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Beast

by Donna Jo Napoli (Goodreads Author)

3.44 of 5 stars 3.44 · rating details · 3,631 ratings · 269 reviews

Meet the Beast-- before there was Beauty

Orasmyn is the prince of Persia and heir to the throne. His religion fills his heart and his mind, and he strives for the knowledge and leadership his father demonstrates. But on the day of the Feast of Sacrifices, Orasmyn makes a foolish choice that results in a fairy's wretched punishment: He is turned into a beast, a curse to be

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Paperback, 272 pages

Published June 22nd 2004 by Simon Pulse (first published January 1st 1999)

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The Best Fairytales and Retellings

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Oct 28, 2009 Debbie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2004, fairy-tales, fantasy, young-adult, library, retellings

A YA book, and it reads like one. Still enjoyable though. Beast retells the story of Beauty and the Beast from the perspective of the prince, which is new and interesting. What I really liked though was the different background Napoli gave the prince. Instead of being from European descent, he's the prince of Persia cursed by a fairy. Orasmyn, the prince, is changed into a lion rather than a half-man-half-beast creature. I would have liked it to have been longer though. Napoli does a very good j...more

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Apr 14, 2010 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: beauty-and-beast, fairy, childrens-fairy-tales

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. What is it about "Beauty and the Beast"? There is something about the tale, even the Disney version of the story. I know it's Disney, I know. I know the Disney movie ends with the girl who wants "more than this provenical life" getting married. But there is something about it, even in Disney form. Maybe, the Disney success is because of the artwork and music, or because Belle likes to read, or because Belle does, in fact, save the Beast at the end.

"Cinderella" may be the most cultral diverse fai...more What is it about "Beauty and the Beast"? There is something about the tale, even the Disney version of the story. I know it's Disney, I know. I know the Disney movie ends with the girl who wants "more than this provenical life" getting married. But there is something about it, even in Disney form. Maybe, the Disney success is because of the artwork and music, or because Belle likes to read, or because Belle does, in fact, save the Beast at the end.

"Cinderella" may be the most cultral diverse fairy tale, but "Beauty and the Beast" seems to be more famous.

I know that the B&B tales are believed to be, in some circles, stories that get women, young girls really, use to the idea of marriage, especially marriage to a stranger. I've read various versions; my favorite by far being "East of the Sun, West of the Moon". I've read several French versions (those salon ladies went to town on this tale), including the one where the prince is turned into a beast because he turns down the sexual advances of the fairy. I've read some of the novel length treatments, including Robin McKinley's two versions, both of which are excellent.

Most of these stories are told from the woman's point of view and very little is told about Beast.

Napoli changes that with her book Beast. Most of the story focuses on the adventures of Beast prior to his meeting his Belle (don't worry, that's covered in the book as well). Perhaps the most compelling sequence of the book, as well as the saddest, is when Beast, here in the form of a lion, tries to get use to his new form. He knows that he can no longer be with people, so he tries "hanging" with the lions. This does not work. He is not a lion born, but a lion made and this brings a host of problems.

What Napoli seems to be doing with this sequence and the back story is showcasing what it means to belong as well as what it means to be an animal or human. For the Beast is not an animal, even if he is no longer wholly human. The Beast tries to become the total opposite of what he was prior to his transformation, and this doesn't quite work. It can't work because while we change, we never fully lose what we were at any given point. What Beast is trying to do for much of the book is combine the animal and human part of what he is, the dual side that most people have.

Napoli's book has been challenged and banned in various schools. This is undoubtably due to the Beast's behavior. He gets rather friendly with two female lions. While this raises eyebrows, as I am sure it was intended to, it does make sense. Take a horny seventeen year old, put him in the body of a lion, and then present him a female lion in heat. What do you think he is going to do? What comes across quite clearly in the rather subdued description is the Beast's uncertainity and uncomfortness with what he has done. Here, it seems that Napoli is going back to the old story, but instead of dealing with the question of marriage, it becomes more a question of sex. She seems to be addressing the questions of revulsion, pleasure, and embarassment that surrond the sexual act.

