The Beauty and the Beast

by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, MinaLima (Illustrator), James Robinson Planché (Translator)

MinaLima, the award-winning design studio behind the graphics for the Harry Potter film franchise and the creators of the illustrated Jungle Book and Peter Pan, reimagine the beloved French fairy tale The Beauty and the Beast in this deluxe unabridged edition illustrated with stunning full-color artwork and nine 3-D interactive features—published to coincide with the release of the blockbuster Disney live-action musical film starring Emma Watson, Ian McKellen, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, and Emma Thompson.
Generations of readers have been bewitched by the epic love story of a beautiful young girl imprisoned in the magical castle of a monstrous beast. Now, the classic fairy tale is brought to life in this spectacular illustrated edition as originally envisioned by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve in 1740.

Genres: Classics, Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tales, Fiction, France, Beauty and The Beast

202 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1740

About the author

Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, French author (c. 1695-Paris, 1755). She is considered the original author of the story of Beauty and the Beast (La Belle et la Bête) which is the oldest known variants of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast.

First published in La jeune ameriquaine, et les contes marins, it is over a hundred pages long, containing many subplots, and involving a genuinely savage Beast, not merely a beastly facade.

Her lengthy version was later rewritten, shortened and published by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, to produce the sensually toned down version most commonly retold today.

In 1767 she wrote the novel, La Jardinière de Vincennes. She was a close friend of the controversial writer Claude Jolyot de Crébillon.

Reviews

[Nayra.Hassan · Rating 4 out of 5]

و ستظل الجميلة تبحث عن مفتاح النور بداخل الوحش لتنير روحه..و في رحلة البحث سيذوي جمالها..و تخمد جذوة الأمل و الخير في قلبها..و قد تموت روحها قبل ان تجد النور؛ و قد لا تجده

ستبقى الجميلة و الوحش اجمل قصة خيالية-واقعية عن الزواج او عن جوهر العلاقة الأبدية بين الرجل و المرأة
كل فتاة تحمل بداخلها"بيل" المليئة بالثقة في قوة الحب على التغيير. ...و كل رجل هو نصف وحش و لا ينتظر من يغيره على الاطلاق !! و من هنا تأتي أهمية القصص الخيالية..
فلنجعل الرجل مسحورا .. .و قبحه الخارجي هو السبب في قبح تصرفاته..و لن تزول اللعنة الا لو فهم كيف يحب و يتحب. .و تعود بالطبع للقرن 18

القصة 36 صفحة لكنها حافلة بالرموز. .عن الإقطاع.. العبودية و الأسر..الذل والقهر..و طبعا هي بعيدة عن نسخة ديزني الفاتنة ..و اان اشتركا في الهدف المعروف "الحب أقوى من اي سحر"!!!ا
و في الواقع أقول انا : فلتحبي الوحش كما هو
..و لا تنتظري معجزات

[Brina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 1700s introduced fairy tales to the world. Charles Perrault penned the most famous one, Cinderella, which has spurred countless adaptations. Influenced by Perrault, Gabriella- Suzanne Barbot de Villenueve wrote the original Beauty and the Beast in 1740. Her story has also produced adaptations, most famously Disney's story about Belle and the Beast. Yet, Villenueve's tale little resembles the modern animated film, and is an interesting study in the origins of fairy tales.

A well to do merchant is the father to six daughters and six sons. He is to embark on a journey and asks his children what gift they desire upon his return. Eleven voices clamor for jewelry or riches, but one, the youngest daughter named Beauty, asks for a rose. The merchant travels and then finds himself at a magnificent castle. A full spread of food has been set out for him and he rests there. On the verge of leaving for home, the merchant spots a rose in the garden, picks but one flower, and is detained by a hideous beast, who he fears will devour him on the spot.

At this point, the crux of the story does resemble the modern Disney tale: the merchant is about to be made prisoner of the beast for life. He bargains and asks if a daughter can take his place. Beauty, who is to be the recipient of the gift, agrees to live in the castle. She arrives and is given a suite to live in full of jewels, gowns, and a magic mirror where she can see any room in the palace. This is where the two stories differ. There are no singing tea pots, candlesticks, or clocks. Rather, there are diverse monkeys and birds at Belle's disposal, as well as a nightly opera for her to enjoy. The Beast is charming in disposition from the outset, and it appears that he is out to woo Beauty, rather than the other way around, and he even offers her a giant library near the beginning of her stay in the castle.

Beauty never doubts Beast's character, only his appearance. His transformation actually occurs at the midway point of the tale. The second half of the tale does not contain a splashy wedding full of ball gowns and fireworks. Rather, a fairy comes to the castle along with the Beast's mother and Beauty's biological father and explains the backstory to all parties involved. The story is full of fairies, curses, blessings, and other mythical creatures, that one would expect to find in a traditional fairy tale. I found this part of the story to be fascinating as growing up the only available story to me had been the Disneyfied version. Even though this original is not as full of glamor and show stopping songs, I found it to be a better overall story.

My version of Beauty and the Beast is accompanied by stunning illustrations by Mina Lima. They add life to the tale as they show Beauty, the Beast, and the goings on in the castle. I admit that the Disney version of the tale is one of the Disney movies I actually allow my daughters to watch because the protagonist is a girl who loves to read and has to be worthy to break a curse and loves the Beast for his character rather than his appearance. The original tale does contain these elements minus the music and as a story is not as far fetched. I enjoyed reading the origin of this story, and rate the original Beauty and the Beast 3.75 stars.

[Tahina Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Among most of the Disney stories, surprisingly, I liked Beauty and the Beast the most. I think this is among the very first of the enemies-to-lovers fantasies.

[[ J o ] · Rating 2 out of 5]

It never even occurred to me that Beauty and the Beast was an original story in of itself, despite the fact that only about 5% of anything Disney have made has been original and without basic inspiration, however tenuous that inspiration may be. The irony of this is not lost on anyone who has received a cease and desist letter from them whilst peddling their wares. But it seems I digress.

I find myself a little torn in the rating of this book. The review will focus on the 1740 fairytale first and then move on to the physical edition, which I think requires it's own review for various reasons.

First of all, the story. Having become disenchanted with Disney since their partnership with Pixar and the giant bug-eyes of their new characters (other reasons exist, but this one appears the most prevalent) I don't have any ties to their Beauty and the Beast as I never considered this a favourite in any case. However, I was, of course, entirely aware of their version and knew instantly how different this story was.

I shall refrain from too many comparisons between Disney film and the original fairytale, but there is little similar except the finding of love between the title characters. I was enamoured from the beginning: I thought the storytelling was beautiful and the atmosphere evocative and I enjoyed following the adventure of the Good Man and his sons and daughters, including Beauty herself.

By the end though, I was bored. It had become tedious and the storytelling was no longer good. Mid-way it became very repetitive as we followed Beauty around her new home and the recurrence of her dreams may have been a delight for her but for me they were abysmal repetitions of nonsense. I missed the splendour of the beginning and, though we had moments of strife, they were few and far between. And then we had a weird addendum at the end that stalled the whole thing as Fairies and Kings stood about telling long stories.

Whilst I loved the beginning, the ending really spoilt it for me. I don't think an abridged version of this tale would be a bad thing, though I will always give the benefit of doubt to any translation, though I also didn't feel this was a particular French tale, either.

The physical book itself I was extremely excited by. I care not that the illustrators had involvement with Harry Potter, but I own their other books and adore the covers and the elements inside. This one, however, was quite the disappointment. I'm marginally annoyed at how the interactive elements are made for right-handed people, but that's besides the point. They were fairly basic: lift a flap here, turn a wheel there. There was a book of Fairies that I thought would contain some wonderfully magical elements, but the inside was exactly the same as the cover. It was, in short, really rather pointless overall.

