Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Simon Pulse (2004), Mass Market Paperback, 272 pages
Description
Elaborates on the tale of "Beauty and the Beast," told from the point of view of the beast and set in Persia.
User reviews
LibraryThing member _Zoe_
I can't say that I really enjoyed this book. It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, a story that I love, but in this case I didn't find that the retelling improved on the story at all. The premise is intriguing enough: this is Beast's story, starting from before he met Beauty and explaining how
Beast is set in Persia, and the protagonist is a prince. As his servant is preparing a camel for sacrifice at a religious festival, he notices that the camel has a scar that makes it unfit for this sacrifice. The servant has no alternative camel ready, an oversight that could result in a severe penalty, possibly even death. The prince, who has a good heart and a dislike for the suffering of others, weighs the risks and benefits and decides that the camel should be sacrificed despite the flaw. This will save the servant and help the people, who receive portions of the meat. And, he reasons, God is merciful.
It's not entirely clear why this reasoning breaks down. The prince is turned into a beast (a lion, in particular) not by God, but by the angry spirit of the camel. I can't honestly say why the camel was angry, because it wasn't explained what exactly happens to an animal that is sacrificed inappropriately. For whatever reason, though, the prince is punished for his attempt to do good by being turned into a lion, and the curse will only be broken if he wins a woman's love (this part is explained by the camel being female, though again, the logic here isn't entirely clear to me). Needless to say, if the goal is to bring the Beast to life by providing his backstory, the backstory needs to make sense. I wasn't exactly satisfied in this regard.
So then the prince is a lion, and does lion things. Although as a man he has never laid eyes on a women other than his mother, his first act as a lion is to mate with some female lions in the palace hunting grounds. This wasn't described in very much detail, but I still could have done without it. I just didn't need to hear about his “thrusting”. Also, note that this is a YA book, or possibly even children's. The prince also spends a lot of his time hunting, which I didn't find very interesting. Basically, I wasn't really into the story until the requisite scene where Belle's father encounters the beast while seeking shelter from the storm; i.e., until Napoli's story converges with the traditional version. Unfortunately, this didn't happen until more than halfway through.
I did enjoy the development of the Beast's relationship to Belle, but I couldn't fully like him because of the way he treated her pet fox. This fox was possibly the best character in the story; he was loving, playful, loyal, forgiving, and basically wonderful all around. And the Beast constantly thought things along the lines of “What a stupid animal” or “That foolish fox....”, for no particular reason that I could see. I'm not sure how he changed from someone who seemed so compassionate initially into someone who thought badly about innocent animals; and no matter how well he treated Belle, I think his ideas about the fox were more telling about his personality.
So, an initially likeable man is transformed into a beast because he made a religious error while trying to help others; once he's a beast, he becomes less likeable rather than learning any sort of valuable lesson.
I've enjoyed other books by Donna Jo Napoli in the past, but I think I'll stick to Robin McKinley for Beauty and the Beast.
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and why he came to be a Beast. Unfortunately, I thought the reason for his transformation was unsatisfying, the descriptions of his time as a beast were distasteful, and he was a pretty unlikeable character overall.Beast is set in Persia, and the protagonist is a prince. As his servant is preparing a camel for sacrifice at a religious festival, he notices that the camel has a scar that makes it unfit for this sacrifice. The servant has no alternative camel ready, an oversight that could result in a severe penalty, possibly even death. The prince, who has a good heart and a dislike for the suffering of others, weighs the risks and benefits and decides that the camel should be sacrificed despite the flaw. This will save the servant and help the people, who receive portions of the meat. And, he reasons, God is merciful.
It's not entirely clear why this reasoning breaks down. The prince is turned into a beast (a lion, in particular) not by God, but by the angry spirit of the camel. I can't honestly say why the camel was angry, because it wasn't explained what exactly happens to an animal that is sacrificed inappropriately. For whatever reason, though, the prince is punished for his attempt to do good by being turned into a lion, and the curse will only be broken if he wins a woman's love (this part is explained by the camel being female, though again, the logic here isn't entirely clear to me). Needless to say, if the goal is to bring the Beast to life by providing his backstory, the backstory needs to make sense. I wasn't exactly satisfied in this regard.
