The Last Unicorn is a fantasy novel, set in a far away world of wizards, enchanted castles and talking cats, yet it reflects the turbulence of the decade in which it was written, and it has had a lasting impact on generations of readers.

The story of a unicorn's search for her vanished comrades follows the lines of a traditional quest narrative, but reverses many of the usual conventions. A unicorn, more often the elusive object of such a quest, is instead the protagonist; she is also female, in contrast to the archetypal image of the male unicorn tamed by the female virgin. This double reversal undermines our expectations of the story, allowing us to witness unanticipated wonders in the otherwise familiar realm of the fairy tale.

Peter Beagle's masterpiece is an elegy mourning the loss of magic in the world.

The unicorn is frequently mistaken...