History of Beauty and the Beast

Reviewed by Michelle Dodsworth

History of Beauty And The Beast website is part of the Sur La Lune Fairy Tale Pages by Heidi Anne Heiner. This visually attractive site includes a plethora of information for "one of the best known stories in the world." All of the full-color book covers, whether similar tales across cultures or modern interpretations, are linked to Amazon.com for information, reviews, and purchase. The site includes the history of the story, beginning with the first version appearing over 250 years ago as a 362 page book written by Madame Gabrielle de Villeneuve. On this site, the annotated version of this fairy tale includes numerous links to further information. These links make referencing between the notes and the story easier and faster. There is an extensive selection of similar tales across cultures. Each selection, such as The Bear Prince, includes an on-line version when not copyright prohibited, location of where the book is available (ex. Cole, Joanna, ed. Best-Loved Folktales Of The World. Garden City, NY: Anchor Press/ Doubleday, 1982.) and motif index location. The link to modern interpretations includes information on the Beauty And The Beast theme in literature, poetry, music, film, and drama. This is an excellent source for further information. Whether perusing the site for research or pleasure, the Sur La Lune Fairy Tale Page is sure to please.