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The Fantasy Worlds of Peter Beagle
Four fantastical stories:
Lila the Werewolf,
The Last Unicorn,
Come, Lady Death,
A Fine and Private Place.
Each story is illustrated with a single, but intricate, black-and-white drawing by Darrell K. Sweet.
Lila the Werewolf,
The Last Unicorn,
Come, Lady Death,
A Fine and Private Place.
Each story is illustrated with a single, but intricate, black-and-white drawing by Darrell K. Sweet.
430 pages, Hardcover
First published November 13, 1978
25 people are currently reading
932 people want to read
About the author
Peter S. Beagle
220 books3,895 followersPeter Soyer Beagle (born April 20, 1939) is an American fantasist and author of novels, nonfiction, and screenplays. He is also a talented guitarist and folk singer. He wrote his first novel, A Fine and Private Place , when he was only 19 years old. Today he is best known as the author of The Last Unicorn, which routinely polls as one of the top ten fantasy novels of all time, and at least two of his other books (A Fine and Private Place and I See By My Outfit) are considered modern classics.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
July 15, 2024
One of my best friends from college bought this for me for Christmas in 1980. A very thoughtful gift, The Fantasy Worlds of Peter S Beagle, as I had told her how I loved The Last Unicorn so much when we read it in high school. It is one of my favorite fantasy novels of all time. The other three stories in this volume are also magnificent, one of a modern day werewolf, a story about Lady Death, and one set in a graveyard that is about love that reaches beyond the grave. They sound macabre, but they're not, they're full of hope. Beagle's fantasy is fantasy set in a human world with all our human foibles and idiosyncrasies. We recognize the people who are very ordinary in most ways; but have the capability of wonder.
June 1, 2016
I listened to this short story for free via the PodCastle podcast! It was an interesting enough story, but it never really managed to grab my full interest or attention. Still it was worth a read and the story got stronger towards the end.
Lady Neville is an incredibly rich, but jaded, socialite of the London elite. Her parties are not ones to be missed even by the likes of the King of England. On a whim Lady Neville decides to invite Death himself to one of her parties. She is sure that such an exulted guest would only reinforce her standing as the leader of fashionable society. Plus she is old and feels like she does not have much to lose if the invite is accepted. Which it is. Death makes an appearance and is not what one might expect. Death's presence reveals a few things about Lady Neville and a number of her regular guests.
Rating: 3 stars.
Audio Note: The audio was narrated by Paul S. Jenkins and I thought he gave a decent performance.
Lady Neville is an incredibly rich, but jaded, socialite of the London elite. Her parties are not ones to be missed even by the likes of the King of England. On a whim Lady Neville decides to invite Death himself to one of her parties. She is sure that such an exulted guest would only reinforce her standing as the leader of fashionable society. Plus she is old and feels like she does not have much to lose if the invite is accepted. Which it is. Death makes an appearance and is not what one might expect. Death's presence reveals a few things about Lady Neville and a number of her regular guests.
Rating: 3 stars.
Audio Note: The audio was narrated by Paul S. Jenkins and I thought he gave a decent performance.
December 16, 2009
I can explain myself, after my "reading it slowly" comment.
It's a thing of beauty, A Fine and Private Place. It comes in and leads you along and finally it builds up on you to the point of pain and then you have to figure out what to do with it and yourself.
And by "you" I mean "me."
I found myself saying, "Okay, do it. Get it over with. Pile all the beauty on me until I'm crying."
And it did, and I did. I swear, it's what the novel's about, and it's what it did to me at the same time.
There are other stories in here, too. The Last Unicorn, I've read before, and it does the same thing to me, in different ways, every time.
Besides the two novels, there are two short stories. "Lila the Werewolf" and "Come, Lady Death" were both fantastic. I love the details in the telling, the acceptance of things like werewolves and Death as a person.
There are so many dogears throughout now that the covers are warped. What's the point of dogearing every page, Chy? Because it makes me feel better, like I get to drag the beauty with me for a while, even after I'm beyond that page and stumbling over more beauty.
It's a thing of beauty, A Fine and Private Place. It comes in and leads you along and finally it builds up on you to the point of pain and then you have to figure out what to do with it and yourself.
And by "you" I mean "me."
I found myself saying, "Okay, do it. Get it over with. Pile all the beauty on me until I'm crying."
