Classic Review – Beauty and the Beast by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumonte (4/5 stars)

I love the fairy tale of Beauty of the Beast and I have read a number of variations on it, but I have never read the original story.  So, I was eager to do so and since it was available for free on my Kindle I thought, why not?  It is a good story, although pretty bare bones compared to some of the modern retellings I have had.

Everyone should know the basic story so I am not going to provide a synopsis.  Many parts of this story are represented in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast; although Disney did change some of the things and add some.  For example Belle’s father is a merchant and Gaston is a figment of Disney’s imagination.

The basic parts of the fairy tale that I know and loved were present though.  Belle is kind hearted and loves books.  The Beast is kind but volatile.  They both fall in love with each other for who they are and not what they look like.  All in all it is a very romantic fairy tale and I enjoyed finally being able to read the original.

I recommend reading this if you are a fairy tale fan or a fan of Beauty and the Beast; it is always wonderful to see where these stories came from.  The free Kindle version is formatted decently but lacking in the original illustrations.  If you are a big Beauty and the Beast fan I also recommend Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley and by Alex Finn, both are excellent retellings of this wonderful fairy tale.