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Marvelous
A mesmerizing novel set in the French royal court of Catherine de’ Medici during the Renaissance, which recreates the touching and surprising true story behind the Beauty and the Beast legend, from the acclaimed author of The Clergyman’s Wife and The Heiress.
1547: Pedro Gonsalvus, a young boy living on the island of Tenerife, understands that he is different from the other children in his village. He is mercilessly ridiculed for the shiny layer of hair covering his body from head to toe. When he is kidnapped off the beach near his home, he finds himself delivered by a slave broker into the dangerous and glamorous world of France’s royal court. There “Monsieur Sauvage,” as he is known, learns French, literature, and sword fighting, becoming an attendant to the French King Henri II and a particular favorite of his queen, the formidable Catherine de’ Medici. Queen Catherine considers herself a collector of unusual people and is fascinated by Pedro…and determined to find him a bride.
Catherine D’Aubray is a beautiful eighteen-year-old girl whose merchant father has fallen on hard times and offers up his daughter to Queen Catherine. The queen will pay his debts, and his daughter will marry Monsieur Sauvage.
Catherine meets Pedro for the first time on their wedding day. Barely recovered from the shock of her father’s betrayal, she soon finds herself christened “Madame Sauvage” by the royal courtiers, and must learn to navigate this strange new world, and the unusual man who is now her husband.
Gorgeously written, heartbreaking and hopeful, Marvelous is the portrait of a marriage, the story of a remarkable, resilient family, and an unforgettable reimaging of one of the world’s most beloved fairy tales.
1547: Pedro Gonsalvus, a young boy living on the island of Tenerife, understands that he is different from the other children in his village. He is mercilessly ridiculed for the shiny layer of hair covering his body from head to toe. When he is kidnapped off the beach near his home, he finds himself delivered by a slave broker into the dangerous and glamorous world of France’s royal court. There “Monsieur Sauvage,” as he is known, learns French, literature, and sword fighting, becoming an attendant to the French King Henri II and a particular favorite of his queen, the formidable Catherine de’ Medici. Queen Catherine considers herself a collector of unusual people and is fascinated by Pedro…and determined to find him a bride.
Catherine D’Aubray is a beautiful eighteen-year-old girl whose merchant father has fallen on hard times and offers up his daughter to Queen Catherine. The queen will pay his debts, and his daughter will marry Monsieur Sauvage.
Catherine meets Pedro for the first time on their wedding day. Barely recovered from the shock of her father’s betrayal, she soon finds herself christened “Madame Sauvage” by the royal courtiers, and must learn to navigate this strange new world, and the unusual man who is now her husband.
Gorgeously written, heartbreaking and hopeful, Marvelous is the portrait of a marriage, the story of a remarkable, resilient family, and an unforgettable reimaging of one of the world’s most beloved fairy tales.
Audible Audio
First published February 28, 2023
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About the author
Molly Greeley
4 books357 followersThough Molly Greeley earned a degree in English from Michigan State University, she spent a number of years working in cafes, law offices, and for insurance newspapers before finding the courage to write her first novel. Her work has been called "Intricate, masterly, and delightfully imaginative" (Library Journal), "Exquisite" (Austenesque Reviews), and "Nuanced" with a "hint of D.H. Lawrence" (BBC Culture). Her books have been Indie Next picks and have received starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal.
Molly lives in northern Michigan with her husband and three children, and can often be found with her laptop at local coffee shops.
Molly lives in northern Michigan with her husband and three children, and can often be found with her laptop at local coffee shops.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 281 reviews
February 17, 2023
All my bookish life, I've been waiting for this book. It's one of the Beauty & Beast scenarios I've been longing for that no author seemed to ever think of, mostly because most authors that have undertaken retelling Beauty & Beast have no idea that there's a real life story strikingly similar to the fairy tale that took place in 16th century France. Many authors don't differentiate between Disney's plot and the fairy tale anyway, so to find an author that knows the story of the real life "Beauty and the Beast" is a shock of pleasant proportions. Besides myself, a lifelong B&B fanatic, I only know one other person that is aware of this story.
All my life, I've waited for this book. And I hated this. Really hated it.
This the story of a Spanish man by the name of Pedro González (here spelt as Gonzales), who was born with a condition of excessive hairiness on all his body that made him look like a Beast, and the beautiful French woman by the name of Catherine (surname unknown) who married him, and narrates their life together in the court of King Henri II of France up until their twilight years in the household of Ranuccio Farnese, Duke of Parma. You can read a brief summation of the real story here (ignore the clickbaity title, it's not been established that this was the inspiration for the fairy tale).
By all accounts, I should've loved this story. Pedro and Catherine had seven children (four in this book by authorial decision), most of which inherited their father's hypertrichosis and some of which went on to repeat their father's role as court pets for the powerful nobility. By the sources, they fell in love with each other and had a happy marriage, but they didn't have a charmed life. Mostly because of their role as court pets, but also because their children didn't really belong to them but to their patrons, who could do with them as they saw fit. Queen Catherine de' Medici and the Duke of Parma both did with Pedro and his children whatever they wanted, from arranging marriages to "gifting" their children to other nobles. You could argue that, compared to other people with disabilities (dwarfs, giants, and people with other deformities) that had to live as street performers and court jesters, they were treated much better, but that was a small consolation in view of the rest.
By all accounts, I should've loved this story. And I did. I do love the story of Petrus Gonsalvus, it's tragic, it's amazing, it's wonderful, it's heartwrenching. I love it as a Beauty and Beast fanatic, what true fan of B&B wouldn't love to see a real story duplicating the fairy tale? I personally don't think Madame de Villeneuve was inspired by this story to write her fairy tale, nothing in her biography makes me think she did, so I don't see this as the inspiration like some do. I simply see it as one of those cases in which real life is stranger and far more amazing than fiction.
But, coincidence or not, the story of Petrus Gonsalvus and Catherine Gonsalvus is one I should've loved on its own even without the B&B connection. And I did.
I just did not love Molly Greeley's rendition of their story.
Why? The short version is: the writing is horrible.