And it did, and I did. I swear, it's what the novel's about, and it's what it did to me at the same time.
There are other stories in here, too. The Last Unicorn, I've read before, and it does the same thing to me, in different ways, every time.
Besides the two novels, there are two short stories. "Lila the Werewolf" and "Come, Lady Death" were both fantastic. I love the details in the telling, the acceptance of things like werewolves and Death as a person.
There are so many dogears throughout now that the covers are warped. What's the point of dogearing every page, Chy? Because it makes me feel better, like I get to drag the beauty with me for a while, even after I'm beyond that page and stumbling over more beauty.
February 17, 2021
4.5, rounded up.
Lila the Werewolf strikes me as exactly the sort of thing a college undergraduate who's afraid of women and/or sexuality might write, and if I had to assign it its own rating, it would be two stars.
The Last Unicorn is one of those books that I had thought was so solidly part of fantasy canon that I didn't need to go back and read it. Many of the Great Works books were trailblazers and informed a lot of other work --but if you've already read a lot of the duly-influenced works that came after, you don't always benefit from going back and reading the Great Ones That Did This One Thing First. (Also, I had watched the movie as a kid and the plot didn't seem promising as an adult read.) The Last Unicorn is not one of those books. It deserves every bit of the praise heaped on it, and if you've not read it, I envy you for still having your first-ever reading of it in your future. Six, seven blazing stars, if I could give them. It wrung my heart out terribly and then I looked up a related short story which also hurt in a beautiful way.
Come, Lady Death was a solid, nicely-done short story - 3 stars for this reader.
A Fine and Private Place, the second novel in the book and taking up nearly half of the whole book, is nuanced and terribly haunting (ha! I didn't intend for that to be a regrettable pun on the actual plot, but it's out there now and I'm not taking it back) and poignant, a quality wielded so artfully by Mr. Beagle in his fiction that I can't help but suspect he paid some price for it at a crossroads at midnight. 4.5 stars
Lila the Werewolf strikes me as exactly the sort of thing a college undergraduate who's afraid of women and/or sexuality might write, and if I had to assign it its own rating, it would be two stars.
The Last Unicorn is one of those books that I had thought was so solidly part of fantasy canon that I didn't need to go back and read it. Many of the Great Works books were trailblazers and informed a lot of other work --but if you've already read a lot of the duly-influenced works that came after, you don't always benefit from going back and reading the Great Ones That Did This One Thing First. (Also, I had watched the movie as a kid and the plot didn't seem promising as an adult read.) The Last Unicorn is not one of those books. It deserves every bit of the praise heaped on it, and if you've not read it, I envy you for still having your first-ever reading of it in your future. Six, seven blazing stars, if I could give them. It wrung my heart out terribly and then I looked up a related short story which also hurt in a beautiful way.
Come, Lady Death was a solid, nicely-done short story - 3 stars for this reader.
A Fine and Private Place, the second novel in the book and taking up nearly half of the whole book, is nuanced and terribly haunting (ha! I didn't intend for that to be a regrettable pun on the actual plot, but it's out there now and I'm not taking it back) and poignant, a quality wielded so artfully by Mr. Beagle in his fiction that I can't help but suspect he paid some price for it at a crossroads at midnight. 4.5 stars
April 11, 2017
Just the sort of wonderful short story you'd expect from Peter S. Beagle. There was an exquisite emotional pull in these few pages, and the characters of Death and Lady Neville work as such fascinating foils and mirrors to one another it's just as much a dance between them as between the actual dancing couples.
It lends itself well to Mommy Fortuna's portrayal of Death in Peter's defining work, The Last Unicorn. There is a tender melancholy that is sweet but relentless to this Death.
Merged review:
This is an amazing collection of what I believe to be some of Peter's best works (excepting that I don't much care for Lila the Werewolf). Both of the novels here are two of my most favorite Beagle novels, and it includes one of my three favorite short stories.
So lucky to have found a beautiful used HC of this treasure.
It lends itself well to Mommy Fortuna's portrayal of Death in Peter's defining work, The Last Unicorn. There is a tender melancholy that is sweet but relentless to this Death.
Merged review:
This is an amazing collection of what I believe to be some of Peter's best works (excepting that I don't much care for Lila the Werewolf). Both of the novels here are two of my most favorite Beagle novels, and it includes one of my three favorite short stories.
