Beauty and the Beast

About the book

Beauty responds to her family's loss of wealth with practical care, unlike sisters whose expectations remain fixed on rank and luxury. When her father returns from a strange palace with a dreadful obligation, she chooses to take responsibility for the danger connected with his visit. Life with the Beast then turns fear into a continuing problem of judgment: what should count as evidence of character, and how should gratitude, affection, and appearance be distinguished? This short English version places the story within an openly moral framework, contrasting habits of generosity with envy and vanity. Its enchantment depends less on elaborate world-building than on repeated meetings and promises, allowing a small number of choices to carry the emotional weight of the tale.

• Appearance and character
• Promises
• Generosity and envy

Why read it

For a concise fairy tale that makes the act of judging another person central to its enchantment.

English version of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's tale