So then the prince is a lion, and does lion things. Although as a man he has never laid eyes on a women other than his mother, his first act as a lion is to mate with some female lions in the palace hunting grounds. This wasn't described in very much detail, but I still could have done without it. I just didn't need to hear about his “thrusting”. Also, note that this is a YA book, or possibly even children's. The prince also spends a lot of his time hunting, which I didn't find very interesting. Basically, I wasn't really into the story until the requisite scene where Belle's father encounters the beast while seeking shelter from the storm; i.e., until Napoli's story converges with the traditional version. Unfortunately, this didn't happen until more than halfway through.
I did enjoy the development of the Beast's relationship to Belle, but I couldn't fully like him because of the way he treated her pet fox. This fox was possibly the best character in the story; he was loving, playful, loyal, forgiving, and basically wonderful all around. And the Beast constantly thought things along the lines of “What a stupid animal” or “That foolish fox....”, for no particular reason that I could see. I'm not sure how he changed from someone who seemed so compassionate initially into someone who thought badly about innocent animals; and no matter how well he treated Belle, I think his ideas about the fox were more telling about his personality.
So, an initially likeable man is transformed into a beast because he made a religious error while trying to help others; once he's a beast, he becomes less likeable rather than learning any sort of valuable lesson.
I've enjoyed other books by Donna Jo Napoli in the past, but I think I'll stick to Robin McKinley for Beauty and the Beast.
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LibraryThing member ForeverMasterless
This is probably the best book about bestiality I've ever read. Probably. Okay, just kidding, it's the only one (so far).
Yeah, I really don't know what to say for myself here. I'm not a fan of romance novels in the slightest. I grabbed this off my girlfriend's shelf (she hasn't read it) basically
And...I liked it. I'm just as surprised as anybody, believe me. I can immediately see the things that would stop other people from liking it though. Let's review them.
1) It's about bestiality. I mean, the protagonist bones two female lions in the first third of it and then tries to start a romance with a human woman while he's still very much a freaking lion. It is what it is. Obviously this makes some people very uncomfortable. Some of the reviews here are are so full of outrage about this that I just can't help but laugh. Is it really any weirder than being in a serial killer's head while reading Dexter? Sure, it's an odd choice to turn into a whole novel, but it's a take on Beauty and the Beast, so it's not like the bestiality was the primary inspiration. Also it was done well, so that's really all that matters. She paints a vivid picture of what a man getting accustomed to a lion's body would feel like, and I was pretty impressed by that. Getting to be in a character's head, especially in first-person viewpoint, while they are in the body of an animal is kind of a rare thing I hadn't come across anywhere but short stories before.
If it makes you uncomfortable, don't read it. Or do read it, and also lots of other messed up books, and maybe venture into the darkest reaches of the internet while you're at it because you are super sheltered and need to desensitize yourself if you ask me. I, honestly, just found it kind of funny. I mean, how can you not? He turns into a lion and pretty much the first thing he does is bone not one, but two female lions! TWO! He emptied those lion nuts post-haste. He didn't even get a chance to eat anything first.
2) The author likes to use specific cultural/religious terminology and define it in the same sentence. This happens most often at the very beginning, and it's a little much. It definitely gets better the further in you get though. I mostly skimmed over it, but I also kind of liked it at the same time. It did a nice job of pulling you into that world, and It made me feel like I was learning something. Since I already have a fondness for this culture and setting maybe I'm biased. But hey, if you find it annoying then you find it annoying. That's all there really is to it, and I totally get it. But, to be fair, the author's afterword mentions that Orasmyn would've written the whole thing in Arabic anyway. I just imagined it was the way somebody chose to translate the story into English from his original text and that made sense to my brain.
3) Everything is very convenient. The reason the protagonist is turned into a lion, for instance. Some may cry "overly apparent plot device." To me, it just combined with the language of the novel and the setting to make it seem like a lengthy fairy tale, and I love fairy tales more than just about anything. This seemed like a story straight out of Arabian Nights, and that was pretty awesome.
