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Lila the Werewolf
According to the Author Peter This story was written very long ago, in another world, by a young man to whom the idea of equating womanhood with lycanthropy, sexual desire with blood and death and humiliation, seemed no more at the time than a casual grisly joke. I would write 'Lila the Werewolf today, but not for that reason, and not in that way.
42 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1974
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471 people want to read
About the author
Peter S. Beagle
219 books3,915 followersPeter Soyer Beagle (born April 20, 1939) is an American fantasist and author of novels, nonfiction, and screenplays. He is also a talented guitarist and folk singer. He wrote his first novel, A Fine and Private Place , when he was only 19 years old. Today he is best known as the author of The Last Unicorn, which routinely polls as one of the top ten fantasy novels of all time, and at least two of his other books (A Fine and Private Place and I See By My Outfit) are considered modern classics.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
September 24, 2014
Superficially the plot here is simple: a young man casually allows a woman he has picked up at a party to move in with him. He soon discovers that she is a werewolf. This is, obviously, a little awkward, both personally and because they are in an apartment building and she keeps eating their neighbors' pets.
This is Beagle, so naturally the writing is fairly good, if dated in that way that only the 1970s seem to date. There is a lot of personality conveyed quite briefly, and some clever lines: If I break up with her now, she'll think I'm doing it because she's a werewolf. It's awkward, it feels nasty and middle-class. I should have broken up with her the first time I met her mother, or the second time she served the eggplant. or Lila's shrink says she has a rejection thing, very deep-seated... Listen, I've done some things that I'm not proud of, but I don't want to mess up anyone's analysis.
But because this is Beagle, who I associate with my childhood -- and obviously this is my issue, not his -- it's a little...uncomfortable. Yeah, that's the word. I love you, Peter S. Beagle, but I'm just not comfortable hearing you talk about sex. Especially not sex with dogs. Wait till the kids leave the room, please.
This is Beagle, so naturally the writing is fairly good, if dated in that way that only the 1970s seem to date. There is a lot of personality conveyed quite briefly, and some clever lines: If I break up with her now, she'll think I'm doing it because she's a werewolf. It's awkward, it feels nasty and middle-class. I should have broken up with her the first time I met her mother, or the second time she served the eggplant. or Lila's shrink says she has a rejection thing, very deep-seated... Listen, I've done some things that I'm not proud of, but I don't want to mess up anyone's analysis.
But because this is Beagle, who I associate with my childhood -- and obviously this is my issue, not his -- it's a little...uncomfortable. Yeah, that's the word. I love you, Peter S. Beagle, but I'm just not comfortable hearing you talk about sex. Especially not sex with dogs. Wait till the kids leave the room, please.
December 31, 2024
What the hell did I just read.
He dates a werewolf she runs away to be with other dogs and it might be a psychological thing or not and that's it.
The characters are weak and there are typos every other page.
Thank god it's a very short book
He dates a werewolf she runs away to be with other dogs and it might be a psychological thing or not and that's it.
The characters are weak and there are typos every other page.
Thank god it's a very short book
January 17, 2013
Lila The Werewolf by Peter S. Beagle is a perfect example as to why I love werewolf stories and fantasy in general. I had really high expectations for this book and I’m glad to say this book surpassed those expectations.
I first heard about Lila the Werewolf thanks to Carrie Vaughn’s blog. She shared her favorite werewolf stories/novels back in September. Within minutes of reading that blog, I went to amazon, added the book to the wish list and gave the book highest priority.
It’s not just Carrie Vaughn recommended the book, I happen to adore Peter S. Beagle. He’s been a very sentimental author in my book for years. Peter S. Beagle is best known for The Last Unicorn. This was my favorite movie when I was a wee little thing. Because I adored the movie, it was my first adult fantasy book that I ever read. Over the years, I’ve collected a couple of his books and I’m always looking to see if a book store carries any other of his books besides The Last Unicorn. Plus I was even more endeared to him after meeting him and listening to the commentary of The Last Unicorn at Otakon a few years back. He has this amazing story telling that just captures my interest and it’s always character driven but usually in an unexpected way.
