In the Company of Wolves: Werewolves, Wolves and Wild Children

by Sam George, Bill Hughes

In the company of wolves presents further research from the Open Graves, Open Minds Project. It connects together innovative research from a variety of perspectives on the cultural significance of wolves, wild children and werewolves as portrayed in different media and genres. We begin with the wolf itself as it has been interpreted as a cultural symbol and how it figures in contemporary debates about wilderness and nature. Alongside this, we consider eighteenth-century debates about wild children -- often thought to have been raised by wolves and other animals - and their role in key questions about the origins of language and society. The collection continues with essays on werewolves and other shapeshifters as depicted in folk tales, literature, film and TV, concluding with the transition from animal to human in contemporary art, poetry and fashion.

Genres: Nonfiction

304 pages, Hardcover

Published February 17, 2020

Reviews

[RedDagger · Rating 4 out of 5]

14 wolf-themed essays on culture. I like the breadth, both in the types of wolves and in the media formats analysed, however the quality varies widely. Most are insightful, thought provoking, but several are rather flat and end up not saying much of value; either by being too short, or simply being void of anything in the first place. Several also have tenuous relations to the 'wolf' theme.

Overall: good, well worth a read, but feel free to skip some essays.