So, to recap, don't read this book if you: are uncomfortable with bestiality, hate smatterings of unnecessary foreign words, or hate overly convenient plots.
Do read if you: like fairy tales, or if you like Persian and Indian culture in fiction.
Simple, right?
Yeah, I really don't know what to say for myself here. I'm not a fan of romance novels in the slightest. I grabbed this off my girlfriend's shelf (she hasn't read it) basically
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on a whim. I wanted to try reading something outside my comfort zone. As an aspiring author I've heard that's a thing I should do. And...I liked it. I'm just as surprised as anybody, believe me. I can immediately see the things that would stop other people from liking it though. Let's review them.
1) It's about bestiality. I mean, the protagonist bones two female lions in the first third of it and then tries to start a romance with a human woman while he's still very much a freaking lion. It is what it is. Obviously this makes some people very uncomfortable. Some of the reviews here are are so full of outrage about this that I just can't help but laugh. Is it really any weirder than being in a serial killer's head while reading Dexter? Sure, it's an odd choice to turn into a whole novel, but it's a take on Beauty and the Beast, so it's not like the bestiality was the primary inspiration. Also it was done well, so that's really all that matters. She paints a vivid picture of what a man getting accustomed to a lion's body would feel like, and I was pretty impressed by that. Getting to be in a character's head, especially in first-person viewpoint, while they are in the body of an animal is kind of a rare thing I hadn't come across anywhere but short stories before.
If it makes you uncomfortable, don't read it. Or do read it, and also lots of other messed up books, and maybe venture into the darkest reaches of the internet while you're at it because you are super sheltered and need to desensitize yourself if you ask me. I, honestly, just found it kind of funny. I mean, how can you not? He turns into a lion and pretty much the first thing he does is bone not one, but two female lions! TWO! He emptied those lion nuts post-haste. He didn't even get a chance to eat anything first.
2) The author likes to use specific cultural/religious terminology and define it in the same sentence. This happens most often at the very beginning, and it's a little much. It definitely gets better the further in you get though. I mostly skimmed over it, but I also kind of liked it at the same time. It did a nice job of pulling you into that world, and It made me feel like I was learning something. Since I already have a fondness for this culture and setting maybe I'm biased. But hey, if you find it annoying then you find it annoying. That's all there really is to it, and I totally get it. But, to be fair, the author's afterword mentions that Orasmyn would've written the whole thing in Arabic anyway. I just imagined it was the way somebody chose to translate the story into English from his original text and that made sense to my brain.
3) Everything is very convenient. The reason the protagonist is turned into a lion, for instance. Some may cry "overly apparent plot device." To me, it just combined with the language of the novel and the setting to make it seem like a lengthy fairy tale, and I love fairy tales more than just about anything. This seemed like a story straight out of Arabian Nights, and that was pretty awesome.
So, to recap, don't read this book if you: are uncomfortable with bestiality, hate smatterings of unnecessary foreign words, or hate overly convenient plots.
Do read if you: like fairy tales, or if you like Persian and Indian culture in fiction.
Simple, right?
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LibraryThing member ncgraham
Beast was my first audiobook of 2012, although I’d tried two others before—the public library’s copy of The Night Circus was scratched and their recording of Alexandre Dumas’s The Black Tulip featured a truly awful narrator.
Disappointed with my recent string of bad luck, I was browsing the
The premise of the book is fabulous, and I’m not just talking about the Beast-as-narrator idea; setting the story in medieval Persia was also a terrific notion. Unfortunately the execution is somewhat uneven.
I was surprised and fascinated by how Napoli chose to portray the prince in the opening chapters. Perhaps due to the Disney movie, I had always thought of the Beast pre-transformation as deeply flawed: vain, selfish, spoiled, even cruel. This is how I would have written him if I ever came around to writing my “Beauty and the Beast” novel. It gives him more room to grow as a character, and the paradox of becoming kinder and less beastly in character while outwardly a beast is a truly beautiful thing. Napoli’s Prince Orasmin is imperfect but not all that bad; his tragic flaw is that he is perhaps not quite as diligent in studying The Koran as he ought to be, which causes him to make a mistake regarding an animal sacrifice. The invites the wrath of a pari (or fairy), who then curses him.