It makes a rather interesting inversion of the actual tale.(less)

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Mar 06, 2008 whalesister rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Interesting retelling of Beauty and the Beast from the Beast's point of view. Beast is a Persian prince who gets turned into a lion. Lots of little details about Islam and life in ancient Persia, but way too much focus on bodily functions from the point of view of a real animal--all lions do is eat, sleep and fornicate, right? A bit graphic in parts, even downright yucky sometimes. I would never give this to my children to read. I would have eliminated one scene completely before ever calling it...more

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Apr 25, 2008 Jen Evans rated it 1 of 5 stars

To be honest I did not finish this book. The beginning was great right up until the main character changes from a man into a beast. Right after that he mates with two lioness and that was a little too much of a beast for me to like. I skipped ahead a bit(something that I never do) and it didn't seem to get any better. I skipped to the end to see if I should finish it and in a matter of a couple sentences the beast turns back into a man because of Belle's love and that is how it ends. Not an endi...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Olivia rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Having read a couple other of Donna Jo Napoli's books I have to say that she is a very good young adult author. I first picked up Beast thinking it was Beastly (since the new movie had come out recently). After I read the description on the book however I realized it was something different, but not completely.
Beast is the story of a Persian prince named Orasmyn who is turned into a lion. The lion is in sharp contrast with his human personality. Prince Orasmyn flourishes in his higher status. H...more Having read a couple other of Donna Jo Napoli's books I have to say that she is a very good young adult author. I first picked up Beast thinking it was Beastly (since the new movie had come out recently). After I read the description on the book however I realized it was something different, but not completely.
Beast is the story of a Persian prince named Orasmyn who is turned into a lion. The lion is in sharp contrast with his human personality. Prince Orasmyn flourishes in his higher status. He is a highly talented gardener and somewhat of a sensitive/immature person. His family has no idea of his transformation and tries to kill him, so he is forced to flee. He then struggles greatly living a lion life. Napoli include scenes of very beast-like behavior. Prince Orasmyn's internal conflicts are immense as he battles with the raw instincts of the lion body and his prince-like nature.
He can no longer handle living in the wild, and so flees to France and takes refuge in an abandoned castle, eventually creating a flourishing rose garden.
Long story shorter: a girl falls in love with him and he is transformed back.

Like I said, something different, but not completely. I enjoyed this fresh take on the famous Beauty and the Beast tale. I appreciated how real Napoli made it seem that Prince Orasmyn actually was a lion. It was interesting to see the rawness of a beast. It was easy to make connections between our struggles as humans to keep our moral standards when challenged with just completely letting go of ourselves. I think we all have times where we let our natural instincts (usually our raw emotions, like anger or sadness) take control over actions. It is not always (or perhaps never) as extreme as it is in the book, but I think we all can relate to the internal conflicts that Orasmyn is battered with. In the book he struggles with keeping his Islamic faith, and unlike other versions I have seen and read, I really felt like the beast took control of Orasmyn sometimes.

Napoli starts off the story with this:
"For help on... matters of Islam and Persian history to matters of India and wildlife.. I thank..." she then goes on to list names.
Throughout the book there are many aspects of Islam and Persian facts that are included. In the beginning you learn a lot about the folklore (as it was a wicked fairy, or pari, that curses him) as well as the religious rituals performed. The use of Farsi and Arabic is continued throughout the book, adding an interesting spice of language to the reading.

A little about the author: Donna Jo Napoli earned her Ph.D in linguistics, and since then has taught at multiple university as a linguistics professor. This explains the French/Farsi/Arabic words throughout Beast. Along with other books, she authored one titled Zel, another version of Rapunzel.

