The Last Unicorn

the style of writing is poetic. no wonder it's a classic.

Peter Beagle's "The Last Unicorn" is one of the ultimate modern fairy tales -- the magical, bittersweet story of a little unicorn's search for others of her kind. Beagle spun a story of amazing simplicity and beauty, and it's only enhanced by the exquisitely lovely prose and the bittersweetness of the romance. What other unicorn story can evoke tat? A unicorn has lived happily in her idyllic little forest, until the day she hears a man say that "unicorns are long gone. If indeed they ever were." To find if she is indeed the last unicorn, she sets out on a journey across the land, and soon discovers that the people have forgotten what a unicorn even looks like. But she hears a butterfly speak of the Red Bull, and how he has captured all the unicorns of the world except her. So she sets out to find the others like her. Along her journey, she is captured by a traveling circus, and rescued by a bumbling young wizard with illusion powers. Along with the wizard and a bandit's girlfriend, she makes her way to the malignant castle of King Haggard -- and is transformed into a mortal girl, who experiences love, uncertainty, and finally sorrow. "The Last Unicorn" is honestly one of my favorite fantasy novels of all time, especially since Peter Beagle managed to write such a simple, haunting little fairy tale. There's romance, tragedy, fantastical creatures, and a mythical creature setting out on a seemingly hopeless quest -- and it's all so beautifully simple and powerfully real. And Beagle's prose only enhances the beauty of his story -- he fills it with luminous imagery ("Your eyes are full of green leaves, crowded with trees and streams and small animals"), haunting scenes and a plot both simple and entrancing. And there are many bittersweet moments, such as a woman lamenting that a unicorn has only come to her when she's no longer a bright, innocent young girl. The unicorn/Amalthea herself is a pretty unique character. She's incredibly ancient and wise, but she's also somewhat arrogant and very naive about the evils of the world -- and about human emotions. Schmendrick and Molly make solid supporting characters who help the Unicorn along her journey, particularly during her time as a human girl. "The Last Unicorn" is a beautiful, bittersweet little tale spun out of magical prose and powerful characters. A lovely, entrancing story.

You can tell just after one look if the book is original or not. This one is not. It is non-linear, some of the pages are tilted and there are traces of finger prints on it.

BEST

"The Last Unicorn" has been my favorite fairy tale since I was very young: I saw the movie, and then really wanted to read the original book. It is the story of a lonely unicorn who lives in a beautiful forest, and who, after overhearing hunters say that she is the last unicorn in the world, decides to leave her home and find out what happened to the others. On her quest, she befriends a rather incompetent magician and a grumpy but gentle peasant woman, before finding herself accidentally changed into a woman. But that painful transformation may be the only way to figure out what happened to the other unicorns. This luminous story has all the elements of a classic fairy tale: a quest, a handsome prince, an evil witch and extraordinary creatures; but none of it turns out the way other fairy tales do. A few pop culture references are scattered through the story, like little winks to the reader that connect this lovely fantasy story to the real world. The language Beagle uses is poetic, flowing and at times, dream-like. The writing flows beautifully and leaves haunting images lingering in the reader's mind long after the book is finished. Even if I have been reading this book for years, it still makes me laugh and cry every time I pick it up. Some reviews compare it to the Narnia series and "The Hobbit", and I agree: it is a modern-yet-ancient story that deserves a shining spot with those other books that will delight readers of all ages. The movie and graphic novel are also beautiful and totally worth your time and money.

Llegó pronto y en perfecto estado. Una historia maravillosa que vale mucho la pena leer.

Was everything I hoped it would be

black hard cover and a sturdy paper cover with a great feeling to the hand. lovelly