Interactive Elements aside, the illustrations were lovely, despite the fact that the Beast is the Disney version (the book notes the Beast has scales, not fur) but again, I am probably being picky. The whole experience was rather disappointing and, though it began magical and rather enchanting, both the story and the illustrations became all a little too tedious by the end. I cannot even bring myself to add an extra star for the illustrations or beautiful binding as I don't feel my enjoyment was caused by such.

What more can I say. It was so disappointing, but since I held no flame to this story my soul wasn't crushed. I actually still prefer this story to the Disney version, but maybe that's just my anti-big-company-bullying coming in to play. And how I hate those stupid big bug eyes.

[Zoe Stewart (Zoe's All Booked) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a tough rating for me. I want to give it five stars, but I want to give it two at the same time. A happy medium of 3.5 doesn't feel right though. I've always loved the Disney version of this fairy tale more than anything, and I loved this original version too. At the same time, I kind of hated it? No, that's too strong of an emotion. I was semi-bored through most of it. I love the story, but not the writing. However, it may have just been this translation, so I'm going to find another one and try it again. Better yet, when I brush up on my French enough to read a book, I'll read the original. Nothing is ever as good as a translation. At the same time, some of it was just so long-winded. The last 40 pages or so were history info-dump, "this is why the story happened". It could've been done in a much better way.

Translations aside, if this book was written today, I would've ripped it apart. The phrase "for a woman" or "for her sex" popped up more than once, and again, if it was a modern book, game over. However, this was written in 1740. It was a different world, and I understand that. I'm reading through the lens of 2018, where that shit wouldn't fly. I imagine this was pretty progressive for its time though.

I think, for nostalgia purposes, as well as how much I loved the story (and seeing where Disney changed things up), I'm going with 4.5. Maybe. This could change to a solid four or five. Maybe a three. Who knows? NOT ME.

[Constantine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Fantasy + Middle Grade + Classics

I don’t need to provide any synopsis for this book because this is a story that all the adults and children are familiar with. I never read this classic before and all I knew about it was through what Disney has depicted on screen when they released their 1991 animation film. I still have not watched Disney’s live-action film starring Emma Thompson but plan to do so in a few days.

The Beauty and the Beast as a story is different from Disney’s adaptation. In this book, the girl’s name is Beauty and she has siblings. The movie adaptation is just the first half of the book. The second half of the book is more about the backstory that involves the Prince’s past, his mother the queen, and his uncle the king. There is a big part of the story that talks about fairies and their intervention. In the second half, the reader will also know the truth about Beauty’s origin.

This is a classic so it is expected for the writing to be a bit dense and at times too wordy. I feel this is totally normal for a fairytale book that was released in 1740 to have such a writing style. In my opinion, the second half could have been shorter a bit and I think the author has catered the story to accommodate the Queen’s absurd demands. I understand the time period in which the book was written and the obsession with the different classes in society. The author obviously wanted the story to be accepted by society because marriage outside your class must have been a big taboo back then. Unfortunately to accommodate such a thing means to sacrifice the believability part of the story. This will make me as a reader name the second part as “too convenient”. And here is where I prefer the Disney animation version more over the original story.

This edition of the book that I own is such a beautiful collector edition. The quality of the book is great, the illustrations are so gorgeous. The interactive features are gimmicks though. They just add more thickness to the book without any benefit. I think this edition would have been better off without them. I still recommend getting this edition if you really love this fairytale.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This version of Beauty and the Beast is the earliest as it is known today, although it is often misattributed to the heavily abridged, plagiarized version by Jeanne Marie LaPrince Beaumont, which was published about thirteen years after this one.

Villeneuve's version begins with a nameless merchant, elderly and prosperous, who was widowed years ago and has twelve children, six boys and six girls, to provide for. The boys are brave and brash and everything you would want boys to be. Five of the girls are materialistic and catty, but the youngest is good-tempered, virtuous, prudent, beautiful, and talented. Guess which one the main character turns out to be!

The merchant loses his fortunes, forcing him and his brood to abandon their nouveau-riche existence in the city for a country house. Only the sons and the youngest daughter, whose given name everyone has forgotten because they all call her Beauty, adjust to their new surroundings with any grace.

After two years in reduced circumstances the merchant gets what sounds like good news: one of the ships he thought lost might have finally reached harbor. He anticipates the return of his fortunes and tells each kid to put in a request for him to bring back to them from the city. The boys want boy things, the five older girls want trinkets, and Beauty, who asks for nothing at first, eventually requests a rose, inexpensive and lovely.

But the merchant discovers the ship that just put in anchorage wasn't his after all. Riding home in discouragement, he is hit by a sudden snowstorm and seeks refuge in a mysterious woodland palace. There he finds ample food and creature comforts, but no other living beings that he can see. He suspects he has stumbled on the home of a faerie or an old god, and is appropriately cautious.

The owner of the palace cultivates an impressive garden, which grows unaffected by the harsh weather, and in this garden the merchant finds a perfect rose. But when he cuts it, a hideous monster springs on him threatening to kill him for stealing it. The poor man begs for his life, and the Beast agrees to spare him in exchange for one of his daughters.

The merchant doesn't want to sacrifice any child of his to the abomination, but once he gets home he tells his children the whole sorry tale, so they know why he must soon leave to be killed, and of course Beauty volunteers to die in his place. Reluctantly he brings her back to the palace in the wood, where the Beast welcomes her cordially and she is more than comfortably housed.

Beauty figures out pretty quickly that the monster does not, in fact, want to kill her - else he would never have gone to all this trouble to make sure she was entertained in every possible way. There's a massive library full of books at her disposal, as well as art galleries, musical instruments, menageries of birds and monkeys, puppet shows, and magic mirrors that allow her to watch plays and operas in all the swankiest Parisian and Italian theatres from a distance. (Any mention of religious services is curiously absent, perhaps signalling that the French aristocracy had ceased to care much for their faith long before the Revolution outlawed it).

There is also a reoccurring dream of a young man, handsome and courtly beyond the lot of mortals, who meets Beauty in various locations, protesting his love for her and begging her to release him from imprisonment. When awake, she sees his likeness in various locations throughout the palace. She finds herself falling for the dream boy, but every night the poor Beast asks for her hand in marriage. She can't bear the thought of marrying the monster, but at the same time she grows so fond of him, and grateful, that she figures she can bear it. She actually finds his company far more agreeable than that of her family (especially those awful sisters).

Another reoccurring dream is of a queenly woman telling her not to trust appearances, for things are not always what they seem.

But inevitably Beauty does get homesick, and the Beast (with no small amount of self-pitying dramatics) allows her to go see her family for two months, warning her that he'll probably die if she tarries any longer. No pressure! She goes home, delighting her dad and her brothers and inadvertently stealing all five of her sisters' boyfriends. When the situation at home finally becomes unbearable, she uses a magic ring the Beast gave her to return to his palace - but once there, she can't find him.

She does stumble upon him eventually, in a garden grotto, near death as he said he would be. Deeply grieved, she declares that she loves him and can't live without him, and promises her hand in marriage. This revives him somewhat and they return to the palace as usual.

Next morning, she wakes up next to the glorious young man from her dream (chastely, one assumes) and realizes that he and the Beast were the same person all along. While sufficiently obvious to a modern reader, one must remember that this was probably a Megan Whalen Turner-level twist back in 1740.

The two are shortly surprised by the appearance of his mother, the Queen of somewhere, and a Fairy who is related to both of them somehow (it's complicated). From here, the Prince has an extended monologue explaining to Beauty how he was placed under such a cruel enchantment, and then, when the King of yet another magical land (who is Beauty's biological father) shows up, the Fairy tells him the long story of what happened to his presumed-dead wife and his only daughter.

