Author: Serena Valentino
Type: Paperback
Read: 28th October - 29th October 2016
Rating: 4/5
Published: 2016 by Parragon Books
A cursed prince sits alone in a secluded castle. Few have seen him, but those who claim they have say his hair is wild and nails are sharp--like a beast's! But how did this prince, once jovial and beloved by the people, come to be a reclusive and bitter monster? And is it possible that he can ever find true love and break the curse that has been placed upon him?
I love love love beauty and the beast. It's one of my all time favourite disney films ever. So when i discovered this book, i had to get it. Firstly i have to say that the cover is utterly stunning. It's captivating and you want to read it. It's the beast. But on the other side, you have the prince.
This is just a re-telling of the film. So whilst it has bits that are somewhat reconisable from the film, its centered around why the beast became cursed. How that effected everything and everyone around him. How slowly even he couldnt' remember a time before being the beast. How the servants were slowly disappearing before him, only to be turned into thei objects we know and love (Mrs.Potts, Cogsworth..).
The prince is pretty shallow, he wants someone to love him, they don't need to be bright, they don't even need to do anything. Just be a dumb gal. But after breaking the heart of a girl all because she worked on a farm, he is cursed by three witches. Find true love, which is both recieved and given, by his 21st birthday and the curse will be lifted. If not, he will remain an evil beast forever.
The interesting part of this story for me, was that once the curse was put into place, the effects of it, didn't instantly happen. I think maybe thats what we believed happened in the film. But in this take, the curse takes a while to take hold. Gradually the prince turns older and more tired, lashes out more. He's servants disappear. He tries to fall in love but its not real.
I also liked that we got to see or have appearances by other disney villans. Ursula being one. It was a very good mix on the story. At just over 200 pages this isnt' a long book. The writing is pretty large too. I can see why some people dislike this telling but i think imagination is a wonderful thing.
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