All in all Beast was an interesting tale. Little magic except for the first magical transformation is used in the book, making it seem more real than the usual accounts of Beauty and the Beast. It is a young adult novel, and it definitely feels like one, but who doesn't enjoy a good story?(less)

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Apr 01, 2013 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

i read this back in middle school.i've pretty much forgotten everything about this book.besides one thing i'll probably never forget.
idr how the whole him turning into a beast thing happened.but i remember him being a lion. &while he was a lion he..how do i say this? did it with another lion.that was wrong on so many levels.i think back and cant even believe i read that.
that shouldn't have been in a teen book,or any book at all.why an author would write this is beyond me.so far beyond me i c...more i read this back in middle school.i've pretty much forgotten everything about this book.besides one thing i'll probably never forget.
idr how the whole him turning into a beast thing happened.but i remember him being a lion. &while he was a lion he..how do i say this? did it with another lion.that was wrong on so many levels.i think back and cant even believe i read that.
that shouldn't have been in a teen book,or any book at all.why an author would write this is beyond me.so far beyond me i cant even see it.
also,i think at the beginning he ran into this lady.who was coming onto him or he was liking her.it may have took place in a garden or something.its all vague details to me.but i kinda remember not liking that scene.
beauty &the beast is a good story in theory.but its like the disney movie.how can she actually love a beast?! @least in Beastley the movie,he didnt look like/was an animal.so love is def.more probable. with him as a lioin or wildabeast or w/e it was in disney its like shes falling in love w/an animal.which is gross.
so now im wondering how the girl in here fell in love w/him if he was a lion.i mean,he cant pick up things,touch her,or talk.so how exactly did she love him?
i have to admit,i wanna remember how the book panned out,but idc enough to reread it.i couldnt sit through that lion sex thing again if someone paid me.its bad enough its stuck with me this long.i dont need to refresh my memory &make the memory any more vivid so it can stick with me another six years.no tank-you.
him &that girl and him and the lions (so gross!!!)is like hes betraying the girl he ends up with,too.in a weird,twisted way.
in rachel hawthornes werewolf series the girl asks the guy if hes ever done it with an animal while hes in wolf form.&hes like i cant believe u asked that.thats a realistic &believable reaction.
but in here,if the girl asked him if he did that,well,he'd have a totally different reaction.
i dont even wanna know how that conversation would pan out.
gross to the max.i could go on forever about how gross/wrong/trashy/disgusting that was,but ill just end it here.
by the way,the cover sucks.(less)

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Feb 12, 2013 Katie Fidiam rated it 5 of 5 stars

Beast I found TOTALLY randomly. I was in 8th grade and I needed a book for a book report (I had to do four of them...this was either the first or second because after that I started doing the Series of Unfortunate Events). I was wandering around my local library, looking for something to catch my eye and there was Beast. My first thought was "...Beauty and the Beast?" and I was right. This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast but from the Beast's point of view instead of Beauty's. The Beast in...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Brittany rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I really wanted to like this book, the interesting twist in being told from the male perspective, in plot elements by making the curse have a religious reason, the Muslim overtones with the different culture.

Right away I was getting irritated with the constant vocabulary words being fed to me and quickly defined. The relationship he has with his parents, especially his father and his part within the curse is interesting and then never fleshed out or picked up again.

I mentally rebelled again a pr...more

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Jul 17, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

I actually really loved this book! For starters, Beauty and The Beast is one of my favorite stories ever so it wasn't really hard for me to get into it because it is adding depth to characters that I have already come to know and love. A few weeks ago I read Beauty by Robin McKinley and I love that but I will say that Beast was completely differnt. Beauty was still kind of enchanted and Beast was just fascinating. I was incredibly impressed at how much detail there was in the book. There were se...more

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Apr 29, 2012 Jana Merrill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-lit-all-25

Have you ever wondered what Beast's side of the story was from Beauty and the Beast? Well, this book give a unique story of who Beast was and how he came to meet Belle. I really enjoyed this book because I love it when authors expand upon an already well known and loved story. There were some times where the book was a bit boring, like when Orasmyn travels from Persia to India and then from India to France, but other than that I loved it. And holy cow, Donna Jo Napoli did a lot of research! She...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Liz Winn rated it 2 of 5 stars

Most readers know how the story of Beauty and the Beast turns out (cursed prince must win the love of lady to become human again and succeeds), but how it all began is a completely different matter. Here, at last, the Beast's origins are revealed. Prince Orasmyn is a Persian prince with a fondness for reading and gardening--especially roses. But when he angers a vindictive fairy and is turned into a lion, she tells him that his only hope of breaking the curse is to win the unconditional love of...more

