What a truly great book this is!

I have an intense love for the old-fashioned feeling that the writing evokes. It is beautifully juxtaposed with the wonderful irony present in the scenes. The perfectly timed comic interlining adds an extra layer of charm and entertainment.

Every page turn brings a new delight, as the story unfolds with its unique blend of elements. The author has masterfully crafted a narrative that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish.

All in all, this book is an enjoyable and interesting read that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a captivating literary experience. It has the power to transport you to another world and make you forget about the stresses of everyday life.

The main issue with mythical beasts is that their very mythical nature often leads them to become clichés. Dragons, for instance, have fallen victim to this. The same can be said for mermaids, elves, and unicorns. However, Mr Beagle presents us with a unicorn that defies expectations. It is alluring and strange, beautiful enough to make one cry yet so beautiful that cuddles seem out of the question. It is as intimate as the beat of one's own heart and as remote as a shining star. This is the last unicorn.

Do you understand? What have I accomplished here? The sing-song language, the allegories, the metaphors, the poetry! This is all Mr Beagle's doing. The Last Unicorn is written exquisitely. It flows, it flutters, it weaves around you like an amorous kitten. I adore this writing style, and it is one of the reasons Mr Beagle is on my list of favorite authors. Especially when he writes a fairy tale.

Fairy tales are not just nice stories for children before bedtime or tales of a beautiful princess and a noble knight. They have more depth. If you are receptive, they have backdoors and extra layers of meaning that give them moral and educational functions. In The Last Unicorn, the characters and their adventures can often be related to existing heroes in other stories or myths. Discovering these analogies is both fun and an interesting addition to the lovely story Mr Beagle has given us.

Ultimately, The Last Unicorn is a beautiful tale about love, self-discovery, and filled with valiant absurdity. The author teaches us how to be ourselves to become what we desire, like Shmendrick, the magician without magic. He also warns us through the story of King Haggard. Most importantly, the story shows that human life is fragile and short compared to immortal unicorns. You can laugh and grieve for the protagonists. You can smile as you cry. This is the main magic of The Last Unicorn.

Within the specific narrative style and form of a fairy tale, Mr Beagle has achieved perfection. To bring the reader closer to the feelings of his protagonists, he often uses songs and chants. These, along with the other elements, create the amazing atmosphere of The Last Unicorn. I believe it is a must-read for fantasy fans of all ages.

Hey, I have a booktube channel, which is like YouTube but specifically for book reviews. I do video reviews for all kinds of books, such as epic fantasy, science fiction, and media related to them.

Here's the deal with "The Last Unicorn" (1968). It's a classic, and for good reason. The story is told in the third person and focuses on a unicorn who believes she's the last of her kind in the world. She sets off on a journey to find out what happened to the others. Along the way, she meets a diverse group of characters, each bringing her closer to her goal.

I wanted to do this review a bit differently. Instead of my usual routine, I'm just going to list the reasons why you should read it. I don't think I can do the book justice, but here goes.

The prose in this book flows beautifully. It keeps the plot moving and really enriches your imagination. The metaphors used are amazing and perfectly describe the situations, giving the story a quality that stays with you.

This isn't your typical journey tale. The characters are magical and can be hilarious at times, especially Schmendrick the Magician and Molly Grue.

If you've ever wanted to live in a fairy tale for a few minutes, "The Last Unicorn" will immerse you in a world of unicorns, harpies, witches, and magic.

The story is about hope, or maybe more accurately, no hope. It reminds me of a quote I once heard: if you don't accept that life sucks, you're not an optimist, you're an idiot. This book comments on the mistake of not learning to enjoy life through the hard times.

Plus, it's only 294 pages with a large font, so you can easily read it in a few hours. And did I mention it's a classic?

However, I do have to warn you that there are plenty of poems and songs interspersed throughout the book. Some people might not like that, but I thought it added to the fairy tale atmosphere.

If you're not a true fantasy fan, well, I don't know what to say. But seriously, everybody's doing it. Peer pressure usually works on me. So, what are you waiting for? Read "The Last Unicorn" today!

