Weekend Book Reviews: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn, first published in 1968, is a timeless classic of fantasy literature that transcends its genre, offering a poignant meditation on loss, immortality, and the ephemeral nature of beauty. Often cited alongside other great works of mythopoeic literature, Beagle’s narrative resonates with readers through its poetic prose, existential underpinnings, and richly symbolic storytelling.

At its core, The Last Unicorn is a quest narrative, but Beagle deftly subverts many of the conventions one might expect from high fantasy. The protagonist, a unicorn who believes herself to be the last of her kind, embarks on a journey to discover the fate of her kin. As she ventures through a world that has forgotten magic, she encounters a host of characters who represent different facets of the human condition: the jaded, failed magician Schmendrick, who seeks redemption; the cynical Molly Grue, who laments the lost ideals of youth; and the tragic King Haggard, whose obsessive pursuit of control and eternal beauty has led to a hollow existence.

Beagle’s use of language is perhaps the most striking element of the novel. His prose, lyrical yet unpretentious, echoes the style of ancient myths and fairy tales, yet it is tinged with a modern sensibility that injects a quiet melancholy into the story. His narrative voice hovers between the mythic and the ironic, often breaking the fourth wall with subtle commentary that hints at a deeper awareness of the tropes and traditions of the fantasy genre. This self-awareness, while never overtly postmodern, lends a depth to the text that rewards careful reading.

What elevates The Last Unicorn above a typical fantasy novel is its thematic complexity. Beagle explores themes of mortality, change, and the inevitability of loss with a philosophical gravitas that recalls the existentialist tones of T.S. Eliot or Jean-Paul Sartre. The unicorn’s quest is not just a search for her fellow creatures, but a reflection on the nature of identity and the limits of immortality. The fact that she is transformed into a mortal woman halfway through the novel serves as a literal embodiment of this tension between the timeless and the transient. In becoming human, she experiences love, fear, and the passage of time—forces that were previously alien to her eternal being.

Yet, the novel is not devoid of hope. Beagle presents a world where the existence of magic is tenuous, yet it endures in the imagination and the hearts of those who still believe in it. The unicorn’s journey can be read as an allegory for the role of art and myth in the modern world—something fragile, often forgotten, but capable of restoring wonder and meaning to those who seek it.

The character of King Haggard is perhaps the most complex antagonist in the novel. His insatiable desire to possess the unicorns is emblematic of humanity’s destructive impulse to control and contain beauty, rather than appreciate its transient nature. His final downfall, when the unicorns are released, serves as a cathartic reminder that true beauty and freedom cannot be owned or hoarded without consequence.

The Last Unicorn also stands out for its delicate balance between whimsy and darkness. While the novel contains moments of humor, often derived from Schmendrick’s ineptitude as a magician, there is an undercurrent of melancholy that permeates the narrative. Beagle does not shy away from the darker aspects of his world, nor from the difficult truths about aging, disillusionment, and the passage of time.

In sum, The Last Unicorn is a novel that lingers in the reader’s consciousness long after the final page is turned. It is a work that invites multiple readings, revealing new layers of meaning with each return. Peter S. Beagle’s blend of myth, fantasy, and existential reflection makes this novel a profound exploration of what it means to live in a world where beauty and magic are fading, but never entirely lost. This is a story about the eternal, written for a world caught in the fleeting moment of now.

It is, in every sense, a masterpiece.