Peter S Beagle

Peter B Gillis

Peter S. Beagle's beloved fantasy classic captured imaginations around the world, and takes on new life in this luscious, fully illustrated graphic novel adaptation. The Last Unicorn is a tale for any age about the wonders of magic, the power of love, and the tragedy of loss. The unicorn, alone in her enchanted wood, learns that she may be the last of her kind. Reluctant at first, she sets out on a journey to discover the fate of her fellow unicorns, even if it means facing the terrifying anger of the Red Bull and the malignant evil of the king who wields its power. Along the way, she'll encounter a cast of unforgettable characters, including Schmendrick the magician, the bandit Molly Grue, the noble Prince Lír, and the occasional talking butterfly. Adapted by Peter B. Gillis and lushly illustrated by Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon, The Last Unicorn is simultaneously current and timeless in this newest incarnation.

The Last Unicorn

Peter S. Beagle

The 30th anniversary of a fantasy classic from Peter S. Beagle!

Luca Stromann

"I like being brave well enough, but I will be a lazy coward again if you think that would be better. The sight of her makes me want to do battle with all evil and ugliness, but it also makes me want to sit still and be unhappy. What should I do, Molly?"

"Two long and one short," he sighed presently. “Awell, tis no more foolish than the time he’d have no password at all, and shot any who answered the challenge.“

"There is much misjudgment in the world. Now l knew you for a unicorn when I first saw you, and I know that I am your friend. Yet you take me for a clown, or a clod, or a betrayer, and so must I be if you see me so. The magic on you is only magic and will vanish as soon as you are free, but the enchantment of error that you put on me I must wear forever in your eyes. We are not always what we seem, and hardly ever what we dream."

She is a woman, Your Highness, and that's riddle enough.

Peter B. Gillis

The Last Unicorn #1

Beagle's prose enchanted me from the start; I wouldn't have been as moved by the story without it. It's so hard to craft a proper fairytale with all the strangeness and melancholy and delight that it deserves, but Beagle pulled it off somehow in the late 60s. All the musings on mortality and change and regret made me weepy by the end—I loved how The Last Unicorn nailed nothing being the same even when you get what you wanted. One thing I was particularly wowed by was the use of perspective and how it mirrored the journey: we begin with the unicorn but grow more and more distant from her mind by the end. Never have I been more attached to nor more saddened by a unicorn.

alice

Very much Secret Garden, A Little Princess, Hobbit, Narnia-core. Would’ve devoured this book as a child.

Jillian Roberts

Very much Secret Garden, A Little Princess, Hobbit, Narnia-core. Would’ve devoured this book as a child.

Slay. 3.5 stars

Sierra

Jade Waistnidge

Stunningly written in poetic prose.

A nostalgic read for me.

Gillian Rose

I'm so mad I didn't read this at a younger age! It's absolutely adorable!

Kirsten Simkiss

I thought this book was very lovely. I grew up having seen the movie version, so reading through this I remembered bits and pieces of the movie and the nostalgia of my friends and I watching this helped my enjoyment to an extent. I can fairly say I'd give this one 4 stars, if not 4.5.

The first thing that I have to say is that, if you're reading this and you watched the movie but aren't sure if you want to read the book, I have to say that the cartoon film sticks really close to the book as far as my memory. However, the book is more poetic. I remarked to a friend while reading it that it was like reading poetry in prose form.

Obviously, this book takes place in a European medieval sort of world with all the typical rules of the lore, but with a few unusual additions. Naturally, it expands a lot on unicorn lore, but you also get a little on harpies, dragons, and magic. Parts of the lore match the typical lore (like appearances, for instance), but much of it is it's own beast, pardoning the pun. Also canon are stories of Robin Hood, though only in fiction.

The characters are good and consistent, but all show growth as the story progresses. If I had to pick a favorite, I'd definitely say it was Molly. I think the weirdest thing about this book was how often they refer to themselves as being in a story. That breaking of the fourth wall is a little odd, but not out of place.

I would definitely recommend reading this to others, especially if they enjoyed the movie version.

