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Summary: An exotic, sensual retelling of a childhood classic
Review: "Beast" is an exotic, creative interpretation of "Beauty and the Beast." The tale begins in Persia, and our hero Prince Orasmyn has been cursed by a parsi--a fairy--for sacrificing a camel that had been defiled. Turned into a lion, he is told that his father will kill him the next day, and that the only thing that can break the curse is the love of a woman. He flees his palaces and gardens, journeying to India and eventually to France.The rest of the tale follows the original fairytale closely, taking place in the French countryside, with gardens full of roses. But the thing that makes Napoli's version so different and such a delight is her ability to describe the exotic sights, sounds, colours, smells and tastes of Persia, the numerous Arabic and Farsi words sprinkled throughout the text, quotes from Sufi mystics and the Quaran, and Orasmyn's observations on the countries he travels through and life as a lion. This is my favourite retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" along with Robin McKinley's version.
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Summary: Lovely!
Review: A truely lovely book--this coming from a Muslim. The story was engaging as it was authentic. A real diamond, worthy of reading.
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Summary: Another great for Napoli
Review: After quite a few books by this author in a row, I was beginning to find them tiring and a little 'simple'. This one woke me up again. A young, middle-eastern prince is rich, sheltered, and not too upset with his life. Unfortunately, he is cursed and becomes a lion. The only way for him to return to his old life is to experience the love of a woman. Knowing his fate is death if he remains in his father's park, he escapes to France and plants a garden of his favorite flowers, roses, to lure a woman. When he finally 'catches' one, he finds that it will take more planning than he imagined to keep her, and have her love him. Beautiful, haunting, a reawakening. Spectacular.
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Summary: One of my favroite books
Review: Beast is a wonderful book. I loved the fact that it was written from the beast's point of view. This was the book that encouraged me to read many others by this same author. (Donna Jo Napoli) She re-writes several other fairy tales with different point of views as well. One of the many reasons I liked this book was because it made me cry at a few parts. It showed excellent writing by making the reader become so involved with the characters that it caused such emotion. Beast is about a Persian prince who goes against his religion to save a friend, and in turn gets punished by being transformed into a lion. From there you follow him through his trials and journeys on his path to learn how to respect others.
It explains some of the Moslem culture, which I found interesting. I am surprised to see someone recommend The Raging Quiet (by Sherryl Jordan) because that is also one I would recommend if you enjoyed this book.
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Summary: Excellent!
Review: Before I read this book, all I really knew of the story of Beauty and the Beast was the Disney version and a live-action movie I saw years ago. I never thought that someone would come up with a version of the story from the beast's point of view.
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Summary: A Very Trueful And Helpful Review
Review: Donna Jo Napoli is one of my favorite authors.Her books have fantasty in them, along with facts of truth, mostly from legends around the world. In her book, Beast, it tells the story of a young prince from Persia, who gets turned into a lion.The book follows him around many different countries like India and France.It is loaded with many discriptions, all of witch make the book so more intense and gives the reader a better look on the characters.I will admit, the first one or two chapters are semi-boring. As long as you stick through them, I can assure that the book is almost impossible to put down.I strongly suggest that only readers ages 13 and up should read this.I loved this book and the ending.A helpful hint, never read the last page!!!It will ruin the whole story.So in my opinion, Beast by Donna Jo Napoli, is a very fine written piece of litterature.
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Summary: 7TH GRADER FROM JOHNSON MIDDLE SCHOOL
Review: Donna Jo Napoli makes the heart-wrenching tale of a masked lover come vividly to life through the eyes of the beast. Through those eyes she shows his loneliness, desperation, faith, and hope in a world that will not except him. She meanders her words to express him; how he would talk to humans and live with them and learn to love with them but for the cursed mask that he can never remove. BEAST is passionate and true. It makes you want to cry in sorrow, dance in joy, and sympathize with the beast in his most pitiful moments. Displayed in all it's many shades of color, Donna has turned this simple French fairy tale completely inside out!
