'The Last Unicorn' is one of the more enduring classics in fantasy. It fits comfortably on the shelf of genre classics alongside 'The Hobbit' and 'Lud in the Mists'. It also has had a profound effect on many of the writers that are currently popular, including, of course, Pat Rothfuss, who frequently mentions it as a favorite, if not his very favorite, novel.
From a collectors standpoint, it's one of the most affordable books on the classics canon, even the most expensive copies are rarely over $1000, and I've seen them as low as $300 for the Viking first within the last year, though unsigned in fine condition, $600 is the lowest price I've seen on an unsigned fine copy for several years.
It surprises me that the book hasn't yet skyrocketed in price, as the generation that first viewed the animated film in 1982 from a screenplay by the author, produced by Arthur Rankin and Julie Bass.has aged into the nostalgia era. Plus, the recently announced Broadway musical, and the traveling Last Unicorn Screening Tour that has been crisscrossing North America for the last couple of years as well as the potential for a live action movie after the film rights revert back in mid-2015, make this one of the most likely classics in the genre to see a significant price increase, so now is a great time to get one.
Plus, it's one of the loveliest stories still after all these years.
First Edition attributes:
Cover Price: $4.95 (On top corner of inside front cover flap)
Publisher: Viking (US)
Copyright: 1968
I only recently read this book for the first time, but it immediately became one of my all time favorites. The movie is absolutely wonderful as well.
ReplyDeleteIt's been one of my favorites for years. Everytime I reread it, I am stunned by how gorgeous the prose is.
Delete