The Beauty and the Beast
By Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot De Villeneuve Book Review by Miranda Fraser ISBN:978-0-06-245621-2 It is so very exciting to be holding in my hands the novel that is considered to be the original version of Beauty and the Beast. All the other novels and stories are based from this woman's work. But I would like to take a moment to be as historically accurate as I can be. Almost all fairy tales can be traced back to thousands of years ago and so the idea for this novel probably came from some spoken tale that the author heard. Will anyone ever know for certain where this fairy tale started? Probably not, but we know who wrote the first published version of it. However, most people are confused and believe that the woman, Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, who re-wrote it, after Villeneuve's death is the original author. Hopefully that clears up any confusion and upset that I've heard over saying Villeneuve's is the original author. I would like to get my hands on Beaumont's version because I have a feeling it is the one we all know closest to the picture book story I have talked about throughout my Beauty and the Beast book review series. But that is for another day! First of all, this book was written in the 1700's and published in 1740. So the first thing I should warn any potential readers of is the language difference. If you have trouble with classical novels and older dialect than you may not enjoy reading this story. Here's an example of a sentence directly from the book, "For some time they flattered themselves that, when their father's intention became known, their lovers, who had hitherto sued in vain, would be only too happy to find they were inclined to listen to them." (14). If you're good with that, then the rest of the book should be fine. I have met a lot of readers who can't concentrate when reading old dialogue so I felt it only fair to warn people about that. Also with the dialogue difference you need to remember the time of this novel being written was a vastly different time from that which we currently live in, so some words may have a different meaning than you're familiar with. Personally, I think that's why I enjoy older novels so much, because there is a wonder in learning. If you don't recognize something, or you think it was used strangely, open up google and find out something new! Books can teach us all sorts of things, even if they're not 'educational'. Also going along with the time frame in which this novel was written, subplots and interconnected stories were a very popular writing style. For that reason, I want to get into the actual story! I have to say that the beginning is sooo very close to that of Robin McKinley's version that I have to tip my hat to her for really researching her rewrite! In this, we have a wealthy merchant whose fortune takes an unfortunate turn and he finds himself quite poor. However, unlike other versions instead of three children, he has twelve. Yes, twelve. Six girls and six boys, Beauty is the youngest child. So he finds himself very poor and his children, particularly his daughters, distraught by this new way of life. His sons take to working the land and taking care of the family while in comparison his daughters mope about all that they have lost. All except for Beauty who is more determined than ever to raise everyone's spirits and make their new life easier. Her sister's dislike her very much, having a jealousy of her so strong that it's a borderline hatred. This is more the vision of her sisters that I remember as a child. Inevitably, their father goes on a business trip and asks each of his children what they would like. The daughters, all expecting this trip to be favorable with wealth, demand jewels, dresses, and finery. Beauty insists that she wants nothing but his safe return, and while this touches her father, her sister's grows angry at her. So her father persuades her to pick something, she finally tells him she would love a rose as she had not seen one since they left the city. After an unfavorable business meeting and a terrible journey through the snow the man finds himself in a castle where his every need is seen to. Upon leaving the castle, he takes a rose to give to his daughter and thus he meets the Beast. A bargain is struck that the man should come back to him in a month’s time or bring a daughter to the Beast at that time. The man refuses to give up a child to save himself, but upon returning home, he tells them all the tale of what happened to him. Beauty insists that she goes in her father's place as it was her gift that caused this. It should also be said that she is the only child, aside from his sons (but the Beast insisted on a daughter) who loved him enough to die for him. For the sisters all believed that the Beast meant only to devour her. Now, the story goes that Beauty goes to stay with the Beast in place of her father, and is surprised that he does not eat her. Though she is honestly repulsed by his appearance, she faces him and dines with him every night. She quickly learns that he is no danger to her and that he loves her. As the typical story goes every night he asks her to marry him, and every night she says no. WHAT'S NOT TYPICAL, and I found this amazing, is that she discovers galleries with birds and even monkey servants! In every other version they act as if all animals flee from the kingdom due to the Beast's existence. Perhaps in this version they are enchanted to be there for Beauty's sake, but none-the-less what a change! On top of that the castle also has gardens, riches and paintings, a large library, and a room of many mirrors. What's interesting about these mirrors is that instead of seeing yourself in them, you look through them as if looking into a TV screen. Each mirror had a different purpose, to name a few: one was an opera, one was a fair, one was a great theater where performances were put on. The castle surely had a rich amount of entertainments for the young beauty. And then each night since coming to the castle, she dreams of a handsome lad who whispers sweet nothings in her ear and promises her a world of happiness. She fell in love with the dream man and so became more and more confused by the Beast's constant proposals. Though she fell for the dream man she had not forgotten the warning in all of her dreams to not be deceived by appearances. Of course we all know how the story goes, eventually the Beast sets her free, with the promise to return, and when she does she finds him at death's door. So when this occurs, we are half way through the novel and there's about a hundred pages left. Too long of an ending for the story we all know. In this the subplots emerge and the backstories of both Beast and Beauty are revealed as well as new characters. What I found so interesting was the inclusion of so many fairies. In the story we all know he is cursed for some reason or another and left in the castle until someone can love him the way he is. It's supposed to be a lesson, but in Villeneuve's original version it was less of a lesson and more of a cruel act of an evil character who did it out of spite. A character who you learn has been wickedly causing problems in other's lives as well. We also find out that Beauty is not the daughter of the merchant she loves so dearly, but the daughter of a King and a Fairy. And on top of all that the reason the Beast's castle is so enchanted and so many things run their course, so smoothly is because a third fairy has been helping him. The ending is a mass of subplots and crazy information, she even explains why the Beast is 'savage', which was meant in this time period to mean 'stupid', and why he could hold only the simplest conversations. Of course, it's a fairy tale and the law of those is that there is always a happy ending. In conclusion, it was quite an interesting turn of events to learn of both characters family's and heritage. The work of the good fairy helping it all be possible, it's basically like looking behind the scenes at who is actually pulling the strings to make it all work out exactly as we have come to know. It makes sense to me why so many versions have cut the ending though. As the time periods progressed and authors like Beaumont rewrote it, they simplified it to represent less of the monarchies, which had been loosing their power, and also to focus it on the main character's romance rather than sub plotting a bunch mini romances. I think it was worth the read and gives a little insight into where the common traits of all the novels such as: the animals, the servants, the mirrors, the roses, etc., come from Each author tells it a little differently being careful to leave enough of the classic novel for their readers. As this author has been dead for more than a century I cannot exactly link you to her profiles, but a quick google search of her will bring up other works she's famous for as well as some bits about her personal life, though honestly there isn't much to go on.
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