BEAST is the story of a young man named Orasmyn. He is still young at the start of the book, but grows immensely by the end. Not in years, though he is older by some count, but in his wisdom and maturity. The scholar prince he once was is transformed quite suddenly in the night following the sacrifice of a defiled camel. This may seem strange to one who knows nothing of the history or customs of Persia... or it's mystical folklore, but you get the picture as you read along.
A recurring theme throughout the book, pride is the cause of Orasmyn's original downfall. Instead of asking someone, his father, the Shah, or the imam, the prayer leader, what should be done, he reasons that a Shah's son must surely know the answer. In the belief that it would be degrading if a prince could not decide justice on his own, Orasmyn makes the grave mistake that will cost him his future. As earlier in the plot, while talking to his mother, the weakness of his prideful nature is shown:
"Orasmyn, I've got a present for you. In my room. A book by Saadi." ...Mother's tone irritates. I pull my hand away. " I don't need help in choosing my reading." "We all need help Orasmyn." "A prince doesn't."
Throughout Orasmyn's trials as a lion, from India to France, he is consistently reminding himself how he needs no one and can take care of himself. With Belle's help, however, his thoughts on this matter are considerably altered:
"The steadfast innocence of Belle would condemn the best of men. And I am far from the best."
Belle is, of course, the beauty who tames the beast in the well-known fable recreated by Disney and so many others. As he comes to know her more and more, Orasmyn gradually accepts Belle's help. At first, it is only in the smallest of ways; the honey cakes she bakes for him. Then, in the sharing of meals and the forming of their friendship. Eventually, the beast in Orasmyn is annihilated by Belle's goodwill, and he comes to realize his love for her that nearly bursts his heart. He learns his final lesson on the last pages of BEAST, when Belle is late in returning from visiting her ailing father, as in the animated version. Orasmyn is deathly afraid she will never come back. In his fear and longing, the lion Orasmyn does not eat or drink, but fasts because he cannot seem to live without Belle. But as she kneels beside his famished form at her return, Orasmyn comes to know how much he truly does need her love. He cannot live without the love of others, as likewise he cannot know all without their help and advice. BEAST is a lesson in growing up, and in learning to relinquish self-pride.
Then there is the matter of the roses. Orasmyn carries with him to France the book his mother wanted him to read, the one he turns down because no one else knows better than the prince what the prince should read. This book is called Gulistan and means "Rose Garden" in Farsi, the language of Persia. Orasmyn loves to garden. His favorite flowers are his gule sourkhs, his roses, and likewise his favorite gardens are his Gulistans. There is one particular garden which he calls his belaq, sacred garden, because that is where he feels most at peace. After traveling for two years, Orasmyn finally arrives in France, the country that he has heard grows the best roses in the world. Because the only way to break the Pari's curse is to be loved by a woman, Orasmyn decides to culture a gulistan at an abandoned castle in order to lure a woman there; for surely the women in France would be happy among roses. But there is an ugliness to roses too; their thorns, sharp as needles. In Belle's eyes, Orasmyn is a rose, pure in heart and overflowing with beauty, Orasmyn's humanity. She is pricked and afraid at first by his thorns, the beast part of him, his terrifying costume and occasional lion temper. But then, as she begins to know him better, Belle falls in love with the being of Orasmyn, and he in love with her, so that his lion masquerade is melted away.
