myendlessshelf's review against another edition
5.0
Where has this book been all my life?
As with a lot of fellow readers and romance lovers, Beauty and the Beast is one of my all-time favourite fairy-tales and so the prospect of reading a re-telling of the story from the Beast's perspective was too good an opportunity to miss.
What's strange is that reading this book didn't feel like reading just another re-telling of Beauty and the Beast. It's a story that is entirely it's own and in certain aspects, extremely different than the original story.
The author writes beautifully, painting an enchanted world that springs to life from the pages. I adore the backstory, it's fantastically detailed and complex: the Fairy's motive, the Beast's life in the forest, the mirror, the house and it's servants, the garden, his gifts to Isabeau's family - it all works so well to create a compelling, driving story that I was unable to put down.
The Beast is captivating. His inner struggles and turmoil, which run so much deeper than appearances alone, alongside his longing for company and human interaction, made the story all the more compelling. The love in this story is powerful, life-changing and realistic in its growth (it's not insta-love but love and affection that grow over time from friendship.)
In addition to plenty of backstory and a side to the beast that we've never before seen, it was also interesting to be presented with Isabeau's family, and these three other characters who add so much to the story through their growth, tragedy and love.
Whilst reading, I couldn't help but draw comparisons to the original story, mostly in that this story offered more mature, emotionally complex, insightful details than the Disney version we're all familiar with. I also often found myself thinking of Pride and Prejudice, comparing Elizabeth and Isabeau due to their similarities in outspokenness and unwillingness to admit to one's feelings. It probably comes as no surprise that the Beast's portrait and his obsession and despair brought to mind Dorian Gray.
Overall, I fell in love with this story and the unique viewpoint it offered through the eyes of the beast. It's 5 stars from me and I will definitely be re-reading this book!
It's the story I never knew I needed. It made my heart quicken, my eyes tear and my imagination run wild.
Disclosure: I fell in love with the Beast so many times reading this that I may need therapy.
As with a lot of fellow readers and romance lovers, Beauty and the Beast is one of my all-time favourite fairy-tales and so the prospect of reading a re-telling of the story from the Beast's perspective was too good an opportunity to miss.
What's strange is that reading this book didn't feel like reading just another re-telling of Beauty and the Beast. It's a story that is entirely it's own and in certain aspects, extremely different than the original story.
The author writes beautifully, painting an enchanted world that springs to life from the pages. I adore the backstory, it's fantastically detailed and complex: the Fairy's motive, the Beast's life in the forest, the mirror, the house and it's servants, the garden, his gifts to Isabeau's family - it all works so well to create a compelling, driving story that I was unable to put down.
The Beast is captivating. His inner struggles and turmoil, which run so much deeper than appearances alone, alongside his longing for company and human interaction, made the story all the more compelling. The love in this story is powerful, life-changing and realistic in its growth (it's not insta-love but love and affection that grow over time from friendship.)
In addition to plenty of backstory and a side to the beast that we've never before seen, it was also interesting to be presented with Isabeau's family, and these three other characters who add so much to the story through their growth, tragedy and love.
Whilst reading, I couldn't help but draw comparisons to the original story, mostly in that this story offered more mature, emotionally complex, insightful details than the Disney version we're all familiar with. I also often found myself thinking of Pride and Prejudice, comparing Elizabeth and Isabeau due to their similarities in outspokenness and unwillingness to admit to one's feelings. It probably comes as no surprise that the Beast's portrait and his obsession and despair brought to mind Dorian Gray.
Overall, I fell in love with this story and the unique viewpoint it offered through the eyes of the beast. It's 5 stars from me and I will definitely be re-reading this book!
It's the story I never knew I needed. It made my heart quicken, my eyes tear and my imagination run wild.
Disclosure: I fell in love with the Beast so many times reading this that I may need therapy.
anxietygirl89's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
susan_queen's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
xkwright's review
3.0
I found this one a little confusing, TBH... But I can't tell if that was by design on the author's part or what. Either way, I did enjoy it
megstyas13's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars! God I loved this book SO much!
