The Last Unicorn

I watched The Last Unicorn a million times as a child in the 1980s but for some reason only now that I'm 40 did I pick up the book. I think I was afraid the magic would have faded, and I wanted to hold onto the memory of the film helping me survive those horrific, trauma-filled years. The book is beautiful and holds up well, though I found myself saddened when I got to the last page. Something about revisiting childhood gems makes them a little less ethereal, a little more flawed. But I love the story all the same, cracks and all. My rating is biased because my inner child would never forgive me for giving it 4 stars instead of 5.

Another user compared this book to poetry. I remember renting the movie as a child, and my mom claims she read it to me, but I didn't remember either. I was about to read something I already knew, and yet something brand new. It was a wonderful feeling.

I cannot praise the writing enough. I could see everything. I could feel everything. I could smell and touch them all. The unicorn rose from those pages. I saw her. I was in awe. She is the most beautiful creature the world has ever known. Peter S. Beagle brought her to life.

Some parts of this seemed to drag. Those were the scenes without the unicorn. whether intentionally or not, the book came alive when she was on the pages. I'm glad I picked this up, and I understand now why it is such a classic.

4.5
This book had everything I love about classic fantasy novels. Definitely not an epic but a soft tale filled with riddles & rhymes, talking cats, witty dialogue, a whimsical quest, a prince and of course, a unicorn!! The writing was so beautiful too and had a satisfying end :')

It's written just as you would expect any fairy tale to be written but never felt silly or childish. In a way it reminded me of the Little Prince. Nothing makes logical “sense” but I really like that. Peter Beagle essentially creates this world and plops us in it without explaining anything LOL.
We just start off with this unicorn who lives in a lilac wood. There's no world building, backstory or established rules. Even the magician doesn't understand his own magic The mythology is mixed up with all sorts of other fables and at one point Robin Hood even appears. Honestly anyone who likes The Princess Bride would enjoy this. I would read it again.

Not 5 stars but don't get me wrong! I really did enjoy this. I'm not sure why but something is stopping me from giving it a 5 so it's gonna sit here.

Final note: Also can I just say, I love when characters know they're in a fairy tale and give us great dialogue like this:
“They deserve their fate, they deserve worse. To leave a child out in the snow-“ “Well if they hadn't, he couldn't have grown up to be a prince. Haven't you been in a fairy tale before?”

“We are in a fairy tale, and must go where it goes.”

“Great heroes need great sorrows and burdens, or half their greatness goes unnoticed. It is all part of the fairy tale.”

The Last Unicorn was on of my favorite books as a child. I bought this book at a convention from Peter S. Beagle (very nice man), but didn't read it. I think I was afraid it would interfere or tarnish the memories I have of the story. I finally decided to just to do and...
I loved the book. It turns out the movie stuck to the book pretty closely. Many of the lines that I had loved in the movie were there in the book. Like all adapted books there was more in the book than the movie, but it filled in and flushed out the story I loved without changing it.