The Last Unicorn

* Bibliographic information
Beagle, P. S. The Last Unicorn. Viking Press, 1968. ISBN: 9780760783740


* Plot Summary
This is the story of the last unicorn. The rest of the unicorns have vanished and she decides to leave the safety of her home to find them. On her journey men try to capture her only seeing her as a white mare which confuses and angers her. A butterfly follows her for a while speaking nonsense until she starts to say goodbye and he, in a moment of lucidity, calls her by her name, “unicorn”. She asks if he has seen any of her kind in his travels and he says the Red Bull has them but she must be brave in order to find them. Later she is captured as she sleeps by Mommy Fortuna to be used in her carnival. Mommy Fortuna puts a spell on ordinary animals so her patrons will see magical creatures; she has to put a spell on the unicorn to make people see a unicorn. Schmendrick the Magician wants to leave the carnival and vows to free her from her cage. The unicorn learns that the Red Bull is linked to King Haggard and they begin their journey towards his castle. They pick up another traveling companion along the way; Molly Grue who sees the unicorn for what she is and wants to help her. The three set off for Haggard’s realm and Schmendrick must take drastic measures to keep the Red Bull from capturing the last unicorn and the only hope for her kind.


* Critical Evaluation
For anybody who has ever wished unicorns were real this is a wonderful story they will cherish forever. The writing is truly beautiful and the characters are multi-dimensional. The unicorn is the main character; she has many human traits to her personality but she is mystical at the same time. The story takes on a completely different tone when the unicorn is turned into Lady Amalthea and she is forced to exist in a body that is no longer immortal. Many readers will cry for the unicorn because she is such a magical creature and to put her in such a normal body crushes her spirit. This story is from the 1960s but it has lived on because of the animated version which is very similar to the book. This is an ageless tale that will continue to be popular for years to come because of the beauty and strength it possesses.


* Reader’s Annotation
The last unicorn just discovered she is the only one left of her kind so she takes off on a journey to find the truth of what happened to them. She will have to make sacrifices and be brave if she wants to save her kind from extinction.


* Information about the author
Beagle grew up in the Bronx; he writes fiction, non-fiction, lyrics, poetry, songs, teleplays and screenplays; including the animated version of The Last Unicorn. He has written three highly praised fantasy novels, including The Last Unicorn; he is acknowledged as America’s greatest living fantasy author. To learn more about this author go to his website, www.peaterbeagle.com.


* Genre
Teen Fiction/Fiction; Fantasy


* Curriculum Ties, if any
N/A


* Booktalking Ideas
1) Why did Schmendrick decide to leave the carnival and free the unicorn?
2) Talk about Molly Grue’s character. Why does she feel the unicorn failed her in her youth? What reasons may she have wanted the unicorn to be there for her?
3) Discuss the character of the unicorn and how she changed when she became the Lady Amalthea.


* Reading Level/Interest Age
Twelfth grade and up/ 18 and up


* Challenge Issues and Defense
N/A


* Why did you include this book in your titles you selected?
This book is listed as YA literature at my local library but other sources I checked treated it as adult fiction. I believe if this book is not a young adult book then it is a crossover book. It is popular among both groups. I selected this book for my collection because it is a great book that many people do not know about. Most people are familiar with the animated movie but have no idea it was based on a book. Of course the book has tons of fans already but there are still people out there who do not know about it. I think this book will be loved by teens today and in the future as long as someone tells them about it.