You can find my full review here: https://betweenthepages13.wordpress.com/2018/05/07/blog-tour-the-beasts-heart-by-leife-shallcross-review/
You can find my full review here: https://betweenthepages13.wordpress.com/2018/05/07/blog-tour-the-beasts-heart-by-leife-shallcross-review/
mousie_books's review
3.0
Doesn't stray very far from the fairy tale as we commonly know it, which may it slow going at first, but I was hooked by the second half. Though, not the healthiest of relationships, ./shrug.
fairybookmother's review
4.0
It feels like it's been forever since a I read a fairy tale retelling that was set in its traditional time period. The Beast's Heart is a Beauty and the Beast retelling set in 17th century France that evokes a lot of the style and magic of what I associate with the fairy tale. Shallcross manages to retell a familiar tale set in a familiar landscape and somehow make it entirely infused with a fresh magic. This retelling is told from the Beast's perspective, and Shallcross does a fantastic job of letting us into the mind of the beast, showing us the arrogance and the assumptions that the young woman should love him just because he saved her. She shows his growth from "the beast" to "the prince" in a sympathetic and true way, and I liked seeing the Beast's growth from his own perspective.
While this does stay true to the original tales, as I get older, I realize and recognize some of the weird behaviors that are often swept aside for the romance. As someone in her 30s now, I do find it generally off-putting for men to continually ask someone else out even after she's said no, find non-consensual voyeurism strange, and think that the whole "woe is me, please love me I'm alone" deal to be tired. You'll find all of this in the book, and on one hand it is grating and off-putting. I found myself thinking "just leave her alone!" several times when the Beast kept making his advances. I thought some of the scenes where the Beast was watching Isabeau and her family through his magic mirror to add a depth to the story, but there were times he watched Isabeau for the sake of watching her (and in one scene watching her undress). The Beast also bemoans his lack of humanity and the horrors of his beast self, and the consistency with which that happens gets old after a while. But there are people out there in the world who behave this way, and the Beast does come to his senses, matures, and begin reversing a lot of those thoughts and behaviors by the book's end.
I thought the descriptions of the chateau and its surroundings were beautiful, the dialogue is sparkling, and the pacing is just right for a story like this. It reminded me a lot of the fairy tale retellings I read ages ago by Robin McKinley, Donna Jo Napoli, and Gail Carson Levine, so it left me with good feelings by the end.
While this does stay true to the original tales, as I get older, I realize and recognize some of the weird behaviors that are often swept aside for the romance. As someone in her 30s now, I do find it generally off-putting for men to continually ask someone else out even after she's said no, find non-consensual voyeurism strange, and think that the whole "woe is me, please love me I'm alone" deal to be tired. You'll find all of this in the book, and on one hand it is grating and off-putting. I found myself thinking "just leave her alone!" several times when the Beast kept making his advances. I thought some of the scenes where the Beast was watching Isabeau and her family through his magic mirror to add a depth to the story, but there were times he watched Isabeau for the sake of watching her (and in one scene watching her undress). The Beast also bemoans his lack of humanity and the horrors of his beast self, and the consistency with which that happens gets old after a while. But there are people out there in the world who behave this way, and the Beast does come to his senses, matures, and begin reversing a lot of those thoughts and behaviors by the book's end.
I thought the descriptions of the chateau and its surroundings were beautiful, the dialogue is sparkling, and the pacing is just right for a story like this. It reminded me a lot of the fairy tale retellings I read ages ago by Robin McKinley, Donna Jo Napoli, and Gail Carson Levine, so it left me with good feelings by the end.
madjuliet's review
3.0
I chose this audio book because it is narrated by Jim Dale and he is my favorite narrator.
Sadly, the narration was the best thing about the book.
I had lots of nostalgic feelings while listening to this. I love the tale of Beauty and the Beast. I was hoping this story would do something special. I didn’t hate it; but it was just okay for me.
Sadly, the narration was the best thing about the book.
I had lots of nostalgic feelings while listening to this. I love the tale of Beauty and the Beast. I was hoping this story would do something special. I didn’t hate it; but it was just okay for me.