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Oct 23, 2011 Sinai rated it 3 of 5 stars

What I like best about Beauty and the Beast retellings, is the actual love that Beauty and the Beast develop slowly with each other. I love watching them fall in love. This book however, has Beauty coming in with a mere 50 pages left in the book. It seemed like the romance would be rushed...and in my opinion, it was. It's not that I didn't like the book--I loved how the Beast was a Muslim and he was very religious, since I love reading about religion. It was something I had never heard of before...more

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Feb 14, 2011 Jenina added it

The book "Beast" by Donna Jo Napoli is a 255 page book. A Persian prince is cursed and transfromed into a beast. The fairy who cursed him tells his father of how his life will be. He also happened to be the beast the Shah(king of all persia) wanted to kill with his bare hands. Being a beast and prince at the same time made it difficult for him to live his life as a lion or a prince. So the beast goes on a journey to France. There he found a castle which was known to be haunted. There he cared fo...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Dominique rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-impressed

In this novel a Persian prince is cursed because he sacrificed an unclean camel to his God. Through out the book he tries to come to term with his curse and tries to live his new life. Eventually he realizes that he needs to find a female to break the curse and travels to find the one person who will see past his appearance and fall in love.

This book lacked the appeal of other Beauty and the Beast stories that I have read. The prince didn't seem human to me after he transformed where as in othe...more

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Sep 01, 2010 Alexandria rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is once again one of those books I bought, picked up and put back down again - as you can tell I have a lot of them.
This is Beauty and the Beast with some amazing turns to it.
It is the story of Orasmyn who is a prince of persia.
The opening chapters of the books tell us of a sacrifice day and the preparations he makes and of the major error he commits that lands him a curse. A curse that his father will kill him.
One major difference in this book to various other Beauty and the Beast nove...more This is once again one of those books I bought, picked up and put back down again - as you can tell I have a lot of them.
This is Beauty and the Beast with some amazing turns to it.
It is the story of Orasmyn who is a prince of persia.
The opening chapters of the books tell us of a sacrifice day and the preparations he makes and of the major error he commits that lands him a curse. A curse that his father will kill him.
One major difference in this book to various other Beauty and the Beast novels I have read is that he knows that he has made a mistake and is willing to face the punishment - not wanting anyone else to suffer because of his error.
There is the part when he mates as a lion which I thought was a bit WEIRD and the really descriptive bits where he is eating are a bit nasty. The funniest and only amusing part to the story really is when he assumes that Beauty is a little girl and he is always calling her 'my child' he is preparing for his 'little girl' to arrive. It is kind of cute when he is trying to make sure that everything is alright for when she arrives. So that she won't starve or freeze etc. *shrug* I thought it was cute anyway.
The book covers a few years though they are glossed over rather quickly and mainly consist of him travelling. The book cover three major places. India, Persia and France.
The back of the book has some comments from different reviews given from various sources one being "an elegantly sensual retelling of 'Beauty and the Beast'" and I would be inclined to agree. As the entire novel is from Orasmyn's point of view there is plenty of description and especially as he is the lion for most of it. The description is rich and deep and as I have mentioned more than a little icky when we get him eating.
I will give this 3 out of 5 I think. Mainly because of the major nastiness of his eating - I discovered that I have a bit of a weak stomach :-/. Also because there is about 70 pages of Beauty - they aren't kidding when they say 'meet the Beast - before there was a Beauty' and as you know I am a romance freak. There are also bits that confuse me and I can't quite get. I also found the ending a bit abrupt and would love it if I found out that there is a sequel.

(less)

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Dec 12, 2009 Zoe rated it 1 of 5 stars

I can't say that I really enjoyed this book. It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, a story that I love, but in this case I didn't find that the retelling improved on the story at all. The premise is intriguing enough: this is Beast's story, starting from before he met Beauty and explaining how and why he came to be a Beast. Unfortunately, I thought the reason for his transformation was unsatisfying, the descriptions of his time as a beast were distasteful, and he was a pretty unlikeable char...more I can't say that I really enjoyed this book. It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, a story that I love, but in this case I didn't find that the retelling improved on the story at all. The premise is intriguing enough: this is Beast's story, starting from before he met Beauty and explaining how and why he came to be a Beast. Unfortunately, I thought the reason for his transformation was unsatisfying, the descriptions of his time as a beast were distasteful, and he was a pretty unlikeable character overall.