So lucky to have found a beautiful used HC of this treasure.
October 15, 2015
So far I have only read "A Fine and Private Place".
January 19, 2014
I grew up watching The Last Unicorn and always adored it. So of course I made my kids watch it. And they were just as enamored as I had been. Then I saw this book available on paperbackswap.com and had to read it.
Lila The Werewolf - Really odd but actually kinda cool. Not everyone would handle it as well as the narrator when discovering their girlfriend was a werewolf.
The Last Unicorn - A beautiful, immortal creature leaves her protected forest to find others of her kind. Not only does she find a strange and changed world, but not a single person recognizes her as a true unicorn. Not until she is captured my Mommy Fortuna's traveling show and she meets to misfit wizard Schmendrick. He agrees to help her on her quest to find the other unicorns, even among the rumors of the fearsome Red Bull who has captured them. And all my favorite lines were right there in the original book! I loved that those parts weren't added by the screenwriters and were Mr. Beagle's genius.
Come, Lady Death - If you were elderly, as rich as royalty, and at the height of London society, what would you do when you got bored with the extravagant parties and court functions? Why, throw a ball for Death! But getting Death the invitation could be tricky. And receiving the the reply is just as difficult. But what would you do if Death not only accepted the invite but actually shows up?
A Fine and Private Place - Mr. Beagle's first book. An odd tale about a man unable to face the world who takes refuge in a cemetary…for 22 years. His only contact is with the ghosts of the deceased buried there, but even those don't last for long as their memories fade and they forget themselves. Kinda reminds me of Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book.
Lila The Werewolf - Really odd but actually kinda cool. Not everyone would handle it as well as the narrator when discovering their girlfriend was a werewolf.
The Last Unicorn - A beautiful, immortal creature leaves her protected forest to find others of her kind. Not only does she find a strange and changed world, but not a single person recognizes her as a true unicorn. Not until she is captured my Mommy Fortuna's traveling show and she meets to misfit wizard Schmendrick. He agrees to help her on her quest to find the other unicorns, even among the rumors of the fearsome Red Bull who has captured them. And all my favorite lines were right there in the original book! I loved that those parts weren't added by the screenwriters and were Mr. Beagle's genius.
Come, Lady Death - If you were elderly, as rich as royalty, and at the height of London society, what would you do when you got bored with the extravagant parties and court functions? Why, throw a ball for Death! But getting Death the invitation could be tricky. And receiving the the reply is just as difficult. But what would you do if Death not only accepted the invite but actually shows up?
A Fine and Private Place - Mr. Beagle's first book. An odd tale about a man unable to face the world who takes refuge in a cemetary…for 22 years. His only contact is with the ghosts of the deceased buried there, but even those don't last for long as their memories fade and they forget themselves. Kinda reminds me of Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book.
August 26, 2012
Come Lady Death was a surprisingly delightful short story by Peter S. Beagle, the author of The Last Unicorn, which I loved as a kid. In this entertaining tale, Lady Neville is an ancient, very rich, and extremely bored aristocrat. She has been obeyed all her life and now she must search out, nay, DEMAND a new entertainment. Her miniscule spark of originality comes up with a ball, one to which she will invite Death. Of course there ensues the questions of how to locate Death, how to address the invitation, when to hold the ball, etc. Imagine how Death’s acceptance letter is pawed over and discussed ad nauseum.
On the night of the ball, it looks like Death will not show; all the guests are disappointed and Lady Neville is embarrassed. Then Lady Death walks through the door. She is young and fair; soon the ladies are jealous and all the men wish to dance with her. But throughout the night only Lady Neville and one man have the courage to dance and talk with her. I won’t spoil the ending for you, which was an intriguing surprise for me, and there are many little tidbits I’ve left out. Enjoy.
On the night of the ball, it looks like Death will not show; all the guests are disappointed and Lady Neville is embarrassed. Then Lady Death walks through the door. She is young and fair; soon the ladies are jealous and all the men wish to dance with her. But throughout the night only Lady Neville and one man have the courage to dance and talk with her. I won’t spoil the ending for you, which was an intriguing surprise for me, and there are many little tidbits I’ve left out. Enjoy.
