Discover the richer, darker, and far more elaborate original version of the beloved tale of a young woman who learns to see beyond monstrous appearances. When a once-wealthy merchant loses his fortune, he and his children are forced to abandon their comfortable life. During a journey, the merchant seeks shelter in a mysterious palace and plucks a rose for his youngest daughter, Beauty. The palace's terrifying master, the Beast, demands the merchant's life in payment. To save her father, Beauty willingly takes his place and enters an enchanted world filled with splendor, secrets, and danger. Unlike later abridged versions, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve's original tale unfolds on a grand scale. Beauty's life at the Beast's palace is only part of a much larger story involving fairies, royal bloodlines, hidden identities, magical rivalries, and the complicated history behind the Beast's transformation. The result is an intricate fairy-tale romance that explores loyalty, sacrifice, prejudice, jealousy, virtue, and the difference between outward appearance and inner character. First published in 1740, Villeneuve's Beauty and the Beast is the earliest known literary version of the familiar story. It was later shortened and substantially rewritten by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, whose adaptation became the version most often retold for children. This illustrated edition restores the scope and richness of Villeneuve's original narrative, offering readers a fascinating classic of French fairy-tale literature.