As you can see by the title… I decided to compare these two stories a bit today! Just because I found it fascinating…

When you think ‘Beauty and the Beast’, you probably think ‘Disney!’, and you’re not wrong, but… There’s actually more! Because it is a novel from the 18th century… It was written by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. So, the original story has French roots, yes… I think it’s good to keep it in mind when we think of the Beast’s castle.

We can also find another simpler French fairy tale written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont in the 18th century as well.

But what can we say about the origins of this story then? Why was such a story created in the 18th century? Well, I can tell you about two possibilities. One – it was inspired by the real man Petrus Gonsalvus, and the second – a mythological one. Where shall I begin…?

So, what myth inspired this story? I can tell ya! Amor and Psyche. When I found out, I was quite surprised… Because which part is it?! Maybe the one where she couldn’t see his face… Sounds a bit familiar, right? And also… It’s a love story, of course.

Now the second inspiration! Petrus Gonsalvus lived in 16-17th century, and he was known for… Hair! He was very much… Well… Hairy! This disease is called polytrichosis. And yes, that’s our Beast!

Now that we know more about ‘Beauty and the Beast’, it’s time to move on to ‘The Court of Thorns and Roses’. It was obviously inspired by this fairy tale, and who knows, maybe Sarah J. Maas decided to read about its origins before she started writing as well.

It’s the same story, but rewritten in a completely new way! Because it’s about elves, humans, magic, and this kind of transformation that truly belong to a fantasy world. Our Beauty, I mean Feira, is not a saint, though! She can’t read, she’s capable of killing, and she also has two sisters. She also has a father, but he’s not a weird creator, nope!

And the Beast? He’s an animal, but also a prince hiding his face behind a mask. I feel like it’s a very strong inspiration coming from mythology because he’s like Amor! And yes, Feira is like Psyche… You will truly understand why at the very end of this novel! Tamlin is also a prince living in the land of forever spring… That’s our rose in the form of a whole garden, I guess!

A bad woman who transformed the whole court, not only the prince, also appears in this novel. But here her name is Amaratha… And she hasn’t done it to give Tamlin a lesson on how to be a better human… Or fae… Nope! So, we can’t say that he was bad and needed to change… I don’t think so…

Also, since the Beast is also an actual animal, he’s also wild! I won’t tell you what I mean, but I’m sure you know what I mean if you’ve read these books…

Yes, I completely recommend to check out this whole series of books. I’m currently reading the second one… And as you can see, it inspired me to write you this little article today!

So, that’s all today. Let me quickly remind you of my Birthday Sale, ‘birthday28’ code, which is valid until 22nd March (28% off!), and of my store now. And until the next time!

Love, A.A.