February 7, 2022
Normally I view introductions as a waste of time (both reading and writing them), but in the case of this collection: read the introduction, it's lovely. What a delightful dude Peter Beagle seems to be. I'd read The Last Unicorn about ten years ago, but all of the other works in here were new to me.
The collection is a bit of a hodgepodge, and the title implies more of a strictly fantasy setting for the works than is really accurate, but I enjoyed it all the same. Of the two short stories, "Come, Lady Death" was the better and well worth reading. "Lila and the Werewolf" reads a bit like the dude in your MFA wrote it.
The Last Unicorn, on the other hand, remains brilliant, and I get more out of it every time I read it. Calling it fantasy is a little misleading--more accurately, Beagle flays open our own insecurities in the gentlest, most magical way, giving us insights into ourselves and seeing far too much for comfort's sake. I fully intend to read it again in another decade.
A Fine and Private Place, if Beagle's introduction is to be believed, was written when the author was only 19. If that's true, Beagle was a prodigy, because it just doesn't seem possible for a 19-year-old to have lived enough to have written this novel. While there are parts that do feel very naive and 19, most of it is so mature (with Beagle's signature brutal-yet-magical insight already in place at such a tender age) that it's almost shocking when you do run across an amateurish phrase. Reminds me of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book but for grown-ups.
There's a positively ancient, spider-fine Chicago metro ticket tucked into my copy of this book, but sadly it has no year. I'd love to know when it's from.
The collection is a bit of a hodgepodge, and the title implies more of a strictly fantasy setting for the works than is really accurate, but I enjoyed it all the same. Of the two short stories, "Come, Lady Death" was the better and well worth reading. "Lila and the Werewolf" reads a bit like the dude in your MFA wrote it.
The Last Unicorn, on the other hand, remains brilliant, and I get more out of it every time I read it. Calling it fantasy is a little misleading--more accurately, Beagle flays open our own insecurities in the gentlest, most magical way, giving us insights into ourselves and seeing far too much for comfort's sake. I fully intend to read it again in another decade.
A Fine and Private Place, if Beagle's introduction is to be believed, was written when the author was only 19. If that's true, Beagle was a prodigy, because it just doesn't seem possible for a 19-year-old to have lived enough to have written this novel. While there are parts that do feel very naive and 19, most of it is so mature (with Beagle's signature brutal-yet-magical insight already in place at such a tender age) that it's almost shocking when you do run across an amateurish phrase. Reminds me of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book but for grown-ups.
There's a positively ancient, spider-fine Chicago metro ticket tucked into my copy of this book, but sadly it has no year. I'd love to know when it's from.
September 2, 2024
Ох, как же долго я читала эту книгу !
Сборник включает в себя 2 коротких рассказа и 2 повести.
LARA THE WEREWOLF - хм, вообще не могу вспомнить сюжет :)
THE LAST UNICORNE - последней из рода единорогов суждено спасти своих товарищей, которых злой Красный Бык спрятал непонятно где. Прекрасная единорожица (!)🐎 отправляется в путь, по дороге встречает Волшебника и женщину Молли, потом происходит любовь - морковь, а под конец - бой с red bull.
Нет, это не Фродо. Это совсем не Фродо и слава Богу.
COME LADY DEATH - старой графине захотелось чего - нибудь эдакого и она пригласила на party не абы кого, а саму Смерть.
A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE - Главный Герой умер, но не совсем, нашёл себе товарищей на кладбище. Повесть полна философских разговоров о том и о сём, автору на момент издания повести был 21 год.
Среди немного скучноватых рефлексирующих героев, есть ВОРОН, который ух и огонь, он время от времени выдаёт очень уморительные реплики.
Сборник включает в себя 2 коротких рассказа и 2 повести.
LARA THE WEREWOLF - хм, вообще не могу вспомнить сюжет :)
THE LAST UNICORNE - последней из рода единорогов суждено спасти своих товарищей, которых злой Красный Бык спрятал непонятно где. Прекрасная единорожица (!)🐎 отправляется в путь, по дороге встречает Волшебника и женщину Молли, потом происходит любовь - морковь, а под конец - бой с red bull.
Нет, это не Фродо. Это совсем не Фродо и слава Богу.
COME LADY DEATH - старой графине захотелось чего - нибудь эдакого и она пригласила на party не абы кого, а саму Смерть.
