Rating: 
Summary: Enlightening
Review: For the message alone this book must be read. it says in one body of work what humankind is doing and it must be stopped, a little too something for my taste, but it still must be read and heard everywhere.
Rating:
Summary: IT'S BEAUTY, LITERALLY
Review: I am not really what anyone would call a very literate person, i have done all the classics, and the ones that enter my hands, but by all means beauty stays in my mind. You don't forget it's tecture, personality, love, lust, and, most importantly, it's life. It's a fantastic book. My mother put it in my hands, and it stayed there for the days that it took me to finish it. And it still lives deep within my heart. There is no word good enough to describe this book. After I read it,I went after all the rest of Tepper's works, and have been fully satisfied with each and every one. She is brilliant, one of the best authors I have had the privilage of being introduced to. I recommend Beauty to anyone who loves fantasy, actually, I could clearly say that I think that it should be required reading. Out of a possible 5 stars, I would give it 6.
Rating:
Summary: Magic will never die!
Review: I am one of those few who enjoy reading some of Sherri's older books. (You know, the ones you can't find anymore) But this one, this one sparked my fancy. Sherri is one of those few authors who can make me fall in love with the heroine and make me sad when the book end, because it ended. This magestical tale going throughout time, visits those places in the mind where one try's to hide, during their cold day at the office. I would like to believe that somewhere in this world beauty still exists and that hidden under a mountain somewhere she lies with her magic. I could not put this book down and enjoy reading it again and again. It gives me hope always. Of course, Sherri coincides with my political beliefs so, it did make it easier. Those of you who are easily offended, try not to read this book and get your panties in a budge, kay?
Rating:
Summary: THIS IS MY FAVORITE BOOK EVER!
Review: I can't begin to describe how moved I was while reading this book. It so accurately symbolizing the end of all that is good in the world. Nature has been destroyed, and people in modern times just do not care. They didn't even realize what they were missing, and only someone who had seen the difference in the past and the future would know and understand the damage we are doing to the world. Even magic fades, and eventually everything will too. It is very inspiring to appreciate the beauty and wonderful things that there are left, before it's too late.
Rating: 
Summary: depressing
Review: I got his book thinking that it would be great. I love fairy tale retellings and this looked like a great one. It started out good, and I really liked that it had more than one fairy tale in it. I even liked the part when she went to faerie. I love faeries! but from there it seemed to be going nowhere. It was depressing that she got old so fast, and had almost no good life. After reading this I didn't want to read for a while, because it made me so upset. Some people may like this book, but I sure didn't
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I have been asked by numerous friends whether I would recommend this book, and have found myself hard-pressed to give a clear answer because there is much about it which is very well-done. Broad in scope, this novel draws on the commonality of beautiful princesses and fairy-god-mothers in some of the best-known fairy tales. It weaves in the darker side of those tales as well, and specifically the unfeeling beauty of the faery-court. Along the way there are many deft touches, such as the titular 'Beauty' creating glass slippers for Cinderella because she knows that they become a part of the legend. Despite this, I found it difficult to read, and finished the story with a genuine sense of dislike. I would not describe this as a fairy-tale, or even a retelling in the pure sense of the word. I was left with two basic messages; one that beautiful people rarely have other desirable qualities, and the second that our world is increasingly devoid of magic and faery and, by extension, anything beautiful. And for me, the rest of the story is overshadowed and burdened by these rather-depressing ideas. I prefer to think that there is always beauty and magic in our world if we want to see it, and that it is just as real as the ugliness. And perhaps, I was disappointed to find that a book entitled "Beauty" should contain so much cynicism and be as much about the slow decline of beauty as about those things which are beautiful.
Rating: 
Summary: Good
Review: I have read several of Sheri Tepper's books and I always have the impression that she has a feminist agenda that too often gets in the way of the story. The best told stories are the ones that grip you and never let go. For years the characters and situations haunt you. Most of the time you don't really know why. In my opinion it is when the timelessness of the story grabs a hold of your subconscious without you realizing it. Too often Sheri Tepper is too blunt in her message: Men are pigs and deserve the worst that is coming to them. Women have to overcome incredible odds to better their condition and eventually triumph. What I found disturbing is that the most amicable male character is a cross-dressing weakling. Go figure. But on the other hand, despite these problems, the story of Beauty's ordeals is superb. There is extraordinary complexity in the interweaving of several well-known fairy tales within the story. Which is, after all, a story about magic. What is magic, really? Where can we find it? Does it still exist? It is a story full of surprises and by the end of the book, when the reader has finally figured out the mysterious power that Beauty is carrying, we feel that magic is a precious power that we all possess.
Rating:
Summary: Beauty Says It All
Review: I have read this book on several occasions and found it here again looking for a gift for someone. A wonderful story. It works on many levels and Ms. Tepper's vision of our world's future is all to plausible and painful to contemplate.
Rating:
Summary: A FABULOUS READ, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES!!
Review: I have to admit that I love Sheri Tepper, and that I've read every book of hers that I could find. But, I must say that this is THE BEST BOOK of hers to date. I have had to buy so many copies of this book because I've lent it to friends that simply refuse to give it back. I can't believe some people are so hooked on "agenda"s! This book has a message, yes. But to put it down for that is like putting down any book that tries to inspire people to be better than they are. If you don't care for excellent writing, deep characters, or intelligent stories, please, PLEASE, don't get this book. This way those of us who do appreciate these things can go on without hearing "pernicious nonsense" from those that don't. Read this book with an open mind, and you will find a most engaging story with characters so real, you will have a hard time closing the cover for fear you are closing it on their life!
Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful but Confused
Review: I haven't been all that impressed with Tepper's work in the past. And like some of her other books 'Beauty' is at once too long, too inoherent and too confused. I'm a green activist, but even I found the eco-disaster message too bluntly hammered home (and too simplistic - does anyone really think it's all about population anymore?). I also find her religous imagination allows her an easy way out ( a bit too much of the 'deus ex machina') and substitutes for a genuinely satisfying or hopeful / helpful conclusion. Having said all that, I like the way she inverts and subverts patriachal traditions in storytelling, and she can write beautifully at her best. The character of Beauty herself progresses and develops wonderfully, and the love story that transcends temporal barriers is touching and genuinely life-affirming. The way in which the fairy tales are wound together into one narrative is extremely skillful. So, despite the problems, I enjoyed 'Beauty', and isn't that the main thing? Oh, and I liked the cat(s).
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