Beauty and the Beast
Novels
 Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast, by Robin McKinley: my favourite above all! For once, Beauty isn't beautiful at all and the reason why she works so hard is that she has rather boyish manners! And her sisters are not evil at all, a refreshing change!
Rose Daughter, by Robin McKinley: written twenty years after Beauty. I liked it less than Beauty. First of all, I don't care that much about roses, honestly. Secondly, Beauty spends only seven days with the Beast (alright, seven rather weird days, but seven anyway) and I think it's a bit short. Once again the sisters are not evil at all. I liked the end of the book, though. So, worth reading even so I think it's not as good as Beauty.
Fire Rose, by Mercedes Lackey: I like, I like! Very much. I keep re-reading it over and over. Once again, 'Beauty' isn't beautiful but she has a mind! Funny thing, she loves books and the Beauty of Beauty also... 'Beauty' knows the fairy tales and, another funny thing - that I like - she doesn't compare herself to Beauty but rather to the little mermaid... Wonder why? Go read!
Beast, by Donna Jo Napoli: in reading process, but I know some things even so. The story is told from the Beast's point of view and I was sort of disappointed, because I thought to be the only one to have done that! Too bad for me, I guess...
Short Stories
The Beast, by Tanith Lee (in the anthology Ruby Slippers, Golden Tears): argh. Honestly, as I already said, I have a problem with Tanith Lee's stories. And frankly I didn't like at all the way she treated my favourite fairy tale. The beginning was interesting - though there was no beast - but after it was rather disappointing.
Beast and Beauty, by Vivian Vande Velde (in Tales from the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird): well, I like Vivian Vande Velde, so I liked the tale also. At least someone pointing out that the girl shouldn't be named Beauty :) And the reaction of Beauty at the end is hilarious, but so true!
Pictures Books
Beauty and the Beast, by Marianna Mayer and illustrated by Mercer Mayer: I rather like the pictures and some of them remind me of other stories (am I the only one thinking that the one when Beauty waits in vain near the pond looks like Miranda?). One thing I didn't like in the story: the dreams. I really hate that aspect of the tale and all versions without this element are all the better for me! I mean, Beauty learns to love the Beast, not because there's a handsome prince behind! I think the only case it would suit me was if she truly thought the Beast was the prince's jailer and would hate him for that.
Beauty and the Beast, by Jan Brett: the illustrations are quite astounding and tell a story in parallel, which I liked. The sisters are not evil, or else it isn't said - except they are lazy. I just regret one thing, it's that the book is so short that Beauty's fear at the beginning seems to disappear the very first evening!
Movies
Beauty and the Beast: my favourite Disney ever (but, please, please, delete the Be Our Guest scene; it's fun once and boring after!).Once again, Belle loves books and the Beast begans to win her heart thanks to the wonderful library he gave her... I - at least - watched the DVD of the new version (Special platinum edition, two DVDs, limited edition, blah blah :)) and they did a really good job! Human Again is very nice (why didn't they keep in the way it was in the Broadway show, though?) and fits just perfectly in the story!
Beauty and the Beast - The enchanted Christmas: alright, I gave up and bought it! Actually, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. The songs quite don't go with me (but it seems I don't really have a Christmas spirit), except maybe Forte's song (excellent!), but Forte is a good villain. I didn't like too much Belle saying that the Beast could only be a Beast: at that time, he had already saved her from the wolves!
La Belle et la Bête: sorry for the French title, but it's a French movie, after all, and what a movie! If we could get rid of all the scenes with Beauty's family, it would be a gem! I'm kidding, but it's true that the best scenes are between Beauty and the Beast. Marvellous movie.
Music
Beauty and the Beast (Disney Broadway show): oh my, oh my! I love the soundtrack and I'd love to see the show... At the beginning, I honestly thought that Paige O'Hara (original Belle in the Disney movie) was better than Susan Egan, but after countless listenings, it grew so much on me that now I think the contrary! The new songs are wonderful (especially Home and If I Can't Love Her). Actually I like it so much that I bought twice the CD! And now I have heard A Change in Me on Susan Egan's CD and gosh, I wish it was on the recording also!
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