Why? The long version is the horrific third person present tense writing stripped Pedro and Catherine of all emotional depth and layering. Instead of presenting us with rich characters that feel and are alive, we're tortured with a purple-prosey newsreel highlighting the high and lows of their lives. As if Greeley had in front of her a biography of the González (I hate the spelling Gonzales, the "ez" ending in Spanish means the same as the ending "son" in English surnames so González should be the preferred spelling; it means "son of Gonzalo/Gonsalvo" whereas Gonzales means nothing) family and was painting by the numbers trying to meet all the milestones and check all the boxes. It is a by rote writing by someone who did her research at a distance and can't get a feeling of the character's personality and voice. What's the difference between Pedro's POV and Catherine's, pray tell?
This "greatest hits" style of narration is made worse by the fact that this setting doesn't feel in the least as 16th century France. All the personalities of the time that appear here, with the sole exception of maybe Ludovico, are guest appearances and cameos in their own history that they made. In the author's notes, Greeley says she wasn't able to research in person and blames the Covid-19 pandemic for it. Yeah, it shows you didn't research because you don't dare flesh out the setting, which is wooden and decorative. Because you didn't research in person, you ended up writing Pedro and Catherine in a figurative cage in which the place and the personages don't matter, only the greatest hits of their lives do.
And then, the characterisation is so . . . sterile, bloodless, inane. I should care for Pedro, and for the brief period he's in Tenerife, I do. But take him to the court, and it's as if he left his emotions behind on the island and became a shell of himself. Catherine, on the other hand, is the most sterile character of all. We are told, told, told, always so needlessly flowery and overwrought, about emotions we don't see her show or express. It's like you're tagging her all over with a post-it stickies that say "she thinks this" and "she feels this." But you see the sticky notes all over, and you don't believe the writing.
Also, the author goes for tired tropes that don't make any sense. Why did Greeley make the Duke of Nevers and Pedro be best friends forever since childhood and then suddenly as adults she wrote in a ham-fisted and laughably clumsy homoeroticism by making them kiss? That felt like those FF.net fanfictioneers that think taking two known straight male besties and making them kiss is the height of LGBT+ representation. Can't two men have a deep friendship for life and care for each other deeply without insinuated one-sided homosexuality?
And this isn't the only clumsy characterisation, either. Let me tell you about that forced triangle (brief, thankfully) between Pedro, Ludovico of Nevers, and Catherine. Or that implied marital rape that is never addressed and reads like the author wrote in marital rape without realising it. Or the tired "he's so ugly only a cheap whore with rotting teeth will fuck him and only if she's drunk to boot" trope that B&B retellers ADORE for some reason I can't fathom. Or the fact that Pedro is said to have been educated by the royal tutors and a great scholar on his own but is actually shown to be about as scholarly as my two cats. Or . . . the list continues. There's melodrama heightened by altering the number of children they had in reality, too.
I'm so dishearteningly disappointed, my only consolation is that I hear there's another author with plans for Pedro and Catherine. So much potential, such a gorgeous love story wrapped in such a bittersweet home life and tied together with a ribbon of tragic circumstances! A good story badly written, a story I loved with a writing I disliked. Paraphrasing Cersei, I wished for Rhaegar and instead they gave me Robert.
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
All my life, I've waited for this book. And I hated this. Really hated it.
This the story of a Spanish man by the name of Pedro González (here spelt as Gonzales), who was born with a condition of excessive hairiness on all his body that made him look like a Beast, and the beautiful French woman by the name of Catherine (surname unknown) who married him, and narrates their life together in the court of King Henri II of France up until their twilight years in the household of Ranuccio Farnese, Duke of Parma. You can read a brief summation of the real story here (ignore the clickbaity title, it's not been established that this was the inspiration for the fairy tale).
By all accounts, I should've loved this story. Pedro and Catherine had seven children (four in this book by authorial decision), most of which inherited their father's hypertrichosis and some of which went on to repeat their father's role as court pets for the powerful nobility. By the sources, they fell in love with each other and had a happy marriage, but they didn't have a charmed life. Mostly because of their role as court pets, but also because their children didn't really belong to them but to their patrons, who could do with them as they saw fit. Queen Catherine de' Medici and the Duke of Parma both did with Pedro and his children whatever they wanted, from arranging marriages to "gifting" their children to other nobles. You could argue that, compared to other people with disabilities (dwarfs, giants, and people with other deformities) that had to live as street performers and court jesters, they were treated much better, but that was a small consolation in view of the rest.
By all accounts, I should've loved this story. And I did. I do love the story of Petrus Gonsalvus, it's tragic, it's amazing, it's wonderful, it's heartwrenching. I love it as a Beauty and Beast fanatic, what true fan of B&B wouldn't love to see a real story duplicating the fairy tale? I personally don't think Madame de Villeneuve was inspired by this story to write her fairy tale, nothing in her biography makes me think she did, so I don't see this as the inspiration like some do. I simply see it as one of those cases in which real life is stranger and far more amazing than fiction.
But, coincidence or not, the story of Petrus Gonsalvus and Catherine Gonsalvus is one I should've loved on its own even without the B&B connection. And I did.
I just did not love Molly Greeley's rendition of their story.
Why? The short version is: the writing is horrible.
Why? The long version is the horrific third person present tense writing stripped Pedro and Catherine of all emotional depth and layering. Instead of presenting us with rich characters that feel and are alive, we're tortured with a purple-prosey newsreel highlighting the high and lows of their lives. As if Greeley had in front of her a biography of the González (I hate the spelling Gonzales, the "ez" ending in Spanish means the same as the ending "son" in English surnames so González should be the preferred spelling; it means "son of Gonzalo/Gonsalvo" whereas Gonzales means nothing) family and was painting by the numbers trying to meet all the milestones and check all the boxes. It is a by rote writing by someone who did her research at a distance and can't get a feeling of the character's personality and voice. What's the difference between Pedro's POV and Catherine's, pray tell?
This "greatest hits" style of narration is made worse by the fact that this setting doesn't feel in the least as 16th century France. All the personalities of the time that appear here, with the sole exception of maybe Ludovico, are guest appearances and cameos in their own history that they made. In the author's notes, Greeley says she wasn't able to research in person and blames the Covid-19 pandemic for it. Yeah, it shows you didn't research because you don't dare flesh out the setting, which is wooden and decorative. Because you didn't research in person, you ended up writing Pedro and Catherine in a figurative cage in which the place and the personages don't matter, only the greatest hits of their lives do.