I enjoyed the depiction of Persian/Muslim culture in this part of the book (I was previously unaware that one of the names for God in Islam is “The Merciful One”), but I didn't think that the magical cause-and-effect was very clear. Why did one of the pari’s spells work, turning Orasmin into a lion, while her curse dooming him to die at his father’s hands never came true? The explanation Napoli ended up offering sounded more like an excuse, a hallmark of bad fantasy writing.
It was at this point of the book that I really started to have problems with the story. Orasmin is now a lion trapped on his father’s hunting grounds, cursed to die at the Shah’s hands—so what does he do but take some off to copulate with a couple of lionesses? The descriptions of leonine sex mad me laugh, but as another reviewer pointed out, they’re also rather disturbing once you remember that Orasmin’s mind and soul are still those of a man. The next third of the book, which is set in India and documents Orasmin’s struggle to live happily as a lion without breaking the pari’s curse, is less ridiculous but basically more of the same.
The arrival of Belle on the scene rejuvenates the narrative. She is easily the best of Napoli’s creations, shyer and more frightened than I had seen the character portrayed before, but still strong, feisty, and loving. I also loved the care Orasmin-as-lion took to prepare the castle for her, although the way he imagines her to be a very small girl child who he can rear up to care for him romantically is unnerving to say the least. I was certainly glad when she turned out to be a mature young woman instead. I would have liked for this section of the book featuring the romance to go on longer. While there is a certain minimalist beauty to the ending, my first reaction was “That’s it?”
Robert Rodriguez’s reading of the audiobook was average. In the opening chapters I found his delivery a bit stilted, lacking passion and full of odd pauses. He seemed to gain confidence as he went along, though, and there was one moment in particular when his voice deepened and almost sounded like a growl. It was a nice touch.
Passable, and recommended to readers who just can’t get enough of “Beauty and the Beast” stories, but Robin McKinley’s Beauty is still to be preferred.
Disappointed with my recent string of bad luck, I was browsing the
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shelves of the YA audio section, saw this, and thought, Why not? I'd tried reading a couple of Napoli’s fairy tale retellings as a preteen, without much success, but this particular title had been bouncing around in the back of my mind for a while. I think I would have read it years ago had I not been toying with the idea of writing a novel with a similar concept: a retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” from the Beast's point of view.The premise of the book is fabulous, and I’m not just talking about the Beast-as-narrator idea; setting the story in medieval Persia was also a terrific notion. Unfortunately the execution is somewhat uneven.
I was surprised and fascinated by how Napoli chose to portray the prince in the opening chapters. Perhaps due to the Disney movie, I had always thought of the Beast pre-transformation as deeply flawed: vain, selfish, spoiled, even cruel. This is how I would have written him if I ever came around to writing my “Beauty and the Beast” novel. It gives him more room to grow as a character, and the paradox of becoming kinder and less beastly in character while outwardly a beast is a truly beautiful thing. Napoli’s Prince Orasmin is imperfect but not all that bad; his tragic flaw is that he is perhaps not quite as diligent in studying The Koran as he ought to be, which causes him to make a mistake regarding an animal sacrifice. The invites the wrath of a pari (or fairy), who then curses him.
I enjoyed the depiction of Persian/Muslim culture in this part of the book (I was previously unaware that one of the names for God in Islam is “The Merciful One”), but I didn't think that the magical cause-and-effect was very clear. Why did one of the pari’s spells work, turning Orasmin into a lion, while her curse dooming him to die at his father’s hands never came true? The explanation Napoli ended up offering sounded more like an excuse, a hallmark of bad fantasy writing.