So needless to say, I expected great things. I’m glad to say that it for the most part it met all of them and exceeded them.
The only downfall to this book is that I wasn’t expecting it to be a short book. It’s only 43 pages long. So it made for a skinny little Christmas gift under the tree this year. Neither of us (my mom and I) really expected it to be such a thin book. In all honesty after reading it, I thought the length was perfect for the story itself. It gave the reader enough meat to really gnaw on but at the same time didn’t leave you wanting more. It just was that perfect balance.
This book is character driven. It’s from Farrell’s point of view about how he started to date Lila and quickly discovered that she was a werewolf. It’s a funny little tale about how he dealt with it all and how he knew he had to end the relationship sooner or later.
I loved Lila. She’s a werewolf. It’s just uncommon to see a female werewolf. Plus I liked how she was a werewolf more from heredity then from being attacked. It’s something that is a bit on the rare side.
One of the things I wasn’t expecting was the names Ben and Farrell together in the story. This is important to me since Ben Farrell is one of the main characters from the Kitty Norville series (the Carrie Vaughn series I adore). It shows me how she pulled from this story not just in the idea of a female werewolf but in subtle ways that could just be coincidental.
I adore this little story. It’s a quick read but I found it rich and fun.
I first heard about Lila the Werewolf thanks to Carrie Vaughn’s blog. She shared her favorite werewolf stories/novels back in September. Within minutes of reading that blog, I went to amazon, added the book to the wish list and gave the book highest priority.
It’s not just Carrie Vaughn recommended the book, I happen to adore Peter S. Beagle. He’s been a very sentimental author in my book for years. Peter S. Beagle is best known for The Last Unicorn. This was my favorite movie when I was a wee little thing. Because I adored the movie, it was my first adult fantasy book that I ever read. Over the years, I’ve collected a couple of his books and I’m always looking to see if a book store carries any other of his books besides The Last Unicorn. Plus I was even more endeared to him after meeting him and listening to the commentary of The Last Unicorn at Otakon a few years back. He has this amazing story telling that just captures my interest and it’s always character driven but usually in an unexpected way.
So needless to say, I expected great things. I’m glad to say that it for the most part it met all of them and exceeded them.
The only downfall to this book is that I wasn’t expecting it to be a short book. It’s only 43 pages long. So it made for a skinny little Christmas gift under the tree this year. Neither of us (my mom and I) really expected it to be such a thin book. In all honesty after reading it, I thought the length was perfect for the story itself. It gave the reader enough meat to really gnaw on but at the same time didn’t leave you wanting more. It just was that perfect balance.
This book is character driven. It’s from Farrell’s point of view about how he started to date Lila and quickly discovered that she was a werewolf. It’s a funny little tale about how he dealt with it all and how he knew he had to end the relationship sooner or later.
I loved Lila. She’s a werewolf. It’s just uncommon to see a female werewolf. Plus I liked how she was a werewolf more from heredity then from being attacked. It’s something that is a bit on the rare side.
One of the things I wasn’t expecting was the names Ben and Farrell together in the story. This is important to me since Ben Farrell is one of the main characters from the Kitty Norville series (the Carrie Vaughn series I adore). It shows me how she pulled from this story not just in the idea of a female werewolf but in subtle ways that could just be coincidental.
I adore this little story. It’s a quick read but I found it rich and fun.
November 2, 2024
I thought to myself, why not, since it's Halloween, read a little werewolf tale from the guy who wrote one of your favorite books of all time? I didn't expect this to be very creepy since it's from the guy who wrote one of my favorite books of all time which is not very creepy albeit very atmospheric and fantastical (it's "The Last Unicorn" in case you were wondering) but this Werewolf had a much gorier finish than I would have ever thought.
