Of the previous comments, I agree most with Borrobil. A completely captivating and often deep read, The Last Unicorn is both magical and profound. The full-colour graphic novel version is also wonderful, but you lose a lot of the nuances in that format. I would put this novel on the universal Must-Read list.

A well-told, bittersweet fairy tale. The best part? Its main character is a unicorn. I have fond memories of the animated movie and reading the book brought them all back.

The Last Unicorn is a deep and thoughtful novel. Read this novel and it will never leave you. This novel represents what fantasy should be; more than just a bunch of empty words used for momentary excitement and discarded. Good fantasy should be more than just excitement; it should touch and enlighten you. Don’t be scared of reading this book because it is on the subject of unicorns. This book is not only for female readers. Indeed, this book breaks all the childish stereotypes of unicorns. It represents them in a fresh and artistic light. The novel focuses on a nameless unicorn who has lived in the same forest her entire life and has never met another unicorn. She overhears hunters saying one day that unicorns have gone extinct. She wonders if she really is the last unicorn. She meets a riddling butterfly on the edge of her forest who tells her that all the unicorns have been taken by the Red Bull. The unicorn leaves her forest to search for the Bull. The novel explores time and life in great depth. The moral of the story is that it is best for humans to live finite lives, and that it is wrong to fear growing old. The novel chronicles how the unicorn conquers her fear of old age and death. One of the monster in Mommy Fortuna’s zoo, Elli, is the personification of old age; “No hero can stand before her, no god can wrestle her down, no magic can keep her out … she is walking among you, touching and taking. For Elli is Old Age.” Both the villains, Mommy Fortuna and King Haggard, are old and seek immortality. The unicorn says she would rather die than be mortal. But Beagle explains that immortality is the bane of happiness, and so is the pursuit of it. The writing flows along gracefully, there is not a single word out of place. This novel’s writing is simple but strong; “As though she were a dryad… and time her tree.” He is gifted with imagery; “{The Unicorn} was no longer the carless color of sea foam, but rather the color of snow falling on a moonlit night.” The transformation of the unicorn is a paradox. She is wise, kind and beautiful. She is immortal and possesses great magic. The author paints her as the picture of perfection. She is a unicorn, the greatest species in the world. And yet, the author shows that even a unicorn can have its flaws. She was vain and contemptuous; she cared more about her beauty and immortality than about love and virtue. Even if you don't normally like fantasy, you will love this book.

I have now read the book and seen the movie. The movie is quite faithful to the book, but I rather prefer the Schmendrick of the book, who ends up a more serious sort than the movie makes him to be. All the characters are memorable, but the unique perspective of the unicorn, especially when she is locked inside the form of a human, turns one's sights toward the nature of human beings. Beautifully written, memorable lines, and a story that shakes the heart, this is one classic, every fantasy reader should try.

A true classic, one of the best fantasy novels ever written. The Middle Ages (and a bit of ancient Greece) meets Brooklyn. Over the heads of children, though they probably would enjoy it. Worth reading more than once, not because it's difficult, but for the sheer beauty of the writing.

A beautiful tale - for both adults and children.

Fairly good book, the movie seems to follow it fairly closely.

Though I liked the imaginitiveness of this book, I just couldn't wrap my head around it nor keep my interest. I did find several parts very funny. I liked the touches of modern life (bottle caps, modern song lyrics) mixed in with a fairy tale.

A beautiful, haunting, and dark book. Good for kids, but I'd definitely recommended for more mature readers---a lot of the themes and nuances would be lost on younger children. Personally, I love this book. The animated movie was pretty good, too---but the book is so much better. A classic to be read again and again.