Welcome to the Speculative Chic Book Club! Each month, we invite you to join us in reading a book that is voted on by YOU, our readers. Following a short review, please feel free to discuss the book in the comments!
The Last Unicorn (1968)
Author: Peter S. Beagle
Pages: 294
Publisher: Roc
Why I nominated this for book club: My idea for September is that this is when fall begins. Fall back . . . right? So I nominated books from my and my friend’s childhoods. The Last Unicorn has been a favorite story since I first saw the animated classic back in the early 80s and the book followed shortly after my reading level got a little more advanced.
Premise:
The unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone . . .
. . . so she ventured out from the safety of the enchanted forest on a quest for others of her kind. Joined along the way by the bumbling magician Schmendrick and the indominable Molly Grue, the unicorn learns all about the joys and sorrows of life and love before meeting her destiny in the castle of a despondent monarch–and confronting the creature that would drive her kind to extinction.
Obvious spoiler warning for a post where we discuss a book we should have all read.
Discussion: So I’ve already spoiled that this is one of my favorite stories in the world, and I say story because I was first introduced to the movie as a small child and didn’t read the book until high school. And because I’ve grown up with this story, I can tell you that one of the things I’ve loved most about it over time is how the meaning of it has changed over time.
Small Merrin wasn’t ready to interact with Molly Grue, couldn’t understand how Molly could berate the unicorn, tears running down her face, and then forgive her in the next moment. The Merrin now pushing 40 reads this tirade, tears sliding down her nose along with Molly:
“And what good is it to me that you’re here now? Where were you twenty years ago, ten years ago? How dare you, how dare you come to me now, when I am this?” With a flap of her hand she summed herself up: barren face, desert eyes, and yellowing heart. “I wish you had never come, why do you come now?” (Page 97)
I also think about how lucky I was to have been exposed to this story as a child, a story that doesn’t have a happy, tied up ending. When I think about formative stories in my childhood, I think about this one, and I think about the version of The Little Mermaid my parents got for me (this being before the Disney version was made) that had the traditional ending of the mermaid turning into foam on the waves, rather than kill the man she loves.
So I like that this ending had some heartache, because while I don’t think I appreciated the nuances as a child, reading back over a unicorn living forever with regret, and thanking Schmendrick for the experience, is another thing that’s going to stick with me for the rest of my days.
“My people are in the world again. No sorrow will live in me as long as that joy — save one, and I thank you for that, too.” (Page 289)
As Shara commented on the book club announcement post, in 2004 Beagle wrote a novelette coda to The Last Unicorn in the form of Two Hearts. I don’t want to spoil that if you haven’t read it yet, so I won’t throw it into the discussion here, but man, it makes me cry.
In conclusion: Did any of you have the experience I did with this book, where your experience changed with it over time? Or is there another book like that for you?
I read this a while ago and I remember always being just….sad by it. The atmosphere of the unicorn being alone, then how she felt when turned into a human, and then everything else beside that. The whole story, even though it had a happy (for the most part) ending always just let me kinda bummed. The movie didn’t change that and in fact sort of helped to reflect how I saw things and how I felt about it. For that I’ve never really been particularly partial to the book, although I will say the graphic novel is pretty stunning.
It’s definitely a sad book, for sure. The unicorn lived alone, but she liked living alone. The only time she ever saw any other unicorns was when she saved them. It has a happy ending in that she frees the unicorns, but it’s really really bittersweet, because of how much being mortal for a while changed her, and made her understand loneliness and regret. It’s a lot.
I vaguely remember that I liked the movie as a child, but (unpopular opinion time), when I read the book for the first time last year, I did not like it. I thought it was weird and I never quite connected with the characters. One of the reviews on the cover claimed, “The best book I’ve ever read,” and I thought, “Is it the only book you’ve ever read?”
I honestly don’t even know how to engage with this comment, tbh. It’s one of my top fives of all time, and I’ve read a shit ton of books.
I mean that said I do understand that not everyone likes the same things.
I’ve never been a huge fan of science fiction/fantasy. Before Shara (Speculative Chic founder) talked me into givng it a chance, I would have said that I did not like any fantasy or science fiction. I’ve come to find that there is a lot of speculative stuff out there that I do like, but there have been some classics in the genre that I absolutely could not get into, specifically this book and Lord of The Rings. I know they are a lot of people’s all-time favorites but they don’t do it for me.
Kelly, have you ever read TWO HEARTS? It’s a novella, and a sequel to this book. It is absolutely gorgeous, and you can tell Beagle has come a long way since he wrote this.
Haha, yeah and LotR is one of my other favorites, but I def understand that both of them can be more difficult to access. Also lol I do know who Shara is. 😉
So I grew up watching the movie over. And over. And over. It was THE MOVIE at the video rental that I beelined for every time. I remember the first time I got there and it was ACTUALLY available for me to rent: it was a glorious day!
I loved the movie. Never read the book until…. I was out of college, and after I’d read the sequel, Two Hearts (which, in case it isn’t obvious, I adored). I read the book and the sequel AGAIN, back to back. My original review is here, and over time I find myself preferring Two Hearts to The Last Unicorn, but who knows? Maybe if I read it again, I’ll find myself thinking differently.
A couple of things: I still hate the reference to the taco. Also, rewatching the movie as an adult? Really kind of disturbing, actually.
For some reason, I can’t reply to the other comment but I haven’t read Two Hearts.
I read Two Hearts a couple of years ago for the first time, and I read it again this time after finishing The Last Unicorn. I liked it but I like the book better.
OH! Did you know there’s a graphic novel adaptation? The art is GLORIOUS! My old review: https://calico-reaction.livejournal.com/218496.html
I did and I’m pretty sure I’ve read it, but I can’t prove it right now, lol
We attended a reading by Patrick Rothfuss (Name of the Wind/Kingkiller Chronicles) and he claimed that THE LAST UNICORN was his all-time favorite book and that he re-read it every year. I promptly got a copy, but I have to say that I had to force myself through it. I didn’t like the tone–it felt very old–and none of the characters engaged me.