The Last Unicorn (The Last Unicorn, #1) in Pick-a-Shelf

Mar 14, 2009 Micha rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-home-books-from-my-childho, favorites, books-for-anime-lovers

There is a depth to The Last Unicorn that I do not often find outside of classic literature.

It is an impressive feat for a writer at 20 to carry so much depth of age and time and the weight of those things. How our decisions can shape us, sometimes even make us into something entirely different from when we started. Or leaving us the same, but with a little bit more than before. And sometimes leaving us with more questions (or quests) than answers or happy endings.

The idea of a Unicorn, a mag There is a depth to The Last Unicorn that I do not often find outside of classic literature.

It is an impressive feat for a writer at 20 to carry so much depth of age and time and the weight of those things. How our decisions can shape us, sometimes even make us into something entirely different from when we started. Or leaving us the same, but with a little bit more than before. And sometimes leaving us with more questions (or quests) than answers or happy endings.

The idea of a Unicorn, a magical creature who carries the reputation for being Immortal, that has to come to terms with the fact that she may be the last of her kind and all that that would mean is just phenomenal to me. To know or believe that your death wipes out your species, especially a species that brings enchantment to the Universe, what a difficult burden that would be to bear. It is no wonder that the Unicorn leaves the comfort of her home and her solitude in order to find out the truth.

I was very young when I first read it and it shaped me completely. I remember reading the part with Ellie (who is understandably not in the animated version) and being incredibly moved by 'her'. My whole soul changed in that moment, if such a thing can happen. Perhaps it did not change, but just found itself closer to home. Anyway, it really shook me at the time and still does today. Only now I think about the heaviness that the Unicorn must feeling through the narrative. Knowing she is the last of her kind; leaving her desire for solitude in order to find out.

It sometimes feels like a study on the experience of those facing their own mortality or extinction and the limits of their existence (Schmendrick and his magic, Lir and his heroism and his love, Haggard and his joy, Molly Grue and her innocence, Capt. Cully and his mythos and adventures, Ellie and her age). The novel is fraught with examples of this theme again and again. Almost every character we meet comes to some kind of conclusion regarding their own dreams and limits and yet Mr. Beagle does so with such grace; undolorously propelling his characters through a journey of discovery and adventure without necessarily dooming them (obviously not in all cases). While the dream may not be what one originally desired or expected, it is still plausible to achieve it at least in part. I don't know whether I feel this is melancholy or uplifting (it probably depends on the day), but it is overall, I believe, realistic.

It feels such an epic undertaking and yet so very simple at the same time. Reading it was a honour in and of itself, but to have read it at such an impressionable and formative age (6), can only be described as a gift. It really is such a pleasure to know that magic exists in the world and we call it "Books". ...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Cora rated it it was amazing

Shelves: magic, fantasy, classic, unicorns, magical-creatures, adventure, movie, 1st-in-series, american-literature, mythical-creatures

The Last Unicorn is the classic fantasy story of a unicorn who discovers that she is the last unicorn left in the world. All of the others have been captured by the mysterious Red Bull. The unicorn begins a quest to find her fellow unicorns and return them to the world. Along the way she meets up with a magicless wizard and a woman who lived with a band of thieves who help her along the way as they also search for something missing. I really enjoyed the story. Although it has classic fantasy ele ...more

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Aug 04, 2013 Lindsay rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, kindle, 2013

Lovely, classic fantasy here with some fantastic characters and beautiful prose.

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Apr 30, 2008 Luann rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, 2009

This is beautifully written, but sad. And it wasn't a good sad that made me want to read to the end. I did finally finish it, but I just didn't enjoy it much. Although I hope this doesn't discourage anyone from reading it who wants to. I'm glad I finally read it, but it isn't a book I would ever reread.

(Two stars for how much I enjoyed it, and an extra star for the writing.) ...more

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Aug 06, 2013 Roseann rated it really liked it

Shelves: roseann-s-tower-challenge-team-b

I thought I had read this book as a teen, as I was obsessed by unicorns, but nothing seemed familiar. This story belongs in the children's classic section of any library as it not only brings to life the legend of the unicorn, but also teaches valuable lessons about friendship and heroism.

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Sep 04, 2007 Deedee rated it it was ok

Shelves: sf-npr-top-100, scifi-and-fantasy-book-club, beyond-reality-fantasy, fantasy-book-club, scifi-and-fantasy-club-read, fantasy, unicorns

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Nov 27, 2008 Betty rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, favorites

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Dec 16, 2008 Stephen marked it as to-read

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Jan 21, 2009 Hege marked it as to-read

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Sep 02, 2009 Jennifer rated it really liked it

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Oct 28, 2009 Gaijinmama rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fiction, favorites

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Feb 23, 2010 Ashley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

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Mar 03, 2010 BJ Rose marked it as wishlist

Shelves: fantasy

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May 07, 2010 Kim DeCina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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Jun 16, 2010 Angela Randall marked it as to-read

Shelves: 1960-1969, fiction, second-hand-bookshop-wishlist, fantasy, i-own-ebook, first-book-in-great-series, kids, 20th-century, young-adult, kids-8plus

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