2010-10 THE LAST UNICORN: first impressions and roll call *no spoilers please*

[Stefan, Group Founder + Moderator (Retired)]

Please let us know if you're reading, or planning to read, The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle, and any first impressions. No spoilers in this topic please!

[Felina]

I plan on reading this one.

[Laurel]

Have read it and loved it!

[Janny]

Read this so long ago...feels very far away.

[Charles]

Maybe later. Right now I am up to my neck in Paravia.

[Dawn]

I have an omnibus with it in it, I plan on reading it soon...

[Shel, Moderator]

I can't count the number of times I've read this :) (never mind how many times I watched the animated movie as a kid...I think my sister and I wore out the tape!)

[Christine]

I love the movie. Love the book.

[Brenda]

I'm reading it now. This is my first time reading it.

[Ron]

Ditto Janny's comment: read this years ago, quite liked it but it is not now present in memory, and I have no desire to go over that ground again.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I read it a few years ago for a group read on another site. I liked it but didn't have the same "WOW" reaction as many others in that group. I'm not rereading for this discussion but will chime in, depending on what I remember.

Didn't know they made a movie of it.

[Jo]

I was given the movie as a birthday present last month. I don't remember having read the book, Love the story but not sure it is the greatest movie!!

[Shel, Moderator]

Kathi, it was an animated movie, I want to say early to mid-80's?

I still get all happy and nostalgic when I hear the soundtrack :)

[Scott]

I'm planning on reading it, first time reading it, on hold at the library

[Christine]

Jo wrote: "I was given the movie as a birthday present last month. I don't remember having read the book, Love the story but not sure it is the greatest movie!!"

The cartoon, if it is the same movie, isn't one of the greatest movies. There is much less going in the movie than in the book. One of the themes in the book isn't in the movie (I don't want to say what theme because I don't want to give away a possible spoiler).

Yet the movie is a good adaption of the book. Even the artwork, at least in terms of the Unicorn, is on point.

[Staci]

I'm reading this one for the first time. I'm not very far in yet, but so far it's not really grabbing me, will keep going though since it's still too early and a lot of people seem to really enjoy this one.

[Brenda]

Staci, I just finished it, and I wouldn't say it ever really grabbed me either, but I did quite enjoy it. I think you have to just kind of settle in to the story, because there's not a whole lot of action or things that make you keep turning pages to see what's going to happen (at least for me).

[Jo]

In that case I think I had better get hold of a copy to see how it compares to the movie. I usually find books to be best anyway.

[Mike (the Paladin)]

I read this long ago and found it was sort of like a thin soup or cup of "just warm" tea... not great, but not horrible.

[Brandon]

Plan on reading it. Just finished it.. my first read for one of the book clubs on here.

My first impression was, "different than expected". Lighter, more humorous than I anticipated.

[DivaDiane]

I'm reading this for the first time. Can't believe it, actually. I remember my best friend being obsessed by the movie when we were kids. She was then obsessed by unicorns forevermore. I'm about half way through and thoroughly enjoying it. The prose is lovely at times and laugh out loud funny at time. Highly enjoyable.

[Jon]

Just started this last night. This is the first time I've read this novel and the first thing I've ever read by Beagle. I whizzed through the first chapter and a half on the way to work this morning.

I hope that having watched the movie several time with my children (it is one of my daughter's favorite movies to this day), I won't have a jaundiced or spoiled viewpoint.

[Gaijinmama]

I have loved both the book and the movie since I first encountered them as a geeky girl of 15, back in 1982. I think the movie is great, and does the book justice. Also, it's amusing that I live in Japan, land of anime, and I really dislike anime except for this one. I didn't even know it was anime, or even what anime was when I first saw it, but you'll notice that a huge number of the artists are Japanese. I didn't figure that out for years.

My copy of the book is part of an omnibus, which includes several of his other works, including Lilah the Werewolf and A Fine and Private Place. Should keep me busy and happy for awhile!

[Dawn]

Gaijinmama wrote: "I have loved both the book and the movie since I first encountered them as a geeky girl of 15, back in 1982. I think the movie is great, and does the book justice. Also, it's amusing that I live in..."

I read the same omnibus. I found I liked A Fine and Private Place better than The Last Unicorn, which I wasn't expecting.

[Shel, Moderator]

Here's an interview with Peter S. Beagle about the upcoming graphic novel version of The Last Unicorn:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?pa...

I want it! :)

[Gaijinmama]

Shel wrote: "Here's an interview with Peter S. Beagle about the upcoming graphic novel version of The Last Unicorn:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?pa...

I want it! :)"

Way cool! Thanks for sharing.
This is a story that I've been reading and re-reading for nearly 30 years. A graphic novel will be lots of fun.
And by the way, doesn't Mr. Beagle just seem like the nicest guy ever? The kind of person I would totally love to make a nice cup of green tea and have a chat with.

[Shel, Moderator]

Totally :)