It was at this point of the book that I really started to have problems with the story. Orasmin is now a lion trapped on his father’s hunting grounds, cursed to die at the Shah’s hands—so what does he do but take some off to copulate with a couple of lionesses? The descriptions of leonine sex mad me laugh, but as another reviewer pointed out, they’re also rather disturbing once you remember that Orasmin’s mind and soul are still those of a man. The next third of the book, which is set in India and documents Orasmin’s struggle to live happily as a lion without breaking the pari’s curse, is less ridiculous but basically more of the same.
The arrival of Belle on the scene rejuvenates the narrative. She is easily the best of Napoli’s creations, shyer and more frightened than I had seen the character portrayed before, but still strong, feisty, and loving. I also loved the care Orasmin-as-lion took to prepare the castle for her, although the way he imagines her to be a very small girl child who he can rear up to care for him romantically is unnerving to say the least. I was certainly glad when she turned out to be a mature young woman instead. I would have liked for this section of the book featuring the romance to go on longer. While there is a certain minimalist beauty to the ending, my first reaction was “That’s it?”
Robert Rodriguez’s reading of the audiobook was average. In the opening chapters I found his delivery a bit stilted, lacking passion and full of odd pauses. He seemed to gain confidence as he went along, though, and there was one moment in particular when his voice deepened and almost sounded like a growl. It was a nice touch.
Passable, and recommended to readers who just can’t get enough of “Beauty and the Beast” stories, but Robin McKinley’s Beauty is still to be preferred.
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LibraryThing member benuathanasia
Well, it's well-written, the plot is just something I can't get behind.
An honourable, sensitive Persian prince who refuses to hunt because he hates hurting animals is punished for making the wrong decision when it came time for him to sacrifice a camel (it wasn't choosing between whether or not to
Essentially, the sensitive, kind, honourable prince is "taught his lesson" by turning him into someone who practices bestiality, contemplated pedophilia, kidnaps children, and kills animals without remorse.
An honourable, sensitive Persian prince who refuses to hunt because he hates hurting animals is punished for making the wrong decision when it came time for him to sacrifice a camel (it wasn't choosing between whether or not to
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sacrifice an animal, that wasn't an option - it was *which* camel to sacrifice). The dead camel's spirit then haunts him, promising his father would kill him the next day (this camel sucks at making prophecies, because that didn't really even come close to happening) and later tells him that the curse (him being turned into a lion) couldn't be undone unless a woman loved him...what the fuck does that have to do with his supposed transgression that led to him being punished? As a lion, the prince proceeds to engage in lion orgies (WTF?), contemplates kidnapping a lion cub so he could raise it up to be a mate (WTF?) and then, when he gets to France (long, convoluted, pointless story) he orders a rose thief to bring him his youngest daughter - again, so he can "raise" her to be his mate (he thinks/expects/hopes she's much younger than she actually is). WTF?Essentially, the sensitive, kind, honourable prince is "taught his lesson" by turning him into someone who practices bestiality, contemplated pedophilia, kidnaps children, and kills animals without remorse.
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LibraryThing member snapdragongirl
This is a story of a Shah's son from Persia who improperly allows a camel to be sacrificed. In revenge, a pari (Persian fairy) turns the man into a lion. The only way to remove the curse is to have a woman fall in love with him. Conveienced that this will never happen, the lion goes to India to
I didn't particuarly like this book. I felt it was a little long. The writing was good but uneven. The first part of the book is dedicated to the main character living as a lion. I felt this part of the book could have been much shorter. The author feels the need to document every kill. The end feels almost forced, as though the author needed to finish up the story and didn't want to spend too much time on it. It's an okay read, but not what I had expected.
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live as a lion. Unable to live in a pride, the man must face the reality that his only hope is to find a french woman who loves roses just as much as he does. I didn't particuarly like this book. I felt it was a little long. The writing was good but uneven. The first part of the book is dedicated to the main character living as a lion. I felt this part of the book could have been much shorter. The author feels the need to document every kill. The end feels almost forced, as though the author needed to finish up the story and didn't want to spend too much time on it. It's an okay read, but not what I had expected.
