Beauty and the Beast, and Tales of Home

The novel Beauty and the Beast by Bayard Taylor blends realistic social detail with an imaginative, sometimes whimsical tone in a mid-19th-century setting in Russia. It centers on Prince Alexis, his wife Princess Martha, and their son Prince Boris, portraying the pressures of Russian nobility and the surrounding conditions of serfdom. Early events take place in Kinesma on the Volga, where Alexis becomes agitated over a postponed dinner. His insistence on steering his household away from a festival for Boris sparks a chain of disturbances, drawing in figures from the court and escalating into chaotic incidents around the castle. Through the contrasting temperaments of Alexis, Martha, and Boris, the story explores love, power, and the customs that shape daily life.