The Last Unicorn: The First Book Review

Now, it has been a while since I read this book. This is an old review that I have merely rewritten largely and expanded upon, so I might be slightly fuzzy on some of the particulars. It is not really a High Fantasy novel either. But I still think it fits rather nicely into the general atmosphere of the blog. And so, I thought, what better to launch this blog once and for all than a review of this little classic? 

The Last Unicorn

by Peter S. Beagle

Published by ROC, 2008 

294 pages. 16.00 USD

★★★★☆

I found this book to be a very quick and enjoyable read, although I did not think the story line was very interesting - or, well I really like the essence of it. I just do not find it too well-executed. The real charm of the work is found in the details and in the easy manner of Beagle's writing style.

The story is set in a magical world where nature moves out of the way to clear a path for unicorns and where trees may fall in love with men. These are the things that made 'The Last Unicorn' a special read for me. And they make the book one that I shall not soon forget, I think.

The plot is rather simple and that is really the one fault for me. I like intricate stories and this is not it, but it does suit the genre well enough. It is more of a traditional fairytale children's story kind of book than it is a piece of High Fantasy. The characters in the story are interesting and unpredictable, though not very deep. They all have their little oddities, which adds nicely to the charming air of the book; all those little details I talked about.

I will not go so far as to say that this is an entirely mind blowingly original piece of literature. But I do think that it has its little moments that sets it completely apart from anything else I have ever read. 

It has a great entertainment factor. It is short, easy to read and simple to digest. And even more important: it is the kind of book that you remember, the kind of book that once you have finished reading it, you already know that you will want to read it again sometime. Not right away, but you know, once an appropriate amount of time has passed by and you once again find yourself in need of something altogether charming and intriguing.

Overall the book is very written. The plot runs smoothly along with no little detail missing that should have been there, and not a line of it that is unnecessary or superfluous. The only little dent in it for my person is that it appears a bit too simple plotwise. A little twist towards the end would have made all the difference! But again it befits the genre the way it is. And alas! 4 stars is not a bad rating at all!