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Sola in questo mondo


"It is rare that a man is taken for what he truly is.
In the world, mistakes of evaluation are often made. Now, I recognized you as a unicorn already when I first saw you, and I know I am your friend. Instead, you have taken me for a buffoon, or a stupid person, or a traitor, and this must be if you see me like this. The magic on you is just magic and will vanish as soon as you are free, but the spell of the wrong opinion that you place on me I will have to carry on myself forever in your eyes."


Beagle plays with the stereotypes of fantasy and undertakes a deconstruction and reconstruction of the genre. He dissociates from the more classic and canonical works to which the reader refers.
The descriptions are finally functional in delineating the fairy-tale atmosphere, which manage to drag the reader into situations that reconcile reflection with entertainment, without either of the two components becoming pedantic and obscuring the other.
Despite The Last Unicorn having a rather cheerful and carefree context, the same evaluation cannot be made on the characters, often unable to decide the fates of their own lives and characterized by a suffered existential drama.
Final note to dedicate to the intense final chapter, in which Beagle forcefully restates the importance of legends and the need to have heroes to believe in: despite time passing and demanding a toll from everyone (no one excluded), the actions of people have an impact on the mind of those who can still dream.

So I decided to set the mood for rereading The Last Unicorn. I put together a great mix of Woodstock era classics, with a lot of Jethro Tull, Canned Heat, Richie Havens, and early Pink Floyd. I put on my comfy clothes, brewed some tea, and picked my sunniest room. My cat, sensing my mood, snuggled in close. However, I didn't smoke any weed. Maybe that was my mistake? Nevertheless, the mood was definitely set and the enjoyment quickly began.

This is a really nice little book. It's sweet, cheeky, and full of an idealistic purity. It's very counter-culture in a quiet way. It constantly reminded me of things like Harold & Maude, King of Hearts, the Yellow Submarine, and Jonathan Livingston Seagull. It also made me think of laying out on the grass with my friends in college in the 90s, happily on drugs and talking about life. It made me think of flowers, sunshine, and animals that I like. This isn't a trippy book, but it is pleasantly mellow in tone and outlook. The writing is warm and fuzzy too. The characterization is relaxed, with living metaphors for freedom, authority, purity, greed, and experience mixed and matched in a loose, breathable way. The whole thing is a warm and human experience. I can see why this book has so many admirers and why it's never been out of print. Reading it is like reading a modern fable - it feels instantly classic and timeless. And hopefully its beautiful messages about life and how to live it will never go out of style.

My favorite parts were early on and then at the very end. The final standoff between our heroes and the Red Bull was really well done and genuinely gripping. Even better was the time spent in Mommy Fortuna's horrible caravan. That was awesome! The descriptions of the different ensorcelled beasts, the dreaming spider, Schmendrick's introduction, Mommy Fortuna herself (such a poisonous yet sad and pathetic character), Mommy Fortuna as Old Age, and of course the terrifying, brilliantly rendered harpy... all were really great.

It's interesting to think about my two different reactions to the book: now and then. Then was back in junior high, I think. I loved Schmendrick and thought Molly Grue was an annoying, tedious character. Despite her, I loved the book from start to finish. The beauty of its ultimate meaning (whatever that was to my 14-year-old self) had me thinking about life and how to live it. Many, many years later - yesterday! - I found Schmendrick to be really annoying and Molly Grue to be the secret hero of the novel. This grouchy, critical, often overbearing middle-aged lady is also brave, honest, decent, completely down to earth - and such an unusual character to find as a lead in a fantasy novel. Go, Molly, go! Unfortunately, I also found myself un-charmed by all the anachronisms and whimsy. All that stuff just felt dated, goofy, and a bit cheap. Like that stupid butterfly for crying out loud. So unfunny. And judo. And "last of the red-hot swamis". And much more. Ugh!

Still, it's a lovely book with a timeless message. Although I found those whimsical anachronisms to be obnoxiously precious and cutesy, overall they didn't end up being too bad and my experience wasn't ruined at all. Hell, I roll my eyes at my closest friends and I still enjoy their company. This may only be a 3-star book for me, but I did like it a lot. It remains sweetly appealing and genuinely charming. Maybe if I was stoned now, I would give it 4 stars. But nowadays I only get stoned to reality TV.

Wow. WOW. I had no idea. My head is spinning a little.

