Flinn, Alex. Beastly.FLINN, Alex. Beastly beast·ly adj. beast·li·er, beast·li·est 1. Of or resembling a beast; bestial. 2. Very disagreeable; unpleasant. adv. Chiefly British To an extreme degree; very. . HarperCollins. 320p. c2007 978-0-06-087416-2. $16.99. (Lib. bdg: 978-0-06-087417-9. $17.89.) S In this updated retelling re·tell·ing n. A new account or an adaptation of a story: a retelling of a Roman myth. of "Beauty and the Beast Beauty and the Beast is a traditional fairy tale (type 425C -- search for a lost husband -- in the Aarne-Thompson classification). The first published version of the fairy tale was a meandering rendition by Madame Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve, published in ," handsome, spoiled 16-year-old Kyle is cursed by a witch for being unkind and selfish. He is turned into a furry, clawed monster, and the witch tells him he has two years to find someone who will love him, despite his looks, or remain a beast forever. Periodic entries from an online chat room for those also afflicted af·flict tr.v. af·flict·ed, af·flict·ing, af·flicts To inflict grievous physical or mental suffering on. [Middle English afflighten, from afflight, by curses (a frog, a mermaid, etc.) provide some comic relief comic relief n. A humorous or farcical interlude in a serious literary work or drama, especially a tragedy, intended to relieve the dramatic tension or heighten the emotional impact by means of contrast. , but essentially this is a deeply felt version of the familiar tale as Kyle relates his story of transformation: first into a monster, and then into a caring being. His cold, wealthy father hides Kyle away in a mansion in Brooklyn, where a housekeeper and a blind tutor attend him. There he learns to appreciate literature and grow roses, and he kidnaps a lonely classmate with whom he falls in love. Will she learn to love him? The modern-day trappings of this fairy tale fairy tale Simple narrative typically of folk origin dealing with supernatural beings. Fairy tales may be written or told for the amusement of children or may have a more sophisticated narrative containing supernatural or obviously improbable events, scenes, and personages may help give it new meaning to YAs. Librarians and teachers might want to point readers to other recent reworkings of the story, such as Donna Jo Napoli's Beast and Robin McKinley's Rose Daughter. It's a departure from Flinn's realistic YA novels (Diva, Breathing Underwater, etc.), but YAs will appreciate her storytelling skills and her flawed but ultimately sympathetic main character. Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT S--Recommended for senior high school students. |
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