Turns out that the girl and the boy were nothing but pawns in a dynastic struggle between fairy sisters. One fairy fell in love with the mortal King, angering most of the other fairies so badly that they imprisoned her, staged her death, and tried to kill her little daughter, Beauty (who was rescued by the good Fairy who left her as a changeling with the merchant, whose real infant daughter died and he never knew).

Meanwhile, one of the mean fairies gained custody of the Prince. Once he finished puberty she started to lust after him, and when he refused her advances she turned him into the Beast and laid her very specific curse on him. The good Fairy who had saved Beauty from assassination as a baby worked diligently to force the changeling girl to the enchanted castle.

In the end, all harms are healed, the King and his faerie Queen are reunited, and the two young newlyweds whine their way into frequent vacations to the enchanted palace so they don't have to, you know, rule their kingdom all that much. Yay!

The plot structure, by modern standards, is terrible, but the novel was a new art form then and very much still in flux.

As you can see, Disney changed an awful lot to produce the story we're all familiar with. The characters in the 1991 animated movie are flawed and drive the story by their actions, instead of being helplessly tossed about by the whims of Greek gods faeries, which makes them a lot more compelling (here the two leads are so perfect they make one nauseous by the end). Also, Disney's Belle is really just a mortal girl who likes to read and aspires to be more than a trophy wife, not a super-magical faerie princess in disguise. Gaston is an interesting villain - imagine if the protagonists had to fight him on one front and the bad fairy on the other - and the talking household items, while a bit too cutesy for my taste, certainly inject personality and humor into an otherwise painfully self-serious story.

But I'm not bashing Villeneuve here, as her intricate backstory for the Prince's curse and the machinations of the Faerie Court are as sensible an explanation as we're ever likely to get for the bizarre events of this story. The influence of The Aeneid and Metamorphoses is keenly felt; like the old gods, the faeries work behind the scenes of mortal life, and while they cannot directly undo the work of other faeries, they can plant the seeds for a mortal to do so.

And this book, in turn, has been enormously influential. Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Pride and Prejudice is a cousin of the bad fairy in this story, while the Witch of the Waste in Howl's Moving Castle is a direct descendant. A crazed woman trying to drive the lovers apart is of course part of Jane Eyre , while the curse itself is similar to what happens to the aforementioned Howl, and a curse like that would go a long way toward explaining the erratic behavior of Jareth in Labyrinth. The Silver Chair is what might have happened if the bad fairy had successfully carried off the Prince. Tamora Pierce borrowed a lot from this for her Immortals series: the Emperor's zoo in Emperor Mage is awfully similar to that of the Prince here, and Daine, like Beauty, turns out to be a crazy-powerful being whose parents belong to a higher realm.

There are a few highly annoying elements for the twenty-first century reader, especially Villeneuve's occasional references to revolutions without the slightest hint of sympathy, and all the characters do wind up behaving like pampered aristocrats. But Villeneuve was part of that ruling class, writing what she knew and writing for people like herself.

What Villeneuve lacks in plotting skills she makes up for in creativity: she takes elements from the Greek myths of Hades and Persephone, and Cupid and Psyche, and mixes them so winsomely that her work is still nearly everyone's favorite fairy tale (even though most of us are only familiar with the Disney version).

It is greatly unfortunate that the 2017 live-action Disney film largely ignored this fascinating source material in favor of recreating the cartoon frame for frame. They missed a great opportunity to add intrigue and mystery to a tale as old as time. (Besides, Emma Watson?!? Really, casting department?!?).

Recommended for people who love fairy tales and mythology, and aren't so irrationally attached to Disney that they can't bear to explore other versions of the story.

You might also like:

- The Phantom Of The Opera by Gaston Leroux
- Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley
- Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
- Jim Henson's Labyrinth: The Novelization by A.C.H.Smith
- Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
- East by Edith Pattou
- Chalice by Robin McKinley

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an exquisite read made all the more delightful thanks to MiniLima's illustrations and interactive elements which made the overall reading experience a pleasure.

This original 1740 story of the classic fairy-tale is VERY different to the Disney film from 1991. Firstly, there is no Gaston, Lefou, Lumiere, Cogsworth, Mrs Potts, etc. No Siree, they do not feature at all. This tale purely concerns Belle (who is known as Beauty), the Beast, her father, his mother and a couple of fairies.

I really enjoyed reading this because it was so different to the Disney film and I was surprised at all of the changes the latter made to the original story. The book maintained a nice and steady pace throughout and up until chapter 8 I was thoroughly enchanted until...in classic literature form, there was a huge info dump which revealed the background of Beauty. There were so many twists and turns, fairies turning into serpents, fairies being banished, forbidden love, an attempt on Beauty's life, there was just TOO much to take in in a single chapter which left my head spinning. This is the only criticism I could find but because it hampered the flow of the narrative, I couldn't award it 5 stars :(

The additional interactive elements were a beautiful bonus and I found myself relishing the next one since it gave the story a lovely tactile edge.

Overall, a lovely and enchanting read, just don't expect the appearance of all your favourite Disney characters, as sadly, they are missing.

[Ƙʏᴙᴀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sono combattuta tra l'elogiare la meravigliosa edizione illustrata MinaLima, una vera gioia per gli occhi, e la confusione che l'effettiva fiaba mi ha trasmesso.
Ho sempre amato il cartone della Disney, lo rivedo spesso e con piacere, ma non mi ero mai approciata alla fiaba originale, un po' perché esistono centinaia di versioni diverse e un po' perché avevo il timore che potesse deludermi. Quando però ho visto questo gioiellino in libreria ogni incertezza è andata a gambe all'aria e me lo sono portato a casa.
A lettura ultimata devo ammettere che i miei dubbi non erano del tutto infondati e che nonostante l'edizione sia strepitosa (illustrazioni, inserti pop-up e mappe) l'opera in sé mi ha lasciata un po' perplessa e confusa.

Le differenze con il classico della Disney ci sono e sono tante, come è giusto che sia. Il mio problema però è stato cercare, e non trovare, quel messaggio di unione e gentilezza che tanto amavo. Ogni buona azione qui viene fatta non perché lo si vuole ma in funzione ad un'antica profezia, al destino. Manca quindi la crescita interiore, la morale un po' spicciola che ne "La Bella e la Bestia" mi ha sempre fatto versare qualche lacrimuccia.
Strano ma vero in questo caso è molto meglio il film.

Il libro è da tre, ma arrotondo a quattro per la splendida edizione.

[David Crumm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful series of fanciful books

More than half a century has passed since Eric Carle's team had to find a publisher in Japan for The Very Hungry Caterpillar, because no American book factory was able to create the holes and the die-cut pages required—at least at a price that the publisher could afford. (That oft-repeated publishing story is according both to interviews with Carle when he was alive and to a history of the book by School Library Journal.)

To put the dramatic evolution in publishing that's reflected in this new Harper Design series in context, though, I do need to explain that this technology has moved in various directions. The vast majority of books in the U.S. are produced now in automated, high-tech factories that can achieve wonders with black-and-white and various levels of color reproduction—but do not create the kinds of special effects that are found in this new Harper Design series. American book manufacturing went the way of speed and quality of print and images.

Globally, however, high-tech advances in printing and binding and paper engineering have exploded. A lot of those innovators still are based in Asia. If you do decide to pick up a couple of books in this new Harper Design series, you will see that the marvels between these covers were produced in China.

