The story of Beauty and the Beast and its themes have appeared in literature and other forms of art. This page provides a small discussion of some of the better known treatments by authors and other artists.
Asaro, Catherine. The Quantum Rose. New York: Tor, 2000.
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NOVEL: Science fiction. From the publisher: "Kamoj Argali is the young ruler of an impoverished province on a backward planet. To keep her people from starving, she has agreed to marry Jax Ironbridge, the boorish and brutal ruler of a prosperous province. But before Argali and Ironbridge are wed, a mysterious stranger from a distant planet sweeps in and forces Kamoj into marriage, throwing her world into utter chaos." Winner of the 2001 Nebula Award for Best Novel.
Boucher, Sarah E. Becoming Beauty. Cedar Fort, UT: Sweetwater Books, 2014.
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Description:
Claws. Long, filthy, and dangerously sharp.
They're the first thing Bella sees after what's been the worst day of her life. If Bella were the quintessential Beauty--gorgeous, kindhearted, and self-sacrificing--she might have a chance at transforming this monster into a man, but she's never been the toad-kissing kind. Obsessed with landing a wealthy nobleman and escaping her humdrum life, Bella will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. Which is precisely what landed her here, at the mercy of the Beast.
In this imaginative retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Bella's sense of entitlement strains both her family's finances and patience. As punishment for her selfishness, she's sent into the Beast's service where she must choose whether to follow the path she's always dreamed of--or risk it all for something even greater.
Braswell, Liz. As Old As Time: A Twisted Tale. New York: Disney-Hyperion, 2016.
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Description:
What if Belle's mother cursed the Beast? As Old as Time is the third book in a new YA line that reimagines classic Disney stories in surprising new ways. When Belle touches the Beast's enchanted rose, memories flood through Belle's mind-memories of a mother she thought she would never see again. And, stranger still, she sees that her mother is none other than the beautiful enchantress who cursed the castle and all its inhabitants. Shocked and confused, Belle and the Beast will have to unravel a dark mystery about their families that is 21 years in the making.
Chance, Maia. Beauty, Beast, and Belladonna. New York: Berkley, 2016.
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Description:
Variety hall actress Ophelia Flax knows how to win over an audience. That’s why she’s accepted the marriage proposal of the brutish Comte de Griffe to nettle her occasional investigative partner—and romantic sparring partner—the pompous if dashing Professor Penrose.
But with his boorish table manners, wild mane of hair, and habit of prowling away the wee hours, the comte has shredded Ophelia’s last nerve. She intends to disengage from her feral fiancé at his winter hunting party—until Penrose, his lovely new fiancée, and a stagecoach of stranded travelers arrive at the comte’s sprawling château. Soon she can’t tell the boars from the bores.
When one of the guests is found clawed and bloody in the orangerie, Ophelia is determined to solve the murder before everyone starts believing the local version of Beauty and the Beast. But until the snows melt, she can’t trust her eyes—or her heart—since even the most civilized people hold beastly secrets...
Charles, Veronika Martenova. It's Not about the Rose! New York: Tundra Books, 2010.
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NOVEL: Here are five first books for fledgling readers that offer the enjoyment of a good story along with the thrill of accomplishment that comes from independent reading. Written in short, easy phrases with carefully selected vocabulary and plentiful illustrations, each book helps youngsters achieve success as they have fun. The series follows three friends who love to share stories. In each book, one is reminded of a well-known story: Little Red Riding Hood in It's Not About the Hunter!, Beauty and the Beast in It's Not About the Rose!, Snow White in It's Not About the Apple!, Cinderella in It's Not About the Pumpkin!, and Hansel and Gretel in It's Not About the Crumbs! As one friend starts, the others are reminded of versions they know so each volume has three stories within one framework. The stories come from around the world, and Veronika Martenova Charles provides a note at the end of each book to describe the origins.
Cohen, Barbara. Roses. New York: Scholastic, 1985.
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NOVEL: Young adult novel. "When her father steals a rare rose from a florist shop, Isabel is pressed into employment there as payment to the hideously deformed owner. --Library of Congress"
Cross, Sarah. Kill Me Softly. New York: EgmontUSA, 2012.
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NOVEL: Mirabelle's past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents' tragic deaths to her guardians' half-truths about why she can't return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.
In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who's a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.
But fairy tales aren't pretty things, and they don't always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own . . . brothers who share a dark secret. And she'll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns.
Dickerson, Melanie. The Merchant's Daughter. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "An unthinkable danger. An unexpected choice. Annabel, once the daughter of a wealthy merchant, is trapped in indentured servitude to Lord Ranulf, a recluse who is rumored to be both terrifying and beastly. Her circumstances are made even worse by the proximity of Lord Ranulf's bailiff---a revolting man who has made unwelcome advances on Annabel in the past. Believing that life in a nunnery is the best way to escape the escalation of the bailiff's vile behavior and to preserve the faith that sustains her, Annabel is surprised to discover a sense of security and joy in her encounters with Lord Ranulf. As Annabel struggles to confront her feelings, she is involved in a situation that could place Ranulf in grave danger. Ranulf's future, and possibly his heart, may rest in her hands, and Annabel must decide whether to follow the plans she has cherished or the calling God has placed on her heart."
Dokey, Cameron. Belle: A Retelling of "Beauty and the Beast". New York: Simon Pulse, 2008.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast."
Flinn, Alex. Beastly. New York: HarperTeen, 2007.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "I am a beast.
"A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
"You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.
"Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly."
George, Jessica Day. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow. New York: Bloomsbury, 2008.