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LibraryThing member spartyliblover
The class story of Beauty and the Beast told from the Beast's point of view starting from the curse until he finds a women who can love him. The main character is the Beast and he is well developed in his Persian identity and how becoming a lion changes him. The plot is well developed and although
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is just Orasmyn for about half the book, his struggles with how to remain human while a lion is intriguing. The changing setting from the deserts of Persia to the safari of India to the mountains of France are all well developed and easy to picture as the reader follows Orasmyn on his journey. This is a great view of the story of Beauty and the Beast for the tales lovers, also for slightly more romantic boys since the story is from a male point of view. It is an excellent book for a public library in the teen section for mature middle school readers and high schoolers. Show Less
LibraryThing member deslivres5
I decided to read Beast by Donna Jo Napoli after reading Robin McKinley's retellings of the Beauty and the Beast (Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast ; Rose Daughter).
Beast tells the story of Belle and the Beast falling in love under extreme circumstances a castle in France,
The language is lovely, the Beasts travels from Persia to France a bit heart breaking and the Islamic insights add lots of interest in this retelling.
Beast tells the story of Belle and the Beast falling in love under extreme circumstances a castle in France,
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but the beginning of Napoli's tale starts in Persia with the son of the Shah and his beastly curse being handed down by a djinn.The language is lovely, the Beasts travels from Persia to France a bit heart breaking and the Islamic insights add lots of interest in this retelling.
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LibraryThing member Rhinoa
A look at Beauty and the Beast where the Beast is a Persian Prince. He is making an offering of a camel but she is not pure. He decides to go ahead with the sacrifice anyway as all of the preparations have been made and there are no other camels they can use. As a result he is cursed to be killed
He first tries to live as a lion and travels to India. He tries to fit in with a couple of different prides but he doesn’t really understand the laws of the lions. He has his own mind but in a different body. He is chased away on more than one occasion and is lucky to still be alive. From there he travels to France and the story becomes more traditionally Beauty and the Beast when a man finds the castle where he has been living and in exchange for his life he promises to being his youngest daughter to live with the Beast.
I wanted to like this but it didn’t really grab me. It was like reading two completely different books that had been sandwiched together. I know it’s a fairy tale, but I still wanted to be able to believe in the story and the characters and I really didn’t. My favourite was the little fox cub who got a very raw deal I felt poor thing. One thing I did like though was all the Persian detail and the glossary at the back of the book. A lot of research clearly went into writing it and it’s a shame it felt so short and glossed over.
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by his own father and transformed into a lion.He first tries to live as a lion and travels to India. He tries to fit in with a couple of different prides but he doesn’t really understand the laws of the lions. He has his own mind but in a different body. He is chased away on more than one occasion and is lucky to still be alive. From there he travels to France and the story becomes more traditionally Beauty and the Beast when a man finds the castle where he has been living and in exchange for his life he promises to being his youngest daughter to live with the Beast.
I wanted to like this but it didn’t really grab me. It was like reading two completely different books that had been sandwiched together. I know it’s a fairy tale, but I still wanted to be able to believe in the story and the characters and I really didn’t. My favourite was the little fox cub who got a very raw deal I felt poor thing. One thing I did like though was all the Persian detail and the glossary at the back of the book. A lot of research clearly went into writing it and it’s a shame it felt so short and glossed over.
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LibraryThing member Betty70
I enjoyed reading the classic Beauty and the Beast story from the perspective of the Beast. The thing I found most interesting in the novel was the Prince's constant battle to stay human in some way. The primitive urges of the lion body constantly pulled at him. Some he was forced to accept (such
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as feeding himself) while others he tried to obscure by trying to remain human, even though he knew there was a good chance he would never be human again. Show Less
LibraryThing member flying_monkeys
Rating: 3.5 of 5
My first experience with Donna Jo Napoli. I found Beast's imagery beautiful and vivid; however, the hunts were too graphic for me (because I'm a big wuss and love animals). It was definitely more character-driven than plot, so don't expect a lot of action. Like a typical fairytale,
My first experience with Donna Jo Napoli. I found Beast's imagery beautiful and vivid; however, the hunts were too graphic for me (because I'm a big wuss and love animals). It was definitely more character-driven than plot, so don't expect a lot of action. Like a typical fairytale,
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its ending is abrupt. Most appreciated reading the Beauty and the Beast tale from the POV of the "beast" as I've only ever read from "beauty" POV. Recommended for ages 12 and up, or adults who can't get enough fairytales. Show Less
LibraryThing member N.T.Embe
To this day, reading this book again has left me with the strangest of feelings. This is the kind of book that appears as one thing, then starts off in the most unexpected of settings. By the end, though, it turns around to find you on the edge of your seat and cheering once that last page comes.
