Customer Reviews

The Last Unicorn

5 star:		(206)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Along with the rest of the civilized world, my wandering memories often lead me back to two of my favorite childhood movies, "The Neverending Story" and "The Last Unicorn." Practically all I could remember of the latter was some skull yelling "Unicorn! Uuuunicorn!" That image and that voice have left a lingering discomfort in the back of my mind for years. A while back, I found a little time to investigate Michael Ende's novel, "The Neverending Story," and just recently, I managed to come across a copy of "The Last Unicorn," and I couldn't help but read it. In both cases, these novels have more than repayed my childhood memories, giving my adult mind philosophical and literary substance as well as real joy. Peter S. Beagle's 1968 novel, "The Last Unicorn," is much more than a simple fantasy story - though it is rife with magicians, mythical creatures, and all of the customary trappings. It is even more than a complex fantasy story - somehow Beagle enchants us into a timeless place where nothing seems unusual - "The Last Unicorn" creates a space for magic in our modern lives.

The novel begins as a unicorn overhears two hunters riding through her wood - the hunters debate whether unicorns exist anymore. The unicorn begins to wonder if indeed she is the last of her kind, and goes in search of other unicorns. She is caught sleeping by Mommy Fortuna, owner of the Midnight Carnival, who displays the unicorn for a time alongside a real harpy and a motley bunch of meek, hopeless animals who are made, through Fortuna's magic, to resemble other dangerous mythical beasts for the entertainment of travellers, tourists, and townsfolk. Schmendrick, a fairly useless magician, and an assistant to the Midnight Carnival, recognizes the unicorn for what she is, and freeing her, they set off together to find the unicorns. Once they are joined by a woodland dweller named Molly Grue, the company is complete. Their search brings them to the domain of King Haggard, who, along with the demoniacal, but eerily incorporeal Red Bull, seems to have something to do with the disappearance of the unicorns.

Though the novel is a quest, there isn't much real movement - the novel moves from the unicorn's wood, over land to Haggard's castle by the sea, which is where almost half of the novel takes place. The more significant quests here are ones of self-discovery, as the unicorn, Schmendrick, and Prince Lir, King Haggard's heir, must all try to figure out who they are, what they want to be, and how to accomplish their goals without being consumed by existential despair. Related questions the novel poses include speculations on the nature of the hero, on the metafictional nature of the fairy tale as a genre, and what the difference is between evil and self-interest, between love and hatred. "The Last Unicorn" is also a rumination on the nature of interpersonal (or interspecies) relationships, and is in spots as concerned with ecology and the environment as J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings."

However, far and away, the most compelling facets of "The Last Unicorn" for me are Beagle's minor touches, minutiae that some people might miss on a first reading. Seemingly meaningless conversations, like the one between the hunters which begins the novel, between Captain Cully and his disaffected latter-day Robin Hoods in the forest, or between a 'married' pair of blue jays betray a depth and attention to detail and a real artistry in Beagle's literary workmanship. They alert us, as certainly as Tolkien's work does, to the fact that we, the novel's readers, live in a prosaic world, divested of magic and enchantments. Beagle's novel shows that creating, living in, and sustaining a fantasy world can be as much work, and can involve as much pain as our own normal daily lives. Indeed, one amazing quality of "The Last Unicorn" is that it hardly differentiates between the normal modern world and that of the fairy tale. One reviewer mentions that the novel takes place in the Middle Ages - is it at all astonishing then, to hear Cully at one point mention the "field-recordings" that will one day be made of his oral poetry while he himself eats a taco?

"The Last Unicorn" has endured for almost 40 years because it manages to imbue things like "field-recordings" with a kind of magical quality that seems as natural as talking birds and butterflies. Beagle also reminds us that we are each heroes of our own stories - whether we stick to the literary conventions of genre or not. The inclusion of subtle anachronisms and metafictional commentaries like these clues us to Beagle's art - the creation of a new kind of fairy tale, one which attempts to make our own world, our own lives, sources of almost limitless wonder and joy, as well as of continuing epic challenges.

The Last Unicorn is one of most astounding books I have ever read. Not only because of the story, which is a fairytale in every sense of the word, but also because of Beagle's flawless writing, which weaves a spell of words and images that I find myself willingly ensnared in every time I open its pages. I find myself lingering over each sentence, each word, and I am astounded by the care with which he tells this tale.

Once upon a time, there was a unicorn. A beautiful unicorn... who was all alone. She sets out on a journey to seek others of her kind and is joined on her travels by a bumbling magician and an old spinster, neither of who are what they first appear to be. Encountering magical monsters, outlaws and suspicious townspeople, the three travelers find themselves at the gate of a forbidding castle wherein lives a cruel king and a gentle prince. It is in the walls of this castle that the truth lies. But can they accept what the truth will bring?

Beagle tells an amazing tale, of love and loss, of heartache and hope. Each of the characters in his work has such life and depth, and I see myself in each and every one of them. From an inept magician who desperately seeks to be more than what he is to the outlaws who cry out with loss of that which they have never known, there is so much life in these few short pages that I find myself reading and rereading each page, afraid lest I miss something. When Schmendrick cries, "I'll make you into a bad poet with dreams!" I want to laugh, but at the same time I want to cry with pity, with unexplainable sorrow for something I can't quite understand and am not sure I want to.