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Description:
Blessed―or cursed―with an ability to understand animals, the Lass (as she's known to her family) has always been an oddball. And when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn't hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle, which is made of ice and inhabited by a silent staff of servants. Only a grueling journey on the backs of the four winds will reveal the truth: the bear is really a prince who's been enchanted by a troll queen, and the Lass must come up with a way to free him before he's forced to marry a troll princess.
Hellisen, Cat. Beastkeeper. New York: Henry Holt, 2015.
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Description:
Sarah has always been on the move. Her mother hates the cold, so every few months her parents pack their bags and drag her off after the sun. She's grown up lonely and longing for magic. She doesn't know that it's magic her parents are running from.
When Sarah's mother walks out on their family, all the strange old magic they have tried to hide from comes rising into their mundane world. Her father begins to change into something wild and beastly, but before his transformation is complete, he takes Sarah to her grandparents―people she has never met, didn't even know were still alive.
Deep in the forest, in a crumbling ruin of a castle, Sarah begins to untangle the layers of curses affecting her family bloodlines, until she discovers that the curse has carried over to her, too. The day she falls in love for the first time, Sarah will transform into a beast . . . unless she can figure out a way to break the curse forever.
Hodge, Rosamunde. Cruel Beauty. New York: Balzer & Bray, 2014.
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Description:
Betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom, Nyx has always known that her fate was to marry him, kill him, and free her people from his tyranny. But on her seventeenth birthday when she moves into his castle high on the kingdom's mountaintop, nothing is what she expected—particularly her charming and beguiling new husband. Nyx knows she must save her homeland at all costs, yet she can't resist the pull of her sworn enemy—who's gotten in her way by stealing her heart.
Holder, Nancy. Spirited. New York: Simon Pulse, 2004.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: In May 1756 war is formally declared between the British and the French. During this highly dangerous time, Isabella Sevens is travelling with her father to the British stronghold Fort William Henry. In the forest, Wusamequin, the young and handsome medicine man, looks to avenge the death of his wife and child at the hands of British soldiers. When Wusamequin spots Isabella and her father, he alerts his warriors to capture them. But Wusamequin is quite taken with how bravely Isabella battles. He orders the warriors to spare her and her tfather, and they are dragged back to their village. However, many members of the Mohican tribe still want them to be killed. In a desperate plea to Wusamequin, Isabella vows to stay as his hostage if he lets her father go.
Jae-Jones, S. Wintersong. New York: A Thomas Dunne Book for St. Martin's Griffin, 2017.
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Description:
The last night of the year. Now the days of winter begin and the Goblin King rides abroad, searching for his bride…
All her life, Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, dangerous Goblin King. They’ve enraptured her mind, her spirit, and inspired her musical compositions. Now eighteen and helping to run her family’s inn, Liesl can’t help but feel that her musical dreams and childhood fantasies are slipping away.
But when her own sister is taken by the Goblin King, Liesl has no choice but to journey to the Underground to save her. Drawn to the strange, captivating world she finds―and the mysterious man who rules it―she soon faces an impossible decision. And with time and the old laws working against her, Liesl must discover who she truly is before her fate is sealed.
James, Eloisa. When Beauty Tamed the Beast. New York: HarperCollins, 2011.
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Description:
A wonderful spin on a much-beloved fairy tale, Eloisa James’s When Beauty Tamed the Beast is heart-soaring and fun historical romance at its finest. No wonder People magazine raves about her books, saying, “Romance writing does not get much better than this.” Eloisa’s delightful take on Beauty and the Beast unfolds in Regency England, where a beastly, bad-tempered Earl matches wits with a brazen beauty who has vowed to make the handsome grump fall in love with her in two short weeks.
Jay, Stacey. Of Beast and Beauty. New York: Delacorte Press, 2013.
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NOVEL: In the beginning was the darkness, and in the darkness was a girl, and in the girl was a secret...
In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.
Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.
As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.
Kearney, Megan Victoria. Beauty and The Beast: Act One. New York: The Quietly, 2014.
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Description:
When her father returns from a journey bearing strange stories and stranger gifts, Beauty takes it upon herself to fulfill his debt to a mysterious creature called only “The Beast”. But neither the soft-spoken Beast or the uncanny Castle where he makes his home are what Beauty expects. Both harbour more secrets than she could have anticipated, and neither will give them up easily...
Kearney, Megan Victoria. Beauty and The Beast: Act Two. New York: The Quietly, 2016.
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Description:
When Beauty came to The Castle to take her father’s place, neither she nor The Beast could have anticipated the depth of the bond that would blossom between them. As Beauty tries to reconcile her sympathy for The Beast with her longing for home, he struggles to balance the demands of his unfeeling master with his growing affection for Beauty. Events of the past cast a long shadow over the uncertain pair. They know nothing comes without a price, but an impossible love could be costly indeed..
Kearney, Megan Victoria. Beauty and The Beast: Act Three. New York: The Quietly, 2019.
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Description:
Released from her contract, Beauty returns home but cannot escape the memory of The Beast’s embrace. Meanwhile, as he prepares to make one final sacrifice, The Beast finds himself drawn to the truth at the heart of the labyrinth... At what cost came Beauty’s freedom? Can love save a life? In this final volume, both Beauty and The Beast must face the truths they’ve kept from themselves and learn that sometimes you have to fight for the one you love.
Kemmerer, Brigid. A Curse So Dark and Lonely. New York: Bloomsbury, 2019.
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Description:
Fall in love, break the curse.
It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.
Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she's instead somehow sucked into Rhen's cursed world.
Break the curse, save the kingdom.
A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.
