The Last Unicorn

Just like the Hobbit, it seems this book was targeted at children when it was released. By today's standards, both books fit better with an older audience.

It is indeed a magical story and even with a unicorn as a character, it is never too girly or becomes a “My Little Pony” older brother.

For a small book, it somehow manages to give some depth to characters. No one is all bad or all good. Even the most evil creature has ulterior motives. For example, the Unicorn is so proud that is infuriating, becoming a character that makes it difficult for himself for me to like him. Nonetheless, in the last part of the history, it finally shows a glimpse of let's say “humanity”, that shines a completely different light over it.

It's easy to sympathize with Schmendrick burden and goal, even if the path to obtain it isn't always the most righteous.

Molly Grue, I believe, is the character that most people will feel drawn to. She begins strong and on the defensive, later becoming a charming, intelligent, thoughtful and powerful motivator in what was Schmendrick's development. Some may argue that she started somewhat as a warrior to later become someone very skittish and relying a lot on Schmendrick. The gender roles in this story are defined to what maybe were the standards at the time. Every woman is a damsel in distress, and only the men are able to be the heroes. I don't really care about these “issues” in books, and I don't think that was any ill thought on Beagle's head when he wrote the story. It was, and in someways still is, a very captivating trope in fantasy books. It just needs to be done with respect, which I think is the case with The Last Unicorn.

I liked the book and can say that now I understand the praise it receives. It is full of clever conversations and deep meanings. I didn't resist highlighting some of them. Most of the time it portrays with great fidelity human feelings, be it love, fear, boredom, greed and sorrow.

I could not help but recommend that people read this book. After all, old-school fantasy still is the most magical, grand and dreamy.

I have to say that I was really happy that the unicorn didn't remain as Lady Amalthea and married Prince Lir. Stories that ignore the most logical path for the sake of a happy ending, are not to my taste