I'm trying to restrain myself from gushing with superlatives here, but I'm failing miserably. This is hands down the best new-to-me book I've read in the past year. It's the best modern fairy tale I've ever encountered. And it's one of the very best fantasy books I've read, period.

I was, of course, already very familiar with the 1980s animated film version of this book. I've loved it since I was a kid, despite the cheesy America soundtrack. I'd been meaning to read the book for decades. And when it came up as part of the second Humble Ebook bundle, suddenly it became easy to do so. That's usually the way I actually get around to doing things.

I'm not entirely sure what I expected from this book. Certainly, I expected to enjoy it. After all, I don't go out of my way to read lousy books. But I don't think I expected to be completely blown away. Yet, blown away I was. You know that feeling you get when you start reading a new book, and somewhere in the first page or three you have to catch your breath because you realize you've been holding it? This book gave me that spellbound feeling, and it's largely due to Beagle's masterful command of language. The prose here is simply gorgeous. Without being overly flowery or poetic, it just flows, and overflows with power. The descriptions are vivid and lovely, the dialogue is natural and riveting. And Beagle has a knack for dropping made-up words or "wrong" words in such a way that they make perfect sense and are suddenly the only word for the occasion. The only other author I can think of right now with a similar touch is Neil Gaiman. But of course, Peter S. Beagle came first, and the influence is quite apparent.

And speaking of Gaiman, this book is the same kind of smart, humorously self-aware modern take on the classic fairy tale as his excellent Stardust (among others of his works) or William Goldman's The Princess Bride. In fact, in terms of tone, I'd kind of place it between the two. It's less winkingly humorous than Goldman and less straightforwardly played than Gaiman, but it's superior to both of them. And that's saying a lot because I absolutely adore both of those books. Maybe "superior" isn't the right word so much as "greater" because beyond merely being an enchanting and entertaining story, The Last Unicorn succeeds as a deep and timeless fable about death, change, love, faith, dreams, and courage.

This book was simply a delight. Even though I knew from the beginning what was going to happen (and the film hews pretty much exactly to the book, right down to the dialogue), I found myself eagerly turning (or rather, swiping) the pages. The Last Unicorn is jam-packed with so many humorous, unexpected, and wise turns of phrase that I gave up on highlighting passages about halfway through. I laughed, I cried, and when I finished, I was delighted to find out there's a sequel (and that I'd already bought it without knowing). Five stars and my highest possible recommendation for this book, whether you like fantasy or not.

3.5 stars.

One day, the unicorn has a realization that she might be the very last unicorn in existence. This thought weighs heavily on her, and as a result, she decides to embark on a courageous quest. Her goal is to find out if there are any other unicorns still alive in the world.

Accompanying the unicorn on this adventure are Schmendrick the Magician and Molly Grue. Together, they journey to meet King Haggard, Prince Lir, and the Red Bull in the hopes of uncovering the truth.

At first, I wasn't particularly interested in the story. However, as it unfolded and developed, my curiosity began to grow, and before I knew it, my interest was truly peaked. I found myself becoming more and more invested in the fate of the unicorn and her companions as they faced various challenges and obstacles along the way.

A fascinating and ancient story, with a long history in the world.

It is a story about love, courage, and friendship...

A story that reminds us that in order to become what we want to be, we must first learn to accept who we are.

Thanks to Diana for introducing it and thanks to the light that her gift brought. (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤

This story takes us on a journey through time and space, allowing us to experience the emotions and experiences of the characters.

We can feel their love, their pain, and their joy.

It makes us realize that no matter who we are or where we come from, we all have the potential to be great.

We just need to have the courage to face our fears and the determination to pursue our dreams.

So, let us embrace this story and let it inspire us to become the best version of ourselves.

I have never been so utterly devastated by disliking a book. For over 20 years, I have wanted to read this particular book, yet somehow never managed to get around to it. Just a few weeks ago, my husband read it and reviewed it as being one of the very best and most beautiful books he has ever had the pleasure of reading. He simply told me, "You're going to love it."

