I thought this would be retellings of the Beauty and the Beast folktale that has always fascinated me, but it was instead a collection of stories from around the world that fall into the animal bride/groom genre. I'd read a lot of them already, but there were some that were new to me, and I found some new leads to pursue in terms of people who've collected folk tales. ( )

It’s a major motion picture. It’s a fairytale. It’s a legend. And it’s more. Maria Tatar’s Beauty and the Beast collects together stories of animal brides and grooms from around the world and presents them to the reader, nicely organized and classified, with a fascinating touch of gentle analysis.

In a pleasingly readable introduction, readers are asked to ponder why these stories are so popular—animals used to portray human love; that longing for natural freedom fighting with cultural civilization; the tragedy of breaking from the norm; and, yes, the power of sexuality. “[A] curved mirror ... that distorts and takes us into the fun house, is always more compelling—and often more true—than a purely reflective one,” the author muses. And the legends of beauties and beasts are surely curved.

Gods and monsters, soulmates and soul destroyers, all are found in these pages. Lovers charismatic and fearsome, animal brides and grooms from around the world, all are gathered here and told beautifully, taken from different translations and collections, well-ordered, well-presented, and fun to read. Much more intriguing and enthralling than the movie!

Disclosure: I won a copy and I really enjoyed it. ( )