Why do we love “Beauty and the Beast” so much? I mean, the evidence is clear—we DO love it. There are hundreds of retellings to explore, and if you somehow make your way through all of those, there’s “East of the Sun and West of the Moon,” or “Cupid and Psyche,” or “the Green Serpent” (all similar tales) to explore. So what is it about this girl going off to live with a monster that we find so resonant and fascinating? Perhaps the best-known variation (aside from the Disney version) is Madame de Villeneuve’s original “La Belle et la Bête,” from 1740, from which most modern retellings stem. Scholarship suggests that the story may have been intended to prepare young ladies for the realities of arranged marriages in the 18th century, assuring them that even if they found themselves wed to a stranger who seemed old, unattractive, or otherwise aberrant, with time and patience, they might find someone worthy beneath the surface.
If you’re somehow not familiar with the tale, here’s my helpful recap: A trio of sisters loses their fortune when their merchant father’s business collapses. However, the merchant gets an opportunity to redeem the business and replenish their fortune, and asks his daughters what gifts they’d like him to bring back. The elder two wish for fancy clothes and jewels, but the youngest only wants a fresh red rose. The merchant is gone far longer than expected, and when he returns at last, it is with a harrowing tale; he did not succeed in his venture, and he became lost on the way home. He found himself in a mystical forest, and finally made his way to a strange enchanted castle, where invisible servants saw to his every need. Rested and refreshed, he prepares to leave the castle, but on his way out he saw a lovely rose and decided to bring it home for his youngest daughter, Beauty. This act infuriated the master of the palace, the Beast, who made himself known to the merchant, and when the man tried to explain about his daughter, the Beast demanded that she return in her father’s place.
The merchant is upset about sacrificing his youngest daughter to a monster, but regardless, she accepts the deal and goes to save her father’s life. Beauty finds her way to the same magical palace staffed by invisible servants, and meets the master of the estate, a hideous but gentle beast. As they spend time together, Beauty grows fond of him, but every evening after dinner, the Beast asks her to marry him, and every evening she refuses. Eventually, she returns to her family for a short visit, and for one reason or another, delays her return. She arrives back at the palace only barely in time to save the Beast’s life by declaring her love for him, at which point he is transformed into a handsome prince, his curse finally broken by Beauty’s affection.
Pretty sweet, right? It’s not one of those “love at first sight” situations. These romantic partners have had time to get to know each other, look beyond the surface level, and have come to appreciate each other as people and friends.
Plus, they both love books! That’s a lot to be said for a relationship right there…
Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley
This is one of the earliest versions of “Beauty and the Beast” I ever came across, and certainly one of the earliest fairy tale retellings I ever read; it was definitely a formative reading experience. (Surely I’m not the only one who discovered that fairy tales could be retold and reimagined—and not just by Disney!—thanks to this book.) McKinley gives us a luxurious retelling of Beauty’s early life, her family’s financial loss and relocation, and her father’s bargain with the Beast, who does not appear until halfway through the novel. Beauty finds the Beast and his palace strange and wonderful, and grows fond of her life there. When they use the Beast’s mirror to check in on her family, they also discover that her sister’s long-lost fiancé is still alive, and Beauty returns to her family to let them know. She barely makes it back to the Beast in time to save him from his curse, but when she realizes that she does love him, she won’t let anything stop her from returning to his side. A sweet and lovely retelling.
“Beauty” by Tanith Lee, from Red as Blood, or Tales from the Sisters Grimmer
This glorious sci-fi retelling follows Estár, the youngest of three sisters and the least exceptional: eldest sister Lyra is a musical prodigy and Joya is a wonder with words. Estár longs for something more, something she can’t quite express. When their father, Levin, goes to wrap up some business dealings, she asks him for a single rose, plucked by his own hand. Levin, however, receives the rose in a box: it is a summons from an alien species that has arrived to share its technology with Earth. Once a generation or so, they send these alien roses to their chosen humans, asking the humans to send a member of the family to come live as their companions. Lee hits on all the major notes of the original tale and manages to recast them all in new light, delivering an utterly mesmerizing story.
Heart’s Blood by Juliet Marillier
When Caitrin flees a meddling distant relative after the death of her father, she finds herself at Whistling Tor, a mysterious fortress inhabited by a cursed lord and his strange retinue. She finds work translating and scribing for the young lord Anluan, and she begins warming to him when she sees how he cares for his people in spite of his gruff manner. After a childhood disease left his limbs shortened, Anluan considers himself no fit chieftain of his people and throws himself into scholarship in an attempt to break the curse on his lands. Marillier is always at her best when showing how self-acceptance and love can heal trauma, and her retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” is no exception. Caitrin and Anluan have to learn to truly see and accept themselves as much as they do each other in order to break the curse and find happiness.
In the Vanishers’ Palace by Aliette de Bodard
Young scholar Yên is sent to live with the dragon Vu Côn in exchange for the dragon’s healing skills. Although she initially expects a quick and painful death, it seems Vu Côn actually wants her as a tutor for her children, unruly creatures who know little of the world as most of their experience has been within the palace prison where Vu Côn rules, and where any doorway can lead to danger. As Yên learns to navigate the palace and her young charges’ temperaments, she and Vu Côn develop an understanding that slowly leads to trust. But Yên starts to fall ill from a magical virus created by the vanishers, and when she discovers her students’ true nature, her trust and understanding are put to the test.
La Belle et la Bête (1946), directed by Jean Cocteau
This French classic is a delightful bit of cinematic history, a visual feast of costume and (archaic but still fascinating) special effects. We meet Belle along with her two sisters, who leave Belle to do all the housework after their father’s financial misfortunes leave the family in dire straits. Belle has a persistent suitor, Avenant, but she’s not interested because she doesn’t feel she can leave her father. Of course, when it turns out that she must leave him in order to save his life, she goes to live with the Beast in his enchanted castle. They spend a lot of time together, have some strange smoky encounters, and when she goes home and sees him dying through the magic mirror, she realizes she loves him.
Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley
Twenty years after her novel Beauty was released, and having gained a great deal of rose gardening experience in the meantime, McKinley decided to revisit the tale of “Beauty and the Beast,” and I, for one, am so glad she did! Beauty is the youngest of three sisters; eldest sister Lionheart is known for her courage, middle sister Jeweltongue for her gift with words, and Beauty, lacking other distinguishing features, is simply Beauty (though we may disagree with her own assessment of herself). After their mother’s death and the loss of their family’s fortune, the young women and their father find refuge at Rose Cottage, which they mysteriously inherit. They come to love the place as they inhabit it together and spend more time being a family than they did as rich city folks. Beauty is inevitably drawn into the Beast’s enchantment and finds a dying rose garden, which she takes responsibility for even as she delves into the Beast’s curse. This is a generous and warm retelling that just may inspire you to spend more time in your own garden (or at least, with your house plants)!
You’ll notice that most of these retellings tend to focus on the positive aspects of the original story, with the protagonists finding adventure, freedom, love, and a better life after embracing the unknown. Next time, I’ll have a list of works that offer darker, twistier versions of “Beauty and the Beast”—using the familiar narrative to question and complicate the original tale, and upend our own assumptions and expectations in the process. In the meantime, please share your own favorite versions and adaptations of this fairy tale classic, whether book or short story, animated or live action!
