Customer Reviews

Beauty and the Beast

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I have always loved the story "beauty and the beast" and have started to read different adaptations of it. My favorite ones are "the rose daughter" and "Beauty" by Robin McKinly. I first found this book in the elementary library of my school and immediately fell in love with it. I must have checked it out ten times. Now I am in sixth grade, and I decided since I love it so much I would like to buy it. I first looked here, since amazon has everything, but woe to me! It is out of print. Now I am scouring every used bookstore I come across for Nancy willards wonderful book. For other lovers of this tale, don't give up! Oh please, don't bail! This book is someplace to be found, and if you do you will be crowned! ;-)

For as long as I can remember, I've loved fairy tales. My young daughter loves them too, and we spend many happy hours on weekends browsing libraries and used bookstores for various versions of favorite fairy tales. I found this title at our local library the other day and what a find! Frankly, this adaptation is more for older children and adults and one that I found rich and satisfying. The old premise has been reworked by author Nancy Willard - the setting is now turn of the century New York and the rich period details enhance this compelling tale of love and sacrifice. The beauty of the prose is enhanced by a series of wood engravings (in black and white) by artist Barry Moser. Particularly compelling is the rendering of Beast whose monstrous appearance is offset by a pair of very human and perceptive eyes which reflect all the pain and longing he feels. Beauty in turn is not drop dead gorgeous, but rather strong, courageous and sweet, possessed of compassion and insight and comes to see the true nature hidden beneath the forbidding appearance of Beast. The vivid prose combined with the richly detailed illustrations make for an engaging and satisfying reading experience. This is worth tracking down and a must-have for any fairy tale enthusiast.