I'm not slamming American manufacturing. I'm simply inviting friends to marvel with me at how far we've come as a global publishing network! And, as I praise a book like this, I'm always thinking about the pioneers who we need to celebrate. There was Carle. And, in the '80s and '90s, various paper engineers—led by creators such as Robert Sabuda, who lived much of his life near my own home base in Michigan and challenged publishers to keep up with his visions. Of course, there have been countless others! I mention Sabuda here because he was a neighbor and because I've collected copies of Sabuda's creations. They remind me of how I fell deeply in love with books as a child.

My whole family gave books to each other as I was growing up. When I was a pre-schooler, I had three special-effects books—comparable to what Harper Design now is producing—that my aunt and uncle brought home after serving in the post-WWII U.S. occupation force in Japan. I treasured and re-read those Japanese-published books until their little moveable paper edges eventually began to fray.

So, I can remember a kid's eye fascination with such creations. I know the wonderment. And that's why I'm so enthusiastic here about what Harper Design has rolled out in these interactive editions. My favorite in this new series, I have to say, is the new edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Unfortunately, I read that book last year, before I became a daily participant in Goodreads again on January 1, 2023. So, I am piggybacking in this review with a salute to Alice.

I am giving this Beauty and the Beast edition 5 stars, even though it's really not for children—at least, not for the children in our family who all are preschoolers right now. That's because this edition uses the 1858 English translation by James Robinson Planché, which still is such a popular version that a free copy of Planché's text is the first "external link" at the bottom of the "Beauty and the Beast" Wikipedia page. If you want to sample the text, you can read it for yourself before buying a copy of this new edition. At the time, Planché was translating La Belle et la Bête, widely considered the first fairy tale version of the myth by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, published in 1740.

While that 1858 translation would not have been my choice for this new edition, the Harper Design team chose to invest their production budget in the illustrations and interactive paper elements. And I'm happy with that. The books in this series are all about experiencing the enchantment of pulling an unusual book off a shelf and discovering far more than one ever expected. For me, this taps into vivid memories of standing on tip toes and pulling books off my father's shelves.

Among the "treats" in this edition are gorgeous color illustrations, a fold-out map of the "rich city," a pop-up shadowbox-style hall of opening doorways, a turn-the-dial paper cut-out through which we can explore Beauty's amazing array of clothing, a spin-it-yourself globe of the world—and more.

It's a delight.

If this is the first moment you've heard about this series, though, I really would urge you to search your version of Amazon, wherever you might live in the world, and see which editions are available. My first choice to start this series remains: Alice.

[Eman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The above beauty is my copy of The Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, designed by MinaLima who create the coolest books with interactive elements and gorgeous illustrations that have an old feel which is worthy of the tale-as-old-as-time. I was over the moon when I first heard about this book that I preordered it long before its release date.





I can confidently declare preferring Disney's vision to the book. Disney's Belle is more independent, an empowering role model for girls who wouldn't settle for a conventional life and traditional marriage. She seeks adventure and true love. Beauty in the book is leaning on the timid and naive side. But both have kindness and courage, and that what matters the most.

Everyone who knows me personally knows how much I adore Beauty and the Beast. I struggled to put aside my prejudice in favor of it and gave it less than the full starry rating. There was a certain aspect which I didn't like and couldn't possibly overlook. I'll explain about it further, but first let me tell newbies the new facts that I have learned so far about the beloved tale of B&B:

• Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve is the author of the original unabridged book (1740), while Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont has a somewhat newer version (1756) which was butcheredly abridged to an extent that certain things didn't make sense.

[Butchered version reviewed here].

• Gabrielle-Suzanne's original book will introduce you to: Beauty's world of dreams, her talking/acting animal companions, the history of the Beast's curse, Beauty's parentage, and lots of fairy business. All that was wiped up from Jeanne-Marie's abridged version.

• Both written versions don't look anything like the illustrious cherished-by-every-bookworm-I-know Disney animation, well, except in the concept of the Beast's cursed situation and what it took to break the curse which is basically similar to the animation.

• Alas, I counted only 2 references to Beauty's bibliophile status. I was dying to identify with her characteristic love for books more than what's actually there. I anticipated her spending more time reading than sleeping and dreaming of the Beast/lover.

The thing that I disliked the most is Beauty's family tree..

The Queen (Beast's mother) opposed the marriage of her son to a "common low-born merchant's daughter" despite breaking her son's curse and having EVERYTHING any mother-in-law would dream of in a daughter-in-law. Then the good Fairy seized the moment to drop the bomb and expose that:

(a) Beauty is actually the King's daughter.
(b) The King is actually the Queen's brother.
(c) Beauty's mother is actually a Fairy.
(d) That Fairy is actually the good Fairy's sister.

That makes Beauty the niece of the Queen (royal blood: dad-side) and the niece of the good Fairy (fairy blood: mom-side) as a bonus.

Only then the Queen did approve of Beauty and blessed the union. Mind-blown yet?.

What's wrong with being a "common low-born merchant's daughter"? What would've happened if she wasn't royalty? No happy ending I guess. The whole social hierarchy thingy sucks and it's not what I'd promote in a fairy-tale for little girls. It's like: you can't dream of ending up a princess if you didn't actually have royal blood in the first place, even if you had all the virtues in the universe, you wouldn't be good enough for a prince and you'll be looked down at. It's depressing and I'd have liked it to the moon and back had Beauty remained a common poor girl till the end.

__________

Morals of the story:

- Expand your horizon; don't judge a book by its cover, or people by their appearances.. (one of my biggest weaknesses is falling for eye-candy, can't help loving beautiful things—or people.)

- Having a spotless character and every virtue possible in the world in not enough, you gotta be royal first in order to be a princess.. (sick message, I know, but sadly it's what the book advocates.)

- If a man puts a library with countless books at your disposal, marry him! He's a keeper.. (even if he looked like a butt.. The books, girl, take a deep breath and remember all the books!)

__________

At last, I can hardly wait for 17 March 2017. Too excited for the live action musical of Beauty and the Beast.







*goosebumps*

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was going so well in the beginning..but the ending was 😞 I understand this story is olllldddd, but her cousin, really? However these Minalima editions are beautiful, and I will own them all. 😍

[kate]

It was so interesting to read the original story of one of my all time favourite Disney movies. It's so different in nearly every way, other than the core 'prince being the beast' plot (but I have to admit, I do prefer the Disney Classic and it's 'Disneyness'.) If I'm honest, I did find this a little hard to follow, due to not being used to the 1700's language but the MinaLima edition is absolutely gorgeous! The interactive parts were such a fun edition and the illustrations and colours were stunning! It's definitely something that will be sitting proudly on my bookshelves for a very long time to come! (I'm still not over the beauty of its cover and spine...)

[Eleanor · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a struggle...
The book itself is very well done and the illustrations are beautiful, but I really can't get through this.

The Disney story is MUCH BETTER. That's it✌

[Elizabeth (Plant Based Bride) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Watch the reading vlog here: https://youtu.be/aLAZinITRIY

Written review to come!

[Asghar Abbas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I don't know why I thought this was a Disney thing, maybe the timing. Emma Watson was just recently our guest. But no, this is the original novel the one that has the merchant and the rose stuff going on, something I always wanted and wanted to read, two different things, with such beautiful artwork and illustrations.

Wow, what a truly gorgeous edition. Really, a must for all the fans of this tale as old as time. Get a copy. Definitely worth it.

It has this really cool interactive feature that you can surely enjoy with your kids. If you don't have any, go make some. So that you can share this lovely book with them.

The whole thing is just so beautiful and worthy of Belle and her library. It is her library, the Beast gave it to her.

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are a lot more dream sequences and fairies in the original story than I expected. The fairy section of the story felt tagged on in an anti-climatic manner and I still dislike how the story puts forward the mantra that you should love the person who loves you regardless of how little you have in common. Now I understand why Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont abridged the original and thus created the more popular version.

