If he had left out the gangsters and some of the cruel violence towards animals this would have been a five star read for me. Writing Style (4/5): This is the first story I have read by Beagle and he has an amazingly beautiful writing style. The description was very well done and I could picture everything about the setting perfectly. It gave a modern day story a very nostalgic feel. Setting (4/5): I loved the Italian farm setting. I also enjoyed the side characters and the unicorn a lot too. Claudio’s relationship and connection to the animals on his farm was very well done. When a cat was tortured and killed that really soured things for me.Ĭharacters (4/5): I was impressed by how well the characters were developed and how beautifully things were described. Unfortunately, two thirds of the way through gangsters and media folks get involved in the story and things went downhill from there. The beginning of this story is very beautiful and magical. It involves a stubborn Italian farmer who is set in his ways and a unicorn who decides to give birth at his farm. Story (3/5): This was a well written story. Series Info/Source: I borrowed the audiobook of this through Audible Plus. And if I could, a sixth for Bronson Pinchot's narration. I know that Peter Beagle's The Last Unicorn is considered one of the best fantasy novels ever written, and I do have every intention of reading it someday, but at this moment in my life, this was a perfect book.įive stars. The earthy sense of place and people is ripe for her to bring out the best in all the local residents - well, nearly all.

I really, really enjoyed the contrast between the gritty, unforgiving world of Calabria and the magical quality of La Signora. Some connections are good, some are threatening, and all revolve around La Signora, the unicorn. Into this humble setting wanders a unicorn one day, and Claudio's solitude begins breaking down despite his best efforts to resist. Claudio Bianchi scratches out a living on a small farm on a mountainside, living with a few pigs and cows, an aged dog, three cats, and a goat named Cherubino. Fantasy, but set in a very real location that's lovingly rendered: the area of Italy known as Calabria. After having read a few books in the past month that were each disappointing in some way (the length, the plot, and the writing), I determined that my next read was going to be something that was likely not to suffer those faults.

In calabria by peter s beagle