Reviews

So beautifully written, and wonderfully satisfying to read. A very pleasant experience. The author masterfully describes and injects every scene with life and colour.

heleli's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

brendalovesbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

This story is absolutely beautiful and magical and could be enjoyed by all ages.

Full review here: http://brendalovesbooks.blogspot.com/2010/10/last-unicorn.html

blewballoon's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous lighthearted reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Oh dear. I really wanted to like this. I have a nostalgic fondness for the 1982 animated film and I was hoping the book would have the same mesmerizing quality. From my recollection, the film actually follows the story and dialogue pretty accurately, if abbreviated. I wonder if it's this abbreviation that worked for me? The art style of the movie is so striking, and tonally works with the sometimes unnatural, meandering, and riddle-like way the characters often speak. In the text though, it feels like a bit too much. It almost feels like the characters are just reciting segments of nonsense poems like the Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll to each other sometimes, they barely feel like people. The whole book is sort of like reading an epic poem that spends a lot of time describing things rather than on anything happening. Sometimes these descriptions are clever and well-placed, and sometimes they are just slowing an already slow story down. I wish this type of writing worked for me, and I wish I had enjoyed listening to this audiobook, but I know I didn't by how much I actively avoided listening to it. I found myself folding my laundry in silence rather than putting this on. I'm sorry, Peter S. Beagle, for not being able to properly appreciate the whimsy and imagery you cultivated here, and I'm sorry Patrick Rothfuss because your intro to the book was lovely and I wish I felt the same way about it as you do.

Content Warnings

colewawa's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

The poetry in The Last Unicorn is magical. One of those books where every line I can bask in the metaphors without it making the book confusing or taking away from the excellent plot. I loved every side character and the stories we hear along the way, definitely an example of how to make a simple story a remarkable book!

pearlydragon's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A classic fantasy tale that warms the heart and soul. This will forever be my go-to comfort read.

implicit's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

The book yawns like a chasm on a kitten frosty morning. Every adjective is whimsical and every event simply occurs. It is entirely matter-of-fact, yet subverts each trope as it invokes it. As an educational primer in fantasy writing, this book is both model and cautionary tale. Sometimes in order to tell a compelling story, one has to just tell the story.

If you like wandering stories that dance with the point, and adjectives that make you relieved when the occasional horse is simply “brown,” this may be the book for you. If you enjoy fantasy and want to read a classic of the genre, The Last Unicorn may not be a waste of time. If you like stories that get to the point and descriptions you can picture (but perhaps not feel in the fantastical and wild corners of your brain), then you may safely pass on this one.

More...