[Yann · Rating 4 out of 5]

La Belle et la Bête est un conte connu, mais la première version en a été celle-ci, imaginée par Mme de Villeneuve au début du XVIIIème siècle. Elle diffère en bien des points de celle bien plus connue de Mme Leprince de Beaumont, plus canonique et épurée, qui a connue d'innombrables adaptations au théâtre, à l'opéra et enfin au cinéma (voir la version de Cocteau). Quoique les circonstances soient dans les grandes lignes similaires, les petits écarts en font changer de fond en comble le message moral tissé en filigrane: l'Argent tient ici une place centrale. Un peu comme les fameux contes de Perrault, qui se terminaient toujours par deux morales: l'une naïve, pour l'édification des enfants, et l'autre, plus piquante et satirique, mais non dénuée de sagesse, à l'intention des adultes. S'il s'agit toujours de ne pas juger les apparences, mais la vertu, cette vertu mérite qu'on la considère de près.

On pourrait noter beaucoup de détails qui ont été changé entre cette version originale et celle de Mme Leprince de Beaumont. Un exemple:
Au début, le père de la Belle, un riche marchand ruiné par le naufrage de ses navires et les manigances des créanciers, apprend qu'il a peut-être recouvré son bien car un des navires a été retrouvé. Les sœurs, vaines, méchantes et jalouses demandent déjà à leur père de leur ramener les plus somptueux cadeaux. Dans la version corrigée, la Belle a la délicatesse de demander une rose pour ne pas faire honte à ses sœurs en ne demandant rien. Mais ici, la Belle excite la jalousie et le ressentiment de ses sœurs en demandant après elles que leur père se contente de revenir en bonne santé. C'est le père qui, quoique touché par cette marque de piété, reprend sa fille en lui demandant de ne pas se distinguer par une vertu hors saison, car il y a un temps pour tout.

Les circonstances par lesquelles la Belle est enlevée à sa famille, pour se livrer à la Bête sont déjà atroces: son père est menacé de mort pour le motif futile d'avoir osé cueillir une rose dans le domaine de la Bête, et ne sera gracié qu'à la condition que sa fille vienne se rendre dans son château DE SON PLEIN GRÉ, et rester en son pouvoir. On imagine avec quelle liberté on adopte pareille résolution, avec la contrainte d'une menace si abominable: car il ne suffit pas de céder à la violence, il faut encore simuler la bonne volonté et la reconnaissance de ce que l'injustice mette un frein à sa cruauté.

Si dans la version ultérieure, la Bête se contente chaque soir de demander à la Belle sa main, et se lamente doucement de son refus, devenant touchante jusqu'à l'émouvoir de pitié, là c'est différent: la Bête a un caractère tout aussi blessant que son apparence est monstrueuse, flanqué d'une trompe d'éléphant, d'écailles visqueuses et émettant des bruits effrayants. Après que la Belle se soit bien divertie dans le palais rempli de de commodités rares et luxueuses faites pour la distraire et flatter sa vanité, la Bête demande sans manières à la Belle des nouvelles de sa santé, si elle s'est bien amusée, et surtout si elle voudrait bien coucher avec elle, mais en la mettant en garde qu'elle doit simplement répondre ou oui ou non, sans faire de chichis.

Quoique la crainte de déplaire à ce bourreau soit forte, elle ne peut certes pas céder à une demande si contraire à ses vœux, à la nature, aux usages et à la morale; le monstre barbare, loin d'en prendre ombrage, de signaler la moindre marque de honte, de dépit ou de chagrin, souffre imperturbablement ces refus, et la quitte promptement sans plus de manières sitôt qu'elle l'a prononcé. Il réitère ainsi son vilain manège tous les soirs, sans se départir de ses manières sauvages, ni craindre d'être importun en offensant la pudeur de la Belle par ses requêtes aussi choquantes que déplacées.

Il ne reste à la Belle que la consolation des rêves qui l’obsèdent pendant son sommeil: un Bel Inconnu lui apparaît en songe pour l'accabler de caresse, et elle en tombe éperdument amoureuse. Sa prudence lui dicte bien sûr de n'en pas faire part à la Bête, et de dissimuler son trouble dans une attitude soumise et respectueuse, de peur que son persécuteur ne se livre par jalousie à quelque extrémité. Il n'en reste pas moins qu'en dépit de la magnificence du palais dans laquelle elle se trouve, et de la variété des loisirs qui lui sont offerts, elle ne peut trouver que de l'ennui à se trouver éloigné de tout contact humain, et de se borner à la compagnie désagréable d'un geôlier qui lui fait tous les soirs les mêmes questions désobligeantes, sans agrément de conversation. Elle prend donc la résolution d'oser demander à la Bête permission de revoir sa famille, demande qui cause à cette dernière une grande douleur, mais qu'elle accorde, lui permettant même d'emporter tous les trésors à même de les contenter.

La Belle ne se fait pas prier, et son père, comme ses frères (ses sœurs un peu moins), sont ravis de la retrouver. Devant l'exposé de ses aventures, son vieux père, ravi de sa bonne fortune, lui fait la morale: les profusions de la Bête sont la plus solide marque d'amour qu'elle puisse recevoir. Loin de repousser les avances de la Bête, elle devrait bien mieux lui répondre oui à la prochaine sollicitation. Si ce conseil lui fait une forte impression, elle n'en reste pas moins troublée par l'amour qu'elle porte au Bel Inconnu de ses rêves, mais le respect pour son père l'emporte, et elle cède finalement. La Bête qui l'accueille dans sa chambre la laisse dormir paisiblement à ses côtés au lieu de la violer, et au réveil, le monstre s'est transformé en ce Bel Inconnu qu'elle aimait, et que dans sa joie elle couvre de baisers au point de l'étouffer.

La fin se solde par une interminable histoire de fées, fort complexe, avec force machinations et enfants cachés qui retrouvent leur parents, et autres ficelles éculées qui viennent de l'antiquité. C'est tout un mélange d'incube et de succubes qui prennent ici le nom de fées et de magiciens au noms orientaux. On notera que le conte présente de grande similitude avec le conte d'Eros et Psyché, qui est contenu dans l’Âne d'Or d'Apulée.

J'ai le sentiment que la morale insinuée dans cette version est que ce ne sont pas la jeunesse, la mine, les galanteries, l'esprit, les bonnes manières, les flatteries respectueuses, ou les promesses qui sont les marques d'amour les plus solides, c'est bien plutôt la sécurité matérielle que peut offrir l'amant, fût-il monstrueux, désagréable, puant et tyrannique. Si l'on se soumet à ses caprices, on se portera bien mieux qu'en suivant le premier flandrin à la bourse percée. La plus belle figure et le plus bel esprit du monde ne valent guère une bourse bien garnie et bien déliée. On notera que Mme de Villeneuve fut mariée jeune à un capitaine fort dispendieux, qui la ruina par son amour du jeu, si bien qu'elle fut séparée de bien (mais non de corps) d'avec lui, avant de se retrouver finalement veuve à vingt-six ans. Toutes les aspérités, limées ensuite dans les versions postérieures, en disent long sur la condition des femmes de cette époque, mais aussi des hommes, et forment un intéressant sujet de méditation.

[Aishu Rehman · Rating 4 out of 5]

স্রেফ একটি রূপকথা? না। বরং এটা আমার কাছে মানবমনের গভীরে লুকিয়ে থাকা সৌন্দর্য আর ভয়ের এক অনবদ্য প্রতীকী যাত্রা। যা গ্যাব্রিয়েল সুজানে বারবো দ্য ভিলনভের কলমে রঙিন ক্যানভাসে আঁকা নৈতিকতার এক সুদৃশ্য চিত্রপটে পরিণত হয়েছে। যা বারবার মনে করিয়ে দিয়েছে ভালোবাসা কখনো চোখের দৃষ্টি দিয়ে নয় বরং আত্মার গভীরতা দিয়ে পরিমাপ করতে হয়।

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is listed as having "interactive features" but they are absent from my copy.

