About the Author

Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve (1685-1755) was a French novelist. Influenced by the likes of Madame d'Aulnoy and Charles Perrault, she wrote in the French précieuse literary style. During her writing career she produced a novella, four novels, and two collections of fairy tales. Her most celebrated work is 'La Belle et la Bête' (1740), which is the oldest known variant of the classic 'Beauty and the Beast' story.