Books › Beauty
Beauty
496 pages
A dark, time-bending fable that weaves feminist critique and ecological warning into a tapestry of fading magic.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping through a portal where the comforting familiarity of a childhood fairy tale slowly warps into a profound, time-bending ecological warning. The narrative unfolds at a steady, deliberate pace, wrapping the reader in a lyrical prose style that echoes classic fables while sharpening its edges with feminist critique. It is an elegiac and somber experience, steeped in the melancholic beauty of fading magic and the stark horrors of dystopian industrialization. The atmosphere shifts seamlessly from enchanted forests to bleak, futuristic landscapes, creating a wondrous yet dread-tinged mood. It will deeply satisfy readers who crave ambitious, genre-defying stories that mourn the loss of the natural world while fiercely championing its preservation.
- Mood
- enchanted
- somber
- dystopian
- wondrous
- Tone
- elegiac
- feminist
- cautionary
- philosophical
- wry
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- environmental degradation · loss of wonder · feminist reclamation · nature vs industrialization · the weight of destiny
- The writing
- Rich and lyrical, blending the timeless cadence of folklore with sharp, speculative urgency.
- The arc
- Moves from the whimsical innocence of a classic fable into a profound, melancholic grief for a dying world, ending on a note of bittersweet resilience.
- Who it's for
- Lovers of dark, ambitious fairy tale retellings who appreciate ecological themes and genre-blending narratives that span centuries.
Content notes
- sexual assault
- environmental destruction
- misogyny
- violence
- child loss
About the book
With the critically acclaimed novels The Gate To Women's Country, Raising The Stones, and the Hugo-nominated Grass, Sheri Tepper has established herself as one of the major science fiction writers of out Time. In Beauty, she broadens her territory even further, with a novel that evokes all the richness of fairy tale and fable. Drawing on the wellspring of tales such as "Sleeping Beauty," Beauty is a moving novel of love and loss, hope and despair, magic and nature. Set against a backdrop both enchanted and frightening, the story begins with a wicked aunt's curse that will afflict a young woman named Beauty on her sixteenth birthday. Though Beauty is able to sidestep tragedy, she soon finds herself embarked on an adventure of vast consequences. For it becomes clear that the enchanted places of this fantastic world--a place not unlike our own--are in danger and must be saved before it is too late.From the Paperback edition.
Description from Open Library.
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