The illustrations are pleasant, not mind-blowing (don't like them as well as the Meyer picture book I had as a kid) but nice. They also don't display correctly all the time, sometimes they are cut in half and the bottom is on the next page. A weird formatting issue!

The text is wordy, not a surprise from the 18th century.

[Chapteraway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meinung
Das Cover ist ohne Frage eines der jemals schönsten Illustrationen und verleitet einen schon dazu, dieses Buch in die Hand zu nehmen. Das Buch ist qualitativ sehr hochwertig und mit sehr viel Liebe zu Details. Ich habe keinerlei Fehler im Druck, oder in der Gestaltung gefunden. Ich habe zwar nicht bedingt danach gesucht, aber manchmal springt einem ja was ins Auge. Das Buch ist voller Liebe und alle ExtrMeineas, die im Buch abgedruckt sind, sind niedlich und schön gestaltet. Alleine für diese Leistung wäre das Buch 5/5 Sternen.
Durch die vielen kleinen Bildchen, ist das Leseerlebnis auf das Maximale gestreckt und man hat einfach Spaß dieses Buch in der Hand zu halten. Es ist die schönste Schmuckausgabe, die ich besitze und steht in meinem Regal, als wäre es der König der Bücher. Ich bin verliebt. Es ist mit das teuerste Buch in meinem Regal und trotzdem finde ich den Preis gerechtfertigt und finde, dass das Preisleistungsverhältnis stimmt.
Das Buch ist von den Illustratoren von MinaLima und ich wusste gar nicht, dass diese auch Harry Potter mit illustriert haben. Das erklärt aber das höchst professionelle qualitativ hochwertige Design. Doch genug zu dem Buch geschwärmt. Gehen wir zu dem wichtigeren Punkte: den Inhalt.
Ich wusste, dass der Disney Film auf die Original Geschichte basiert, habe aber nie die Möglichkeit gehabt, dass Original Märchen zu lesen. So sind mir von Anfang an viele Unterschiede und Gemeinsamkeiten aufgefallen und muss zugeben, dass ich etwas enttäuscht bin. Das ist zwar nicht der Fehler von Coppenrath, sondern eher von der alten Geschichte, ich fand aber viele Aspekte der Geschichte schwierig.
Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist sehr alt und gewählt. Trotz dessen, konnte man dem Märchen gut folgen und es schnell lesen. Dadurch, dass das Märchen sehr alt ist, sind die Ausdrucksformen anders, aber ein MUSS für jeden Kunstliebhaber.
Im Buch hat die Schöne im Märchen fünf Schwestern. Das wusste ich trotz der Unterschiede zu Disney auch vorher. Diese fünf sind alle wunderschön und makellos. Doch sie sind eben nur Schön und sind nicht, wie die Schöne, die jüngste Tochter, gütig und herzlich. Mir sind die Schwestern riesig auf die Nerven gegangen. Zwar kennt man das schon aus alten Märchen, aber so eine Eifersucht, gab es nicht einmal bei Aschenputtel. Ich habe die 'Die Schöne' sehr schnell ins Herz geschlossen, auch wenn ich sie sehr naiv fand.
"Sie war von vollkommener Schönheit und wegen ihres freundlichen Wesens unendlich liebenswert. Aus all ihren Worten und Taten sprach ein großzügiges, empfindsames Herz." (S. 17f.)
Dann unterscheidet sich die Geschichte kaum von Disney. Der Vater liebt seine Tochter und möchte ihr eine Rose, trotz ihrer Gutmütigkeit, mitbringen. Doch auf dem Weg, kommt er vom Weg ab und findet das Schloss vom Biest. Dort pflückt er eine Rose und wird vom Biest bestraft. Bis dahin ist das Buch einfach Top. Ich habe es geliebt. Zwar kann ich hier den Vater kritisieren, dass er wenig Widerstand zeigt, aber das war ein so altes Märchen, ich denke nicht, dass sich jemand damals so stark gewehrt hätte. Ein weiterer Unterschied ist, dass die Schöne im Märchen das Biest von Anfang an mag und seine Gesellschaft als nicht störend empfunden hat.

„Ich wusste nicht, wie sehr ich dich liebe, bis die Sorge um dich mir bewies, dass stärkere Bande als Dankbarkeit mich mit dir verbinden." (S. 105f)
Die Kulisse des Märchens ist das verwunschene Schloss. Dieses wurde schön und ästhetisch beschrieben. Durch die vielen Extra, wurde viel in der Geschichte ergänzt und man konnte zwischendurch etwas ausprobieren. Ich denke, dass dieses Buch gerade mit Kindern sehr toll ist.
Und dann kam der Punkt, ab den ich die Geschichte nicht mehr ganz so mochte.
Anders als im Disney Film, gab es eine böse Fee, die den Biest verwandelt hat und ihn verfolgt. Nachdem die Schöne das Biest geheiratet hat, was ich auch schon sehr schwierig und komisch fand, wird die ganze Vorgeschichte erzählt. Das ist ein KOMPLETTER Unterschied, zu der Geschichte, die man sonst kannte und da ich was anderes erwartet habe, war ich sehr enttäuscht. Alle Begegnungen von der Schönen und dem Biest waren vorhergesagt und das nahm mir den ganzen Zauber der Geschichte. Ich war nur noch verwirrt und weiß bis heute nicht, ob ich das Ende verstanden habe. Da fand ich die ganze Geschichte um Gaston wirklich besser und war auch echt traurig, als er nicht im Buch vorkam und nur von Disney erfunden wurde.


Fazit
Wenn man an die Geschichte mit zu viel Disney heran geht, wird man wahrscheinlich enttäuscht sein, trotzdem bekommt man eine tolle Geschichte mit viel Herz und Gefühl mit einer wahnsinnig schönen Schmuckausgabe und einer tollen Sprache.
Insgesamt 4,5/5 Sterne für das Buch (4/5 für die Geschichte und 5/5 für das Buch)
Vielen Dank an den Coppenrath und Spiegelburg Verlag zur Bereistellung dieses großartigen Rezensionsexemplars. Ich habe mich wahnsinnig darüber gefreut.
Meine Meinung bleibt natürlich unverfälscht.

[Analia · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5⭐

“«—¡Ah! —exclamó la Bella, casi furiosa—, tienes que saber que yo daría mi vida por conservar la suya y que ese monstruo, que solo lo es por su aspecto, tiene tanta humanidad que no debe ser castigado por una deformidad a la que no contribuye en nada. Yo no puedo pagar sus bondades con una ingratitud tan perversa.”