A FINE AND PRIVATE PLACE - Главный Герой умер, но не совсем, нашёл себе товарищей на кладбище. Повесть полна философских разговоров о том и о сём, автору на момент издания повести был 21 год.
Среди немного скучноватых рефлексирующих героев, есть ВОРОН, который ух и огонь, он время от времени выдаёт очень уморительные реплики.
September 23, 2021
Kabalcı Yayınlarının baskısını okudum. Kitap 4 hikaye içeriyor: Kurtkadın Lila, Son Tekboynuz, Buyrun Leydi Ölüm ve Hoş ve Özel Bir Yer. İlk üçünü bitirebildim, en sevdiğim de Buyrun Leydi Ölüm oldu. Hoş ve Özel Bir Yer maalesef akmadı, önemseyemedim, anlayamadım, kuruttu içimi. Lila'nın hikayesi hayatta biraz farklı olan kadınlar ve kabullenilememeleri hakkında. Beagle'ın en ünlü hikayesi Son Tekboynuz ise tamamen bir hayal kırıklığıydı.
Beagle'ın yazım dilini açıklıktan uzak ve gereksiz detaylarla dolu buldum, anlatmak istediği her şeyin bu gereksiz ve pek de zarif olmayan detayların arasında kaybolduğunu düşünüyorum. Sevemedim.
Beagle'ın yazım dilini açıklıktan uzak ve gereksiz detaylarla dolu buldum, anlatmak istediği her şeyin bu gereksiz ve pek de zarif olmayan detayların arasında kaybolduğunu düşünüyorum. Sevemedim.
August 31, 2021
Of the four stories that make up this book, I was most surprised by how much I enjoyed 'A Fine and Private Place'. I tracked down and purchased a used copy of this book because I found it on a friends bookshelf and became immediately intrigued by the idea of 'Lila the Werewolf' and 'Come, Lady Death' (which I remember reading before) and realized that I had not yet read 'The Last Unicorn' and decided that this was the the way to read all of them.
The entire book is a delight for readers of fantasy and I am so glad that I was able to find it.
The entire book is a delight for readers of fantasy and I am so glad that I was able to find it.
October 10, 2022
Another one from the stash of my childhood. This one was a surprise. The fantasy part wasn’t surprising but my favorite story was A Fine and Private Place about some residents of a cemetery in NYC. I enjoyed the writing and as always I am surprised by what turns up in my dad’s collection! The opening short story was about a werewolf! Never expected that!
May 13, 2024
Something, I can't put my finger on what, of Beagle's writing fills the soul and is candy for the mind, food for thought. I loved how it made me feel moved and stimulated.
I arrived here after watching The Last Unicorn which is one of my favorite movies and I highly recommend it as it captures the book beautifully. Brings it to life *even if they drew unicorns all wrong!*
I arrived here after watching The Last Unicorn which is one of my favorite movies and I highly recommend it as it captures the book beautifully. Brings it to life *even if they drew unicorns all wrong!*
May 13, 2019
The Fantasy Worlds of Peter S. Beagle is a fun way of experiencing some of his stories, though not all of them are equal. I'd recommend picking up this edition just because 3/4 good stories isn't something one should scoff at.
November 23, 2018
This book is awesome!!
December 5, 2018
I want this book is great
July 20, 2019
Last Unicorn was good. Come Lady Death was great. A Fine Quiet Place was like death, slow and depressing and kinda meaningless in the end.
May 29, 2020
4 stars for the last unicorn - 2 stars for the others.
August 22, 2020
Lila the Werewolf: 3.5 stars
The Last Unicorn: 4 stars
Come, Lady Death: 4 stars
A Fine And Private Place: did not finish
The Last Unicorn: 4 stars
Come, Lady Death: 4 stars
A Fine And Private Place: did not finish
October 20, 2010
This omnibus has two short stories, and two full length stories in it - Lila the Werewolf and Come, Lady Death (short stories); and The Last Unicorn and A Fine and Private Place (full length). Overall I'm giving it a three, but that's based on taking each story individually.
Lila the Werewolf (1 star): I just plain didn't like this one. I almost quit reading the omnibus right from the beginning, this was the first story in it and it did not make a good first impression. But I continued, and I'm glad I did.
The Last Unicorn (3 stars): I expected to love this story, as it seems that most people do, but I find myself just barely liking it. I think that if I had read it as a kid, I would have loved it. As an adult? It was just kind of bland. I didn't care much about the characters, overall was just unimpressed. But that said, it was still a well told story.