The Last Unicorn is about more than just a quest for unicorns. It is also a story about the things that we love and what we will do - or not do - for that love. It is about what really defines a hero, and what constitutes a happy ending. But most of all, it is about magic. Joy. Sadness. Beauty. It is about all the things we are and all the things we long to be. It is a breathtakingly beautiful story by a wonderful writer, and I recommend it as one of the best books I have ever read.

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle is one of the last, best fairy tales of our generation. It's a great read for an adult or a child; I first read it in fourth grade, and recently re-read it as an adult with no less sense of wonder or awe.

It's an often tongue-in-cheek fairy tale about the last unicorn left on a Midaevil Earth, which unicorn represents (of course) the last of the immortal magic that is inevitably represented in good fantasies. The story is set in the usual quest setting, with the expected good and evil dichotomy and characters such as a bumbling yet powerful wizard, a good-hearted lass, a handsome hero, and, last but foremost, the beautiful and sorrowful, immortal unicorn.

What sets this tale apart from others--it is most definitely in the same league as C.S. Lewis' the Chronicles of Narnia, or his more adult Till We Have Faces--is its flowing prose and often unexpected sense of humor. Beagle pokes fun at the fantasy form of story-telling (for the enjoyment of the adult reader), while not allowing the jibes to be too satirical or otherwise distracting from the beauty and grace of the story itself. While the tale stays within the traditional confines and plot of a fairy tale/fantasy, the characters are so well-written and the story so imaginative and well-told, the tale's traditional form only adds to its sense of magic.

In short, it's one of the very best fairy tale/fantasies I've had the pleasure of reading (and re-reading). I unabashedly recommend it to the young and old with five stars.

In reading other reviews, I noticed that the 5 star reviews got their analyses right on the mark, while many 1 star reviews were lacking any appropriate criticism.

One poor review said that the book could not decide if it was fantasy or parody. A parody, by definition, imitates another piece of work, and there is no other piece of work quite like this one. Peter S. Beagle simply knows what any good writer should know-- that a piece of writing will be boring if it focuses on one emotion or mood to the exclusion of all others. J. R. R. Tolkien and William Shakespeare knew the value of humor in a work which was not expressly written to be humorous, but it is Beagle who finds the perfect balance of humor and beauty in this novel which will take the reader through nearly every emotion there is. This is a book that does NOT make the mistake that all too many fantasy novels make-- taking themselves too seriously. The label "fantasy" does not have a set of laws stating that humor must be avoided at all costs.

That said, you will like this book if:

*you appreciate the amazing things that can be done with the English language.

*you appreciate the amazing things that Peter S. Beagle can do with the English language.

*you won't throw a hissy fit if the ending isn't perfectly happy.

*you like unicorns.

*you enjoy fantasy, but don't insist all fantasy be like Dungeons and Dragons.

*you are a kid at heart.

*you enjoyed the movie.

*you can appreciate a humor which is sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious.

*you like poetry.

*you're looking for story that was written to be perfect, not to sell, and then sell a sequel.

There is no sequel to The Last Unicorn, but at the end you will be wishing there were, not because of loose ends, but because the story is too beautiful to leave.

It's just like Molly said to Cully, "You have it backward. There's no such person as you, or me, or any of us." Molly Grue and Schmendrick are real, and we are the legends. Thats the way you feel when you're reading this book. I remembered the movie faintly from when I was a child, mainly the nightmares that the Red Bull gave me, and I was wandering through the shelves of the local library and this book jumped out at me. As I looked at its spine I could vaguely remember one line from the movie. "They passed down all the roads long ago, and the Red Bull ran close behind them and covered their footprints." And so of course I checked it out and preceeded to read what I feel is the second greatest fantasy novel I've ever read (right behind Michael Ende's The Neverending Story which you should also read). The descriptive language Beagle uses in this book is like poetry, and ther is always a slight hint of humor that floats around even when your heart is breaking for the amazing cast of characters. I won't try to describe the Molly or Schmendrick or Lir or the unicorn, for my words pale in comparison to Beagle's who makes it seem that she stands there in front of the reader in all her glory. This book is a must for anyone who calls themselves a fan of literature, and especially those who crave magic in their world. This book is beautiful.

No matter how many fantasy books you have read, The Last Unicorn is a fantasy unlike any other. Unlike many other denser books, The Last Unicorn is light in both tone and content. There is a fey air of the absurd about it that makes it all the more magical.

While I can put other fantasy books aside, I simply had to read The Last Unicorn from cover to cover in one sitting. It really drew me into its own unique world; a world both beautiful and elusive.

The story is a simple one revolving around a unicorn (she is never named) who leaves her enchanted lilac wood only to find that she is the last surviving unicorn. She decides to go on a quest in order to discover why, and is soon joined by Schmendrick the magician and Molly Grue, a scullery maid. Together, this motley group travels to the castle of King Haggard where they believe the Red Bull has imprisoned all the other unicorns of the world. All does not go as planned, of course, and adventure follows.

