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Book Review: 'Why Unicorn Drinks'

Kelly Belter |
February 12, 2013 | 1:57 p.m. PST

Staff Reporter

"Why Unicorn Drinks" (illustration by C.W. Moss)
"Why Unicorn Drinks" (illustration by C.W. Moss)
"Why Unicorn Drinks" is as irreverent and crude as they come. Still, it’s nearly impossible not to laugh at the 68 color illustrations (and accompanying captions) that comprise C.W. Moss’ second Unicorn flipbook. This is a picture book for adults—a comic that dislodges the myth that unicorns are perfect. After all, they might not be the amazing, majestic creatures that we’ve always imagined them to be.

Keep in mind, "Why Unicorn Drinks" is aimed at an adult crowd, and it isn’t meant for those lacking a sense of humor. The easily offended should keep their distance. As it plays on everything from impotence to sexual molestation, there’s no doubt that "Why Unicorn Drinks" is inappropriate. It seems that, where Moss is concerned, anything can be turned into a joke. While this could easily be seen as overly derisive, the fact that Moss’ main character is a unicorn makes it too much of a farce to take seriously. In turn, we can disassociate humanity from the terrible realities of Unicorn’s life and laugh at them. Of course, one can’t help but feel sorry for the one-horned wonder from time-to-time. Yet somehow our sympathy keeps the satire running; the over-the-top nature of Unicorn’s misfortune is so unrealistic that it becomes a parody of itself.

There’s also something about Moss’ unicorn protagonist that speaks to us on a deeper level—our insecurities. For, despite the widely accepted aphorism that “nobody’s perfect,” it can still be hard to believe. Most of us will find ourselves pining to live another person’s life every now and then, perceiving someone else to be leading the perfect, problem-free life. In this way, Unicorn is the ultimate anomaly. It’s no mistake that the most majestic imaginary creature is the one with the worst lot in life. Through his struggles with the tragic and the trivial (i.e. bad haircuts and unstable gingerbread houses), we can momentarily forget our troubles and consider the idea that things aren’t always what they seem. There’s some comfort to be taken in another’s misery, even if that someone is a mythical horse, and the fact that the expectations of his life are in complete conflict with his reality.

"Why Unicorn Drinks" is a good, quick laugh, one of those literary anomalies so crazy-weird you can’t help but share it with your good-humored friends. While far from taking up shelf space alongside the likes of "Wuthering Heights" and "Heart of Darkness," its crude humor is sure to worm its way into your heart, as Moss reminds us that appearances aren’t everything. Everyone has their own stuff going down. Even unicorns.

Reach Staff Reporter Kelly Belter here.



 

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