The last unicorn (novel)

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The fantasy novel The Last Unicorn (original title: English The Last Unicorn ) by Peter S. Beagle was published in 1968 in the USA by Viking Press , Penguin Books and Ballantine Books in New York and in Great Britain by The Bodley Head in London and Sydney . The original edition was published by McIntosh & Otis in New York in 1961.

background

In 1962, Beagle began writing the first manuscripts for his fantasy novel. There were still significant differences to the final version published later. So the action took place in the “modern world” of the 20th century and began with the entertainment of the unicorn and a dragon. After about 85 completed pages, he put this work aside, undecided what should become of it. It wasn't until three years later that he took up this story again, but rejected the idea of ​​the dragon and completely reconsidered the plot. The resulting story was first published in 1968 and has since appeared in many new editions. In 2005, Peter S. Beagle in "The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction" published a sequel to the novel entitled Two Hearts ( Two Hearts ). For this story, Beagle was awarded the Hugo Award in 2006. In addition, the first version of the story was published in 2006 under the name The last unicorn: the lost version .

action

As is customary for its species, a unicorn lives secluded in a small forest. When it is roaming through by two hunters, it happens to learn that all other unicorns have disappeared from the world and only tell legends and fairy tales about them. This idea does not leave him in peace, he decides to leave his home and go in search of the others. It learns something about the whereabouts of its conspecifics from a speaking butterfly and hears for the first time from the red bull, who rounded up the unicorns on behalf of King Haggard. In his search, the unicorn is captured by the witch Mommy Fortuna, locked in a cage and exhibited in her midnight circus. Schmendrick, a seemingly untalented wizard, recognizes it as a magical creature and helps it to escape.

On their way to King Haggard and the Red Bull, they come to the camp of Captain Cully and his band of robbers who live in a forest. Molly Grue, Cully's companion, also realizes the true nature of the unicorn and joins them. At last they reach the barren realm of King Haggard and the city of Hagsgate. This city is under a curse that says: A hero will emerge from Hagsgate, who will overthrow King Haggard and destroy his kingdom and the city of Hagsgate.

When they meet the red bull and the unicorn is massively threatened by it, Schmendrick manages to use his magical powers and transform it into a beautiful young woman. For this, from now on referred to as Lady Amalthea, the bull shows no more interest and lets her move on. You get to King Haggard, who senses from the start what the alleged Lady Amalthea is all about. Interested, he allows the three of them to stay in his castle for a while. His adopted son, Prince Lír, immediately falls in love with Lady Amalthea. The longer it is tied to a human body, the more it loses sight of its goal. Haggard welcomes this development very much, and a love affair develops between Lír and Amalthea.

Schmendrick and Molly Grue, however, try to find the secret route to the Red Bull in order to be able to free the unicorns. When they finally find it, they go there with Lady Amalthea and Prince Lír. The bull threatens her and Schmendrick finally manages to use his magic in a targeted manner and to restore Amalthea to the form of a unicorn. Together with Prince Lír, the red bull is now driving himself into the sea. This will set the other unicorns free. King Haggard, his castle and the city of Hagsgate are destroyed. Prince Lír becomes the new king who proves to be wise and kind. He has to painfully accept the loss of Lady Amalthea. Schmendrick and Molly Grue go together from now on and always keep an eye out in the hope of meeting the unicorn again one day.