And then, the characterisation is so . . . sterile, bloodless, inane. I should care for Pedro, and for the brief period he's in Tenerife, I do. But take him to the court, and it's as if he left his emotions behind on the island and became a shell of himself. Catherine, on the other hand, is the most sterile character of all. We are told, told, told, always so needlessly flowery and overwrought, about emotions we don't see her show or express. It's like you're tagging her all over with a post-it stickies that say "she thinks this" and "she feels this." But you see the sticky notes all over, and you don't believe the writing.
Also, the author goes for tired tropes that don't make any sense. Why did Greeley make the Duke of Nevers and Pedro be best friends forever since childhood and then suddenly as adults she wrote in a ham-fisted and laughably clumsy homoeroticism by making them kiss? That felt like those FF.net fanfictioneers that think taking two known straight male besties and making them kiss is the height of LGBT+ representation. Can't two men have a deep friendship for life and care for each other deeply without insinuated one-sided homosexuality?
And this isn't the only clumsy characterisation, either. Let me tell you about that forced triangle (brief, thankfully) between Pedro, Ludovico of Nevers, and Catherine. Or that implied marital rape that is never addressed and reads like the author wrote in marital rape without realising it. Or the tired "he's so ugly only a cheap whore with rotting teeth will fuck him and only if she's drunk to boot" trope that B&B retellers ADORE for some reason I can't fathom. Or the fact that Pedro is said to have been educated by the royal tutors and a great scholar on his own but is actually shown to be about as scholarly as my two cats. Or . . . the list continues. There's melodrama heightened by altering the number of children they had in reality, too.
I'm so dishearteningly disappointed, my only consolation is that I hear there's another author with plans for Pedro and Catherine. So much potential, such a gorgeous love story wrapped in such a bittersweet home life and tied together with a ribbon of tragic circumstances! A good story badly written, a story I loved with a writing I disliked. Paraphrasing Cersei, I wished for Rhaegar and instead they gave me Robert.
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 30, 2022
i want to begin by saying that this story did end up growing on me the longer i stuck it out. so it does have its moments.
but the first thing you will notice when picking up this book is how sterile the writing is. there just isnt any personality to it. the narrative is also set up like a highlight reel of the two characters lives over the course of seven decades. there are a lot of time jumps and only key moments are explored. because of that, it was difficult to really believe the relationship between catherine and pedro.
that being said, i did feel invested in them by the end. i think it helps that they were real people, so i was interested in reading about things they experienced, feelings they probably felt, and how they handled french and italian society. i actually really enjoyed how they grew their family and handled raising their children.
so while the writing style isnt for me, the story actually is an interesting one, especially if you want to learn about the origins of the ‘beauty and the beast’ fairytale.
thank you, william morrow, for the ARC!
↠ 3 stars
but the first thing you will notice when picking up this book is how sterile the writing is. there just isnt any personality to it. the narrative is also set up like a highlight reel of the two characters lives over the course of seven decades. there are a lot of time jumps and only key moments are explored. because of that, it was difficult to really believe the relationship between catherine and pedro.
that being said, i did feel invested in them by the end. i think it helps that they were real people, so i was interested in reading about things they experienced, feelings they probably felt, and how they handled french and italian society. i actually really enjoyed how they grew their family and handled raising their children.
so while the writing style isnt for me, the story actually is an interesting one, especially if you want to learn about the origins of the ‘beauty and the beast’ fairytale.
thank you, william morrow, for the ARC!
↠ 3 stars
October 31, 2022
Marvelous recreates the true story behind the Beauty and the Beast legend.
In 1547, on the island of Tenerife, a young boy named Pedro Gonsalvus notices that he is treated differently by other children. They don’t play with him as they play together, and they call him La Bestia as his body and face are covered in hair. Then suddenly, he is snatched from the island.
King Henri of France is given a gift for his coronation. It is a hairy boy delivered in a cage. The king is fond of children, and he teaches the boy French. The boy learns the language quickly, and loves the smiles the king dots on him.
When Catherine D’Aubray’s father’s ship sinks, his fortune and her dowry are gone. A marriage is arranged for her to Monsieur Savage as he is known at the French court.
The characters of Pedro and Catherine are gorgeously developed in the first half of the story. His emotions are very raw and touching, his hunger for experiencing friendship, craving company, to be needed, wanted, trusted, to be useful and respected, not looked upon as merely hairy. When Catherine finds her new name as Madame Savage, she quickly learns resilience.
In the second half my interest in the story started waning, the characters weren’t as strong and there was not much to drive the plot, to make me engaged in the story.
Nevertheless, it is a fascinating story written with beautiful prose.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
In 1547, on the island of Tenerife, a young boy named Pedro Gonsalvus notices that he is treated differently by other children. They don’t play with him as they play together, and they call him La Bestia as his body and face are covered in hair. Then suddenly, he is snatched from the island.
King Henri of France is given a gift for his coronation. It is a hairy boy delivered in a cage. The king is fond of children, and he teaches the boy French. The boy learns the language quickly, and loves the smiles the king dots on him.
When Catherine D’Aubray’s father’s ship sinks, his fortune and her dowry are gone. A marriage is arranged for her to Monsieur Savage as he is known at the French court.
The characters of Pedro and Catherine are gorgeously developed in the first half of the story. His emotions are very raw and touching, his hunger for experiencing friendship, craving company, to be needed, wanted, trusted, to be useful and respected, not looked upon as merely hairy. When Catherine finds her new name as Madame Savage, she quickly learns resilience.
In the second half my interest in the story started waning, the characters weren’t as strong and there was not much to drive the plot, to make me engaged in the story.
Nevertheless, it is a fascinating story written with beautiful prose.
Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 3, 2023
A fascinating story, beautifully told. For anyone who wants to know the true history of Beauty and the Beast!
