Fiction Reviews: The Unicorn

The Unicorn starts with Marian Taylor in a railway station somewhere in the west coast of Ireland, in the background there is her destination Gaze Castle, she remains entranced by the beauty of the castle. At the station there is Gerald Scottow he will bring her to the castle with his Land Rover.

Once at destination Marian Taylor will discover that there isn't children, nor electricity, she will teach foreign languages to the women who lives in the Castle.

To live at Gaze castle is not simple, there is no social life, she has been prevented from swimming, and then she will discover that there is a woman imprisoned by her husband and the other characters are not crystal clear, she perceives that they are hiding something.

Hannah, frustrated by the violent behaviour of his husband, has tried to push him off the cliff.

Their contrast is when Peter discovered Hannah with Pip Lejour in their bed. Peter left Gaze Castle in the hands of his close friend Gerald Scottow, with various duties as driver, jailer and finally keeper.

In the second part, Effingham Cooper visits his retired former Philosophy tutor Max Lejour, the father of Pip Lejour who had been found in the bed of Hannah by her husband. Marian Taylor wants to free Hannah from Gaze castle, she will try to cooperate with Effingham Cooper, he will refute her proposal telling that they must respect Hannah's fate.

For unknown reasons Effingham radically changes his mind, he convinces himself to free Hannah without her consent. Effingham, Marian and Hannah are in his car, they will have an accident, Effingham ends up in the swamp and is in danger of drowning.

The third part of this novel is dedicated to the experiences lived by Effingham in the bog, saved by Denis Nolan.

Gerald Scottow announces the imminent arrival of Peter Crean Smith after many years, Hannah invites Gerald in her room, then he will announce that he will take Anna away from the castle.

In the last three parts of the novel there will be a series of homicides, Peter won't come back to Gaze castle.

Hannah will kill Gerald during the escape; she will slip and die drowned in the swamp. Peter will know the killing of Gerald by his wife, on the way from the airport to the castle, with the car driven by Denis they will end up and die at sea. Effingham and Taylor will come back to London separately.