Beast is set in Persia, and the protagonist is a prince. As his servant is preparing a camel for sacrifice at a religious festival, he notices that the camel has a scar that makes it unfit for this sacrifice. The servant has no alternative camel ready, an oversight that could result in a severe penalty, possibly even death. The prince, who has a good heart and a dislike for the suffering of others, weighs the risks and benefits and decides that the camel should be sacrificed despite the flaw. This will save the servant and help the people, who receive portions of the meat. And, he reasons, God is merciful.

It's not entirely clear why this reasoning breaks down. The prince is turned into a beast (a lion, in particular) not by God, but by the angry spirit of the camel. I can't honestly say why the camel was angry, because it wasn't explained what exactly happens to an animal that is sacrificed inappropriately. For whatever reason, though, the prince is punished for his attempt to do good by being turned into a lion, and the curse will only be broken if he wins a woman's love (this part is explained by the camel being female, though again, the logic here isn't entirely clear to me). Needless to say, if the goal is to bring the Beast to life by providing his backstory, the backstory needs to make sense. I wasn't exactly satisfied in this regard.

So then the prince is a lion, and does lion things. Although as a man he has never laid eyes on a women other than his mother, his first act as a lion is to mate with some female lions in the palace hunting grounds. This wasn't described in very much detail, but I still could have done without it. I just didn't need to hear about his “thrusting”. Also, note that this is a YA book, or possibly even children's. The prince also spends a lot of his time hunting, which I didn't find very interesting. Basically, I wasn't really into the story until the requisite scene where Belle's father encounters the beast while seeking shelter from the storm; i.e., until Napoli's story converges with the traditional version. Unfortunately, this didn't happen until more than halfway through.

I did enjoy the development of the Beast's relationship to Belle, but I couldn't fully like him because of the way he treated her pet fox. This fox was possibly the best character in the story; he was loving, playful, loyal, forgiving, and basically wonderful all around. And the Beast constantly thought things along the lines of “What a stupid animal” or “That foolish fox....”, for no particular reason that I could see. I'm not sure how he changed from someone who seemed so compassionate initially into someone who thought badly about innocent animals; and no matter how well he treated Belle, I think his ideas about the fox were more telling about his personality.

So, an initially likeable man is transformed into a beast because he made a religious error while trying to help others; once he's a beast, he becomes less likeable rather than learning any sort of valuable lesson.

I've enjoyed other books by Donna Jo Napoli in the past, but I think I'll stick to Robin McKinley for Beauty and the Beast.(less)

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Apr 18, 2013 Fairytalecritic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: beauty-and-the-beast-retellings

I really love Napoli because although her books are not necessarily more adult, they are generally more mature than other YA fairy tale retellings. In most of the books I’ve read by her, she really tries to get into some of the thematic issues of these stories and really explore characters from perspectives that I don’t often see from other writers.

I think that in this book, Napoli is concerned with the story of the beast, what that struggle of man versus animal must have been for him, so really...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Eden rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-to-buy

Orasmyn is a young prince. But his makes one mistake and it angers a pari who curses him. He must leave behind his family and Persia. He makes his way to India and back, then finally to France, where he meets Belle.

I know the story of Beauty and the Beast, like I'm sure many do, from the Disney movie. But this book caught my eye, it is the story of the beast and how he was cursed, how he had to become accustomed to being a lion so he could survive. He left behind everything he knew. Orasmyn stru...more

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Mar 15, 2008 Kirsten rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-pre-12-07, from-library

A truly original take on Beauty & the Beast. Prince Orasmyn is heir to the throne of Persia, and is deeply religious and gentle, though intensely proud. When he makes a foolish mistake, he is turned into a lion by a pari, and will remain in that shape until he is loved by a woman. Napoli treats the beast in a highly realistic manner; he is very much an animal, albeit one who remembers what it was to be human.

