traditionson's review
2.0
Nowhere near as good as the other novellas in this series. An interesting take with a self centred bastard but I didn't enjoy it anywhere near as much
kai_raine's review
3.0
This version of Beauty and the Beast is based very much on the trend begun by La Belle et la Bete and continued by Disney that creates a handsome foil to the beast contesting for Beauty's affections.
Except in this version, the contest comes second to the affections. Gus, the handsome foil, and the Beast make a bet over Belle, and the Beast is simply more adept at carefully attempting to manipulate Belle's feelings, where as Gus seems to expect persistence to do the trick.
I have to admit that prior to this, I did wonder if my love of the story any one of these is based on would be inversely proportional to my enjoyment of these shorts. But Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite characters, and this was my favorite installment in this series, simply because it took a route that I've never seen done before.
I'm only rating this 3 stars because the quality of the writing was not really to my taste--I didn't enjoy being in the story. But I love what the story did, and the way it concluded.
Except in this version, the contest comes second to the affections. Gus, the handsome foil, and the Beast make a bet over Belle, and the Beast is simply more adept at carefully attempting to manipulate Belle's feelings, where as Gus seems to expect persistence to do the trick.
I have to admit that prior to this, I did wonder if my love of the story any one of these is based on would be inversely proportional to my enjoyment of these shorts. But Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite characters, and this was my favorite installment in this series, simply because it took a route that I've never seen done before.
Spoiler
The Beast, customarily, does come to love Belle as he tries to make her love him. But he tells her the truth about the bet, and lets her go, for real this time. He only briefly questions his decision, but not for long--and this to me was a happy ending. Because love can be healing and redemptive, but that doesn't mean that every two people who love each other belong together. The Beast was playing a part to get Belle to love him, and she fell in love with that part. For him to let her go without telling her that he reciprocates that love is, in my opinion, the best possible ending that this story could have. (And an ending I wish a few other adaptations could have had.)I'm only rating this 3 stars because the quality of the writing was not really to my taste--I didn't enjoy being in the story. But I love what the story did, and the way it concluded.
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