Lackey, Mercedes. Beauty and the Werewolf. New York: Luna, 2011.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "The eldest daughter is often doomed in fairy tales. But Bella—Isabella Beauchamps, daughter of a wealthy merchant—vows to escape the usual pitfalls. Anxious to avoid the Traditional path, Bella dons a red cloak and ventures into the forbidden forest to consult with "Granny," the local wisewoman. But on the way home she's attacked by a wolf—who turns out to be a cursed nobleman! Secluded in his castle, Bella is torn between her family and this strange man who creates marvelous inventions and makes her laugh—when he isn't howling at the moon. Breaking spells is never easy. But a determined beauty, a wizard (after all, he's only an occasional werewolf) and a little godmotherly interference might just be able to bring about a happy ending.… "
Lackey, Mercedes. The Fire Rose. New York: Baen Fantasy, 1995.
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NOVEL: This is a mass market paperback by Lackey that uses the Beauty and the Beast theme. The main character is Rosalind Hawkins, a medieval scholar and modern woman at the turn of the 19th century in San Francisco. She accepts a position with Jason Cameron as a tutor, but soon learns that all is not what it first appeared to be. This is pure entertainment from the popular Lackey.
Mannering, G. R. Roses. New York: Sky Pony Press, 2013.
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NOVEL: "As the gates clicked shut behind them, she heard the distant roar of a beast."
She bears no name. Her silvery appearance is freakish to the numerous inhabitants of Sago, the cosmopolitan capital of Pevorocco in a fantasy realm. With her mother vanishing at the instance of her birth, she is regrettably sent to live with the nouveau riche Ma Dane, where she is punished daily for something, though she knows not what. Tauntingly named Beauty, she flees Sago in a violent uprising that sets out to massacre all Magics and journeys to the furthest point of the country.
But Beauty cannot hide in the grassy Hillands forever. Before long, the State officials find her and threaten to take her back to war-torn Sago where death surely awaits. In a midnight blizzard she escapes them, running into a deep, enchanted forest to a great and terrible beast who will bargain for her life. But can Beauty accept Beast? Eternity is a long time.
Mannering, Rose. Roses. New York: Sky Pony, 2013.
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Description:
"As the gates clicked shut behind them, she heard the distant roar of a beast."
She bears no name. Her silvery appearance is freakish to the numerous inhabitants of Sago, the cosmopolitan capital of Pevorocco in a fantasy realm. With her mother vanishing at the instance of her birth, she is regrettably sent to live with the nouveau riche Ma Dane, where she is punished daily for something, though she knows not what. Tauntingly named Beauty, she flees Sago in a violent uprising that sets out to massacre all Magics and journeys to the furthest point of the country.
But Beauty cannot hide in the grassy Hillands forever. Before long, the State officials find her and threaten to take her back to war-torn Sago where death surely awaits. In a midnight blizzard she escapes them, running into a deep, enchanted forest to a great and terrible beast who will bargain for her life. But can Beauty accept Beast? Eternity is a long time.
Marillier, Juliet. Heart's Blood. New York: Roc, 2009.
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NOVEL: From the publisher: "Anluan has been crippled since childhood, part of a curse that has besieged his family and his home of Whistling Tor. But when the young scribe Caitrin is retained to sort through family documents, she brings about unexpected changes in the household, casting a hopeful light against the despairing shadows.
But to truly free Anluan's burdened soul, Caitrin must unravel the web of sorcery woven by his ancestors before it claims his life-and their love... "
Marillier is also the author of Daughter of the Forest (Six Swans) and Wildwood Dancing (Twelve Dancing Princesses).
Masson, Sophie. Scarlet in the Snow. New York: Random House, 2013.
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Description:
Masson delves into the depths of two ancient Russian fairy tales and brings to life the beguiling adventure of Natasha, the rose-stealer, and the Beast, its protector
When Natasha is forced to take shelter from a sudden blizzard, she is lucky to see a mansion looming out of the snow. Inside, it is beautiful: the fire lit, the table set, but mysteriously enough there is no one there. On the walls, instead of paintings, sit empty frames. In the garden, she finds one perfect red rose about to bloom, a vivid splash of scarlet against the snow. Dreamily she reaches out a hand, only to have the master of the house appear—a terrifying, gigantic creature who looks like a cross between a bear and a man—and demand vengeance on her for taking his rose. So begins an extraordinary adventure that will see Natasha plunged deep into the heart of a mystery. She begins to realize she has stumbled onto a great tragedy—a spell of revenge laid on the young man the Beast once was, devised by a powerful sorcerer. But even if she can break the spell, the Beast she has now come to love will be snatched from her. Natasha will have a long journey, and many ordeals, ahead of her before there can be a happy ending.
McBain, Ed. Beauty And The Beast. New York: Henry Holt, 1982.
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NOVEL: Mystery: Part of McBain's Matthew Hope series.
McKinley, Robin. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast. Harpercollins, 1978.
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NOVEL: A personal favorite, McKinley's first published novel brings the tale of Beauty and the Beast to life in a young woman who considers herself to be anything but beautiful. This is a beautiful book and great for readers of all ages over eight.
McKinley, Robin. Rose Daughter. Greenwillow, 1997.
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NOVEL: McKinley revisits her favorite tale twenty years after she visited it in her first novel with a new interpretation that is less simplistic but just as beautiful. The magic is richer and deeper in this book. I'll let you decide which one you prefer.
Meyer, Joanna Ruth. Echo North. New York: Page Street Kids, 2019.