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Summary: Beautiful Story
Review: Ever since I was a little girl I've been fascinated with the tale of Beauty and the Beast. Ever time I see a book in the library that has this theme I can't resist the temptation to pick it up and Beast proved to be no exception. This book explored a different aspect of the story, the tale of the Beast's journey from man to beast. And Belle seemed to be a completely different character indeed, but more realistic than I have seen her portrayed before. Prince Orasmyn is cursed by a wicked pari, or fairy, after allowing a damaged camel to be sacrificed at the Feast of Sacrifices. This concept may seem strange to the Christain reader, but if you allow your mind to be open and to take in the beliefs of the Muslims then it isn't such a hard thing to believe. One must remember that other religions have different practices we do and this story takes place in ancient times, not in the present. Orasmyn tries to avoid his fate but upon awakening the next morning he finds that he has been transformed into a lion! The only way the curse will be undone is if a human woman falls in love with him. In despair of ever being loved he travels to India to be with other lions, but that doesn't work out so well so he then travels to France, the place that has the best roses in the world, the place where he believes the woman who will love him awaits. (Throughout his travels he prays to the Merciful One and you get the feeling that He is looking out for Orasmyn and will help him find the woman who is meant to break the spell. He protects Orasmyn from death many times.) He finds an abandoned chateau there and plants a rose garden in hopes that he'll attract the woman who will love him and he has no idea how right he is. His romance with Belle isn't swift, but you see them slowly gain the trust of the other and they fall hopelessly in love. The last few pages made me cry, but the end will definitely bring a smile to your face. To the 14 year old critic--I suppose they did not read the author's note at the end of the book. It states: "Charles Lamb's poetry version in 1811 is told with propriety and civility, and it reveals that the beast had been transformed by a wicked fairy. While earlier versions also attributed the transformation to a fairy, Lamb's version named the beast-man Prince Orasmyn, and said that he was from Persia. Given the importance of gardens in Persian history and culture-especially the importance of roses-mixed with the place a lion holds in Persian folklore, the choice of which version of the story to use as a springboard was obvious."
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful Story
Review: Ever since I was a little girl I've been fascinated with the tale of Beauty and the Beast. Every time I see a book in the library that has this theme I can't resist the temptation to pick it up and Beast proved to be no exception. This book explored a different aspect of the story, the tale of the Beast's journey from man to beast. And Belle seemed to be a completely different character indeed, but more realistic than I have seen her portrayed before.
Prince Orasmyn is cursed by a wicked pari, or fairy, after allowing a damaged camel to be sacrificed at the Feast of Sacrifices. This concept may seem strange to the Christain reader, but if you allow your mind to be open and to take in the beliefs of the Muslims then it isn't such a hard thing to believe. One must remember that other religions have different practices we do and this story takes place in ancient times, not in the present. Orasmyn tries to avoid his fate but upon awakening the next morning he finds that he has been transformed into a lion! The only way the curse will be undone is if a human woman falls in love with him. In despair of ever being loved he travels to India to be with other lions, but that doesn't work out so well so he then travels to France, the place that has the best roses in the world, the place where he believes the woman who will love him awaits. (Throughout his travels he prays to the Merciful One and you get the feeling that He is looking out for Orasmyn and will help him find the woman who is meant to break the spell. He protects Orasmyn from death many times.) He finds an abandoned chateau there and plants a rose garden in hopes that he'll attract the woman who will love him and he has no idea how right he is. His romance with Belle isn't swift, but you see them slowly gain the trust of the other and they fall hopelessly in love. The last few pages made me cry, but the end will definitely bring a smile to your face.
To the 14 year old critic--I suppose they did not read the author's note at the end of the book. It states: "Charles Lamb's poetry version in 1811 is told with propriety and civility, and it reveals that the beast had been transformed by a wicked fairy. While earlier versions also attributed the transformation to a fairy, Lamb's version named the beast-man Prince Orasmyn, and said that he was from Persia. Given the importance of gardens in Persian history and culture-especially the importance of roses-mixed with the place a lion holds in Persian folklore, the choice of which version of the story to use as a springboard was obvious."
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Summary: Napoli brings gives us another fairy tale treasure
Review: I have been eagerly awaiting this book since the spring when I learned of its impending publication. The wait is over and I am thrilled with this book. Napoli, who has already wooed me with her gems, The Magic Circle and Zel, explores my favorite fairy tale--Beauty and the Beast--in a new and interesting way. The tale is given to us through the Beast's point of view and begins before the point when the tale usually starts. The Beast struggles with his transformation from human to animal. He seeks beauty and not just in the form of a woman to save him. I do not want to say more and ruin the story. Napoli, a linguist, provides us with not only a beautiful story, but with a book rich with language, although the Beast is deprived of speech. We are also given the opportunity to learn more about Persian and Islamic culture since the Beast is a Persian prince. This book makes a wonderful companion to Robin McKinley's "Beauty" and "Rose Daughter," two other Beauty and the Beast novels for fairy tale fans.
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