It’s our last LIT(erature) Summer episode and the end of Season One! We’re looking at the original 18th Century French fairy tale Beauty and the Beast and trying (unsuccessfully) to not reference Disney. We delve into other Beast and Beauty tales and the lasting impact of the story on literature, film, and culture.
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Further Reading
Prominent Adaptations
- 1987 TV series
- 1991 Disney animated film
- 1997 The Beautician and the Beast
- 2011 Beastly
- 2012 TV series
- 2014 French film
- 2017 Disney live-action remake
Novel Retellings
- Beauty and Rose Daughter, Robin McKinley
- Beastly, Alex Flinn
- A Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah J. Maas
- Hunted, Megan Spooner
- Cruel Beauty, Rosamund Hodge
- The Beast’s Heart, Leife Shallcross
- Uprooted, Naomi Novik
Rhonda’s blog post on Disney Princesses as Jane Austen heroines
Dark origins of Beauty and the Beast (this article credits de Beaumont, unfortunately, but it gives a great background on the sources for the tale)
An illustrated edition of the original novella
Andrew Lang’s Blue Fairy Book
Psychology of Beauty and the Beast
A look at the psychology in the Disney musical
Deconstructing the myth of women loving men into better people
Get Help
I feel it would be irresponsible not to include some resources here.
If you or someone you know is involved in an abusive relationship and want help, visit Futures Without Violence.
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
For help and information anytime, contact:
National Domestic Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
TTY 1-800-787-3224
National Sexual Assault Hotline
1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
