

Beauty By: Robin McKinley

Have you ever gotten locked away in a castle with a Beast and invisible maids? In Beauty by Robin McKinley, you get to see what that's like in a 15-year-old girls point of view. Beauty, the teenage girl, is my favorite character because she is honorable and hopeful. Actually she befriends the Beast who owns the castle she is locked in. I love this book because it is a love story with a twist. Can someone really fall in love with a beast? This book is a great read for eleven-year-old girls and older. Everyone should read this book because they will love it.

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Disney should have given Robin McKinley some credit

This is a beautiful retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story. The imagery is so imaginative and vivid, I could swear I'd read it before. Then I realized that, though I hadn't read this book before, I had seen it. Disney's beautiful version of Beauty and the Beast uses much of the imagery McKinley utilizes in her book. I'm not saying that the stories are by any means identical. For example McKinley's story is quite a bit different than Disney's tale in that Beauty has two sisters (who aren't ugly or wicked) who figure prominently in the story. It is the imagery that is similar. The candles and lamps that light themselves, a magical teapot, a magical and self-serving feast that dances across a very long dining table, a huge and friendly Clydesdale-like horse, a walking footstool, a magic rose that signals the end of the beast's chance at love, a magical wardrobe in Beauty's room, birds that eat from her hand, the beast's inability to manage silverware when eating, a stained glass window that describes the downfall of a privileged young man, a mirror-like table through which Beauty can view her family's activities, and much more - right up to the bells, chimes, fireworks and wind that accompany the Beast's metamorphosis. Also, Disney's Beast is a nearly identical physical match for the Beast described by McKinley. The similarities were so uncanny that I popped in my old VHS copy of Disney's movie to view the credits. So much of Disney's animated imagery is lifted directly from McKinley's novel - which was written in 1978 - that I could not believe McKinley's name did not appear in the story credits! How unfair! I wonder if McKinley consulted a lawyer. Be that as it may, you will greatly enjoy reading this book.

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Just what it should be

Okay, I admit it, I am very much drawn to Beauty and the Beast / Phantom of the Opera / Whuthering Heights - like romances. Beauty and the Beast has always been my favorite fairy tale and the author gives an absolutely beautiful version of the story. She keeps it innocent and sweet, as fairy tales should be, while keeping an element of passion at the same time. This book is labeled young adult, though I believe any "grown-up" would truly enjoy it. In my opinion, this book has all the romance and passion of an "adult" love story, without the sex and inappropiate physicality for young readers. I found the book by luck and am very glad I did. A delightful addition to anyone's library, no matter the age.

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