Before the Beast

by Karen Fyke Kirchel

Before there was a fairy tale about Beauty and the Beast, there was a myth about Cupid and Psyche. Their story first appeared in written form around AD 160 in The Golden Ass by Lucius Apuleius, although it existed centuries before in oral tradition. Before the Beast moves Psyche to Thrace, around the region of present-day Bulgaria and about the time of Celtic and Greek wars within Thrace (500 BC). This move allows for lushly beautiful settings and diverse landscapes. More importantly, it also explains why, even though the Greeks influenced Psyche s life, she did not understand the importance of the worship of Aphrodite. Her lack of understanding was the root of her problems and is not explained in the original written tale.

Genres: Mythology

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 14, 2008

About the author

I've done many jobs over the years -- model, actress, art store manager, research paralegal -- but, by far, my favorite job was being a children's librarian.

Now I am the mother to a young storyteller, a calligrapher, an illustrator/artist, a jewelry maker/designer, and a writer of stories.

I have seven published books, and many, many other works in various states of progress.

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um... I wrote this book, so I probably don't get to actually review it. I will say that I just finished retyping it, editing it, and proofing it to turn it into an e-book, and it still was a great story. :)