#groupbeautyread

[madamescarlette]

I love you BatB retellings that make the sisters asking for jewels and riches into a loving joke between the lot of them and Beauty asking for a rose being something real, something tangible and achievable for their father to bring back, it means so much to me!!

[francesderwent]

Robin McKinley books are like, maybe the inciting action won’t happen for another hundred pages, but the everyday joys and struggles are worthwhile and have their own story to tell before we get there. the main conflict isn’t how hard it is to live—because she wants us to be certain in our souls that it is good and beautiful to live before we have to face the conflict.

[imissthembutitwasntadisaster]

my problem with not just Beauty but many beauty and the beast tellings is that I would become so so bored living in a castle alone with no chores! I would in fact go mad I think!

[thebirdandhersong]

Ladies.... this is so sad........ my copy of Beauty is back at home and I will not be home until tomorrow........... literally why

[starwarmth]

One thing I took note of is how the narration of Beauty reminded me of The Last Unicorn: not due to its contents or voice, but that its consciousness was familiar, aka post-modern. Beauty was published in 1973 and The Last Unicorn was published in 1968, both which were 49 and 54 years ago, respectively. 50 years is a long time! But if you had told me that either of these were published in 2014-2016, I would have believed you.

The question I then ponder over is that 1) is it that our cultural consciousness is more homogeneous than I realized? Is post-modern distinct in fantasy, so that I recognize it right away? Or 2) Is it simply that these two books developed later fantasy written in the post-modern age, and I’m seeing the roots of it here?

[magpie-trove]

It was made to be impossible, but you needn’t give up on that account

[imissthembutitwasntadisaster]

Finished Beauty! the ending felt a little rushed but overall I loved it, unfortunately I sped through it and have nothing smart to say

[imissthembutitwasntadisaster]

oH??? mercy died??? is that gonna mean anything thematically or am I just Having A Woman Moment over blatent name symbolism???

[madamescarlette]

Something I've always loved in my copy of this book is all the scrolling done on the title page and the chapters! It instantly makes it feel older and dearer to me just through that one addition.

[imissthembutitwasntadisaster]

IT WAS MADE TO BE IMPOSSIBLE BUT YOU NEEDN'T GIVE UP??? OH??????

[thebirdandhersong]

a few interesting things:

Beauty's original name being Honour

the little sister called Mercy(!!) who died

Beauty being the plain one in the family

Beauty being the YOUNGEST daughter

[madamescarlette]

The ending always leaves me in the state of: I don't know what's truly going on but there's such a ringing of bright bells in my ears and the feeling of the sun breaking over us after being hidden for a long while that I don't mind in the slightest!!

[madamescarlette]

Beauty going oh no they want me to figure this out?? Put together clues and some such nonsense??? Don't they know all I do is eat hot chip and read Arthuriana????

[madamescarlette]

The "elegantly" poached egg that Beauty's father eats at the castle is so so funny to me. They're like I hear you, poached eggs are kind of impossible to make by hand without training, so much so that when you succeed they're a Status Symbol (TM).

[madamescarlette]

also Ger saying that he has a very high opinion of Beauty's obstinacy- truly what a man what a lad we love to see it!!

[francesderwent]

one paragraph in and I am mentally SCREAMING at the fact that her names are Beauty and HONOUR. beauty calls people out of themself and honour is beauty’s handmaiden, guarding her power and guiding it