Ashlyn

My rating is perhaps biased by deeply-rooted nostalgia, but I can't deny how gorgeous Beagle's prose is even apart from the magical adventure story I've known since toddlerhood. Please read this lovely piece of fantasy. 🦄

"Peter S. Beagle first imagined his beloved heroine when he was twenty-three, half a decade before she sprang into the world. Now the Last Unicorn's fantastical origins are recaptured in this beautifully illustrated, commemorative hardcover edition, which includes Beagle's revisited, wry musings upon his early writing career. In this appealingly familiar yet wonderfully strange adventure, a brave unicorn leaves her solitary life behind, determined to discover if she is the last of her kind. She is forewarned by a forlorn dragon and befuddled by a chatty butterfly; her traveling companion is an exiled demon with a split personality and a penchant for philosophy. Somewhere between mythology, modernity, and magic, the last unicorn is finding her world irrevocably transformed."--

The Lost Journey

The best of The Hobbit and Princess Bride told in truly poetic prose.

Brianna

Renae De Liz

Presents a graphic novel adaptation of the famous novel, in which a unicorn, alone in an enchanted wood, discovers she might be the last of her kind and sets out on a journey to find others like her.

Michaela Linz

I really enjoyed the art throughout as I was reading and I really love the movie. Just at times I was very confused with the story and the transition to different scenes. I honestly gives them more of a 3.5 stars.

Erin Russell

I think it's safe to say that this is my favorite book I've ever read (at this point in time). Though I admit I was biased going in to this book because I love the Rankin-Bass movie adaption, so I may have read it through rose tinted glasses. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a quick read, I had managed to finish it in one sitting in the span of 3-4 hours. Peter Beagle has a simple yet beautiful way of writing that I find refreshing and I plan on returning to in the future when I read some of his other books that have caught my interest. In the mean time, I will recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy, adventure, or romance.

Cheryl Hedlund

Beautiful prose and classic fantasy. It is also not so serious that it can't have a little laugh at itself, although this is not satire, like Princess Bride. There is magic, ballads, a wicked king, a true hero, and maybe a wizard. If he can hold on to his magic. There is also fate and tragic love. Most importantly, unicorns are desperately wanted back in the world. What price is the only free unicorn going to have to pay to set all of the others free? Is it possible for a magical being to learn to feel or to regret? Just sink into the storytelling and go along for the journey with these characters.

Pam Sartain

it took me a long time to finish this book, . mostly because it didn't grab me, and i think I was a bit disappointed, having read Patrick Rothfuss saying how much he loved it.

Jessica Nottingham

My copy of The Last Unicorn was so dog eared and well loved when I was younger that it fell apart a little bit after my twelfth birthday. We won't even go in to how worn out the tape in my VHS was. This story...is beautiful. If you haven't read the original work, it's a masterpiece. A story of bravery, of love lost, of friendship and hardship. This isn't your average fairy tale and I love it so much for that.

Of course when I found out that there was to be a graphic novel I was overjoyed! A little wary as well, since I wasn't sure if the beauty of my favorite story would stay intact. I'm here to say, as a lover of Peter S. Beagle, there isn't a single element missing in this graphic novel. In fact, I daresay it gives it a whole new life. I am so glad that this epic story will be spread to a new group of readers!

The illustrations in this book are utterly, mouth dropping to the floor, gorgeous. They are vivid and fanciful, while still keeping one foot firmly planted in reality (albeit an alternate one). What I loved most was the use of light and dark. When things are going well the illustrations are bright and colorful. As soon as things start to go poorly, the pages become dark and dangerous. In all honesty even if you weren't able to read, the illustrations tell the story all on their own.

However obviously if you are already a lover of The Last Unicorn then you'll want to read the story. The beauty of this graphic novel is that, although the story has been shortened for this purpose, it remains beautifully intact just the same. The words still flow off the page, and mesh into the illustrations. All my favorite parts were still there to make my eyes tear up and take me back. In fact, I think these new illustrations may be my favorite part. It's like a new take on something that is so comfortable, and they did it right.

I'm rambling now I know. Suffice it to say that this graphic novel is fantastic. If you are a long time fan of this story, you'll fall in love all over again. If this is the first time you're coming in, I promise you'll be enamored. Hopefully you'll join the ranks of fangirls and fanboys who are utterly enthralled by this story. I know this just further reminded me why I fell in love in the first place.

Anyaconda

The audiobook was absolutely magical! And I also now know about the plotholes in the movie 😅

The Last Unicorn

Reviews

Highlights