202 páginas en papel.
Publicado por la editorial Del Fondo Editorial, quise leer éste clásico en su versión completa en donde no hay teteras que hablen, ni candelabros ni relojes, mucho menos Gastón; Sí un par de monos que ofician de mucamas de la Bella, estatuas congeladas, unos genios, loros, todo con su toque de cuentos de hadas. Ésta es la versión que originalmente imaginó Gabrielle Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve en 1740 y que en la actualidad no es la más conocida.
Aquí Bella vive con su papá y seis hermanos varones y cinco hermanas mujeres, éstas últimas sólo ambicionan casarse y obtener cosas materiales, menos su hija menor, Bella, que pide a su padre que le traiga una rosa al volver de su viaje y en ese trayecto encuentra cobijo ante un temporal de nieve en un castillo, que es el de la Bestia. Ya sabemos todo lo que sucede.
Bella desconoce que proviene de un linaje secreto. También desconoce las leyes Isla Feliz, en cuyo lugar cada habitante, incluso el rey puede elegir a la persona con la que casarse. A través de un hada sabremos que la mamá de la Bella era un hada, disfrazada de pastora que quiso conocer Isla Feliz y se cruzó con el papá de Bella, en una partida de caza. “La hiciste subir al trono y le diste un rango del que lo humilde de su linaje parecía excluirla, pero que merecía por la nobleza de su carácter y la belleza de su alma”. Son muchas páginas que ocupa el hada en narrarnos toda la historia de los papás de Bella pero sobre todo, de lo que implicó que un hada se enamorase de un humano: el destierro y el castigo, condena que recae sobre su esposo que la llorará y su hija, que se enamorará de un monstruo. Se conoce el porqué de la maldición. Y también se narra quiénes son en verdad los padres de Bella.
Este volumen contiene en apéndices dos fábulas de la autora: “Cúspide y Psiquis” y “El rey cerdo”, ambos antecedentes de La Bella y La Bestia. HERMOSOS ambos. En 1756, un año después de la muerte de Gabrielle, Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont publicó una versión del cuento de La Bella y la Bestia más corta y menos compleja, que es la que la mayoría hemos leído.
¿Saben lo que me sorprendió de la versión original? La posición de la mujer en la sociedad, retratando a aquellas de clase baja como heroínas dignas de toda admiración. Eso es La Bella (porque así la nombra la autora en su obra original)
Otra cosa: NO es fácil de leer, sí me tomó más de un día. No es denso, al contrario, está lleno de magia pero narrada, digamos, en castellano antiguo.
Esta edición de Del Fondo es BELLÍSIMA, con imágenes y decorados que ojalá puedan leerla. RECOMENDADISIMO.

[Davinia · Rating 5 out of 5]

La historia original de La bella y la bestia me ha parecido preciosa, he disfrutado mucho la historia, conocer el origen. Y el resto de cuentos que vienen también me han gustado. He de alabar además la magnífica edición en tapa dura.
Las historias son fáciles de leer (quizás la de Cupido y Psique es más compleja de leer) y muy bonitas. Súper recomendado.

[Saki-chan · Rating 3 out of 5]

No me extraña que esta versión cayera al olvido, es excesivamente larga, mal hilada, y a ratos aburrida.

¡La reseña contiene spoiler!, aunque todo es tan obvio y predecible que dudo que a alguien le importe.

La historia original de Villeneuve tiene digamos tres partes, la primera es la que conocemos, sólo que de manera más larga y tediosa, debo destacar que Bella es una protagonista insoportable, con un cúmulo de virtudes que ni Dios, no es por ponerme como las hermanas pero a veces hasta parece que quiere restregarte en la cara lo perfecta que es y lo mundanos que son los demás.

Un ejemplo de esto es cuando Bella pide la rosa, en la original primero no pedía nada y salia con uno de los diálogos más ridículos y santurrones que he tenido la oportunidad de leer:

La original:

—Y tú, Bella, ¿no tienes ningún deseo? ¿Qué puedo traerte? ¿Qué deseas? Habla sin temor.
Querido papá —le respondió aquella adorable hija, besándolo cariñosamente—, deseo algo más precioso que todos los adornos que mis hermanas te piden. A eso limito mi deseo, bastante feliz seré con que se cumpla: es la dicha de verte regresar con plena salud.



En la otra versión, la de Beaumont, Bella se limita a pedir la rosa.

—¿Tú no me pides que te compre algo? —le dijo el padre.
—Puesto tienes la bondad de pensar en mí —le dijo ella—, te ruego que me traigas una rosa, ya que aquí no hay.

¿Ven como en la versión de Beaumont ya se va haciendo todo más pasable?

Por otro lado esta la Bestia, que no es demasiado interesante en su versión original, tiene una trompa de elefante, escamas, y bueno, es muy fea; además de ser fea es bastante estúpida, casi no habla con Bella y lo poco que dices pues no es precisamente para enamorarse. Como para contrarrestar esto y enredar más la historia Bella sueña todas las noches con un apuesto joven, y de vez en cuando con una mujer que le dice que no se deje engañar por las apariencias. Para resumir: Bella no se entera de nada, se enamora del joven de sus sueños y a pesar de todo termina prefiriendo a la Bestia, porque ella es una muchacha muy agradecida *cofcof inverosímil cofcof* Aunque eso no sucede rápido, porque la autora se encarga de narrarnos por un buen numero de paginas la manera en que Bella se divertía en el castillo, aprenderemos todo lo que no queremos saber sobre las habitaciones, sobre los animales, sobre el teatro que se ve en el televisor y sobre los retratos del joven de sus sueños.

Y cuando creías que estaba todo resuelto y sólo faltaba la boda viene la Bestia a contarnos su historia, de como una malvada hada lo hechizó porque no quiso casarse con ella, en eso se van unas15 páginas. La historia como tal tiene cierto interés pero cuando termina ya estás tan agotado que sólo quieres leer la palabra FIN, sin embargo falta otro cuento, el de Bella, porque nuestra perfecta protagonista no podía ser hija de un vulgar comerciante, no señor, ¡la niña es obviamente princesa de nacimiento!, hija de un Rey y un hada, faltaría más, como no tenemos ni idea de cómo fue a parar a la familia que la crió la autora cree erróneamente que te interesa saberlo, con lo que vienen otras 24 páginas hablando de hadas, hadas malas, matrimonios prohibidos, hadas volviéndose serpientes y otro montón de cosas a las que no preste demasiada atención. =___=

Pfff, recomendable sólo a los que les guste mucho el cuento, en serio, no se pierden de nada.

Lo mejor:

- Que es la versión original y siempre es bueno leer los originales.
- Algunas condiciones que la Bestia le dice al padre de Bella y hacen todo más coherente.
- El televisor.
- El cuento de la Bestia.
- Los apéndices con las otras historias.

Lo peor:

- Los mil y un ejemplos de lo perfecta que es Bella en la historia de Villeneuve.
- El exceso de páginas.
- El romance, que no es para nada creíble.
- La última parte del cuento.
- Los parentescos de los personajes.

[Tilly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of the very few cases where I like the movie more.
I'm a bit confused because Disney normally has a talent to remove all the darkness and mature themes from the old children's classics but in this case I find the romance between Belle and the Beast much more complex than this soft one.
Halfway through I was thinking about giving it at least 3 stars but I was really bothered by the whole backstory and explanation in the second half. This is a fairy tale. Who asks for explanation within a fairy tale?
Although this is the only version I've read, I kind of get now why there is also a shorter version out there.
I'm glad that I finally read the original tale but I honestly would not read it again.
2 of 5 stars

[Megan Agee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very beautiful!

[Bibliothecat · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I will pardon thee, but upon condition that thou wilt give me one of thy daughters.”

Being a favourite tale of mine, I've been meaning to read the original Beauty and the Beast for ages and finally turned to Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve's version after a recommendation from Marquise. I think it's important to say that I appreciate fairy tales in quite a different way than how I would a novel. While this is a much longer fairy tale than the ones I have read so far, it does not quite go into the details that I look for in a novel. Instead, it delivers that nostalgia and magic that really only fairy tales can capture. At the end of the day, more than anything, I suppose it is safe to say that I mostly read this for educational purposes.

While reading, I came across many of the core elements that I already knew from the various adaptations I have come across. More than anything, I believe I can now recognise which adaptations draw from the original source and which simply used the more generally known aspects and probably took their inspirations from other famous adaptations such as the Disney version.

I was particularly surprised about the second half of the book. This was wholly new to me and I have never come across any adaptation that included even the slightest detail of it. I am now rather intrigued and would like to come across a work that does deal with the latter half. But if I am being perfectly honest, I feel as though a more modern take on this would possibly give me paedophilia vibes - I mean, how old was Beast exactly when he was being pressured into an engagement? It works in this fairy tale setting - but I can see why it wouldn't star in a Disney movie.