July 21, 2022
In MARVELOUS, Greeley bridges the four hundred years between a medieval "animal husband" tale and our own image-obsessed time with beautiful humanity, moving philosophy and spellbinding prose. The world portrayed in MARVELOUS is rife with people reduced to their exterior value--in particular, the literal value placed on the person of Pedro Gonzales, who was kidnapped as a child, deemed a monster of the court, and subject to the whims and follies of his rulers. But most of all, MARVELOUS is the story of a family founded for reasons of court, commerce and capital, which nonetheless manages to transcend its origins and prove how love is always what truly binds and saves us in the end.
July 1, 2023
Pedro, a young boy with the rare condition that caused him to be covered with hair from head to foot, is bought as a gift for the French king, and eventually is married to Catherine, the beautiful daughter of a penniless merchant.
I have heard of the story of Petrus Gonsalvus, but only in passing, merely the fact that he existed, a sort of historical oddity - a man who was brought to a king's court and made his living by his hairy countenance. In this much embroidered retelling of his life, Greeley succeeds in bringing him heart-wrenchingly to life.
There's a lovely, fairytale-like quality to the writing - which surely you must expect when Petrus and Catherine are depicted as an inspiration for Beauty and the Beast - but also a hazy feel to it, fitting when much of the story is the memories of a pair of people coming to the end of a long, eventful life. I really enjoyed the way the relationship between Petrus and Catherine slowly comes to life, developing and changing over decades.
I also liked how the author wove the wider history of 16th century France into the background of the story - she remains cognizant of the setting and how the Gonsalvuses' lives are affected by the turbulent politics of this era. But what really elevated this book to five stars for me was how the characters grapple with the fact that they are effectively enslaved, dependent on the whims of the royals who shelter them, and how the author shows us that in many ways, Petrus's hairiness is both a blessing as well as a cross to bear.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
I have heard of the story of Petrus Gonsalvus, but only in passing, merely the fact that he existed, a sort of historical oddity - a man who was brought to a king's court and made his living by his hairy countenance. In this much embroidered retelling of his life, Greeley succeeds in bringing him heart-wrenchingly to life.
There's a lovely, fairytale-like quality to the writing - which surely you must expect when Petrus and Catherine are depicted as an inspiration for Beauty and the Beast - but also a hazy feel to it, fitting when much of the story is the memories of a pair of people coming to the end of a long, eventful life. I really enjoyed the way the relationship between Petrus and Catherine slowly comes to life, developing and changing over decades.
I also liked how the author wove the wider history of 16th century France into the background of the story - she remains cognizant of the setting and how the Gonsalvuses' lives are affected by the turbulent politics of this era. But what really elevated this book to five stars for me was how the characters grapple with the fact that they are effectively enslaved, dependent on the whims of the royals who shelter them, and how the author shows us that in many ways, Petrus's hairiness is both a blessing as well as a cross to bear.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
gave-up-on
February 5, 2023I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for a chance at reading this book.
Honestly, the book looks so much better in summary. You are expecting a detailed, dialogue heavy plot. Unfortunately, it's told in passive narrative - little to no dialogue. No deep dives into character development, detail. Everything is told at you and it is BORING.
I tried my damnedest to get through the book but made it 25% in to stop. I honestly don't see how the book ca go on any further story-wise. There is no conflict, villain.
Maybe this book is good for some but for me, I don't really feel the need to continue and to rat
Honestly, the book looks so much better in summary. You are expecting a detailed, dialogue heavy plot. Unfortunately, it's told in passive narrative - little to no dialogue. No deep dives into character development, detail. Everything is told at you and it is BORING.
I tried my damnedest to get through the book but made it 25% in to stop. I honestly don't see how the book ca go on any further story-wise. There is no conflict, villain.
Maybe this book is good for some but for me, I don't really feel the need to continue and to rat
September 2, 2022
One of the most perfectly, beautifully told books I have ever read. EVERY LAST SENTENCE was intentional.
Will be gushing for Austenprose in the future
until then, please preorder this singular work of almost ethereal beauty. It is magnificent. Such an experience.
My sincere thanks to the author who listened to my whining until she took pity on me and sent me a copy LOL
Will be gushing for Austenprose in the future
until then, please preorder this singular work of almost ethereal beauty. It is magnificent. Such an experience.
My sincere thanks to the author who listened to my whining until she took pity on me and sent me a copy LOL
August 21, 2022
One of the most moving novels I’ve read in years, MARVELOUS is an extraordinary portrait of the extraordinary marriage that inspired 'Beauty and the Beast.' Rich in compassion, wonder, and intimacy, Molly Greeley’s latest will break your heart open in the best possible way, proof that the best fairy tales are woven from the mysteries of human experience. Simply superb.
March 14, 2023
5 enthusiastic stars! Haunting, magical, and lyrically beautiful, Marvelous is a work of layered depth and meaning that reaches into the reader’s heart to draw out emotions that reverberate long after the last page.
Molly Greeley has crafted a transportive masterpiece of historical fiction that is more than a love story or a fairytale. It’s a work of breathtaking beauty that explores the avenues of what it means to be marvelously human at a time when being different was anathema at best and life-threatening at worst…a time, in some ways, not so much unlike our own.
Brava to the author for crafting a work of profound meaning and inspiring brilliance.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy.
Molly Greeley has crafted a transportive masterpiece of historical fiction that is more than a love story or a fairytale. It’s a work of breathtaking beauty that explores the avenues of what it means to be marvelously human at a time when being different was anathema at best and life-threatening at worst…a time, in some ways, not so much unlike our own.
Brava to the author for crafting a work of profound meaning and inspiring brilliance.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy.
January 16, 2024
I know we aren't suppose to judge books by their covers. This book is an example of why.
The cover is stunning. The story inside? Not so much.
I felt so disconnected from all of the characters. The story itself didn't really flow. There were subplots that were added for little or no reason at all. Overall, it just didn't work for me which is unfortunate because the location and time period are one I would love to see more of.
The cover is stunning. The story inside? Not so much.
I felt so disconnected from all of the characters. The story itself didn't really flow. There were subplots that were added for little or no reason at all. Overall, it just didn't work for me which is unfortunate because the location and time period are one I would love to see more of.