And it all started so wholesome, just a guy whose new girlfriend turns out to be a werewolf. The first half definitely reads more quirky than anything, and a bit as if a guy is baffled/ annoyed with his girlfriend's menstrual cycle? The second half was where this became a no for me when our werewolf has a transformation while she is in heat and runs around and mates with the neighborhood dogs before she violently slaughters a bunch of them. As in, this took turn! For me the viciousness towards the dogs ruined this, plain and simple, but in all fairness I also feel like there was not that much to ruin. If this had stayed in its quirky lane and used the lycanthropy to examine a dead-end relationship this would have been totally fine. Nothing earth-shattering but certainly adequate. The worst to me was how little the non-Werewolf character in the story, the protagonist, was bothered by the dog deaths, I am a dog lover and that is rough sell on me to then come up with any kind of sympathy, and that was a problem from the beginning on ().
It's a short story, it wasn't for me. My husband just bought this bind up of "The Last Unicorn" + a few other stories and this was the first to be featured in it and I am not sure why the editors chose it, turns out even Beagle himself thinks its outdated and nothing special?!
And it all started so wholesome, just a guy whose new girlfriend turns out to be a werewolf. The first half definitely reads more quirky than anything, and a bit as if a guy is baffled/ annoyed with his girlfriend's menstrual cycle? The second half was where this became a no for me when our werewolf has a transformation while she is in heat and runs around and mates with the neighborhood dogs before she violently slaughters a bunch of them. As in, this took turn! For me the viciousness towards the dogs ruined this, plain and simple, but in all fairness I also feel like there was not that much to ruin. If this had stayed in its quirky lane and used the lycanthropy to examine a dead-end relationship this would have been totally fine. Nothing earth-shattering but certainly adequate. The worst to me was how little the non-Werewolf character in the story, the protagonist, was bothered by the dog deaths, I am a dog lover and that is rough sell on me to then come up with any kind of sympathy, and that was a problem from the beginning on ().
It's a short story, it wasn't for me. My husband just bought this bind up of "The Last Unicorn" + a few other stories and this was the first to be featured in it and I am not sure why the editors chose it, turns out even Beagle himself thinks its outdated and nothing special?!
September 17, 2016
After reading several of Peter S Beagle's books, this was a disappointment. However, he does mention in a note at the end that he wrote it when he was very young, so I should make allowances for that. It really doesn't go anywhere as a story, there's little or no character development and the content is weak. There is also a completely pointless (and confusing) dream sequence followed by a peculiar and revoltingly gory scene, from which I can only assume that he doesn't like dogs! I gave it 2 stars simply because I did read to the end, but this was not a book I enjoyed.
April 14, 2022
Afterword by Peter S. Beagle:
This story was written very long ago, in another world, by a young man to whom the idea of equating womanhood with lycanthropy, sexual desire with blood and death and humiliation, seemed no more at the time than a casual grisly joke. I would write Lila the Werewolf today, but not for that reason, and not in that way.
At least he’s aware.
This story was written very long ago, in another world, by a young man to whom the idea of equating womanhood with lycanthropy, sexual desire with blood and death and humiliation, seemed no more at the time than a casual grisly joke. I would write Lila the Werewolf today, but not for that reason, and not in that way.
At least he’s aware.
January 19, 2021
Without giving too much away, the story is told by a jaded New York bohemian musician, Sam Farrell, who finds out that his new girlfriend, Lila, is a werewolf. His blasé attitude and frankly cavalier handling of the situation are a bit off-putting and surprising, considering Beagle's sensitivity and deft manipulation of the miraculous intruding upon the mundane in his 2017 novella In Calabria. Of course, there is an almost 50 year difference between the tales, and the author writing in 2017 had the benefit of experience and maturity to inform him. Beagle himself is quoted online as having said of Lila:
"This story was written very long ago, in another world, by a young man to whom the idea of equating womanhood with lycanthropy, sexual desire with blood and death and humiliation, seemed no more at the time than a casual grisly joke. I would write 'Lila the Werewolf' today, but not for that reason, and not in that way."
