The Last Unicorn
1968
- unicorns
- fiction
- legends and stories
- juvenile literature
- american fantasy fiction
- fiction, fantasy, general
- fantasy fiction
- fiction, general
- fiction, science fiction, general
- american literature
The story
*The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone…* …so she ventured out from the safety of the enchanted forest on a quest for others of her kind. Joined along the way by the bumbling magician Schmendrick and the indomitable Molly Grue, the unicorn learns all about the joys and sorrows of life and love before meeting her destiny in the castle of a despondent monarch—and confronting the creature that would drive her kind to extinction.... In *The Last Unicorn*, renowned and beloved novelist Peter S. Beagle spins a poignant tale of love, loss, and wonder that has resonated with millions of readers around the world.
What it’s like
Lush, gently wry prose with the cadence of an old fairy tale told aloud by a narrator who is quietly amused by everything. The sensory world is painterly: a lilac wood in spring, the dusty gold of a travelling carnival's tents, the cold grey stone of a king's castle, mountain passes and sea-salt wind, all rendered in precise, economical detail. The voice is affectionate and sly, slipping between sincerity and comic asides, and the dialogue has a bantering warmth. Pacing is leisurely and episodic, more road-journey than thriller, so long stretches drift through village inns, campfires and quiet conversations before a sudden turn toward grief or wonder. Its emotional register is wistful and tender, a cozy melancholy about aging, mortality, and the cost of love. The central arc follows a solitary creature learning what it is to be mortal and to be seen, while her companions, a fumbling magician and a sharp-tongued, weary woman, find their own quiet courage. Violence is present but brief and not graphic: a few frightening confrontations, a monster menace, some deaths reported rather than dwelt on, and only faint romantic longing with nothing explicit. Best for readers who want a thoughtful, gentle fantasy for a rainy afternoon or a slow evening, and for those who enjoy fairy tales that are funny, sad and wise at once.
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