Come, Lady Death (3 stars): This was much better than the first short story, which I was glad for. It was short and cute and i enjoyed reading it.
A Fine and Private Place (4 stars): This is the one that surprised me, and that really saved the omnibus for me. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I read the omnibus mostly for The Last Unicorn, I had never even heard of this story before I read it. But it was really really sweet. It was humorous and touching, and an all around fun read. Of the four stories in the book, this is the only one I would really recommend.
Lila the Werewolf (1 star): I just plain didn't like this one. I almost quit reading the omnibus right from the beginning, this was the first story in it and it did not make a good first impression. But I continued, and I'm glad I did.
The Last Unicorn (3 stars): I expected to love this story, as it seems that most people do, but I find myself just barely liking it. I think that if I had read it as a kid, I would have loved it. As an adult? It was just kind of bland. I didn't care much about the characters, overall was just unimpressed. But that said, it was still a well told story.
Come, Lady Death (3 stars): This was much better than the first short story, which I was glad for. It was short and cute and i enjoyed reading it.
A Fine and Private Place (4 stars): This is the one that surprised me, and that really saved the omnibus for me. I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I read the omnibus mostly for The Last Unicorn, I had never even heard of this story before I read it. But it was really really sweet. It was humorous and touching, and an all around fun read. Of the four stories in the book, this is the only one I would really recommend.
January 30, 2013
This volume contains two novels, a novella, and a short story, so I'll review them each separately.
Lila the Werewolf: A strange and somewhat sad tale of a young woman who occasionally turns into a wolf, much to the dismay of her boyfriend. A good example of "just because it's fantasy doesn't mean it's for children". It's written well, just a little disturbing to read.
The Last Unicorn: This is a marvelous book. I've read it before, and did not reread it this time around, but it remains one of my favorites.
A Fine and Private Place: A tale of two ghosts, a raven, and a man who lives in a cemetery. It's decidedly bittersweet, with a little humor here and a little tragedy there. It was very introspective and atmospheric - a "quiet" book, if you will. I liked the snarky raven - and I thought it odd how, in a cemetery where people think talking to ghosts is a little weird, no one ever mentions how unusual it is for a raven to speak. I wish there had been just a little bit more about Laura and Michael, especially there at the end, but all in all it was good.
Come Lady Death: An old woman decides to invite Death to her next party - and Death does indeed attend. The ending left me a little cold, but otherwise it was a decent story.
Lila the Werewolf: A strange and somewhat sad tale of a young woman who occasionally turns into a wolf, much to the dismay of her boyfriend. A good example of "just because it's fantasy doesn't mean it's for children". It's written well, just a little disturbing to read.
The Last Unicorn: This is a marvelous book. I've read it before, and did not reread it this time around, but it remains one of my favorites.
A Fine and Private Place: A tale of two ghosts, a raven, and a man who lives in a cemetery. It's decidedly bittersweet, with a little humor here and a little tragedy there. It was very introspective and atmospheric - a "quiet" book, if you will. I liked the snarky raven - and I thought it odd how, in a cemetery where people think talking to ghosts is a little weird, no one ever mentions how unusual it is for a raven to speak. I wish there had been just a little bit more about Laura and Michael, especially there at the end, but all in all it was good.
Come Lady Death: An old woman decides to invite Death to her next party - and Death does indeed attend. The ending left me a little cold, but otherwise it was a decent story.
June 6, 2010
Whether one is into fantasy or not, the 430-page collection is a fine edition to anyone's library. It contains the novels "The Last Unicorn", "A Fine and Private Place", and the short stories "Come, Lady Death" and "Lila, the Werewolf". Each is different from the others, showing Beagle's range in storytelling and writing styles.
"A Fine and Private Place" centers around a mausoleum where a recluse who speaks with the dead is offered a chance at happiness. It’s wit, charm, sadness, and beauty make it a fine and memorable piece, and definitely worth revisiting. Impressively, it's Beagle's first novel, written when he was 19.
"The Last Unicorn" follows the Unicorn who teams up with Schmendrick the Magician and a bandit leader’s wife to find out what happened to the other unicorns. It's a fantasy story that children and adults alike can enjoy. As usual the movie adaptation omitted some of the story, including the book’s end.