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Dec 14, 2010 Meggen rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-ya, fantasy-fairytale

Beauty and the beast from the Beast's perspective. The beast, a Persian prince named Orasmyn, was turned into a lion when he messes up an ancient ritual. He journeys to India and then France, trying to find a place to live where he will be accepted by either the lions, or a girl who can grow to love him enough to break the spell.

Somehow, Donna Jo Napoli must have thought that sexual content in her book was okay once the character becomes a lion. I disagree, and didn't appreciate having it there....more

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Apr 20, 2009 Jacqueline rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009

Another enjoyable read by Napoli. Admittedly, I liked it more than Spinners but this is due to my love for the Moorish Renaissance era and the lore of Napoli's retelling of Beauty and the Beast involves a detailed story of a Persian Prince being cursed and his self-banishment from his own land all the way to France. I was consequently enchanted and read it in one sitting.

Like Spinners, the ending is abrupt, so I must now conclude that this is Napoli's style when it comes to fairytale retellings....more

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Apr 14, 2013 Lindsey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tales

This is the story of the Beast. Napoli does some interesting things with the classic Beauty and the Beast...first, the setting is in Persia at the beginning of the story and has some great details about life, relgion and tradition. After the princes transformation to a lion he roams across the land until finally he ends up in France. Perhaps not he is not as spoiled as he is egotistical (thinking things below his dignity or that he alone can do it) we see the Beast change over time and see his i...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fairy tale, romance, and animal lovers.

Recommended to Nicole by: Librarian in High School

Shelves: fairy-tale-retellings

To this day, reading this book again has left me with the strangest of feelings. This is the kind of book that appears as one thing, then starts off in the most unexpected of settings. By the end, though, it turns around to find you on the edge of your seat and cheering once that last page comes. It is a book that rewards you if you stick to the journey that it's taking you on, which is one of sometimes tedious self discovery, but also unusual circumstance.

Our main character, Prince Orasmyn, is...more
To this day, reading this book again has left me with the strangest of feelings. This is the kind of book that appears as one thing, then starts off in the most unexpected of settings. By the end, though, it turns around to find you on the edge of your seat and cheering once that last page comes. It is a book that rewards you if you stick to the journey that it's taking you on, which is one of sometimes tedious self discovery, but also unusual circumstance.

Our main character, Prince Orasmyn, is the "Beast" of the story, and unlike the popular Disney movie, this book is told entirely from his point of view. In this way, it gives us the unusual chance to look at the "Beauty and the Beast" tale from another angle completely because we are allowed to see what led up to the curse put on the Prince that turned him into the "Beast". The telling is innovative, rooted in the Persian culture flawlessly, and has a tale 5% of magic and 95% charm and struggle. The book starts off in the center of Persia, and as such, is a book that is teeming with culture and not afraid of itself at all. It guides you through everything by the hand, making it easy for you to understand what's going on and taking you step by step through what struck me as a cultural change of dramatic effect. I know very little of Persian culture or their religious beliefs, but even if everything seemed strange to me, I was able to get into the book fairly easily. Not to mention, just because the environment is unusual, it didn't detract from the interest of the story whatsoever. Odd though the various situations were, they were suspenseful, strange, and still intriguing.

While many people may be turned away by a book that has such an odd beginning, and may lose hope of any of these "Beauty and the Beast" vibes by the time the middle of the book hits, the very best part is once you get over that middle mountain. But this style of book does end up with me needing to give the warning: This is a book primarily of self-discovery as opposed to a direct romance. The romantic aspects, while present, come as a much later spice to this meal. It's there and it only intensifies the beauty of the story, but it is not what you should be counting on seeing from beginning to end. More, the romance aspect of this book comes as a reward as Prince Orasmyn grows more and more. As far as I'm concerned, that's what made the book so engaging in the first place and what makes the payoff at the end so worthwhile. To travel with this Prince who truly thinks he knows all and can suffer no consequences until he learns naturally about the world and how to survive makes for an interesting journey. When love and possible freedom from the curse cast on him come, it makes all of the small, gradual changes inside of him that much more beautiful.

