So very satisfying :) ( )

Twenty or more years ago I might well have loved this but it's just a little too precious to suit now.

Library copy.

Wow, I am glad that Beagle rewrote The Last Unicorn. This original unpublished version is missing all the heart. Every so often as I was reading it, a familiar line will appear that I remember from the published version, and it was like seeing a spark of magic in the mud. On its own merit, the parts of this fit together oddly, disjointedly, an ill-mesh of classic and very modern language tones. The juxtaposition of descriptive images worked better than the language tones, but even that was not... satisfactory. There are better stories out there that bring unicorns into the modern world; Sonya Taaffe's "Unicorn's Touch" (Realms of Fantasy, June 2004) and Von Jocks' "Yes, Virginia, There Is a Unicorn" (Creature Fantastic) off the top of my head.

As glad as I am that Beagle brought this lost version into the light of day, for it is fascinating to see how the two versions compare, I will never love it. I'd recommend it only to people who are huge fans of the published novel and only for the sake of curiosity. It's not a complete tale on its own right, but it's worth tracking down for Beagle's preface and afterword.

God, I love the Subterranean Press cover artwork and publication quality, though. ( )