February 28, 2023
My official endorsement!: Molly Greeley's Marvelous is truly a tale as old as time, a poetic and fable-like story with echoes of the real Beauty and the Beast, filled with whimsy and wonder that is by turns melancholy and hopeful, exquisitely illuminating the only true forever in our lives: love, family, and the ties that bind us. One of the most purely beautiful books I've ever read.
February 5, 2023
The Beauty and the Beast subgenre of fantasy is one of my favorites, but it wasn’t until this book that I found it originated from a real historical situation. Marvelous by Molly Greeley is a historical fiction account of this happening in the court of Catherine de Medici, in the 1500’s. It is the story of Pedro Gonzales, who was a child truly covered with hair and kidnapped from his home and family, sold to the king of France. As he tries to create a new life and deal with no loved ones, he also must deal with being treated as a lesser human being because he is different in appearance. Pedro is eventually treated well on the surface, but we see via Greeley’s writing that comments and relationships show that he is constantly reminded that he is a pet. The king eventually “acquires” a bride for him though and his story begins to resemble beauty and the beast lore. Greeley does a wonderful job of writing the essence of the time period. She helps us understand that although all of the king’s subjects and courtiers are below him in society, Pedro and his family are even lower. The amount of subliminal humiliation is right up there with the obvious disregard for his pride and feelings. The truth is definitely stranger than fiction in this instance. It will change the way that I look at fantasy stories of the Beast in the future, always remembering that there was no charm or spell that could make Pedro’s life normal again. Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to read this advance copy in return for an honest review.
March 30, 2023
This book utterly wrecked me, time and time again, the audio is absolutely exquisite. I’ve been a Molly fan since her first book, and I tell you—it’s so amazing to see an author’s talent grow and grow and grow. This is Molly’s best book yet, as she discovered a story, possibly the story behind the Beauty and the Beast legend. She discovered it, and she plumbed it, ever deeper and deeper still, meticulously (beautifully) picking away at my heart. Yes, it’s a story of a family that existed, fed and kept alive by the expansiveness, curiosity, and, frankly, the need for always bigger and better that drives kings and queens and dukes and our own oligarchs.
But ultimately, this is the story of a heart. A live, beating heart, a few of them. A boy’s heart. A lover’s heart. A daughter’s heart. A mother’s heart. Oh, my heart!
We can see, with our modern eyes, the horror of the treatment. Hopefully we can examine our own selves, too. Renaissance France hasn’t felt this real to me in a very long time. Well done!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
But ultimately, this is the story of a heart. A live, beating heart, a few of them. A boy’s heart. A lover’s heart. A daughter’s heart. A mother’s heart. Oh, my heart!
We can see, with our modern eyes, the horror of the treatment. Hopefully we can examine our own selves, too. Renaissance France hasn’t felt this real to me in a very long time. Well done!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
March 27, 2023
Marvelous by Molly Greeley has been marketed as a fictional Beauty and the Beast origin story. It follows a young boy in the mid 1500s from his birth to his death as he navigates what it means to be different than everyone else.
Pedro is born with hair covering his body from head to toe, he is kidnapped, sold, and essentially enslaved as a curiosity of the French court. He is thrown into an arranged marriage with a woman named Catherine and the book alternates back and forth between their 2 POVs and between different time lines.
Spoiler Alert: This is not a happily ever after ending kind of tale. It is hard at times to read how Pedro and his family are treated. Especially as a mother, this one will break your heart. I thought that although it is sad, the issues were handled as they would have been back in this time period and I thought the attention to historical detail was very well done.
I truly did love how Pedro and his wife came together amidst all the extreme scrutiny and their own fears and insecurities and built a family of their own. There are really wonderful and tender moments in this book and life lessons which I believe are the hope within the story.
This is a CHARACTER driven story. This is not full of action and big happenings...although there are a few events that are suspenseful. Read this is you like historical, sad, thought provoking books.
I'm not mad I read this but I think it hurt me too badly to read it again.
*low language but intimacy is vaguely described and mentioned between couples.
Pedro is born with hair covering his body from head to toe, he is kidnapped, sold, and essentially enslaved as a curiosity of the French court. He is thrown into an arranged marriage with a woman named Catherine and the book alternates back and forth between their 2 POVs and between different time lines.
Spoiler Alert: This is not a happily ever after ending kind of tale. It is hard at times to read how Pedro and his family are treated. Especially as a mother, this one will break your heart. I thought that although it is sad, the issues were handled as they would have been back in this time period and I thought the attention to historical detail was very well done.
I truly did love how Pedro and his wife came together amidst all the extreme scrutiny and their own fears and insecurities and built a family of their own. There are really wonderful and tender moments in this book and life lessons which I believe are the hope within the story.
This is a CHARACTER driven story. This is not full of action and big happenings...although there are a few events that are suspenseful. Read this is you like historical, sad, thought provoking books.
I'm not mad I read this but I think it hurt me too badly to read it again.
*low language but intimacy is vaguely described and mentioned between couples.
Want to read
October 27, 2022"A mesmerizing novel set in the French royal court of Catherine de’ Medici during the Renaissance, which recreates the touching and surprising true story behind the Beauty and the Beast legend".... AHHHHH
Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 5, 2023
I simply live the writing. The descriptions are so rich and from the first page I was invested in the story. This book is perfect for anyone who loves the beauty and the beast fairytale.
March 20, 2023
I read this beautiful book really slowly so that I could savor it, and the absolutely gorgeous prose deserves nothing less. I can't say enough wonderful things about this book: it's heartbreaking and hopeful and devastating and heartwarming and powerful. A best book of 2023 for sure; do not miss it!
July 25, 2023
Enchanting. Molly Greeley has pulled off a piece of magic to tell a dazzling love story about the outcast's ache to be cared for and belong. This book broke my heart and put it back together again.
April 12, 2023
When I picked this book, I thought it was a retelling on Beauty & the Beast. In a way it was, but rather this story was the inspiration for it.
The king of France collected oddities, be it animal or human, and kept them as pets. In the Canary Islands, a young boy is kidnapped and put in a cage. He has Hypertrichosis. He is them shipped and sold as a curiosity to the King. The king decides to do an 'experiment' and has the boy educated, to see if a beast can learn. He is never considered a man. (Even when he died in Italy, his death was not recorded because he wasn't considered a man.) The king dies and the queen decides to 'breed' her hairy man. Patrus is then married to Catherine, a merchants daughter. They then have children, in reality 7, but only 3 in the book. Madeline, Pierre and Antoinette all have Hypertrichosis.
