Disney Beauty and the Beast Book of the Film by Elizabeth RudnickMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
The newest live action adaption from Disney is of their classic tale that kick started the Reiancassiance age of their animation department: Beauty and the Beast. The tale as old as time - a morality tale on how true beauty lies within - has never actually been one of my favourites. It still isn't, if I am being honest. That is to be clear: the Disney version is not one of my favourites. I'm sure there's versions of it out there that I quite like, but at the moment I'm struggling to think of any.
That isn't to say that I dislike the film, I just don't rate it highly for my personal tastes. Which is why I started this book with a sense of ... resignation. I enjoy Elizabeth Rudnick's writing and while this isn't my favourite tale, her writing is enjoyable enough to be able to read through it.
Here's another thing that will get me shot: I prefer the live-action to the animation. Which means, yes, I enjoyed this book of the film more than I thought I would. LeFou in particular is fun to read, his status as perhaps the only sane man of the village adding a layer to the character that allows them to become more than a walking joke. The added bonus of a scene from the book of LeFou asking the Enchantress if all the pain that her curse caused just to teach one person a lesson is very poignant. While I know in the original tale, the Prince casting the Enchantress away is a case of breaking the rule of Scared Hospitality and generally a test of character from the Fair Folk, it does not remove the argument of the Enchantress being the true villain of the piece. But I'll leave that fan-theorying for much later on.
Overall, it's a fun read, especially if you've seen the movie. It manages to have the song sequences flow well - though without making any of them sing - and generally is a fun little read that will make you smile.
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