There are some inspired moments and, at times, some humorous situations, but overall I think this is a werewolf story with no bite. Had he been more thoughtful, I think Beagle could have had a great story, as I feel that Lila is an interesting and sympathetic character. Most significantly, to me anyway, I found nothing at all Gothic about it. Lila's lycanthropy is handled very matter-of-factly, with none of the customary allusions to folklore or the occult, and one never feels any impending threat save for the occasional menacing growl from the wolf. What's more, had he not described her as a wolf in the beginning of the story, one would almost swear she was a just a peevish dog, despite her dietary inclinations. The story fell apart for me in the farcical third act, which I thought went on for way too long. As I said, I don't think he took the material very seriously, which is a shame, as I think the idea had great potential. That said, I'd be curious to see what Beagle might have to say if he were to check in on Lila today.
"This story was written very long ago, in another world, by a young man to whom the idea of equating womanhood with lycanthropy, sexual desire with blood and death and humiliation, seemed no more at the time than a casual grisly joke. I would write 'Lila the Werewolf' today, but not for that reason, and not in that way."
There are some inspired moments and, at times, some humorous situations, but overall I think this is a werewolf story with no bite. Had he been more thoughtful, I think Beagle could have had a great story, as I feel that Lila is an interesting and sympathetic character. Most significantly, to me anyway, I found nothing at all Gothic about it. Lila's lycanthropy is handled very matter-of-factly, with none of the customary allusions to folklore or the occult, and one never feels any impending threat save for the occasional menacing growl from the wolf. What's more, had he not described her as a wolf in the beginning of the story, one would almost swear she was a just a peevish dog, despite her dietary inclinations. The story fell apart for me in the farcical third act, which I thought went on for way too long. As I said, I don't think he took the material very seriously, which is a shame, as I think the idea had great potential. That said, I'd be curious to see what Beagle might have to say if he were to check in on Lila today.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2018
I think this small book encapsulates Beagle's humor, with a self-deprecating narrator, quirky story line and characters. I bought this chapbook between the publication date, March, 1974, and 1976, and have treasured it since.
I would note that this version is actually paperback, as Capra makes clear in defining -90-X edition as paper(pa.), and -91-8 as hardback maybe (cl.).
I would note that this version is actually paperback, as Capra makes clear in defining -90-X edition as paper(pa.), and -91-8 as hardback maybe (cl.).
April 22, 2018
I'm paraphrasing my favorite line that said, "It's never a good thing to find something out about someone you know."
He means when you find out on your own, not when the person tells you something new about themselves. That pretty much sums up the whole story, and is so very true.
He means when you find out on your own, not when the person tells you something new about themselves. That pretty much sums up the whole story, and is so very true.
August 6, 2020
So the bestiality thing, huh? That's where this went? Ok.
July 14, 2021
Brutal and horrifying and somehow unique. You've never read a werewolf tale like this before.
July 20, 2021
3.5
Just like he's done with unicorns Beagle crafts his own interesting take on the werewolf.
Just like he's done with unicorns Beagle crafts his own interesting take on the werewolf.
January 16, 2026
A little dated, but just the right amount of weird for me. I love Peter Beagle’s writing, and this was another good one.
July 31, 2017
"Full of the kind of love that turns everything it touches into art." — Catherynne M. Valente
Outstanding in its entirely and there's a lovely introduction to the collection by Catherynne M. Valente. I was excited to read this story filled with fantasy: a werewolf, a tiny woven unicorn and death personified, but surprised to find that my absolute favorite story did not have a touch of magic in it — except the magic of a father's love for his daughter, magic indeed.
"My Daughter's Name is Sarah" is a standout story. Other notable stories are: "Come Lady Death," "Lila the Werewolf," and "Julie's Unicorn".