It was interesting and sad, that people could be considered pets. One of the children is given away as a gift to royalty, and Patrus and Catherine have no choice in the matter. What is more fascinating is you can see actually paintings of the family if you google them.
I recommend.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petru...
The king of France collected oddities, be it animal or human, and kept them as pets. In the Canary Islands, a young boy is kidnapped and put in a cage. He has Hypertrichosis. He is them shipped and sold as a curiosity to the King. The king decides to do an 'experiment' and has the boy educated, to see if a beast can learn. He is never considered a man. (Even when he died in Italy, his death was not recorded because he wasn't considered a man.) The king dies and the queen decides to 'breed' her hairy man. Patrus is then married to Catherine, a merchants daughter. They then have children, in reality 7, but only 3 in the book. Madeline, Pierre and Antoinette all have Hypertrichosis.
It was interesting and sad, that people could be considered pets. One of the children is given away as a gift to royalty, and Patrus and Catherine have no choice in the matter. What is more fascinating is you can see actually paintings of the family if you google them.
I recommend.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petru...
October 30, 2022
Historical fiction lovers and anyone who loves the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast are bound to love this beautifully written novel. This story gives you the background of Beauty and the Beast and is set during the Renaissance. The story is told from alternating points of view between Pedro and Catherine and had excellent character development. This beautiful reimagining of this classic tale is one you don’t want to miss.
dnf
April 16, 2023dnf @ 40%
i was intrigued by the blurb, but marvelous manages to be both overly flowery and painfully dry. the writing style was too emotionless and detached for my taste and while i am admittedly not familiar with 16th century france and italy, the setting felt under-researched (or at least underdeveloped).
thank you to netgalley for the arc!
i was intrigued by the blurb, but marvelous manages to be both overly flowery and painfully dry. the writing style was too emotionless and detached for my taste and while i am admittedly not familiar with 16th century france and italy, the setting felt under-researched (or at least underdeveloped).
thank you to netgalley for the arc!
March 26, 2023
Boy was that a mildly depressing story… 3.5 ⭐️ - writing was really nice but I wanted more depth out of some of the characters and I also don’t think I was in the mood for a book that was mostly sad
March 6, 2023
I'm bummed to give this book a three. But here is the deal: the writing is gorgeous. If you like flowy, descriptive writing - you will love this one. This is a VERY character-driven heavy book. Meaning, nothing really ever happens. This book is about a man and his family. But honestly, I was really enjoying reading it - I like character-driven stories, but about halfway through I thought, is anything ever going to happen? Lastly, the ending honestly ruined the whole story for me. I mean, that is the feeling you are left with when you finish a book - the ending. In the last part of the book, it felt like the tone of the book totally changed and I was left feeling so very let down.
I think a lot of people will enjoy this one and have already seen great reviews for it - but it was a bust for me.
I think a lot of people will enjoy this one and have already seen great reviews for it - but it was a bust for me.
November 6, 2023
Beautifully written but doesn't quite hit the mark for me. Historical fiction fans could enjoy but the historical side is almost brushed aside to focus on the emotional lives of the two main characters: Pedro (Petrus) Gonzales and his wife, Catherine.
Loosely based upon the real Petrus Gonzales who, with his genetic condition of Hypertrichosis was very hairy and might have been the inspiration for Beauty and the Beast fairytale (none of which is really reflected in the overall plot here so be aware of that).
Probably my first mistake was when I bought the book I paid too much attention to the subtitle: "A Novel of Wonder and Romance in the French Royal Court." Uh. No. There is no real wonder, magic, or romance. There is a forced marriage, a year of rape, and then a softening in the relationship. Not sure that I would consider that wonderous or romantical. Which I would have been okay with if we had dived fully into the historical aspect of the period.
The next problem is the book is written in third person which puts a distance between the reader and the characters. We are seeing them almost remotely, in a dream-like way, and the writing style continues this because we see little action (almost NONE) as the story unfolds.
Pedro is particularly frustrating considering the intrigue of the court he was a member of. Instead he is constantly an onlooker who ignores everything because he does not wish to see it. The death of kings and a queen is told in third person, off stage. I have to wonder if the author simply didn't want to do any historical research for she brushes all of this aside with just a few comments and in her end notes admits she didn't want to focus on the court (why write this book?).
Catherine has zero initiative. I get it that she was sold off in an arranged marriage, but so was Catherine de medici and look what Catherine did LOL. When she becomes friends with Agnes I was really hoping Agnes would draw this character out of her passive nothingness but no, it was not meant to be.
I would have given the book another star if the middle had been cut to half. There is too much sameness and where historical details of how they actually lived (clothes, food, meeting notable people) would have alleviated the tedium, there is none of this in the book.
The writing, turn of phrase, etc.. is achingly beautiful at times. The insight into how Catherine must have been feeling about her children and worry for their futures, really well done. But in the end, the book falls flat by separating us from the action of a very turbulent time in the history of France.
Instead I'll return to one of my favorites in historical fiction with fantasy: Judith Merkle Riley and The Oracle Glass, The Serpent Garden, or The Master of All Desires.
Loosely based upon the real Petrus Gonzales who, with his genetic condition of Hypertrichosis was very hairy and might have been the inspiration for Beauty and the Beast fairytale (none of which is really reflected in the overall plot here so be aware of that).
Probably my first mistake was when I bought the book I paid too much attention to the subtitle: "A Novel of Wonder and Romance in the French Royal Court." Uh. No. There is no real wonder, magic, or romance. There is a forced marriage, a year of rape, and then a softening in the relationship. Not sure that I would consider that wonderous or romantical. Which I would have been okay with if we had dived fully into the historical aspect of the period.
The next problem is the book is written in third person which puts a distance between the reader and the characters. We are seeing them almost remotely, in a dream-like way, and the writing style continues this because we see little action (almost NONE) as the story unfolds.
