This month’s Fun Fact Fridays are all about symbols from Beauty and the Beast–and my own retelling, Beauty and the Alchemist. Last week we talked roses. Today’s symbol is the book!

At first, this seems too basic for a post, right? Books are books, we all know about them, that’s it. But books often frame fairy tales. And just think of the famous library in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast–it’s become almost more popular than the movie amongst book lovers. In the movie, Belle’s love of books–and therefore learning, and other possibilities–is a prime example of what sets her apart from the people in her town.

In original versions of Beauty and the Beast, books don’t often play such a prominent role. Sometimes it is mentioned that Beauty passes her days reading, but it’s a minor point. Historically, books were often symbols of secrets–a closed book would mean secrets kept, and an open book would mean secrets discovered. (Think of saying about someone, “they’re an open book!” today.) Books would also sometimes be linked back to the trees that created them, and especially to the Tree of Life or Knowledge. I think–and this is my own personal theory!–that because old stories of Beauty and the Beast are more about love and the interplay of “good” and “bad,” they weren’t as concerned with this theme of secrets and knowledge.

Of course, my book Beauty and the Alchemist is a mystery, so it’s all about secrets. 😉 Books play a huge role in the story: when a haunted castle becomes the scene of a murder, Red and her friends must use a series of ancient books to piece together the castle’s history, looking for clues. It helps that a central character (and suspect!) is a bookseller himself . . .

And of course, I have to mention that Beauty and the Alchemist goes live today! As of now, you can find it online or in my own web store. Here’s to books! 😀

Selected Sources

Today I primarily used The Element Encyclopedia of Secret Signs and Symbols by Adele Nozedar, from Harper Element 2008. It’s a fun book to page through if you’re looking for a overview of many esoteric things!