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It is a book that rewards you if you stick to the journey that it's taking you on, which is one of sometimes tedious self discovery, but also unusual circumstance.Our main character, Prince Orasmyn, is the "Beast" of the story, and unlike the popular Disney movie, this book is told entirely from his point of view. In this way, it gives us the unusual chance to look at the "Beauty and the Beast" tale from another angle completely because we are allowed to see what led up to the curse put on the Prince that turned him into the "Beast". The telling is innovative, rooted in the Persian culture flawlessly, and has a tale 5% of magic and 95% charm and struggle. The book starts off in the center of Persia, and as such, is a book that is teeming with culture and not afraid of itself at all. It guides you through everything by the hand, making it easy for you to understand what's going on and taking you step by step through what struck me as a cultural change of dramatic effect. I know very little of Persian culture or their religious beliefs, but even if everything seemed strange to me, I was able to get into the book fairly easily. Not to mention, just because the environment is unusual, it didn't detract from the interest of the story whatsoever. Odd though the various situations were, they were suspenseful, strange, and still intriguing.
While many people may be turned away by a book that has such an odd beginning, and may lose hope of any of these "Beauty and the Beast" vibes by the time the middle of the book hits, the very best part is once you get over that middle mountain. But this style of book does end up with me needing to give the warning: This is a book primarily of self-discovery as opposed to a direct romance. The romantic aspects, while present, come as a much later spice to this meal. It's there and it only intensifies the beauty of the story, but it is not what you should be counting on seeing from beginning to end. More, the romance aspect of this book comes as a reward as Prince Orasmyn grows more and more. As far as I'm concerned, that's what made the book so engaging in the first place and what makes the payoff at the end so worthwhile. To travel with this Prince who truly thinks he knows all and can suffer no consequences until he learns naturally about the world and how to survive makes for an interesting journey. When love and possible freedom from the curse cast on him come, it makes all of the small, gradual changes inside of him that much more beautiful.
I think that's the final word I can say about this book. The subtlety and rewards at the end are what make it all the more enjoyable a read. While some people may find the build-up boring or dull, the few who don't mind a bit of adventuring while they wait for the gradual romantic moments to come will find this book worthwhile.
Final Recommendation
Taking that into mind, I would call this one a library book for most, especially those interested solely in the romantic aspects. Trying it out to see if it's up your alley is a much better idea than spending the money on it if you're not sure. For those who enjoy fairy-tale retellings however, this is a book that will 100% add diversity into your collection. I would definitely recommend you buying it. It's not shy and it's not dainty either. It is openly bold and has a peculiar beauty to it that I'm sure many people would appreciate if they gave it the chance and didn't let themselves get caught off guard by the unusual choice of settings and characters.
Definitely give this one a shot. You might find it all worth it should you choose to stick with it to the end.
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LibraryThing member AltheaAnn
A retelling of the story of Beauty and the Beast, told from the Beast's perspective. (it's also told in present tense, which I found rather distracting - but overall, it was quite good, although not as good as the other book I've read by Napoli, 'Zel'.)
Here, the Beast is a young Persian prince.
He manages to avoid being killed, and hopes that the curse will wear off, but it doesn't - and he learns that his only hope is to have a woman love him for who he is, without knowing that he is under an enchantment. He finds that to be hopeless, so he simply goes in search of a place where he could live as a lion, without the danger inherent in staying in his father's hunting park.