I think that's the final word I can say about this book. The subtlety and rewards at the end are what make it all the more enjoyable a read. While some people may find the build-up boring or dull, the few who don't mind a bit of adventuring while they wait for the gradual romantic moments to come will find this book worthwhile.

Final Recommendation

Taking that into mind, I would call this one a library book for most, especially those interested solely in the romantic aspects. Trying it out to see if it's up your alley is a much better idea than spending the money on it if you're not sure. For those who enjoy fairy-tale retellings however, this is a book that will 100% add diversity into your collection. I would definitely recommend you buying it. It's not shy and it's not dainty either. It is openly bold and has a peculiar beauty to it that I'm sure many people would appreciate if they gave it the chance and didn't let themselves get caught off guard by the unusual choice of settings and characters.

Definitely give this one a shot. You might find it all worth it should you choose to stick with it to the end.(less)

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Mar 17, 2013 Jacqueline Nukaya rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-literature-2-2

Dona Jo Napoli chose to take a different perspective on your typical "Beauty and the Beast" Fairy tale. The beast is actually a young persian prince. When he sacrifices a bad camel during The feast of Sacrifices he is cursed that his father will kill him the next day. Orasmyn confesses to his father, and they come up with a plan that will prevent Orasymn from dying. Unfortunately, The prince is turned into a lion and decides to flee persia. After realizing that he will never be a true lion he fl...more

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Jul 17, 2010 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: beauty-and-the-beast

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Feb 06, 2011 Music_lover3 rated it 1 of 5 stars

I tried to get through this book, but I couldn't make it past around 40 pages, for a few reasons. One, the book was kind of boring. Two, I didn't really get why this kid was changed into a beast. He was a pretty decent kid. A little arrogant (he is a prince, that's pretty much expected), but nothing terrible. Instead of being turned because of being a jerk, he was turned into a beast because of a religious mishap. He made a stupid mistake at a sacrificing ritual and that's why he was changed int...more

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Jan 07, 2011 Anita rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fairy-tale

This is an interesting twist on Beauty and the Beast told from the perspective of the Prince who is turned into a Lion by a fairy. The prince is the son of the Sha of all Persia and heir to the throne. When he makes a decision to sacrifice a camel that was blemished, to save the life of a friend, an angry fairy curses him and says that until he has the love of a human woman he will be in the form of a lion. The prince struggles with the new body of the lion and must beware his father who has swo...more

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Feb 02, 2011 Katie rated it 2 of 5 stars

*Warning: Contains Spoilers*

Well, I didn't really like it. It's supposed to be from the Beast's perspective, and it is. That would have been enough of a twist on the story, I think. However, she made it completely weird. First of all, there's no magic, except for the curse that turns him into a lion. There are no servants in his castle either. Belle pretty much does hard labor her entire time in the castle, which is damp, cold, dirty, and abandoned, with very little food. Definitely not a fairy...more

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Apr 23, 2009 Cindy rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a very interesting take on the Beauty and the Beast story, starring the Beast instead of Beauty.

This book starts with the Beast, actually a son of the Sultan of Persia, and heir to the throne, in his home country preparing for a traditional Islamic sacrifice. By making a mistake, he upsets a jinn who curses him and turns him into the beast, a lion. In order to avoid his father hunting him down and to find a maid who will love him, the new lion leaves his native Persia, wandering first to...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Myla Abujan rated it 2 of 5 stars

Despite my fondness of reading fairytale retellings, I can't say I enjoyed this version of Beauty and the Beast very well. First off, when the story was narrating in the POV of the Beast, it sounded like it was trying too hard to seem all animalistic and I couldn't get into the story at all. Secondly, it just seemed too orientated with the Beast's lion adventures and it didn't focus a lot on the relationship with Beauty. Also, it ended too abruptly. I know they had their Happy Ever After but the...more

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About Donna Jo Napoli

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Donna Jo Napoli is both a linguist and a writer of children's and YA fiction.

Donna Jo has five children. She dreams of moving to the woods and becoming a naturalist. She loves to garden and bake bread.

At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. For thirteen years she had a cat named Taxi, and liked to go outside and call, "Taxi!" to...more

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