"Lila the Werewolf" is self-explanatory and was okay. "Come, Lady Death" is a humorous, fantasy-spin about the superficial social politics of the 19th century. It was really amusing.
I look forward to reading more by Beagle.
"A Fine and Private Place" centers around a mausoleum where a recluse who speaks with the dead is offered a chance at happiness. It’s wit, charm, sadness, and beauty make it a fine and memorable piece, and definitely worth revisiting. Impressively, it's Beagle's first novel, written when he was 19.
"The Last Unicorn" follows the Unicorn who teams up with Schmendrick the Magician and a bandit leader’s wife to find out what happened to the other unicorns. It's a fantasy story that children and adults alike can enjoy. As usual the movie adaptation omitted some of the story, including the book’s end.
"Lila the Werewolf" is self-explanatory and was okay. "Come, Lady Death" is a humorous, fantasy-spin about the superficial social politics of the 19th century. It was really amusing.
I look forward to reading more by Beagle.
August 21, 2008
This collection contains the novels
A Fine and Private Place
and The Last Unicorn, both of which I've reviewed separately, but it also contains two short stories, "Lila the Werewolf" and "Come, Lady Death." "Lila" is probably the more famous, but I was turned off by all those descriptions of the she-wolf in heat. I'm reviewing this book specifically to recommend "Come, Lady Death," especially to all my friends who love Jane Austen and/or Regency history. It's like going to a ball at the Ton - with superficiality and social politics galore - except with a fantasy angle. Even if you've read everything else in the collection, it's worth getting hold of the book for this story alone. Enjoy!
October 10, 2014
This story was rather formative for me. It is difficult to say quite what I learned from it, but it's stuck in me, scratched into me. I read it for the first time when I was approximately 10, and it was probably the first thing that I read that took a concept and made it flesh, gave it feelings and rationale -- Death, embodied and blazingly female. It's all there in the title.
The story is simple and elegant and classically structured. The characters are familiar and archetypal, though not tired at all.
It's Beagle doing a wonderful job of being Beagle, though I can't think of anything else he wrote quite like it.
Mostly I remember the emotional response I had to it -- excitement, suspense, curiosity. It was a story that I felt like I already knew, or should have known.
It holds up fabulously both in time and against other similar things.
The story is simple and elegant and classically structured. The characters are familiar and archetypal, though not tired at all.
It's Beagle doing a wonderful job of being Beagle, though I can't think of anything else he wrote quite like it.
Mostly I remember the emotional response I had to it -- excitement, suspense, curiosity. It was a story that I felt like I already knew, or should have known.
It holds up fabulously both in time and against other similar things.
February 19, 2016
Final rating: 3/5 stars
Interesting story, beautifully written and really short T_T...
I just wish that it was longer.
read in dec, 2012, this is also possibly the shortest review i have ever wrote.
Interesting story, beautifully written and really short T_T...
I just wish that it was longer.
read in dec, 2012, this is also possibly the shortest review i have ever wrote.
November 25, 2015
Honestly I didn't even finish the book. I tried. Oh, how I tried. I loved "The Last Unicorn." I enjoyed "Lila the Werewolf." I just couldn't get through the rest of it. I think it's well-written, but it's just not for me, necessarily. Not all of it anyway. If it were just "The Last Unicorn" and "Lila the Werewolf" I would probably rate this 4 to 5 stars, depending on my mood. As it is, it gets three.
July 15, 2007
A paperback copy of this collection was lent to me by my high school English and French teacher, Kara Killingsworth. I had already read "The Last Unicorn." And she was only recommending that I read "A Fine and Private Place," which remains to this day one of my most beloved stories.
August 4, 2011
I was really disapointed. I love the last unicorn the movie but Peter's writting is very simple and his story telling is underdeveloped. Lila's story was boring and lacked feeling of the main character. I didn't make it to the last story but the only one I did like was lady death. An interesting approach to telling the story about death, who is and how it's not something to fear.
Read
August 7, 2011This has The Last Unicorn, A Fine and Private Place, Lila the Werewolf, and Come Lady Death. This is a magnificent collection. When it became available I gave it to both my kids. Hopefully they will read it to their kids. I love all these stories. They talk about the magic that exists around us which we usually fail to see. Open your eyes.
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