Pairs well with: Sheena and Other Gothic Tales by Brian Stableford
Recommended for: lovers of well-told fantasy stories and good literature
Quotable:
"When I see her it is a little hard to breathe for a moment, and I will want to go down and meet her and walk the rest of the way with her." —My Daughter's Name is Sarah
"Many things that shrink from sunlight gain power in fog and murk." — "Underbridge"
Outstanding in its entirely and there's a lovely introduction to the collection by Catherynne M. Valente. I was excited to read this story filled with fantasy: a werewolf, a tiny woven unicorn and death personified, but surprised to find that my absolute favorite story did not have a touch of magic in it — except the magic of a father's love for his daughter, magic indeed.
"My Daughter's Name is Sarah" is a standout story. Other notable stories are: "Come Lady Death," "Lila the Werewolf," and "Julie's Unicorn".
Pairs well with: Sheena and Other Gothic Tales by Brian Stableford
Recommended for: lovers of well-told fantasy stories and good literature
Quotable:
"When I see her it is a little hard to breathe for a moment, and I will want to go down and meet her and walk the rest of the way with her." —My Daughter's Name is Sarah
"Many things that shrink from sunlight gain power in fog and murk." — "Underbridge"
October 1, 2013
"This story was written very long ago, in another world, by a young man to whom the idea of equating womanhood with lycanthropy, sexual desire with blood and death and humiliation, seemed no more at the time than a casual grisly joke. I would write 'Lila the Werewolf today, but not for that reason, and not in that way."
These are Beagle's honest words about a strange little book, by turns melodramatic and wistful, but mostly just awkward and comedic. It might make a good Wes Anderson movie.
Those saying this story is "gory" have no idea what the word means.
These are Beagle's honest words about a strange little book, by turns melodramatic and wistful, but mostly just awkward and comedic. It might make a good Wes Anderson movie.
Those saying this story is "gory" have no idea what the word means.
November 28, 2021
This is at best a novella, or perhaps an extended short story, but it is all vintage Beagle. Unlike 'The Last Unicorn,' by far his most famous work, this one is pure, and early, urban fantasy. And all New York: a blasé, hyper-liberal young man shares his walkup with his new girlfriend, who turns out to be a werewolf. Who knew?
A great romp with Beagle's usual delicious prose. Well worth an hour or two of your time.
A great romp with Beagle's usual delicious prose. Well worth an hour or two of your time.
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March 11, 2016One of the stranger (and more dated) stories in The Fantasy Worlds of Peter Beagle...
June 16, 2008
I didn't really care for this book. It dwelled a little bit too much on gore, especially in the end when it was the same thing over and over.
It did have an interesting idea to it, I suppose. But I found it mostly disturbing.
It did have an interesting idea to it, I suppose. But I found it mostly disturbing.
August 24, 2016
Peter S. Beagle has a very distinct style of fantasy, I'm not sure what you would call it. This is a collection of short stories - I did not love them as much as THE Last Unicorn, but I appreciate his skill and his stories. Lovely.
September 28, 2011
Interesting short. I kinda want to reread it already.
May 29, 2012
Beagle, Peter S.
The Fantasy Worlds of Peter S. Beagle
In compilation only.
The Fantasy Worlds of Peter S. Beagle
In compilation only.
October 1, 2013
I only know the author from The Last Unicorn, so this was an unexpected piece of fun. Dark, less about werewolf nature than about people nature...like all good fantasy.
October 8, 2013
In re-reading a Beagle collection, definitely found that the shorter novellas don't hold up as well as the novels
February 3, 2016
Nice read but I wish Beagle wrote it later, having a better idea. Still, I'm glad I came across this one.
March 20, 2017
Peter has an uncanny ability to make me feel as though I am dreaming when I read his works. Every story was a treasure.
April 14, 2016
Oh, I loved this book! The stories are realistic in spite of the magical plot twists, and most of them will tug on your heart-strings. Really good stuff.
November 1, 2014
Lila-ihmissusi, Portti 1/1986
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