Beauty - Robin McKinley

Read 5/27/05:

This book's going on my all time favorite list. Abigail recommended McKinley to me as one of her favorite authors, so I'd picked this up from the library to read on my flight back to Dallas, but finished it before my ride to the airport picked me up.

I was somewhat skeptical at first as the book was listed in the children or youth areas at the library. It was an easy read in a couple hours, but most enjoyable. It's a romantic retelling of the story of Beauty & the Beast, with all the magical charm you'd expect.

Beauty is the ironic nickname of Honor, a rather plain looking girl who prides herself on her riding and intelligence, but struggles with low self-esteem and . McKinley begins with the family's background, introducing Beauty's two beautiful but kind older sisters, and the fall of their family fortune. Most of the pages follow the story of Beauty's growing friendship with the Beast, in which you'll (assuming you're a girl, which if you're reading this book is probably a safe assumption) fall in love with him along with her.

I also appreciated the details McKinley portrayed of the Beast's castle - the library with the as yet unwritten books, the invisible servants trying to force glamourous dresses on the unwilling Beauty, and the hallways that constantly rearrange themselves. It's truly a magical setting for this fairy tale.

I haven't read many retellings of this well-known fairy tale, but McKinley did a wonderful job at fleshing out the familiar story. My one regret was that the ending was so short, I wasn't quite ready for the book to end... but then again, I have that problem with all of my favorite stories.