Rating: 
Summary: A very enjoyable read
Review: In general, this book is really good. The writing style is beautiful, and the story itself is very sweet. Anyone who enjoys fairy tales and happy endings will certainly love this. I have to admit I was disappointed, though, when I finished the book without finding any twists by the author on the traditional telling of Beauty and the Beast. The main difference was in the main character, Beauty, who is a very human and lovable girl, instead of the flawless heroine that is often seen in the part. But other than that, the storyline differed very little from that of the fairy tale, so I could always tell what was going to happen next. Nevertheless, it was nice to see the short story stretched into a novel and given a lot more depth.
Rating: 
Summary: Beauty-ful Retelling
Review: Robin McKinley has a talent to recreate the fantasy worlds of childhood bedtime literature and make them fullblooded novels that any respectable reader will enjoy. Of all her fairytale remakes that I have read, this is my favorite.The story is well known, a young woman is more or less promised to a beast and transforms him. But there is so much more than that in Beauty. Beauty, or Honor, as she was named, is a young, 'ugly' woman whose father is destroyed publicly when his shipping company collapses. He and his two other daughters, Grace and Hope, and Beauty all move to the countryside to live with Hope's fiance, Ger. They adapt to the quiet country life--Ger works as a blacksmith and their father does wordworking. After the first couple of days there, Ger tells Beauty not to go into the woods, because they are more or less haunted by what seems to be an old "bogey-man" story. When Beauty's father gets called back to town with news that one of his presumably lost ships has returned, he leaves the family for a short while. His return, with saddle bags filled with goods--golds and necklaces and dresses, is in the dead of a wintry night and he brings back a perfect rose, the one thing Beauty asked him for when he left. The rose, taken from the Beast, is a symbol of a promise, and it is Beauty who fulfills that promise, going to the Beast in her father's stead. The romance is beautiful and eloquently expressed. To make a Beast, which would be seen through our eyes as an animal, into a man as an author must have been a challenging task, but Robin McKinley did a wonderful job. As a fairy tale retelling, this one is definitely at the top.
Rating:
Summary: A Delightful Retelling of "Beauty & the Beast"
Review: This book is a delightful retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale. However, don't assume that you know everything there is to know about this story already. In this version, Beauty is plain compared to her two elder sisters ... and the beast is more sad and mysterious than frightening or beastly.
Closer to the original French fairytale than any version so far, the style of writing has an old-fashioned charm and simplicity about it, giving you the feeling that you are reading a letter from Beauty herself describing her life at the beast's enchanted castle.
This book would make a wonderful gift for girls aged nine to ninety!
Rating:
Summary: Beauty and the Beast
Review: This is a really good romance story. I do not read a lot of romance. However, I really liked this.
Beauty and the Beast is one of my most favorite fairy tales. I was not let down with this story.
Rating:
Summary: Gorgeous storytelling
Review: This is a retelling of the classic fantasy Beauty and The Beast. But this version has a bit of a twist, McKinley's "Beauty" doesn't quite live up to her nickname and can be more accurately described as an awkward teenager, a girl who prefers to spend her free time with books and horses. I liked her immediately. When her Father accidentally stumbles upon the bewitched castle of the "Beast" he is forced into a promise that will forever change Beauty's life. To give anymore of the plot away would be to ruin the magic of the book. BEAUTY is categorized as a children's book (10 and up) but I think it will appeal to anyone who loves a magical, sweet, old-fashioned love story. McKinley's characters are well-drawn, sympathetic and just plain lovable, right down to Beauty's charming horse. This was another one of those rare "unputdownable" books for me. It's a keeper and one I intend to read to my babies when they're old enough to sit still long enough to enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: Enchanting Story
Review: What a wonderful book! Beautifully written with Beauty as a real person, not some simpy little plaster saint as she is portrayed in the fairy tale. Romantic without bad taste, makes you smile for days after reading it!
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