Pedro is particularly frustrating considering the intrigue of the court he was a member of. Instead he is constantly an onlooker who ignores everything because he does not wish to see it. The death of kings and a queen is told in third person, off stage. I have to wonder if the author simply didn't want to do any historical research for she brushes all of this aside with just a few comments and in her end notes admits she didn't want to focus on the court (why write this book?).
Catherine has zero initiative. I get it that she was sold off in an arranged marriage, but so was Catherine de medici and look what Catherine did LOL. When she becomes friends with Agnes I was really hoping Agnes would draw this character out of her passive nothingness but no, it was not meant to be.
I would have given the book another star if the middle had been cut to half. There is too much sameness and where historical details of how they actually lived (clothes, food, meeting notable people) would have alleviated the tedium, there is none of this in the book.
The writing, turn of phrase, etc.. is achingly beautiful at times. The insight into how Catherine must have been feeling about her children and worry for their futures, really well done. But in the end, the book falls flat by separating us from the action of a very turbulent time in the history of France.
Instead I'll return to one of my favorites in historical fiction with fantasy: Judith Merkle Riley and The Oracle Glass, The Serpent Garden, or The Master of All Desires.
October 24, 2024
3.5 stars!
My fascination with royalty in France in the 15th and 16th century, Beauty and the Beast theories and classic literature is what drove my enjoyment for Marvelous.
This is not a fantasy. It’s historical fiction. While not confirmed, the people/characters in this book may have been a source of inspiration for Beauty and the Beast. If you’ve read classic fairytales, you know that they are rarely happy.
Unsurprisingly, this was heartbreaking. It was a similar pain to reading about slavery but mix it into the French aristocracy. Or The Hunchback of Notre Dame but give him a wife with politics and restrictions.
I got teary eyed in some scenes and Pedro’s true story ruined me. I have a soft spot for people who are treated with cruelty because of how they look, and he destroyed my heart.
I’m always looking for a unique book and this delivered. I’ve never read anything like it. While I have some thoughts on the writing, there were a few scenes and quotes that made me stop to savor them.
THOUGHTS:
This is written like a classic novel in the sense that there’s very little dialogue, more introspection and many, many little descriptions. I love classic books, but I’ll say what I said when I read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, not everything needs a metaphor.
The plot was limited, and the characters didn’t have equal depth. I wish we’d had more plot and politics and less milking scenes that didn’t need it. I found myself going back and forth between hooked on the story and wanting to speed up the audio.
There was a side romance that was fictionalized and had no business being in this book.
Not all of the MC’s children were mentioned, which I felt was the wrong choice, considering this is historical and a huge part of the plot revolves around them.
OVERALL:
This is a book meant for a specific audience, which is probably why the Goodreads ratings are lower than they should be. I would recommend this to the historical fiction reader who loves traditional literature and wants to learn more about how the famous fairytale came to be.
My fascination with royalty in France in the 15th and 16th century, Beauty and the Beast theories and classic literature is what drove my enjoyment for Marvelous.
This is not a fantasy. It’s historical fiction. While not confirmed, the people/characters in this book may have been a source of inspiration for Beauty and the Beast. If you’ve read classic fairytales, you know that they are rarely happy.
Unsurprisingly, this was heartbreaking. It was a similar pain to reading about slavery but mix it into the French aristocracy. Or The Hunchback of Notre Dame but give him a wife with politics and restrictions.
I got teary eyed in some scenes and Pedro’s true story ruined me. I have a soft spot for people who are treated with cruelty because of how they look, and he destroyed my heart.
I’m always looking for a unique book and this delivered. I’ve never read anything like it. While I have some thoughts on the writing, there were a few scenes and quotes that made me stop to savor them.
THOUGHTS:
This is written like a classic novel in the sense that there’s very little dialogue, more introspection and many, many little descriptions. I love classic books, but I’ll say what I said when I read Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, not everything needs a metaphor.
The plot was limited, and the characters didn’t have equal depth. I wish we’d had more plot and politics and less milking scenes that didn’t need it. I found myself going back and forth between hooked on the story and wanting to speed up the audio.
There was a side romance that was fictionalized and had no business being in this book.
Not all of the MC’s children were mentioned, which I felt was the wrong choice, considering this is historical and a huge part of the plot revolves around them.
OVERALL:
This is a book meant for a specific audience, which is probably why the Goodreads ratings are lower than they should be. I would recommend this to the historical fiction reader who loves traditional literature and wants to learn more about how the famous fairytale came to be.
March 6, 2025
2⭐️. About to be brutally honest so if you loved this book, move along, because we are adhering to honesty over kindness for a moment.
As @cityofstarlightandbooks can attest because she was on Facetime with me when I made this decision: I was VERY CLOSE to unhauling this book a few months ago because I hated the cover and had little to no interest in reading it. Readers - trust your freaking gut. Don’t be like me. I read the synopsis (which I never do???) and decided it maybe intrigued me enough to keep. Then I pulled it blindly as a March TBR pick which I have enormous regrets about.
This gets 1 star for being a book and another star because the research and writing was superb. I liked the narrator too. Everything else can respectfully take a hike. This was supposed to be a possible origin story for Beauty & the Beast, set in the French court of Catherine d’Medici. I know it’s historical and I know it was a different time. But I just could not get past the way that everyone talked about Pedro. He’s supposed to have a condition that makes him excessively hairy and as a result he’s basically a laughing stock and treated as a carnival animal and it genuinely made me want to throw up. I know it’s fictional I just hated it. If you’ve read The Carnivorous Carnival, the ninth Series of Unfortunate Events book, I had similar beef with that but this one is seriously on crack. And I’m sure that aspect of it is accurate, too, it’s more just my own personal aversion.
On top of that, the story felt very meandering and I wasn’t always a fan of the characters or the plot itself which made it a kind of unenjoyable ride. I did the audio and am glad I did because even that felt super long.
I’ll be giving this book away so if you want to read it let me know 😂
As @cityofstarlightandbooks can attest because she was on Facetime with me when I made this decision: I was VERY CLOSE to unhauling this book a few months ago because I hated the cover and had little to no interest in reading it. Readers - trust your freaking gut. Don’t be like me. I read the synopsis (which I never do???) and decided it maybe intrigued me enough to keep. Then I pulled it blindly as a March TBR pick which I have enormous regrets about.