In an unlikely and quickly-skipped-over journey, he gets from Persia to France, and finds an abandoned castle (which mystifyingly, still has lots of useful stuff in it), and from there, the story-as-we've-heard-it basically ensues...
Here, the Beast is a young Persian prince.
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Inadvertently, is crosses a peri, who curses him that his father will kill him the next day. The next day, his father has a lion hunt planned - and the prince realizes that he has physically become a lion.He manages to avoid being killed, and hopes that the curse will wear off, but it doesn't - and he learns that his only hope is to have a woman love him for who he is, without knowing that he is under an enchantment. He finds that to be hopeless, so he simply goes in search of a place where he could live as a lion, without the danger inherent in staying in his father's hunting park.
In an unlikely and quickly-skipped-over journey, he gets from Persia to France, and finds an abandoned castle (which mystifyingly, still has lots of useful stuff in it), and from there, the story-as-we've-heard-it basically ensues...
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LibraryThing member flamingrosedrakon
An all-time favorite for me!!!
This is probably one of my more favorite "Beauty & the Beast" retelling and I include it in my core collection of fairytales and their spinoffs.
The author does a good job of taking two cultures to weave together while the story is so realistic you can almost believe
This is probably one of my more favorite "Beauty & the Beast" retelling and I include it in my core collection of fairytales and their spinoffs.
The author does a good job of taking two cultures to weave together while the story is so realistic you can almost believe
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that this is really the way it happened. You find so much feelings going through you and then you read the end, which is not really an end. Show Less
LibraryThing member the1butterfly
Napoli always has a new perspective on fairy tales, and this is no exception. This tale is almost always told from the Beauty's perspective, and telling from the perspective of the beast is only one way the tale becomes more original. When Orasmyn is transformed into a lion, he has to deal with the
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instincts of his new form. He has to balance out being in the body of a lion with who he is inside- to determine how to hold onto his Muslim beliefs when he has lost so much control. How can he win a woman's love in the body of a lion? Should he even try? Show Less
LibraryThing member Kristelh
I did not really enjoy this very much which is a shame because Beauty and the Beast was one of my favorite childhood classic fairy tales. This story is told by the Beast. There is a lot of blood and eating of animals and sexual behavior as well. I also felt it was not entirely accurate and felt the
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author was trying to form my opinions. Show Less
LibraryThing member leslie.98
I really didn't care for this version of Beauty and the Beast. I am not sure exactly what it was that rubbed me the wrong way
LibraryThing member Linyarai
I read this for the "A Book Already In Your Bookshelf" part of my 2018 reading challenge. A fantastic retelling of Beauty and the Beast with Persian roots. I love the detail in his trials and all that he learns along the way.
LibraryThing member ToniFGMAMTC
3.5 stars
This story didn't instantly grab me. The very beginning is about religious sacrifice of animals for a wedding celebration. After the main character was cursed and became a lion, it got interesting to me. It's kept more realistic in descriptions of his animal side than than a Disney version
This story didn't instantly grab me. The very beginning is about religious sacrifice of animals for a wedding celebration. After the main character was cursed and became a lion, it got interesting to me. It's kept more realistic in descriptions of his animal side than than a Disney version
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of the beast. When he meets the girl, he has to fight his animal side even. If you like fairytale retellings, or if you are looking for something a little familiar while also very different, check this out. Show Less
LibraryThing member WonderlandGrrl
Interesting twist on the classic Beauty & the Beast tale - told from the Beast's POV
LibraryThing member datwood
I Love Napoli's books with a fairy tale base. The stories are interesting and the characters great. She doesn't talk down or preach to her audience. I really need to buy some more titles.
LibraryThing member ssperson
Very interesting take on how the Beast came to be that way.
Subjects
Awards
Mythopoeic Awards (Finalist — Children's Literature — 2001)
Volunteer State Book Award (Nominee — Young Adult — 2003)
Isinglass Teen Read Award (Nominee — 2003)
Original publication date
2000
Physical description
272 p.; 4.13 inches
ISBN
0689870051 / 9780689870057