Beauty

Author: Robin McKinley
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright Date: 1978
Number of Pages: 246
Reading Level: Ages 9-12






Summary
A young girl named Honour, known as Beauty by all as a nickname given to her when she was very young, believes herself to be very plain and not at all beautiful. She comes to dislike the nickname that was chosen for her because of this view that she has for herself. Her father is a very wealthy merchant at the beginning of the book and her two sisters are beautiful and doted on by all of the people in town. In contrast, Beauty spends her time reading books and educating herself, with the goal of future schooling in mind. However a great disaster befalls the family when several of her father's ships are either destroyed or go missing. With the help of a family friend, and future husband to one of Beauty's sisters, Ger, the family relocates to a very small town in the country. Ger becomes a blacksmith and Beauty's father becomes a carpenter. The family lives on the edge of a great forest which the family is warned is enchanted. One day word comes to Beauty's father that one of the ships that had been missing has returned. He sets out immediately. Before he leaves he asks his daughters what they desire him to bring back from the city. The two beautiful sisters ask for jewelry whereas Beauty asks for the seeds of Roses so that she can grow a garden. On the night of a great blizzard their father returns with two full sacks and a single red red rose. The next day he tells them his story. On his way home he had been caught up in a great blizzard and was eventually lost in the enchanted woods. He came upon a path that led to an enchanted castle. There, he was made very comfortable and spent the night. However, in the morning as he journeyed towards the edge of the castle grounds he plucked a single rose from the great garden. A giant beast appeared and angrily proclaimed that for stealing from him the man would be destroyed. However, when the man explained his story and how he simply wanted to give Beauty her flowers the beast is somewhat understanding and states that instead of killing him he would let the man send one of his daughters to the beast. Either that or he would return to the beast in a month and be killed. The daughter would have to come of her own free will however. When their father finishes the story the daughters are astonished. Beauty bravely offers to go in her fathers stead. With some convincing, it is decided that she will do so. She arrives at the enchanted castle and is at first very fearful of the great Beast, when the beast is seeking companionship, a wife. Over time Beauty comes to care for the Beast but when she hears word that her sister's happiness could be at stake the Beast allows her to return to her family for a week. He gives her a rose and tells her to return before the rose has died, because he cannot live without her and when the rose is dead, it means that he will be too. Beauty returns to her family and spends a week and a day there. The final day that she stays she is only thinking of the Beast and worrying for his safety. She struggles to return to the Beast as the enchantments that would lead her to him are weak because he is close to death. When she finds him he is laying on the floor very close to death. She tells him that she has grown to love him and that she is willing to marry him. Suddenly the beast is transformed into a handsome prince. At the end of the story Beauty looks in the mirror for the first time in several years and realizes that she is truly beautiful now. The prince, now no longer the Beast, and Beauty are married at the very end of the book in a huge ceremony where her sister is married to her true love, and her father is married to a woman.

Personal Response
I absolutely loved this book. It is full of adventure, excitement, love, passion, hope, beauty, persona trial, and even humor. The author's writing style and technique is advanced. In my opinion this book should have received an award for its excellence.

Potential Problems
This book contains some stereotypes of beauty and ugliness.

Recommended to...
I would recommend this to young girls that are starting to grow up and become more aware of themselves.