The physical transformation was only part of the curse. There was much more, and it was far too frightening to think of.”
-- Narrator (Chapter I: The Witches in the Rose Garden )

Importance: This is the Beast's thought as he considers the changes that are taking place to him personally and to everyone in the castle.

Though swaggering in with the corpse of a giant elk or a fearsome grizzly bear slung over his shoulder for Old Man Higgins to stuff and mount on the tavern wall did get him his fair share of smooches from the young ladies – and as dangerous as it might have been at times, it was a far cry from poison apples, stinky dwarfs, or being burnt alive by an evil fairy queen. He'd take hunting and philandering over that stuff any day.”
-- Narrator (Chapter III: The Prince )

Importance: This is one of several references to other fairy tales. The reader will recognize most of these references. It is also an indication...