Characters

The unicorn / Lady Amalthea
A female unicorn is the protagonist in this story. She is described as a beautiful, shy, magical being. She is able to feel sadness, but has no sympathy, love, or despair. The transformation into a human being, the Lady Amalthea, also changes her feelings permanently. She suddenly feels fear, loneliness and confusion and finally even feels pity and a deep love. Even after they have been transformed back into their original shape, these feelings are retained, making them a very special unicorn. Beagle himself said that he derived the name " Amalthea " from the Greek goddess of the same name.
Schmendrick
He's a lean, tall man who would like to be a real wizard but doesn't know how to selectively conjure up magic. However, he is able to see the magical creatures and thus also recognizes the unicorn for what it is. In the course of the story, with the help of Molly Grue, he develops a feeling for his own abilities and so he succeeds in transforming the unicorn into a woman in order to protect it.
Molly Grue
She is a woman who holds magical things deep in her heart. The encounter with the unicorn suddenly gives meaning to her joyless vagabond life again. She draws new courage and develops a deep love for the unicorn, but also for Schmendrick, whom she supports as best she can and whose abilities she does not doubt.
King Haggard
He is an old man who always seems to be on the lookout, cannot be satisfied by anything and only tolerates by his side that which gives him advantages. In particular, he is looking for happiness that was denied his life. For example, he adopted Lír or had the unicorns captured in the hope that it would make him happier. However, his mental strength gives him the power to rule the Red Bull himself.
The red bull
It is older than the unicorn and represents a serious threat to this creature. It is huge and as red as dried blood. A terrifying light emanates from his body and a roar even makes the earth tremble. At King Haggard's command, he searches for all the unicorns and drives them into the sea so that they no longer dare to go ashore.
Prince Lír
He is the foster son of King Haggard. When the young Lady Amalthea comes to them, he immediately falls in love with her and tries to impress her with heroic deeds such as killing a dragon. He even writes loving poems for her and develops into a strong personality, so that in the end he can become a kind, wise new king.
The butterfly
It is he who entrusts the unicorn with some very important information about the whereabouts of the conspecifics at the beginning of the story. However, he speaks in riddles or sings songs for him.
Mommy Fortuna
She is an old witch who uses her dark magic to pull money out of people's pockets with her little circus of curiosities. She makes them believe that she is displaying real mythical creatures in their cages, but most of them are normal animals that she has bewitched. There are, however, two exceptions, the harpy and the unicorn, which she was able to capture, thereby challenging her own fate.
Captain Cully
He is the leader of a small band of robbers, one of which is Molly Grue.
The cat
She is able to recognize the unicorn in Lady Amalthea, can talk to people and gives Molly Grue clues about the Red Bull and its whereabouts.

reception

  • The novel was filmed in 1982 as the animated animation The Last Unicorn . The musical implementation by the American composer Jimmy Webb , the rock band America and the London Symphony Orchestra was also released in 1982 as the soundtrack album The Last Unicorn .
  • In 1988 there was a stage version of the novel at the Intiman Playhouse in Seattle, for which Peter S. Beagle also wrote the script. The musical, produced by Elizabeth Huddle, was performed in collaboration with the Pacific Northwest Ballet. In 2009 there was another stage version, staged in Chicago by the Promethean Theater Ensemble and director Edward Rutherford.
  • The story was published by Der Hörverlag in 2009 as an audio book, read by Andreas Fröhlich .

literature

English editions
  • The last unicorn. McIntosh & Otis, New York 1961 (original edition).
  • The last unicorn. Viking Press, New York 1968, ISBN 0-370-00654-2 .
  • with Arthur Rankin Jr. , Jules Bass: The last unicorn. (Screenplay for the cartoon). Jensen Farley, 1982, OCLC 801233846 .
  • Two hearts. In: The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. 2005, ISSN  0024-984X .
  • The last unicorn. The lost version. Subterranean, 2006, ISBN 1-59606-083-2 .
German editions

Translated by Jürgen Schweier

  • The last Unicorn. Hobbit press in Klett-Cotta Verlag, Stuttgart 1975, ISBN 3-12-900740-7 .

Translated by Jürgen Schweier and Cornelia Holfelder-von der Tann

Audio books

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Andrea Vorlaufer: Peter S. Beagle, The last unicorn. (1961) - Book review on das-lasten-einhorn.at
  2. ↑ From the first draft of the first version of the last unicorn ( Memento of December 28, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 49 kB, excerpt).
  3. ↑ Best Novelette on thehugoawards.org.
  4. ↑ The Last Unicorn on intiman.org
  5. ↑ The Last Unicorn on theatreinchicago.com, November 14, 2009.