Belle: A Retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" [Mass Market Paperback]

The "Once Upon a Time" books are a series of relatively slim volumes that retell traditional fairytales, usually in an updated setting (Water Song: A Retelling of "The Frog Prince" (Once Upon a Time) for example is set during WWII), and with the magical elements removed. "Belle" is an exception to this rule, as it is set in your typical 19th century time-period and with plenty of emphasis on enchantment and mystery in its second half.

Glancing at some of the other reviews, one can see that many have compared "Belle" with Robin McKinley's Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast. This is inevitable really since her version is probably the most famous rendition of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale (save for the Disney movie, of course). It is a *little* unfair though to compare the two considering both authors have based their stories on the French fairytale "Le Belle et le Bette" by Charles Perrault, and any similarities are the result of their fidelity to this source material, and not an attempt at plagiarism (and Dokey manages to get in a few of her own original ideas).

However, as fate would have it, I recently read and reviewed McKinley's version, and so inevitably comparisons *do* arise when reading the two of them back-to-back. And yet for various reasons "Beauty" did not rank very highly with me (often it felt a bit padded in all the wrong places), and so I was interested to see what a new author could do with the same story with a lower page-count.

Like McKinley's "Beauty," the title character is not as beautiful as her name would suggest, and she's constantly compared to her stunning elder sisters who (unlike their counterparts in Perrault's tale) are not spoilt and selfish at all, but loving and affectionate toward Belle. However, whereas McKinley's Hope and Grace were virtually indistinguishable, Dokey's Celeste and April both have distinct personalities and relationships with their sister. In fact, Dokey puts a huge amount of emphasis on Belle's family; including her mother (possibly the first version in which she's still alive), her father, and her foster grandfather "Grand-Pere LeGrand."

Belle is constantly overshadowed by her sisters, but finds solace in her wood-working skills. Since she was a child, Belle has been able to "feel" what a piece of wood desires to be carved into, and whittles away at it accordingly. But when her father's merchant ships are lost and her sister's love goes missing at sea (the only echo of "Beauty" that feels uncomfortable, as I'm fairly certain that this lost-at-sea fiancée plot was McKinley's original invention) the family must relocate to a country house near a mysterious woods. When her father returns home after a business trip, he takes a detour in the woods and finds a castle...and yet foolishly takes something from its garden that does not belong to him, resulting in his youngest daughter being the price for his freedom.

This "something" is not the traditional red-rose, but the bough of a vaguely-magical tree called the Heartwood Tree, which has its own sad history concerning a pair of lovers who were separated by death. Another interesting variation is that the Beast does not propose to Belle every night, but rather challenges her to look into his eyes for five seconds, for "that is how quickly a life may change, for better or for ill. The time it takes to make up, or change your mind."

There are also some lovely images here, such as the Heartwood Tree that blooms red and white flowers, which mingle into a pink tapestry of petals on the ground, or the various gates and doorways of the castle that are decorated with the images of a man and a woman: when they are closed, their outstretched hands are joined; when they are opened, they are parted.

However, there are just as many concepts that feel messy or convoluted. Apparently Belle is so eclipsed by her sisters' extraordinary beauty that no one can see her when she stands between them. That's...a bit weird. Furthermore, the heart of any "Beauty and the Beast" retelling should always be the relationship between the two title characters (I mean, duh, right?) Unfortunately, we are well over halfway through the book (chapter eighteen out of twenty-three) before we finally get to meet the Beast, and the impending romance feels rushed as a result. There is some rather shaky commentary on concepts like "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and "the face of true love", but these are ideas that are *mentioned* rather than explored, resulting in messages like this: "to find true love, you must look with love's eyes." Er...thanks book. That's real helpful.

If you're going to retell a fairytale, there should be something new to say, something that makes you look at the story in a different way. I'm just not sure that's achieved here, though naturally that will differ for different readers. These books have never pretended to be anything but quick and breezy reads. Two stars may seem like a low grade, but in my book it ranks as "fair." While it lasted, I enjoyed "Belle", though it's certainly not the best Dokey retelling in the "Once Upon a Time" collection.

It is hard for me not to enjoy this book simply because this is one of my favorite fairy tales. On top of that, Cameron Dokey is the best out of all the authors writing for the Once Upon a Time series. Although Belle may have similarities to McKinley's book, it should not be dismissed. While McKinley is a master when it comes to re-telling Beauty and the Beast, Dokey adds her own elements to the story. While the author does not fully describe certain aspects of the original fairy tale, such as the magical element, I do feel she has added her own twist upon the tale in the form of the heartwood tree. There is just something that rings true about wanting to see your true love's face. The book deals with the idea of true beauty in a unique way. By not being able to see what the heartwood branch holds, Belle starts to question herself and the world around her. She learns that she has to have patience and see the people around her in a different light than she is used to. Of course, this transformation does not start when she joins the Beast in his castle. All the members in her family (except perhaps her father) start to change as soon as they move into the country. Still, the symbolism found throughout the castle serve to further her realization. I suppose what I like best about this book is how deftly the author has interwoven the theme of true beauty. She doesn't waste any words, she doesn't have any unnecessary side plots. And it's a tale that needs to be heard. After all, don't we all need to learn how to see true beauty in both ourselves and others?

Having been a fan of this series, especially Snow and both Dokey's and Wryn's tales, I eagerly anticipated this novel. I bought it the day it came out and read it before going to bed. It was a quick and easy read, holding my attention.

Dokey does an excellent job at creating lovable and realistic characters complete with human nuances and flaws. I adored Belle's oldest sister, the realness about her, and the relationship between her and Belle seemed tangible. Belle's family unit was fun to watch and learn about.

The stories of the Wood, incorporating the Beast, and creating a visually delicious setting also added to the retelling of the story. I liked the unusual "rose" of the story, and enjoyed the tales behind the tale. Dokey's unique twist on the story did not take away any of the essence of Beauty and the Beast.

The one complaint I had for the story was it was more a story of Belle and less of Beauty and the Beast. I know the title of the story is called Belle, but the interaction with the Beast did not come into play until halfway through the novel. While I feel this is not necessarily a flaw, I found myself impatiently waiting for the conversations and interaction of Belle and the beast. When they did meet, I felt it was slightly rushed. While I believed the relationship between the two characters, it was not as potent as Beauty Sleep, Story-teller's Daughter, and other romances in her other novels.

Still, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel, and enjoyed seeing more of Belle's life and how she became who she was. I just wanted a bit more of her time with the beast, too. The story is well worth the read if you are a fan of the fairytale and series, and definitely a good rainy day read.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 20 reviews  3.4 out of 5 stars