We’re in the penultimate meeting of the H&H Book Club for May, which is Teresa Medeiros’s The Bride and the Beast.
Let’s continue the discussion of the book with a few questions:
Have you read Medeiros before?
What do you like best about the book?
What do you like least?
To break the fourth wall for a moment, there are several things I like about the book, and a few things that I do not like so well. I love the lush description of the castle, the village, Gwendolyn’s clothing, the moon, even the cat! I am thrilled that the Dragon admires both Gwendolyn’s body and her mind, and that they continue to engage in witty banter throughout their courtship. I love Gwen’s sense of humor about herself and her situation, and her remaining true to herself despite what travails she’s gone through. I like, too, that Gwendolyn’s remaining true to herself means she doesn’t undergo a big transformation, where she loses weight and becomes more beautiful—when she sees the villagers again, she’s dressed becomingly, and they’re aware of her beauty in a way they haven’t been before, but that’s not because of her changing.
The things I don’t like could be summed up in one phrase: Big Misunderstanding. I don’t understand why Gwen or the Dragon react as they do once certain events unfold, and I further don’t understand why a couple that has proven themselves so able to speak to one another don’t do just that when complications arise. It makes me respect their intelligence less, and I think they are both smart, clever people.
What do you like and what don’t you like about the book?