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Description:
Echo Alkaev’s safe and carefully structured world falls apart when her father leaves for the city and mysteriously disappears. Believing he is lost forever, Echo is shocked to find him half-frozen in the winter forest six months later, guarded by a strange talking wolf―the same creature who attacked her as a child. The wolf presents Echo with an ultimatum: if she lives with him for one year, he will ensure her father makes it home safely. But there is more to the wolf than Echo realizes.
In his enchanted house beneath a mountain, each room must be sewn together to keep the home from unraveling, and something new and dark and strange lies behind every door. When centuries-old secrets unfold, Echo discovers a magical library full of books- turned-mirrors, and a young man named Hal who is trapped inside of them. As the year ticks by, the rooms begin to disappear and Echo must solve the mystery of the wolf’s enchantment before her time is up otherwise Echo, the wolf, and Hal will be lost forever.
Napoli, Donna Jo. Beast. New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2000.
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NOVEL: Elaborates on the tale of "Beauty and the Beast," told from the point of view of the Beast and set in Persia.
Prendergast, G. S. Zero Repeat Forever. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2017.
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Description:
He has no voice or name, only a rank, Eighth. He doesn’t know the details of the mission, only the directives that hum in his mind.
Dart the humans. Leave them where they fall.
His job is to protect his Offside. Let her do the shooting.
Until a human kills her…
Sixteen-year-old Raven is at summer camp when the terrifying armored Nahx invade. Isolated in the wilderness, Raven and her fellow campers can only stay put. Await rescue. Raven doesn’t like feeling helpless, but what choice does she have?
Then a Nahx kills her boyfriend.
Thrown together in a violent, unfamiliar world, Eighth and Raven should feel only hate and fear. But when Raven is injured, and Eighth deserts his unit, their survival comes to depend on trusting each other…
Shaw, Stan. Beauty and the Beast. New York: Dark Horse Comics, 1993.
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Spangler, Brie. Beast. New York: Knopf, 2016.
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Description:
Tall, meaty, muscle-bound, and hairier than most throw rugs, Dylan doesn’t look like your average fifteen-year-old, so, naturally, high school has not been kind to him. To make matters worse, on the day his school bans hats (his preferred camouflage), Dylan goes up on his roof only to fall and wake up in the hospital with a broken leg—and a mandate to attend group therapy for self-harmers.
Dylan vows to say nothing and zones out at therapy—until he meets Jamie. She’s funny, smart, and so stunning, even his womanizing best friend, JP, would be jealous. She’s also the first person to ever call Dylan out on his self-pitying and superficiality.
As Jamie’s humanity and wisdom begin to rub off on Dylan, they become more than just friends. But there is something Dylan doesn’t know about Jamie, something she shared with the group the day he wasn’t listening. Something that shouldn’t change a thing. She is who she’s always been—an amazing photographer and devoted friend, who also happens to be transgender. But will Dylan see it that way?
Spooner, Meagan. Hunted. New York: HarperTeen, 2017.
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Description:
Beauty knows the Beast's forest in her bones--and in her blood.
Though Yeva grew up with the city's highest aristocrats, far from her father's old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who's ever come close to discovering them.
So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there's no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas...or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva's father's misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he'd been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.
Deaf to her sisters' protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory--a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva's only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?
Timpanelli, Gioia. "Rusina, Not Quite in Love." Sometimes the Soul. New York: W. W. Norton, 1998.
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NOVELLA: From the publisher: "A renowned storyteller who has beguiled audiences around the world offers these mesmerizing novella-length fables about two young women and the transformative power of art. In "Rusina, Not Quite in Love," Timpanelli recasts "Beauty and the Beast" as the tale of a loving young heroine who escapes her poor family to live at the estate of Signor Sebastiano. A devastatingly ugly man who prefers plants to people, Sebastiano leads Rusina to the true meaning of beauty. Lyrical, enchanting, wise, these timeless stories are, in the words of the baroness, "simple, but not so simple," as they enlighten readers about the virtues of love, solitude, and art."
Wiggins, Bethany. Stung. New York: Bloomsbury, 2013.
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Description:
Fiona doesn't remember going to sleep. But when she opens her eyes, she discovers her entire world has been altered-her house is abandoned and broken, and the entire neighborhood is barren and dead. Even stranger is the tattoo on her right wrist-a black oval with five marks on either side-that she doesn't remember getting but somehow knows she must cover at any cost. And she's right. When the honeybee population collapsed, a worldwide pandemic occurred and the government tried to bio-engineer a cure. Only the solution was deadlier than the original problem-the vaccination turned people into ferocious, deadly beasts who were branded as a warning to un-vaccinated survivors. Key people needed to rebuild society are protected from disease and beasts inside a fortress-like wall. But Fiona has awakened branded, alone-and on the wrong side of the wall . . .
Wilson, Susan. Beauty: A Novel. New York: Crown, 1996.
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NOVEL: I read this one in the bookstore and decided not to buy it. It is another retelling of the Beauty and the Beast tale. Beauty is an artist hired to paint a family portrait. It was also adapted into a TV movie in 1999.
Yep, Laurence. Angelfish. New York: Putnam, 2001.
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NOVEL: Description from book jacket: "After accidentally breaking the front window of a pet fish store, Robin commits to working off the cost of the window after ballet class-even though that means enduring insults from a grouchy old man who calls her a "half-person" because she is only half Chinese. Robin works extra hard to prove Mr. Tsow wrong and marvels over the uncharacteristically tender way he takes care of the fish, especially the beautiful angelfish. He is just like the Beast in the ballet Robin is rehearsing.
