The Beast’s Heart: A Novel of Beauty and the Beast

The Beast’s Heart is a slow-burning retelling of “Beauty and the Beast” told from the Beast’s perspective.

The “Beauty” in this retelling is named Isabeau, who leaves her family to live with the Beast. I have an unnatural affinity for fairy tale retellings and found this particular adaptation a delight to read. In this story, the Beast spends some time watching Isabeau and her family through a magic mirror. During his viewing, the Beast finds out that while Isabeau’s absence torments her family for a time, eventually they learn to live without her, becoming better and more independent people. When Isabeau leaves the Beast to visit her family, she finds that she’s out of place and yearns to return to him.

While the story is told from the Beast’s perspective, I found the emphasis on Isabeau’s family unique. The Beast learns about himself and is given time to ponder his family’s origins as well. Some might find the Beast to be manipulative and voyeuristic. Much like in other retellings, his insistence on proposing to Isabeau almost daily is creepy. His voice in the story has the potential to turn moody, and it borders on whining at times. Those nitpicks aside, this fairytale retelling was vibrant and unique, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys fairy tales and happy endings.