Beauty and the Beast – LIT(erature) Summer

It’s our last LIT(erature) Summer episode and the end of Season One! We’re looking at the original 18th Century French fairy tale Beauty and the Beast and trying (unsuccessfully) to not reference Disney. We delve into other Beast and Beauty tales and the lasting impact of the story on literature, film, and culture.

Support the show on Patreon for as little as $1 a month.

Further Reading

Prominent Adaptations

1987 TV series

1991 Disney animated film

1997 The Beautician and the Beast

2011 Beastly

2012 TV series

2014 French film

2017 Disney live-action remake

Novel Retellings

Beauty and Rose Daughter, Robin McKinley

Beastly, Alex Flinn

A Court of Thorns and Roses, Sarah J. Maas

Hunted, Megan Spooner

Cruel Beauty, Rosamund Hodge

The Beast’s Heart, Leife Shallcross

Uprooted, Naomi Novik

Rhonda’s blog post on Disney Princesses as Jane Austen heroines

Dark origins of Beauty and the Beast (this article credits de Beaumont, unfortunately, but it gives a great background on the sources for the tale)

An illustrated edition of the original novella

Andrew Lang’s Blue Fairy Book

Psychology of Beauty and the Beast

A look at the psychology in the Disney musical

Deconstructing the myth of women loving men into better people

Get Help

I feel it would be irresponsible not to include some resources here.

If you or someone you know is involved in an abusive relationship and want help, visit Futures Without Violence.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

For help and information anytime, contact:

National Domestic Violence Hotline

1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

TTY 1-800-787-3224

National Sexual Assault Hotline

1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

Subscribe to us on

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.