"Robin is curious about what turned him into such a beast, and she and her feisty grandmother search for clues about his past. Their digging leads to a shocking story about the Cultural Revolution, and Robin learns how much Mr. Tsow has overcome just to be here, much less have a soft spot-even for fish."
Literature: Picture Books
Brett, Jan. Beauty and the Beast. Clarion Books, 1989.
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PICTURE BOOK: This is one of my favorite picture book versions of Beauty and the Beast.
Block, Francesca Lia. "Beast." The Rose and the Beast. New York: Harper Collins, 2000.
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SHORT STORY
Brooke, William. "A Beauty in the Beast." Untold Tales. New York: Harper Collins, 1992.
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SHORT STORY
Carter, Angela. "The Courtship of Mr Lyon." The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories. Penguin USA, 1993. ISBN: 014017821X
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SHORT STORY
Carter, Angela. "The Tiger's Bride." The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories. Penguin USA, 1993.
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SHORT STORY
Donoghue, Emma. "The Tale of the Rose." Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins. New York: Harper Collins, 1997.
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SHORT STORY
Lee, Tanith. "The Beast." Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1996.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
SHORT STORY
Fisher, David. "Beauty v. Beast." Legally Correct Fairy Tales. New York: Warner, 1996.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.
Jacobs, A. J. "Beauty and the Beast." Fractured Fairy Tales.New York: Bantam, 1997.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
SHORT STORY
Jacobs, A. J. "Cutie and the Beast." Fractured Fairy Tales.New York: Bantam, 1997.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
SHORT STORY
Lee, Tanith. "Beauty." Red as Blood: Or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer. New York: DAW Books, 1983.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.
SHORT STORY: The final tale, "Beauty," in this collection is my favorite. It is a futuristic version of Beauty and the Beast which brings in references to Cupid and Psyche, too. This tale-like the others in the book-is original and unique. It is one of the first versions that comes to my mind when I think of Beauty and the Beast interpretations. I can't say more or I will ruin the story for you. This book is out of print, but I found it at a used bookstore. Hopefully, you can, too. My favorite place to look is www.abe.com.
Lee, Tanith. "The Beast." Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1996.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
SHORT STORY
Marcantonio, Patricia Santos. "Belleza y la Bestia." Red Ridin' in the Hood: and Other Cuentos. Renato Alarcao, illustrator. New York: Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 2005.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.
SHORT STORY: From the publisher: "Eleven classic tales are retold with an injection of Latino culture, providing a twist on the traditional forms while sustaining a freshness all their own. Some stories are set in the Mexican countryside; in "Belleza y La Bestia," the beautiful heroine is a defender of the Revolution and teaches the beast about the righteousness of the freedom fighters."
Mayer, Gloria Gilbert and Thomas Mayer. "Beauty and the Beast." Goldilocks on Management: 27 Revisionist Fairy Tales for Serious Managers. New York: American Management Association, 1999.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.
SHORT STORY
McKillip, Patricia. "The Lion and the Lark." The Armless Maiden. Terri Windling, ed. New York: Tor Books, 1995.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
McKillip, Patricia A. "The Lion and the Lark." Harrowing the Dragon. New York: Ace, 2005.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardback or paperback.
SHORT STORY
Ritchie, Anne Isabella. "Beauty and the Beast." The Cornhill Magazine. Jun 1867.
NOVELLA: Read this story on SurLaLune at Beauty and the Beast.
Also available with wonderful notes and commentary in:
Ritchie, Anne Thackeray. "Beauty and the Beast."Forbidden Journeys: Fairy Tales and Fantasies by Victorian Women Writers. Nina Auerbach & U. C. Knoepflmacher, editors. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.
Vande Velde, Vivian. "Beast and Beauty." Tales From the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace, 1995.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
SHORT STORY
Walker, Barbara. "Ugly and the Beast." Feminist Fairy Tales. San Francisco: Harper, 1996.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
West, Michelle. "The Rose Garden." Little Red Riding Hood in the Big Bad City. Martin H. Greenberg and John Helfers, eds. New York: DAW, 2004.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.
SHORT STORY
Wheeler, Wendy. "Skin So Green and Fine." Silver Birch, Blood Moon. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds. New York: Avon, 1999.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in paperback.
SHORT STORY: This story also appears in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Volume 13 (2000), edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling.
Alsop, Jaimes. "Beauty and the Beast." The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Volume 13. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds.
Broumas, Olga. "Beauty and the Beast." Beginning with O.New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1977.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
Brown, Eleanor. "Beauty and the Prince Formerly Known as Beast." New Blood. Neil Astley, editor. Highgreen Tarset Northumberland: Bloodaxe Books, 1999.
Carryl, Guy Wetmore. "How Beauty Contrived to Get Square With the Beast." Grimm Tales Made Gay. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 1902.
Read the poem on this site at How Beauty Contrived to Get Square With the Beast.
Chasin, Helen. "Mythics." Disenchantments: An Anthology of Modern Fairy Tale Poetry. Wolfgang Mieder, ed. Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1985.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
Dove, Rita. "Beauty and the Beast." The Norton Anthology of Modern Poetry. 2nd ed. Richard Ellmann and Robert O'Clair, editors. New York: W. W. Norton, 1988.
Dove, Rita. "Beauty and the Beast." Selected Poems. New York: Vintage Books, 1993.
Duffy, Carol Ann. "Mrs. Beast." The World's Wife. New York: Faber and Faber, 1999.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
Duncan, Robert. "Four Songs the Night Nurse Sang." Selected Poems. Robert J. Bertholf, editor. New York: New Directions, 1993.
