The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
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Book Reviews of The Last Unicorn
Book Review: "Anything can happen in a world that holds such beauty."
Summary: 5 Stars
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.Book Review: Greatest fantasy novel ever written?
Summary: 5 Stars
It certainly seemed that way to me. Very, very few novels have ever had the power to affect me in the way that "The Last Unicorn" did. It seems to start as such a simple tale, of the sort that's been told in fantasy or fairy tales so many times before...the last unicorn in the world sets out to find what has happened to the rest of her kind. Only...almost before you realize it, Beagle's magical prose has entrapped you and transported you to another place--a world of whimsy and magic and deep Truths. The characters almost come alive...save that there is a very real feeling that these characters have _always_ lived, deep inside of us, and it took this book to unlock them so we could see and understand them.
To claim that "The Last Unicorn" is full of witty and insightful writing is almost to demean it by the very mundanity of the words. What should be said at the least is that the book is written on several levels, and is every bit as much about the nature of life and the nature of stories and fairy tales as it is about the story itself. Even Beagle himself says that "The Last Unicorn" holds some new surprise for him each time he returns to it.
"The Last Unicorn" gave me many new things to think about, and perhaps subtly changed my views on life. Perhaps it will do the same for you.
Book Review: A unique and magical fairy tale
Summary: 5 Stars
I picked up this book after reading the Nebula award-winning novelette "Two Hearts," which is really a sequel to The Last Unicorn. Had I not read "Two Hearts," I would have passed on this book, based on the title alone. Unicorns - along with rainbows and ponies - are for little girls. Right? If not for "Two Hearts," I would have never purchased The Last Unicorn, and I would have missed out on one of the most enchanting and beautifully written books I have ever read.
With a little over two hundred pages, this book is not long, but it's not a children's book - not really - and it's not an especially easy read. The writing is thick with metaphor and simile. Where another book might present you with an original figure of speech here or a new turn of phrase there, and you might smile at the cleverness, The Last Unicorn turns up ten on every page. This book will sparkle in your mind long after you set it down.
The story is a fairy tale. Not a retelling, not a twist on a story we all know, but a unique and original story. The world and the characters are wonderfully drawn, their dilemmas are real, and the story is by turns both humorous and profound. This book as achieved the status of a fantasy classic, and very deservedly so. If you count yourself a fan of the fantasy genre, and haven't read this book, then you should.
Book Review: The Last Unicorn
Summary: 5 Stars
In a world where men can no longer see unicorns for what they are, but perceive them as merely white horses, only one remains. In her forest, untroubled by the world at large, she overhears a pair of hunters referring to her as the last and embarks on a hunt for the unicorns she believes may be hiding, perhaps waiting for her to save them. In Peter Beagle's scrumptiously written fantasy novel, the unicorn's tale may seem at first glance like a familiar one: a magician as a traveling companion, encounters with evil witches and immortal creatures bent on capturing a unicorn, an evil king in his barren kingdom, transfiguration and talking trees. What makes the tale uncommon is the telling. Beagle doesn't so much tell the story as immerse the reader in it, the entire world shimmering to life around characters that are amazingly real for being so rooted in a world of magic. When the unicorn is forced to become a woman to escape the powerful red bull that is hunting her, she begins to lose her sense of immortality and Beagle offers an interesting take on that staple of high fantasy, the love-struck price offering heroic tokens of his ardor to the beautiful princess. I consider this an absolute must-read for fans of Beagle, the fantasy genre, or the classic animated movie The Last Unicorn.Book Review: The Last Unicorn
Summary: 5 Stars
The Last Unicorn is an all time classic. I loved this book after reading the first two pages. It is that addicting. Peter S. Beagle wrote the best book I have ever read when he wrote this. The story is about a Unicorn, who was the color of the snow while being relected in the moonlight. She is wonderfully described by Beagle. She learns through several scourses that she is the last unicorn in the world, and she starts on a quest to find her people.
On the way she is captured by the vile witch Mommy Fortuna, and is held captive. But among her captivity she finds a trusted friend, a bumbleing magicain named Shemdrick. Shemdrick joins the Unicorn on her quest.
Soon they find another ally, in the form of a jaded woman named Molly Grue. As the trio continues to search for the rest of the world's unicorns, the find themselves face to face with death, danger, betrayl, love, and an alcoholic skull (sorry, but I had to include that).
I read this book at least once every month, and every time I still get the same thrill when the Unicorn battles the Red Bull, or when the Lady Amalthea confesess her love for Prince Lir.
This is the best book I have ever read in my life, and will remain the best book I have ever read. You should without a doubt pick up a copy of this book and read it.