Customer Reviews

The Rose: A Novel Based on Beauty and the Beast (Once Upon a Dream)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

By:BATBFan

The reason I call this version "HIGH-TECH" is because it's not everyday you read Beauty and the Beast that brings up the words T.V.,Computer,VCR,and virtual-reality machine.Other than that, I lost myself in the book.I was so eager to see what happened next,I finished the book in 2 hours!It's just about the same as the Disney version,which made me very dissapointed.I like the origional version better.

It's about a girl named Bonnie Oliviera (the "Belle" in the story)who dreams of something more than helping her father catch lobsters on his boat,who loves to invent.Gary(the"Gaston"in the story)is the handsome brute who always tries to hit on Belle.....I mean Bonnie.

In the harbor of Land's End rumors about the mansion say it's haunted.The mansion is Peter Crowley's home.Because of his beastly behavior towards an enchantress in disguise as a hag he was sentensed to live as an animal,a monster...a BEAST.

While Bonnie takes the place of her father's imprisonment as the beast's prisoner,can she change the heart of the beast? Here is a charming,modern tale of the classic fairytale,Beauty and the Beast.

_______Savannah R.

As a fan of any sort of fairy tale, I was unpleasantly surprised by this novel. The story stuck to the original plot, while adding very few creative touches or embellishments. The characters were very stereotypical and any attempt at realistic characterization seems to have failed. I found this story to be shallow and would recommend that fans of Beauty and the Beast retellings read Robin McKinley's "Beauty" or "Rose Daughter." Both were far superior. Unless the reader is an avid fan of cheap young adult romances, I would strongly discourage reading this book.

This recreation of Beauty and the Beast is one of the best. The story begins in the peaceful town of Lands End, a town were the beautiful Bonnie Oliviera lives with her father. Even though the town is peaceful, rumors are going around about a beast living in an old house on the cliffs, even though she doesn't belive them, she's curious. Bonnie always dreams of leaving Lands End and going to exotic far off places with the man of her dreams, but she only dreams of it. When her father leaves town to go to a boat fair and doesn't return when planed Bonnie starts getting frantic. Thinking something dangerous has happened she sets off to look for him. Something has happened to him, but not exactly what she expects. To tell more would rob the readers enjoyment as they devour this classic tale as it's retold once more. This book took me by suprise because of it's more modern outlook of a romantic fairy tale. It has it's villians and heros but they consest of high school students. I would recommend this book to any one who wants to curl up with a romantic fariy tale, modernized.

This little number is not just poorly conceived and poorly written. If you're a fan of the meaning-laden fairy tale, this book will actually hurt to read. The characters thin and unlikeable and the story itself barely hangs together. The author fails time and again to make use of her own ideas, settings and her characters. The Disney influence on the plot is obvious here, and very heavy, despite transplanting the story to a modern/futuristic coastal area. Overall, this feels like a novel written over the course of a few weeks, without any real research or love for the story, and then quickly tossed onto the direct-to-school market or the paperback rack of the drugstore.

Maybe if I had read this book ten years ago I would have been more inclined to like it.

It seriously plays out exactly like the Disney version, minus the enchanted objects and songs, which would have helped me enjoy the book more.

There are a couple of instances where the dialogue in the book is nearly the same as it is in the Disney movie.

The only major plot change it the era during which the story takes place. It was nice that Jennifer Baker tried to modernize it. However, it's probably time to come out with a second edition or something. The book was written in 1996, yet she doesn't even mention the Internet. The Beast clearly could have been IMing away his sorrows via AOL 3.0.

I loved this book. I thought it was very creative in turning the plot into a sort of modern story. When I started it I thought it was rather boring but after I was about 40 pages into it I couldn't stop! I loved Peter's "dream machine". I think this is a wonderful book and that anyone who enjoys fairy tales and romance should read it.

Despite the authors attempts, this book didn't catch my attention as much as the original. Don't get me wrong, as a very young budding author myself I appreciate her efforts, but her words were mangled, and she didn't let her thoughts didn't bloom completly. I like the book, but it isn't very high on my scale of favorite books. If you want a book that will keep you in a cloud of thoughts about love, then this might work, but it definetly isn't the best. No offense Jennifer.

I am a fairy-tale/myth/legend addict and have always enjoyed Beauty and the Beast. This one is one of the more interesting ones written. It is first and foremost a romance-but a good one. It is interesting to see the Beast transported to the 20th century, with technology instead of magical servants. It could have used an explanation about the 'fairy', but all in all an enjoyable. Still, antbody looking for one of the best versions ever written, read 'Beauty' by Robin McKinley

Well
It was pretty good, but it just wasn't quit there. It had all the elements for a good story but all the strangeness to it clashed with the good stuff. You would be sitting there enjoying the feeling of compleate sadness for the Beast and suddenly he was like in his little "Dream Machine". It was just sort of Abstract
But I guess I'm to attached to the old times kinda, versions better
but all in all it was worth reading

For someone who cherishs romances concerning the Beauty and the Beast tale as much as I do, this is a wonderful piece of writing to read. The story is charming and beautiful but altogether, the author, Jennifer Baker, isn't to be thanked too much for that, for the original story just isn't capable of being ruined. Baker's style gets the point across, but isn't very eloquent; there is such potential in the story that just wasn't brought out. I am not saying that the book is a piece of trash or that Baker is a terrible writer, but all in all, the story may have some sentiment as you read, but becomes rather forgetable.