Hay, Sara Henderson. "Sequel." Story Hour. Fayetteville, AS: University of Arkansas Press, 1998.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
Lewis, Bill. "The Beast." The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Volume 13. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds.
Lochhead, Liz. "Beauty & The." Dreaming Frankenstein and Collected Poems. London: Polygon Books, 1984.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
This poem originally appeared in:
Lochhead, Liz. The Grimm Sisters. London: Next Editions (In Association with Faber & Faber), 1981.
Lochhead, Liz. "The Father." Dreaming Frankenstein and Collected Poems. London: Polygon Books, 1984.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
This poem originally appeared in:
Lochhead, Liz. The Grimm Sisters. London: Next Editions (In Association with Faber & Faber), 1981.
Lynd, Sylvia. "Beauty and the Beast." Women's Poetry of the 1930's: A Critical Anthology. Jane Dowson, editor. New York: Routledge, 1996.
Mueller, Lisel. "Captivity." Alive Together: New and Selected Poems. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1996.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
Sansom, Clive. "Plucking a Rose." Return to Magic. London: Leslie Frewin, 1969.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover.
Strauss, Gwen. "The Beast." Trail of Stones. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1990.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
Viorst, Judith. "...And Beauty and the Beast, Once the Spell Had Been Broken, Lived Happily (Sort of Happily) Ever After." Sad Underwear and Other Complications: More Poems for Children and Their Parents. New York: Atheneum, 1995.
Amazon.com: Buy the book in hardcover or paperback.
Yolen, Jane. "Beauty and the Beast: An Anniversary." The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror, Volume 3. Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling, eds.
I have listed primarily classical compositions of music using the themes of this fairy tale in either ballet, opera or some other musical style. I have also provided links to popular recordings of the music when available at Amazon.com. The advantage to these links is that you can listen to samples of the music at no charge.
Title: Soho Square, Beauty and the Beast
Performer: Daniel Biro, Veronique Joly
Listen to or buy the Compact Disc Recording at Amazon.com.
Glass, Philip. La Belle et la Bête.
Gretry, Andre. Zemire and Azore. 1771.
Gretry (1741-1813) wrote this opera based on the Beauty and the Beast story.
Menken, Alan, Howard Ashman, Tim Rice. Disney's Beauty And The Beast: The Broadway Musical.
In 1994, Disney hit Broadway with a stage production of its movie. The musical enjoyed great success. I have included links to the soundtracks for the Broadway musical and the feature film.
Title: Disney's Beauty And The Beast: The Broadway Musical--Original Cast Recording
Performers: Terrence Mann, Susan Egan
Listen to or buy the Compact Disc Recording at Amazon.com.
Title: Disney's Beauty And The Beast: The Movie Soundtrack
Performers: Paige O'Hara, Angela Lansbury, Jerry Orbach, Robby Benson
Listen to or buy the Compact Disc Recording at Amazon.com.
Beauty and the Beast (1946). Jean Cocteau, director. France. French title: La Belle et la bête.
Cast:
Jean Marais .... The Beast/The Prince/Avenant
Josette Day .... Belle
Marcel André .... Belle's father
This is definitely not the Disney version. "While it remains faithful to the plot of the classic fairy tale by Leprince de Beaumont, Jean Cocteau's 1946 French romantic fantasy is the product of a sophisticated, mature sensibility in its tones and textures and, above all, in its surprising emotional power. With sparkling black-and-white imagery that, for once, is actually dreamlike rather than cute or kitschy, and with a Beast (Jean Marais) who is almost as glamorous with his silky blonde facial hair as he is clean shaven, the movie casts a seductive spell. It might actually be a little too rich and unsettling for kids. Even the costumes and the draperies are entrancingly ornate."
Fractured Fairy Tales: Beauty and the Beast (1959-60) (TV). In Rocky and Bullwinkle. Jay Ward Productions.
Buy the collection on DVD.
ANIMATION SHORT: The Fractured Fairy Tales segment became a popular part of the first season of the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show (known under various names through the years) that premiered in the fall of 1959. They have remained in syndication ever since. Beauty and the Beast originally aired in Episode 6 of Season 1.
Beauty and the Beast (1962). Edward L. Cahn, director.
Buy the movie on VHS.
Cast:
Joyce Taylor .... Althea
Mark Damon .... Eduardo
Eduard Franz .... Orsini
Michael Pate .... Bruno
Merry Anders .... Sybil
Beast is a werewolf by night in this sedate film version.
Beauty and the Beast (1976) (TV). Eugene Marner, director.
Cast:
George C. Scott .... The Beast
Trish Van Devere .... Belle Beaumont
Virginia McKenna .... Lucy
Bernard Lee .... Edward Beaumont
Panna a netvor (1978). Juraj Herz, director. Czechoslovakia. USA Title: Beauty and the Beast.
Cast:
Zdena Studenková .... Julie/The Beauty
Vlastimil Harapes .... Netvor/The Beast
Václav Voska .... Father
Jana Brejchová .... Julie's sister Gábinka
Zuzana Kocúriková .... Julie's sister Málinka
"A more horrific and gloomy version of The Beauty and the Beast. Julie is a bankrupt merchant`s daughter who as the only one of the three daughters chooses to save her father`s life by going to the Haunted Wood`s Castle where she meets Netvor. He wants to kill her, but her beauty prevents him from that. Although she is forbidden to see him she starts to love him and the love rescues him from his curse." (IMDB.com)
Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre: Beauty and the Beast(1984) (TV). Roger Vadim, director.
Amazon.com: Buy the series on DVD.
