Peter S. Beagle is a name that is widely recognized by fans of fantasy fiction. He has a tendency to write pieces that are powerful and carry great impact but still carry a tone that can best be characterized as gentle. His short fiction collections can be difficult to find, so the opportunity to read one of his short stories in a widely available anthology should be cause to rejoice. The Last and Only is a bit difficult to categorize.
George Moscowitz becomes, over time, French. At first, the change is gradual, but as it becomes more apparent, the transformation begins to completely. radically alter his life. He discovers that his switch in nationality leaves him open to an entirely new sort of prejudice and he has to learn to cope. An actual move to France, prompted by his unique circumstances, presents entirely new challenges, both for himself and his wife.
Ultimately, this story carries the tone of a fairy tale or fable, and it certainly seems to carry a subtle moral about not only the choices we make in life but our own decisions about whether or not those choices will truly make a person happy once they’re enacted. The story is quiet and understated, but it’s also elegant in the way that it progresses and in its ultimate message. It’s the kind of short story that a person can reread many times and take away something different each time, depending on your own perspective and your life experiences. It requires some post-reading thought, but it doesn’t lose any of its entertainment value because of that.
This is part of the BookSpot Central Short Fiction Round Table spotlight on stories that will be included in Best American Fantasy 2008 edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer and forthcoming from Prime Books. Please see the intro to the spotlight.