This gets 1 star for being a book and another star because the research and writing was superb. I liked the narrator too. Everything else can respectfully take a hike. This was supposed to be a possible origin story for Beauty & the Beast, set in the French court of Catherine d’Medici. I know it’s historical and I know it was a different time. But I just could not get past the way that everyone talked about Pedro. He’s supposed to have a condition that makes him excessively hairy and as a result he’s basically a laughing stock and treated as a carnival animal and it genuinely made me want to throw up. I know it’s fictional I just hated it. If you’ve read The Carnivorous Carnival, the ninth Series of Unfortunate Events book, I had similar beef with that but this one is seriously on crack. And I’m sure that aspect of it is accurate, too, it’s more just my own personal aversion.
On top of that, the story felt very meandering and I wasn’t always a fan of the characters or the plot itself which made it a kind of unenjoyable ride. I did the audio and am glad I did because even that felt super long.
I’ll be giving this book away so if you want to read it let me know 😂
February 4, 2023
I've been pondering this book for several days. Is it weird? Is it endearing? I still don't know but what I do know is that I had to know more. This book sent me to google and wikipedia more than any book I have read in a long time.
Marvelous is the story of Pedro and Catherine, real people in real life but with a fictionalized story. He is stolen from his family as a boy because of the unusual hair covering his whole body and face. The man who inspired "the Beast" was sent to France to live at court, married a beautiful woman and lived life. None of which were easy.
Their struggles and successes were compelling and page turning even when the pacing was slow. It's not a speed read. It's not a fast paced adventure. But what I found it to be is a story of humanity and love and family. I think this would make a great book club pick. I am totally itching to discuss with someone.
This reminded me of my love for Philippa Gregory's stories about the Plantegenets and Tudors. For historical readers who like the older stuff, this is for you.
Marvelous is the story of Pedro and Catherine, real people in real life but with a fictionalized story. He is stolen from his family as a boy because of the unusual hair covering his whole body and face. The man who inspired "the Beast" was sent to France to live at court, married a beautiful woman and lived life. None of which were easy.
Their struggles and successes were compelling and page turning even when the pacing was slow. It's not a speed read. It's not a fast paced adventure. But what I found it to be is a story of humanity and love and family. I think this would make a great book club pick. I am totally itching to discuss with someone.
This reminded me of my love for Philippa Gregory's stories about the Plantegenets and Tudors. For historical readers who like the older stuff, this is for you.
July 24, 2023
{3.5 stars}
Pedro is a young boy who is unusual, it sets him apart and makes him a target. What makes him an outcast on his home island, makes him desirable in the king's court as an oddity. So he is kidnapped and taken from his home into a world of opulence and more importantly education. He quickly becomes a favorite of the king and queen and they decide to find him a wife. Catherine is the daughter of a merchant who has gotten himself in over his head in debt and so he offers her up. She must marry Pedro sight unseen, and when she sees him, covered in hair from head to toe she wonders if the myths are true and he really is a monster... and what it means for her future.
I really loved the first half of this one but then it lost me a little. It went from being a historical romance with a little political intrigue to being more of a story of motherhood. We got less Petrus and more Catherine and her children and my attention waned. I love the idea that there is a real story that inspired Beauty and the Beast but the reality is much sadder than the fairy tales have made it out to be.
Thanks to William Morrow for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.
Pedro is a young boy who is unusual, it sets him apart and makes him a target. What makes him an outcast on his home island, makes him desirable in the king's court as an oddity. So he is kidnapped and taken from his home into a world of opulence and more importantly education. He quickly becomes a favorite of the king and queen and they decide to find him a wife. Catherine is the daughter of a merchant who has gotten himself in over his head in debt and so he offers her up. She must marry Pedro sight unseen, and when she sees him, covered in hair from head to toe she wonders if the myths are true and he really is a monster... and what it means for her future.
I really loved the first half of this one but then it lost me a little. It went from being a historical romance with a little political intrigue to being more of a story of motherhood. We got less Petrus and more Catherine and her children and my attention waned. I love the idea that there is a real story that inspired Beauty and the Beast but the reality is much sadder than the fairy tales have made it out to be.
Thanks to William Morrow for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.
March 9, 2023
Pub day: February 28, 2023 - out now!
Thank you @bibliolifestyle & @williammorrowbooks for the #gifted copy!
“People are people, however they appear.”
Until reading this book I’d never heard that the fairytale Beauty and The Beast might have been inspired by real people. Petrus Gonsalvus was born with hypertrichosis, a genetic condition that causes excessive hair growth all over the body. He was kidnapped and given to the King of France as a gift and this fascinating book follows his life in the French court and beyond.
What an incredible story this was! This isn’t just a fairytale retelling, it’s a thoughtful look at humanity that had my emotions running from one end of the spectrum to the other.
One of the biggest messages I took away from this was that there are some wonderful people in the world who will look past exterior differences to see the goodness inside a person. I loved how deeply this made me contemplate life and how I completely lost myself in the story. I even went back and read the first and last chapters because the story was so beautifully bookended.
If you’re looking for something different that will make your heart hurt one chapter and then swell with happiness the next, look no further.
Thank you @bibliolifestyle & @williammorrowbooks for the #gifted copy!
“People are people, however they appear.”
Until reading this book I’d never heard that the fairytale Beauty and The Beast might have been inspired by real people. Petrus Gonsalvus was born with hypertrichosis, a genetic condition that causes excessive hair growth all over the body. He was kidnapped and given to the King of France as a gift and this fascinating book follows his life in the French court and beyond.
What an incredible story this was! This isn’t just a fairytale retelling, it’s a thoughtful look at humanity that had my emotions running from one end of the spectrum to the other.
One of the biggest messages I took away from this was that there are some wonderful people in the world who will look past exterior differences to see the goodness inside a person. I loved how deeply this made me contemplate life and how I completely lost myself in the story. I even went back and read the first and last chapters because the story was so beautifully bookended.
If you’re looking for something different that will make your heart hurt one chapter and then swell with happiness the next, look no further.
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