So, I promptly moved it way up the list. Oh, but it hurts, because, unfortunately, I did NOT love it. I wanted to love it so very badly! The lyric language employed in the book was indeed quite beautiful, considering it was such a cold and cynical piece of work. However, nothing that occurs within the story really makes any sense. The actions seem to chop randomly from one place to another, and not a single character is worthy of caring about or spending time reading about. They are not even remotely interesting, let alone sympathetic! I'm supposed to care that the unicorn is so beautiful, but she comes across as a vain, haughty jerk of a being. Does she deserve to be a nasty creature simply because of her outward appearance? There is no depth to anything! The Red Bull is just there seemingly to force the story to an end. All of the fourth wall breaking was executed in such a way as to be grating and irritating.

It's a very melancholy book, and Chris suggested that perhaps I'm just not in the best state of mind for melancholy at the moment. With a little less life experience, I might have thought this book delightful and romantically sad, but I'm no longer 11 years old. It was existentially depressing for all those involved in the story, whether they were human, wizard, or unicorn.

This story about the last unicorn and her quest to find out what happened to all the other unicorns has truly become one of the most popular stand-alone fantasy novels in the past 50 years or so.

What might have initially appealed to the hippies or baby-boomer generation as a clever and witty parody of fantasy tropes, perhaps with a sense of "stickin' it to the man," now seems rather morose and melancholy in the modern age.

There are indeed times when the plot slows down to such an extent that one might feel the need to crack open a Red Bull for a boost (har!).

However, for those who simply can't get enough of unicorns, it's worth noting that there is a sequel short story titled Two Hearts. This short story is available for free online at the author's website, providing an additional treat for fans of the original novel.

Whether you're a long-time lover of unicorns or a newcomer to the world of fantasy, this story and its sequel offer an interesting and engaging read.

It's truly a pity that as I was awarding this book five stars, I could hear in my mind some of the numerous people whose opinions I don't seek going, "Oh, that Tara, she's so dreamy and ridicule-worthy. Ha!" If they witnessed it. And then I think, well... let's be kind anyway.

So last night, my dad and I were watching the Jimmy Carter documentary and were all, "Oh, he is so amazing." Then the DVD player started malfunctioning. I grabbed another disc and inserted it to determine where the problem was, and the DVD was The Last Unicorn. As soon as it began, my dad said, "Whoa, I love this movie and haven't seen it in years! Let's just watch this and finish Jimmy Carter another time." And so we did, and high-fived when it was over and discussed what a wonderful movie it is, and how Peter Beagle is a rather charming writer.

So when I got home, I was reflecting on how I've been reading another dreadful book by one of a group (truly, a cunning group) of writers whom I constantly vow I will never read anything by again until someone says, "No, Tara, you are an idiot, they are so remarkable and relevant and just because you loathe everything ----- or ----- have ever written or recommended on book jackets, you are full of nonsense, so read this." And then I end up wanting to wring my own neck for not heeding my own judgment yet again. So I was all, oh man, how am I going to read another hundred pages of this tonight, I need a break. Thus, I came to pick up The Last Unicorn again (after many such reprises). And it's just wonderful and great and written by a man who I think I would actually like if I met him. And he would have a really long droopy mustache and small glasses and give me a thumbs up and then blast off to the moon on a rocket. Yeah, the book is dreamy. And it's whimsical, and probably more profound and relevant than another hundred-page description of families on an excessive number of prescription drugs and psychoanalyzing themselves. It's interesting how some (not all) excellent writers get closer to depicting what life is like by taking a step in the seemingly opposite direction and telling a completely improbable story. And a story that brings genuine joy is invaluable. Is this really a review? I don't think so. But the book speaks for itself, so I'll just advocate for the book.

A Delightful Dream of a Novel ✨

A novel is like a magical key that unlocks a world of imagination and wonder. It is a delightful dream that takes us on an unforgettable journey. With every turn of the page, we are transported to different times, places, and experiences.

Authors have the power to create vivid characters that we come to love, hate, or empathize with. We follow their adventures, share their joys and sorrows, and become invested in their stories. The plot twists and turns, keeping us on the edge of our seats, eager to discover what will happen next.

Whether it's a thrilling mystery, a heartwarming romance, or a thought-provoking dystopia, a good novel has the ability to touch our hearts and minds. It can make us laugh, cry, and think deeply about the world around us. So, the next time you pick up a novel, allow yourself to be swept away by its enchanting charm and let it take you on a delightful dream of its own.