Cast:
Susan Sarandon ... Beauty
Klaus Kinski ... Beast
Stephen Elliot ... Father
Nancy Lenehan ... Georgette
Anjelica Huston ... Marguerite
Stanley Wilson ... Jaques
This television series originally aired on Showtime for six seasons and a total of 27 episodes. To see a full episode list, go to Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre.
Cannon Movie Tales: Beauty and the Beast (1987). Eugene Marner, director.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD.
Cast:
John Savage .... Beast/Prince
Rebecca De Mornay .... Beauty
Yossi Graber .... Father
Michael Schneider .... Kuppel
From Sony Pictures: "The beautiful Rebecca De Mornay (The Three Musketeers) stars in this beloved live-action version of the classic fairy tale about finding true love in the unlikeliest of places – the haven of a monster! Featuring delightful musical numbers, lavish scenery and spellbinding magic, Beauty and the Beast reminds us that if you see with your heart, anything's possible!
"Beauty (De Mornay) is the family caretaker. While her sisters fret about gentleman callers, her only concern is for their father's wellbeing. So when he loses the family fortune and angers a beast (John Savage) that lives in a magnificent castle, Beauty dutifully agrees to become the beast's prisoner. But what she doesn't know is that his surprising kindness might also capture her heart."
To see a full list of Cannon Movie Tales, go to Cannon Movie Tales.
Beauty and the Beast (1987-1990) (TV Series). Ron Koslow, creator.
Amazon.com: Buy it on DVD.
Cast:
Linda Hamilton .... Asst. District Attorney Catherine Chandler
Ron Perlman .... Vincent
Roy Dotrice .... Father (Jacob Wells)
Jay Acovone .... Deputy Dist. Atty. Joe Maxwell
Premiere episode is titled: "Once Upon a Time in New York." A cult hit television series, one of the few successful television series to overtly use a fairy tale for its premise.
Walt Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1991; 2002). Gary Trousdale, director.
Buy the movie on VHS. or Buy the movie on DVD.
The film that officially signaled Disney's animation renaissance and the only animated feature to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination, Beauty and the Beast remains the yardstick by which all other animated films should be measured. It relates the story of Belle, a bookworm with a dotty inventor for a father; when he inadvertently offends the Beast (a prince whose heart is too hard to love anyone besides himself), Belle boldly takes her father's place, imprisoned in the Beast's gloomy mansion. Naturally, Belle teaches the Beast to love. What makes this such a dazzler, besides the amazingly accomplished animation and the winning coterie of supporting characters (the Beast's mansion is overrun by quipping, dancing household items) is the array of beautiful and hilarious songs by composer Alan Menken and the late, lamented lyricist Howard Ashman. An extended version was rereleased for the theatres in 2002.
Stories From My Childhood: Beauty and the Beast (1999). Also known as: Mikhail Baryshnikov's Stories From My Childhood.
Buy the movie on DVD.
ANIMATED SHORT from PBS TV SERIES: Beauty and the Beastfeatures the voices of Robert Loggia, Tim Curry, and Amy Irving. The film was originally produced in 1952.
The PBS series, Stories From My Childhood, features animated shorts from Russia's Soyuzmultfilm Studios, one of the most celebrated animation factories of the 20th century. Mikhail Baryshnikov was co-executive producer of the new English versions, featuring well-known actors' voices. This TV series and the subsequent DVDs collect several of Soyuzmultfilm's most dazzling adaptations of European folklore. These versions are often more accurate than the American film versions of the same tales. Most of the films were originally produced in the 1950s and '60s.
No Such Thing (2001). Hal Hartley, director.
Buy the movie on VHS. or Buy the movie on DVD.
Cast:
Margrét Ákadóttir .... Rental agent
Robert John Burke .... The Monster
Julie Anderson .... Beautician
Sarah Polley .... Beatrice
Not for kids! "Disgusted with human evolution and a society driven by instant gratification and voyeuristic sensationalism, a foul-mouthed Monster kills anyone who crosses his path. When a news crew sent to investigate the Monster disappears, their ratings-obsessed boss sends a guileless young woman to follow up on the story. This young journalist forges an unlikely friendship with the Monster." (IMDB.com)
Beauty and the Beast (2003). David Lister, director.
Cast:
David Dukas .... Beast/Agnar
Jane March .... Freya
William Gregory Lee .... Sven
Justin Whalin .... Eric
Based on the classic tale, this film is set in the era of the Vikings. It was filmed in South Africa in 2002.
From the producer's website: Freya is the beautiful daughter of a Viking King. Much against her wishes, her father, King Thorsson decides to make a last epic voyage to Bear Island. Betrayed by his heir and Freya’s soon-to-be-husband, Sven, Thorsson is captured by The Beast, a tormented man, trapped in the body of a beast, cursed by his God, and rejected by his family and people. Freya goes to the beast to save her father. He is living in furious isolation and fear, struggling to control the raging animal within, clinging fiercely to the former honour he had as a man, until redemption - in the form of Freya - arrives. Drawn to her beauty and courage, he falls in love, until he has to make the choice between sacrificing himself or lose the love that has given him reason to live. Freya herself pushes aside dreams of a lost love and chooses to sacrifice herself for the good of the people and her father, even if this means going against her heart. In the process, she discovers that true love can never be destroyed, and that the power of love conquers all. For more information go to: http://www.peakviewing.co.uk/
Abbot, Rick. Beauty and the Beast. Really. Book, Music and Lyrics by Rick Abbot. New York: Samuel French.
