Just Finished Reading: The Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle (FP: 1968) [292pp] 

It was an overheard conversation at it changed everything. Whilst hiding in her wood she listened in to two hunters passing through. One warned that hunting here was useless because the local wildlife had learnt to hide too well in emulation of the resident unicorn. His companion laughed heartily and explained the unicorns were a myth and even if they had existed (which he doubted) they had long vanished from the world of men. Both amused and irritated by the debate she couldn't help but wonder: was she the last unicorn? If so, what happened to the others? Did they leave to go elsewhere or did they, rather illogically, die – being immortal kind of squashed this idea. There was, she thought, only one way to find out. She would have to leave her sacred wood and venture out into the world and seek out others of her kind or at least find out what happened to them and what might, ultimately, happen to her. Her quest was about to begin... 

Despite this being a classic (although apparently 'lost' for some time) and despite being listed as one of the 100 greatest fantasy novels of all time, I had honestly never heard of it or the author. I think a big part of that is that Fantasy isn't exactly my favourite gene. I've dipped my toes in before (and even wiggled them a bit) but have never really 'dived in' - to extend the metaphor a little further. This book/author might be the start of turning that around because I totally LOVED it! 

I think part of that reaction was sheer surprise. For one thing the novel was really well written - simply beautifully. But it was much more than that. As usual I'll bang on about characterisation. The unicorn herself, as she progressed from understandable naivety to depressing knowledge, is very well drawn. Her companions on the quest likewise are a delight. The immortal (but only until his magic actually starts working properly) wizard Schmendrick was a particular favourite of mine throughout. He's fully accepting of how inept he is but at the same time knows with iron certainty that he CAN do great things given the right opportunity. 

The world building is superb. If you have had any experience of either Fantasy tales or Fairy tales, you'll fit right in. Layered on top of this is the VERY knowing humour that had me literally howling with laughter. We meet a bandit chief who composes songs about himself so that he'll become a part of the local folklore and, eventually he hopes, a myth (yet he doesn't believe that Robin Hood was ever a 'real' person). There is a local villager who, when asked to explain his actions – or actually inactions - responds with (I'm paraphrasing slightly here) the fact that he knows what a hero narrative looks like when he sees one. One other conversation almost floored me the way it fell. One of the other main characters asked why the prince in the spooky castle was 'so important'. The magician looked at her and said, "You've never been in a fairy tale before, have you?" MUCH laughing ensued as the magician clearly knew he was a character in a story and was happy to go along with it! 

This is the kind of book that you could read to your children at bedtime (I suggest for the over 7's as some of the ideas might simply fly over their heads otherwise and there are a few scary bits for the very young). Older children would, I think, not only get a LOT out of this but also get a lot out of re-reading it every 3-5 years. Each read, I think, would reveal more as they matured. But that doesn't mean that this is simply a well-written and enjoyable children's book. Nothing of the sort. This is one of those rare books that just about anyone can read and enjoy. All readers of all ages will get different things from it, but everyone will come away entertained, bedazzled and oddly comforted too. It is a tale of heroism, friendship, love, conviction, exploration and much, much more. Definitely a highlight of the year and DEFINITELY recommended even if you're not normally a Fantasy fan. More to come from this author.