CW: torture

Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite Disney movies; when asked, I can’t choose between the animated and live-action. I went into As Old as Time with high hopes, but unfortunately, this novel is my least favorite of the Twisted Tales series thus far.

I was intrigued from the beginning, but also confused. The first few chapters switch between characters and timelines in a rather abrupt way. The very first chapter is about a mysterious character that isn’t mentioned again until the last third of the story, which was especially puzzling to me.

The first third mostly followed the animated movie, with a slow middle and then an intriguing twist that led to an exciting finale. So while the pacing could’ve been better, it was an interesting read nonetheless.

My biggest issue throughout the novel was the characters. I understand that retellings can take some liberties with their content, but in this case, there were differences I couldn’t ignore.

Let’s start with Belle. Many are familiar with her level-headed, quirky, bookish nature. In this novel, while her bibliophilic tendencies remain, she was a bit ridiculous. When she’s trying to bring Beast back to the castle after the wolf attack, she demands the winds to please guide her home — because if her mother was an enchantress, maybe she’ll suddenly have magic powers! That totally makes sense! Additionally, there were multiple scenes in which she yelled at Beast or became overcome with emotion in the blink of an eye. That’s not the level-headed Belle I know.

The one that bothered me most was Beast. I feel like this version of him was completely stripped of his complexity as a character. I’m sure that ten years as a beast would be troublesome for everyone, and I acknowledge that in this situation. However, I found it ridiculous that he struggled with basic reading and writing, yet brought up his “expensive” “classical” education more than once. And even for a Prince with no kitchen experience, it shouldn’t be difficult to figure out how to peel an apple. Then there’s my biggest complaint: Beast seemed to react to everything in one of three ways. Roar as loud as he could, whine like a petulant child you might see on Supernanny, or shred the closest item with his claws. I know Beast has anger issues, but there’s a difference between a mature, angry prince, and a roaring, inadequate furball. This Beast was definitely the latter.

Mrs. Potts is more of a minor character, but there was one scene she was in that bothered me. About halfway through, Beast and Belle talk to her about her missing husband. Beast is a bit too blunt, given the subject matter, and in response, Mrs. Potts gets so mad that she boils over and can’t talk properly. I’m sorry, but sweet, motherly Mrs. Potts would never.

This is a rather small detail, but I also want to say that Lumière and Cogsworth were robbed of page time that they absolutely deserve.

Something else I felt was missing is the delicious slow-burn romance between Belle and Beast. Obviously they can’t sing a duet in a book, but in general any romantic elements were absent, in my opinion. Beast has the curse memorized and it clearly states that he needs to love and be loved in return, but after that scene it’s basically ignored until the end, when whoa! They have feelings for each other.

One thing that I enjoyed, minor as it is, is that among Beast’s questionable decisions and a sad moment reminiscent of the live-action movie, Gaston got the humiliation and rejection he deserves. If this retelling did one thing right, it’s that.

I’m not quite sure what I think of the end. It demonstrates the development in Beast, as a Beauty and the Beast retelling should. Aside from that, though, I wasn’t satisfied. I would’ve liked more of a resolution for Belle and the other characters, more details on what happened with the remainder of the curse. An epilogue set after Belle and Beast’s quest would’ve been great.

I had high hopes for As Old as Time, and while it was by no means a bad novel, it was disappointing and mediocre. Here’s to hoping the other books are better.