MUSICAL: Children's musical. Unexpected and hilarious twists make this version of the classic an entirely different romp for the whole family. The cast of seven play nine roles: Beauty, The Beast, Father, Mother, Stepsister, Boy- friend, a hound dog, a theatrical entrepreneur and a hopelessly inept tap dancer whose thankless job is to distract the audience during the scene alterations. There is only a single set that ingeniously converts from farm to castle and back again in a few seconds. Underlying the hilarity is a solid message about true beauty.
Angus, J. Keith. "Beauty and the Beast." Children's Theatricals: Being a Series of Popular Fairy Tales Adapted For Representation in the Drawing Room. London: George Routlege and Sons, 1879 [1878].
Ayckbourn, Alan. Dreams From a Summer House. Music by John Pattison. New York: Samuel French.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: Comedy with music. The reigning king of English comedy strikes off in a new direction with this gleeful fantasy. A couple is preparing for an al fresco party while their hapless ex-son-in-law is holed up in their new summer house, drinking off his divorce while he completes illustrations for a new edition of Beauty and the Beast. When he conjures Belle to life and she appears in the garden unable to understand English unless it is sung, her fantastical presence wreaks havoc with the all-too-real lives around her. The story develops into a cliff hanger when the Beast also appears and carries off the strident ex-wife. This outrageously comic battle of the sexes delightfully illustrates the disparity between romantic ideals and earthly reality, proving once again that true love is impossible but necessary.
''It is almost impossible not to be seduced by this fanciful flight of the imagination.''—Daily Telegraph
''A masterpiece in plot-design with some marvelous characters.''—Stage & TV Today
Boswell, Laurence. Beauty and the Beast: A Fairy Tale Thriller. London: Nick Hern, 1996, 2003.
Read more about the play on the Nick Hern Books website.
Buy the 1996 edition in paperback from Amazon.com.
PLAY: This enchanting play can be performed straight or with music, drawn from traditional French folk melodies. Note that the original is the 1996 Young Vic version, but Boswell's adaptation has been completely revised as the Royal Shakespeare Company's Christmas production in 2003. Here is a description for the latter edition:
In Beauty and the Beast we encounter two worlds. The domestic world of Beauty's family in mid-eighteenth-century France, safe and familiar. And another world, first stumbled upon by her merchant father: a place of great riches and disturbing nightmares, dominated by the fearsome and tragic Beast. Uniting the two is Beauty's humility and sense of duty, which slowly matures into transforming love...
Beers, Jr., Jesse. Beauty and the Beast. New York: Samuel French.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: Beauty is enamored with a handsome prince whom she saw in an apparition. Her love draws her to the castle of the unspeakable Beast, which she enters unafraid. A magic mirror and many other gifts are given her by the Beast. But it is her final, fearless expression of affection for the Beast that breaks the spell and returns him to the form of the handsome Prince.
Del Valle, Peter and John Ahearn. Beauty and the Beast. Book by Peter Del Valle and John Ahearn. Music by Michael Valenti. Lyrics by Elsa Rael. New York: Samuel French.
MUSICAL: This witty and sparkling version of the much-loved classic has been seen in Town Hall and many other New York City venues as well as in summer, college and community theatres in Canada and the United states.
''A show intended for children and yet there is not one iota of condescension or compromise in it. Michael Valenti's music can best be described as romantic light opera. Elsa Rael's lyrics possess a delicate simplicity and never talk down to the audience. Hardly typical children's fare.''—N.Y. Theatre Review.
''Has a magic all its own.''–Chicago Tribune.
''A beauty of a production.''—Chicago Sun-Times.
Glennon, William. Beauty and the Beast. Woodstock, IL: Dramatic Publishing Company of Chicago.
Read more about the play on the Dramatic Publishing website.
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: Mr. Glennon has used the Perrault version of this fanciful story as the basis of his charming play, but has added depth of character and believable answers to some of the puzzling questions. We learn how and why the prince was changed into a beast in the first place. We also see the beast's growth, under Beauty's subtle guidance, from a raging creature to a man who can be loved for himself. Beauty's family provides a warm and amusing background to the main plot, and they, too, change for the better.
Gray, Nicholas Stuart. Beauty and the Beast. London: Oxford University Press, 1951. [Currently available from London: Josef Weinberger, 1951. ]
FULL-LENGTH PLAY: This is not the traditional story of Beauty and the Beast, but an endearing and fantastical tale of a rather forgetful wizard, Mr Hodge and his baby dragon nephew Mickey. When a rude and unruly prince threatens Mickey's life, the wizard decides to teach the young prince a lesson in manners and banishes him to a magical castle for twenty years or so, in order to teach him the values of beauty and companionship. But the wizard forgets he has a captive, and five hundred years later is horrified to remember his mistake. In order to rectify his error he visits the castle, to find the prince in his loneliness has turned into an absolute beast - and in order to save him, must discover a way to bring real beauty into his life.
Patterson, Stuart. Beauty and the Beast. London: Nick Hern.
Read more about the play on the Nick Hern Books website.
PLAY: Pantomime. "An inspired modern version of the story, given a fine momentum by Crackjaw the witch, a ferocious hate-mongering villainess. There's also a cheeky goblin called Dunt, a gorgeous pantomime dog called Billy, a magnificent pair of (female) Ugly sisters, and a hero who amounts to something more than the usual insipid Prince. The audience participation rages fast and furious..." --Scotsman
Way, Charles. "Beauty and the Beast." The Classic Fairy Tales: Retold for the Stage. Theatre Communications Group, 2003.
Buy the book in paperback.
Woolverton, Linda. Disney's Beauty And The Beast: The Broadway Musical. Music by Alan Menken Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. Book by Linda Woolverton. 1994.
MUSICAL: Broadway musical based on the Disney hit movie.