I think many people make the mistake of thinking The Last Unicorn is exclusively a children's book. Nothing could be further from the truth as this beautiful, little tale can be read on many levels: as an adventure story or as an exploration of the nature of truth, beauty, reality, immortality and the ultimate purpose of life.

Of all the fantasy books I have ever read, this is my alltime favorite and the one I find most beautiful as well as possessing the most depth and emotion. It is a lovely tale that brings the secrets of life and love into wonderful focus.

Oh, for heaven's sake. "Not as good as the movie?" I want to hit my head against the wall. Almost as brain-numbing as the same phrase applied to The Princess Bride. If I weren't so dang verbal, I'd be speechless. I will admit I have not been as engaged with Beagle's other stories. But this book is one of a very few I've come across in my long history of reading-odd, moving, entertaining on the surface, but provoking in the most philosophical sense-lyrical, controlled, well-played, witty and haunting. You don't get to write this kind of book often in your life. In the play of the language there are shadings and suggestions of truth that could NEVER come out in a visual presentation of the "story." When you strip the plot of its verbal constructs, you lose the essential joy, the possibility of discovery, the amazing chance to see a little more deeply into what your life may mean.

This story is romantic. But in the most classic sense. The unicorn's journey is away from a world that has grown too sure of its own reality, fascinated with the work of its own hands-blind, limited, short teathered and terrified of losing what it thinks it owns. Beagle is right about us. You could think he is talking about something as simple as growing up; certainly, growing up has hobbled my senses. But stopping at that would be stopping short.

The sacrifice offered is archetypal, and I believe that is the source of the story's depth. For this book is more parable than fable, and magic in a true way.

And there is this: why would the unicorn have made the journey, unless it was hope driving her? And that, I think, is what I was left with when I finally finished the book. I could feel hope. And I could feel wonder. This alone is worth the price of admission.

But I make the book sound too serious and heavy. The language flows beautifully. The book is a joy to read. Best to read it in springtime, though. About the time the lilacs blow -

I've never met Mr. Beagle and probably never will. But there is something about the writing in this book that makes me curious about what kind of person could have done it. And that, I must say, is part of the pleasure-

This book is shimmering with magic and beauty. It is just as otherwordly as the fairy-tales you loved as a child, and yet it somehow more than that. It has its own mood, its own atmosphere. Somehow, it seems as though all the characters are aware of the world they live in, as real people never are. This is not a dream pretending to be real. This reality well aware that it is a dream.

The charakters are simple and yet each serves a purpose. Each is distinct and well-drawn, from the amusing Smendrick and the strong Molly the tragic Unicorn and the wrecked king Haggard. And even though you instantly "see" each character, they are all more than what they apear to be. All of them seem to have that second layer wich makes them deeper and more meaningul. They are both simple and many-layered. And all of them are tragic, and yet filled with hope.
The story is written in a language full of delightful images, with so musical lines its almost like poetry from time to time. I've never read anything quite like this book, and that is saying a lot. Scenes and sentenses keep popping back into my head, even when I'm thinking about something quite unrelated.

But the thing that really sets this book apart is that even though it is wonderfuly inreal, it feels true. It feels though the world of the unicorn is more true than the real world. It almost hurts to go back.

Go on. Buy this book. Spend a few hours in a magical dream-land. We all need some enchantment in our lives.

Oh, if only I had read this book earlier! I only read it for the first time a couple of years ago in a college Fantasy lit. class, and it was arguably the best single volume fantasy tale I had and have ever encountered. I had known of it for some time, but refrained from reading it because I was stupid and didn't think that unicorns were "cool."

Oh, but they are. They are indeed.

This story is incredibly beautiful. It is a fairy tale, but don't let that turn you off to it. It's also post-modern, but don't let that turn you off either. It is the best of both worlds, a unique blend that is really a tribute to the magic of the fantasy genre itself. Anyone who has ever loved magic or simply good reading should pick this up.

The characters are wonderful. My favorites are Captain Cully, a kind of self-proclaimed Robin Hood, and Lir, the ultimate embodiment of innocence and heroism. It is Lir that really makes the book for me. In his never-ending quest to win the heart of the Lady Amalthea (the unicorn in human form), he exhibits a very pure love. His courage moved me to tears as few heroes ever have.

The writing is excellent. Peter Beagle is the best writer ever in my book. His words are never difficult, but they're also never less than magnificent. One line I'll never forget from Unicorn is "the tiny, dry sound of a spider weeping" (isn't that just awesome?). He hasn't written many novels, so it's definitely possible and worth your while to read them all. While this is his most famous, I most highly recommend A Fine and Private Place, the most touching love story I've ever read.

I've never seen the movie. I'm sure it's great. But don't miss out on experiencing the beauty of Beagle's prose. It's nothing short of masterful.

I remember the animated motion picture from my childhood but read this book for the first time as an adult. It is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. The metaphors that Peter S. Beagle uses are rich and poetic, transporting the reader to another place in time. The beauty of this story brought tears to my eyes.