Beauty and the Beast

I had been looking for this story for years, but I couldn’t remember much about it, not even that it really was Beauty and the Beast, I had assumed it to be a modern book influenced by the story that was familiar to all thanks to its Disney adaptation. 

However, The Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve is considered to be the original story by most, seeing as it is the oldest version known to men.

The story as we know it today is the abridged version written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, which she adapted from the original, Barbot was not given credit by Beaumont (if she were alive today, Beaumont would be sued for plagiarism, and rightly so).

Now onward to the actual review!

This book is a delightful read; in it you’ll find great messages, such as “don’t judge a book by its cover”, but also, how meaningless social status is, how greed will lead to misery, how obsession is dangerous, and how loyalty, honesty, kindness, and keeping your promises are very important qualities (that will surely be rewarded).

It has a very strong cast of characters, the only exception, perhaps, being Beauty’s brothers and sisters that are all kind of lumped into two characters (no matter, they’re not important anyway). 

Women are the strongest characters in this book, not just intelligence wise either, one in particular, is physically strong, doing a job that at the time, would have been expected of a man (this surprised me because the story was written in the 1700s, progress!).

Beauty is more realistic in the original story, not the perfect person I remember her to be, and Beast is more likable, no longer being the shouting angry mess he is at the beginning of the movie. We get background stories for both of these characters after the main conflict from the story has been resolved.

This has become one of my favorite fairy tales and I highly recommend it, however, if you’re expecting a Disney story I advise you to keep your mind open.

This is all I have to say, go read it! 

As for the edition, it’s gorgeous, it was made by Minalima (Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima, known for their work on the Harry Potter films), I expected no less from them.

I mean look at it, it's beautiful!

It also has interactive pieces, such as these doors which you can open,

Now, on to the spoilers!

Beauty is not perfect, and I love that.

She has doubts and is repulsed by the Beast, yet still chooses to marry him, as a monster! - something I really wish Disney had done, but still, I really love the movie, Belle's one of my favorite Disney princesses, and the songs are some of my favorites as well.

In here, she agrees to marry him when he's still the Beast, she does so out of care.

The Beast is always kind, smart, and not at all the brute he is in the beginning of the movie, Beauty learns not to be scared of him.

She does, however, fall in love with the image of him as a human, one that visits and courts her every night in her dreams, the one she calls Unknown.

She gets mad at Unknown on numerous occasions due to his behavior towards Beast, but loves him still, however, she agrees to marry Beast because she doesn't want such a kind monster to die.

The next day she discovers Unknown sleeping on the couch and realizes that he was the Beast, all is well.

Until, of course, the Queen shows up, Beast/Unknown/Prince's mom.

My first impression of her was that she was a very caring mother, my second impression is that she's a snobby, ungrateful moron, my last impression of her is that of someone who's learned their lesson and has repented.

Then we find out that Beauty's kind father is not her biological parent, and we meet King, her father (who is also very kind) whom she immediately gets attached to, this does not however, change Beauty's love for her family, the one who raised her, as she requests for their presence immediately, and is very happy to be rejoined with them (even her jealous sisters - though why she would miss them is beyond me, they're nothing but mean to her).

Lastly the second part of this story begins, we learn Princes' background, as well Beauty's.

I'm still debating over whether or not this is my favorite part of the book.

We learn of the queen's arrogance and of her love for her son, we learn she is a fighter, conquering kingdoms alongside her men, always fighting in the front line.

We also finally know who the villain is, Fairy (the bad one), and of Fairy (the good one) who helps make this a happily ever after.

We learn of the second love story, the King's and Fairy's (the other good fairy, not the first one, names weren't Barbot's forte), and of the tragedy that befell the poor king.

We learn of :

Fairies, and snakes, and bears, oh my! 

(sorry, couldn't resist, huge wizard of Oz fan)

And as with many fairy tales, it all gets tied nicely with a bow at the end, and they live happily ever after - except for Fairy (the bad one, she can go rot).

Love, Mariana