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28 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Sometimes Ugly Ode to Beauty, August 25, 2004
In this novel by renowned author Sheri S. Tepper, one woman -- a young fifteenth century noble, Beauty by name -- finds that she is a pivotal character in a number of familiar fairy stories as she haplessly travels through the past and future, and lands real and imagined, on her way to a bizarre destiny.
Tepper is at her most engaging when she slyly retells the classic fairy tales, adding a cynical, sometimes earthy slant that can engage the reader's more adult sensibilities even as the familiar patterns of the old stories awaken childlike nostalgia. These sections are easily the most amusing of the book. She also fully imagines a fascinating version of Fairyland. Additionally, Tepper pulls off a remarkable feat in her writing. The book is organized as Beauty's diary, commencing when she is fifteen and continuing well beyond middle age, and Tepper convincingly changes Beauty's voice over the years, so gradually I barely noticed it was happening, as Beauty matures and as the events of her life change her outlook.
What keeps this book from greatness is that its central thesis -- that the beauty of art and nature should be preserved and appreciated -- is undercut by the way Tepper describes beauty itself. Too often, Tepper's words of appreciation of beauty segue into extremely mean-spirited rants against what Tepper perceives to be ugly. She devotes many pages of her book to describing a well-realized and vicious hell for writers of horror fiction, which she clearly hates with an ugliness that rivals any of the uglinesses she denigrates. Tepper is hardest on horror fiction, but does not spare other twentieth century institutions. If you think there is any beauty in modern music or architecture, or that there is any point to art other than beauty, Tepper has some pretty mean things to say about you.
Tepper's bitterness overpowers quite a bit of her book, but Beauty is a long book, and there is room for a lot of good in it. The plot is fascinatingly intricate in the way it weaves Tepper's thesis in with fairy- and folktales, and Tepper's writing technique kept me reading steadily to the finish. The fact that Tepper sometimes loses control keeps Beauty from being a true classic (or truly beautiful), but it is still a worthwhile read.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Almost perfect!, November 25, 2001
I wasn't sure what to rate this, right now I am giving it a four, but I just might change my mind by the time I am done writing this. I can say that this was my second tepper book. The first was A Plague of Angels, and the only reason that I read Beauty was my friend promised me I would like it. I have to say that overall, Tepper has the gift to disturb her readers, well at least almost all her books disturb me. Beauty isn't any different. I was told that this was a book about Sleeping beauty who had a daughter who turned out to be cinderella whose daughter was snow white, etc. I thought it sounded like a fun book. Boy was I wrong. From the author's note to the last sentence, this book plunges you down into a deep (abyss?). It's not a "fun" read, rather, it's a very deep story. It definitely hits heavy on the environmentalist aspect, but it's also speaks about loosing "magic" (hope?) and all that is not just physically beautiful in the world, but spiritually for lack of a better word. While I loved this book and have reread it, I have to say that the two parts that I didn't like was the Chinanga part--I didn't particularly see the point of it, and also Giles character. What a shallow shallow hero. However, it is still a beautiful story and as depressing as it is, ends on a note of hope. Oh, I guess to be fair, I agree with the person who said that Tepper uses religion to get out of situations. I guess I'll let the four stars stand after all. I still highly reccommend this book though
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Fun, Creative Book with a Deeper Meaning, August 19, 2004
I started reading this book when I was in high school, but put it down after reading a particularly disturbing scene (those who've read the book will probably know which one I'm talking about). I picked it back up a few weeks ago and loved it. I'm so sorry that I didn't read it all the way through the first time.
Overall I thought the book was very good, a few flaws, but the strengths outweigh those. Some portions of the book are stronger than others, so my advice is that if you come to a section you don't care for, keep going. I personally loved the idea that her child and grandhild would also become stars in their own little fairy tales. Beauty really holds the book together, and I enjoyed the first person perspective Tepper uses. The book has a beautiful message, as do a lot of Tepper's novels. Sometimes she can be a bit preachy and that can throw you right out of the book, but I really loved this book and would highly recommend it. She has found a way to make what could be a depressing outcome into a touching ending that will stick with you.
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