Donna Jo Napoli’s BEAST is a modern retelling of the classic tale Beauty and the Beast told from the point of view of the Beast. Borrowing details from Charles Lamb’s retelling written in 1811, Napoli begins the story in Persia with a young prince named Orasmyn. After a religious mistake--sacrificing an animal unfit for sacrifice--the young man is cursed by a fairy “pari” and transformed into a lion. Told that only a woman’s love would break the spell, Orasmyn wanders Persia, India, and all the way to France making peace with his new self. Not expecting to ever even meet a young woman face to face--let alone try to woo her--he settles in an abandoned castle until one day...While readers will always be familiar with traditional fairy tales, new retellings offer great pleasure adding new depth and perspectives to old stories.
Charles Lamb's Beauty and the Beast, 1811
SurLaLune: The Annotated Beauty and the Beast
SurLaLune: Modern Interpretations of Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and The Beast Home
http://www.donnajonapoli.com/
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