Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of The Rose and The Beast: Fairy Tales Retold

The Rose and The Beast: Fairy Tales Retold
reviewed on
Helpful Score: 2


The Rose and The Beast: Fairy Tales Retold is just that...fairy tales retold.

In this collection are nine short stories that are classic fairy tales with a modern day twist. These tales include Snow (Snow White), Tiny (Thumbelina), Glass (Cinderella), Charm (Sleeping Beauty), Wolf (Little Red Riding Hood), Rose (Snow-White and Rose-Red), Bones (Bluebeard), Beast (Beauty and the Beast) and, finally, Ice (The Snow Queen).

Like all collections for me, there were tales that I truly enjoyed (Wolf, The Snow Queen) and those that I could live without (Glass, Thumbelina). These, for the most part, are not your typical Disney retelling, light and fluffy. They are dark and gritty, not unlike the originals. Definitely not for the faint of heart. Sex, drugs, molestation, domestic abuse, etc.

These are written in the classic stream of consciousness style so it can sometimes be a little difficult to follow. However, her choice of words and arrangement are incredibly beautiful and quite visual.

Overall, I'm glad that I picked this book up from the bargain bin. It's very much in Block's usual writing, so fans should be for the most part pleased. It was a quick read and I ended up rating it at 3.5 stars.