The Wandering Unicorn [Hardcover]

Manuel Mujica Lainez (Author), M. Fitton (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Spanish (translation)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Chatto & Windus; First English Edition edition (April 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 070112668X
• ISBN-13: 978-0701126681
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,477,736 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Out of print, but still excellent and evocative, April 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Wandering Unicorn (Hardcover)

Out of print now, I found this book only through browsing through a library book sale. Translated into English, it is probably a poor shadow of what it must be in its original language, but the epic feeling is still brought through in this novel. The book follows the story of one fairy, doomed to immortality, Melusine, as she travels from France to Jersualem during the Crusades. She follows one boy, Aiol (her descendant), who she is in love with and sacrifices much to be with him. It is also the Aiol's story as much as Melusine, as the hunted 'unicorn,' the blameless and at the same time, the sinful.

Rich in description, the war- and religion-torn society of the Crusades is brought through rich and evocative images of life in Jerusalem as a knight, a Crusader. What I thought was the most interesting was the theme central to this novel--'forbidden love,' in all forms, are examined...but not wholly judged. Incest, homosexuality, and simple unrequited love are some themes touched in this book that I thought was interesting in their portrayal. I recommend this to anyone with a taste for history and fantasy--it is excellent, and I enjoyed it immensely.