It's impossible to review this book without commenting on the actual edition. This was my first MinaLima book and it's beautiful. The illustrations and fold-outs added so much fun to this reading experience and really added charm. I rarely read picture books, but if more were like this, I'd be happy to continue picking them up! Definitely worth the money invested.

I confess, the Disney version still holds the dearest spot in my heart, but I am very glad I have finally gotten around to reading this version and got to know the second half of what to me feels like the untold story.

[Iris ☾ (iriis.dreamer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Podemos decir, sin temor a equivocarnos, que uno de los cuentos más famosos de la historia, quizá junto a “La Cenicienta”, de Perrault, sea “La Bella y la Bestia”. Lo que la mayoría desconoce, es que fue una novela escrita en 1740, en pleno auge de los cuentos de hadas, por la escritora francesa Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. Atraída, obviamente por conocer la verdadera obra que tanto ha inspirado en estos años a innumerables adaptaciones, decidí darle una oportunidad en la preciosa edición de Folioscopio aprovechando el #enerofrancés.

En esta historia conoceremos a un hombre rico, padre de seis hijas y seis hijos que pierde su fortuna. En uno de sus viajes como comerciante, buscando una rosa para su hija menor Bella, se encuentra con un gran castillo. Al entrar en él, halla un maravilloso festín del que disfrutará y aprovechará para descansar. Al partir, en el jardín encuentra un rosal, seguramente, las rosas más perfectas y hermosas que jamás haya visto. Decide pues, contentar a su hija y arrancar una sola flor, acto que hará aparecer una terrible bestia.

Tras esta parte, llegará aquella en la que se basó Disney: cuando Bella se ve obligada a vivir en el castillo para que la Bestia no mate a su padre, pero esas serán todas las semejanzas. A partir de este punto, la historia se vuelve un verdadero cuento de hada: animales que interactúan, hadas envueltas en terribles maldiciones, reinos y mitos repletos de magia y oscuridad, óperas nocturnas en el castillo y sueños vívidos.

La experiencia lectora ha resultado grata, pues su lectura resulta sumamente agradable e interactiva, salvo quizá un capítulo en el que se desvela un giro de los acontecimientos donde la autora nos brinda mucha información de golpe que puede costar asimilar. Por lo demás, el texto es sencillo, goza de una buena traducción (he podido leer el original en francés mientras seguía la lectura y disfrutaba de sus ilustraciones) y el ritmo es muy ágil.

En conclusión, no os aventuréis en este cuento buscando paralelismos con la famosa historia de Disney que tanto hemos disfrutado, ni de todos sus personajes (ni teteras parlantes). Recordemos que esos clásicos están edulcorados y gozan de una fama que de alguna manera le ha hecho injusticia a sus títulos originales. Aquí encontramos una trama mucho más enrevesada, más larga, menos chic, que en conjunto me ha resultado muy original y diferente. Ideal para conocer a una escritora olvidada y eclipsada por Disney…

[Steffi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das Märchen von "Die Schöne und das Biest" kannte ich bisher nur in der Variante des Disney-Films. Zwischen Originalgeschichte und Film bestehen doch sehr große Unterschiede.

Zu Beginn war das ein wenig irritierend, aber die Geschichte hat mir dennoch gut gefallen. Im Verlauf hat meine Begeisterung für die Geschichte selbst ein wenig nachgelassen. Auf mich wirkte sie ein wenig unstrukturiert und leider nicht so romantisch wie man es aus dem Film kennt. Daher würde ich für die Geschichte selbst nur 3 Sterne geben.

Aufgewertet wird das Buch aber durch die wahnsinnig schönen Illustrationen, die eingeklappten Karten und Rädchen, die man drehen kann. Dies hat die Lektüre definitiv zu einem besonderen Leseerlebnis gemacht.

Trotz der altertümlichen Sprache lässt sich das Buch sehr gut und flüssig lesen.

[Kirsty · Rating 4 out of 5]

2017 seems a fitting year in which to read The Beauty and the Beast, as Disney released its live action blockbuster just a few months ago. I did love the cartoon film as a child - my particular fondness, of course, was for the tiny chipped teacup and the glimpse of Belle's library - but was very underwhelmed by the new interpretation. Regardless, I had never read Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve's original story before, and made up my mind to do so.

I'm sure everyone already knows the story of The Beauty and the Beast, but if not, I will offer a short recap. The tale of a merchant opens the story; once prosperous, he has lost his fortune due to one catastrophe after another. He moves his sizeable family - six daughters and six sons - to a secluded house which he owns, one hundred miles away. Of the effects which this has upon the merchant's largely spoilt and self-obsessed daughters, de Villeneuve writes: 'They thought that if they wished only for a husband they would obtain one; but they did not remain very long in such a delightful illusion. They had lost their greatest attractions when, like a flash of lightning, their father's splendid fortune had disappeared, and their time for choosing had departed with it. Their crowd of admirers vanished at the moment of their downfall; their beauty was not sufficiently powerful to retain one of them'. The girls have no choice but to 'shut themselves up in their country house, situated in the middle of an almost impenetrable forest, and which might well be considered the saddest abode in the world.'

The family's youngest daughter, sixteen-year-old Beauty, is the anomaly. She has so much compassion and empathy for her family, and is a refreshing addition to a brood of rather horrid, vain girls. She in fact shows strength in the face of the family's new-found adversity: 'She bore her lot cheerfully, and with strength of mind much beyond her years'. When her father has to undertake a long journey in the hope of reclaiming some of his former possessions, her sisters clamour for new dresses and finery. Beauty simply asks him to bring her back a rose. Her father is subsequently caught in a snowstorm which disorientates him, and seeks shelter in an enormous, grand castle. He finds no inhabitant, but regardless, a meal is presented to him in a cosy room. He - for no explicit reason - decides that, with no sign of an owner about, the castle must now belong to him.

The merchant becomes rather cocksure, and decides to kill two birds with one stone, taking a rose for his beloved younger daughter from the castle's garden. It is at this point that he is given his comeuppance, and reprimanded by the Beast, the castle's owner: 'He was terribly alarmed upon perceiving at his side a horrible beast, which, with an air of fury, laid upon his neck a kind of trunk, resembling an elephant's...'. The Beast pardons him only in exchange for one of his daughters. When the merchant describes his plight, five of his six daughters are, unsurprisingly, selfish, and believe that he should sacrifice himself for their benefit. Beauty, however, steps up to the mark, and is taken to the castle to live with the Beast.

The Beauty and the Beast has been so well plotted, and has many elements of the traditional fairytale in its favour. Despite this, it goes further; its length allows de Villeneuve to really explore what could be termed magical realism. The vivid dreams which Beauty has are beautifully depicted, and tension is built at times. I found The Beauty and the Beast just as enjoyable as I would have as a child. The magic which weaves its way through the novel cannot fail to draw one under its spell; there are talking animals, enchanted mirrors, and things which appear and disappear. The talking crockery and candelabra are very much Disney additions; the novel reads as a far more fresh, and less gimmicky, version of the story.

I am pleased that I chose to read the unabridged version of de Villeneuve's story, which was published in its original French in 1740. This particular edition has been translated and adapted by Rachel Louise Lawrence, who has very much retained a lot of its antiquity. The sentence structure is quite old-fashioned - charmingly so, in fact. The writing and translation here are fluid and lovely. I would urge you, if you've not seen the film, to pick up this delightful tome instead. There is so much substance here, and it should definitely be placed alongside children's classics such as The Railway Children and Mary Poppins.