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The Wolfman
The Wolfman is one of the great classics of modern horror. Now, based on the upcoming film, is a terrifying new novelization novel written by Jonathan Maberry, based on the screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker and David Self Based on a motion picture screenplay by Curt Siodmak
Lawrence Talbot's childhood ended the night his mother died. After he left the sleepy Victorian hamlet of Blackmoor, he spent decades recovering and trying to forget. But when his brother's fiancée tracks him down to help find her missing love, Talbot returns home to join the search. He learns that something with brute strength and insatiable bloodlust has been killing the villagers, and that a suspicious Scotland Yard inspector has come to investigate.
As Talbot pieces together the gory puzzle, he hears of an ancient curse that turns the afflicted into werewolves when the moon is full. Now, if he has any chance at ending the slaughter and protecting the woman he has grown to love, Talbot must destroy the vicious creature that stalks the woods surrounding Blackmoor. But as he hunts for the nightmarish beast, a simple man with a tortured past will uncover a primal side to himself . . . one he never imagined existed.
342 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
38 people are currently reading
1273 people want to read
About the author
Jonathan Maberry
523 books7,793 followersJONATHAN MABERRY is a NYTimes bestselling author, #1 Audible bestseller, 5-time Bram Stoker Award-winner, 4-time Scribe Award winner, Inkpot Award winner, comic book writer, and producer. He is the author of more than 50 novels, 190 short stories, 16 short story collections, 30 graphic novels, 14 nonfiction books, and has edited 26 anthologies. His vampire apocalypse book series, V-WARS, was a Netflix original series starring Ian Somerhalder. His 2009-10 run as writer on the Black Panther comic formed a large chunk of the recent blockbuster film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. His bestselling YA zombie series, Rot & Ruin is in development for film at Alcon Entertainment; and John Wick director, Chad Stahelski, is developing Jonathan’s Joe Ledger Thrillers for TV. Jonathan writes in multiple genres including suspense, thriller, horror, science fiction, epic fantasy, and action; and he writes for adults, teens and middle grade. His works include The Pine Deep Trilogy, The Kagen the Damned Trilogy, NecroTek, Ink, Glimpse, the Rot & Ruin series, the Dead of Night series, The Wolfman, X-Files Origins: Devil’s Advocate, The Sleepers War (with Weston Ochse), Mars One, and many others. He is the editor of high-profile anthologies including Weird Tales: 100 Years of Weird, The X-Files, Aliens: Bug Hunt, Out of Tune, Don’t Turn out the Lights: A Tribute to Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Baker Street Irregulars, Nights of the Living Dead, Shadows & Verse, and others. His comics include Marvel Zombies Return, The Punisher: Naked Kills, Wolverine: Ghosts, Godzilla vs Cthulhu: Death May Die, Bad Blood and many others. Jonathan has written in many popular licensed worlds, including Hellboy, True Blood, The Wolfman, John Carter of Mars, Sherlock Holmes, C.H.U.D., Diablo IV, Deadlands, World of Warcraft, Planet of the Apes, Aliens, Predator, Karl Kolchak, and many others. He the president of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers, and the editor of Weird Tales Magazine. He lives in San Diego, California. Find him online at www.jonathanmaberry.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
June 7, 2016
I am giving the book a rating of 3.5. I can’t help but think maybe I am being a bit too generous. The thing is – The Wolfman is much better than the horror novels that I have read in the recent past. This novelization of the movie by the same name has been penned by Jonathan Mayberry and to give him his due – the book is so much better than the movie.
The story is mostly set in Blackmoor, England in 1891. To be more precise, in the woods adjoining the village of Blackmoor ( though the place has been referred to as a town a couple of times). I have always felt that horror stories are best set in the olden days – when technology had not been so developed and the world still had an aura of mystery around it and the ideal locale, in my humble opinion, should be woods, villages, isolated towns and if the right atmosphere has been created then only cities.
Anyways, the story begins with the brutal murder of Ben Talbot in the woods and of course at the hands of the werewolf. His fiancée Gwen then writes a letter to Ben’s brother Lawrence, a famous tragedian, who had long ago shifted to America and by chance was performing in London. Lawrence comes back to the Talbot estate and tries to hunt down the creature that had so viciously killed his brother. Of all the characters in this novel, Lawrence’s character was the most fleshed out. The tension between Lawrence and his father Sir John Talbot is palpable and is related to a scene Lawrence had witnessed as a child post which he had been sent to an asylum and finally shipped to America.The human mind tries to remember the past in a way that lets it make sense of a tragedy and some humans are very good at manipulating the truth to further their own agenda.
The book has plenty of detailed description of the carnage carried out by the werewolf in the woods as well as in merry old London. Surprisingly, while I was reading the first such carnage it started to rain heavily – there were lightning flashes and thunders. All these actually enhanced my reading experience. I read most of the book at night and all these just added to the atmosphere for horror. The scenes where the town people would try to hunt the werewolf in the woods, London cops would try to kill the creature etc. were pretty exciting.
Other characters include Inspector Aberline of Scotland Yard, Singh – Sir John’s old and faithful servant, town folks – some obnoxious, some not, an old Gypsy lady and so on. Ancient stone relics that follow the movement of the moon, a gamekeeper’s tale, a mental asylum in London, gypsy tales, Special Police units of the Scotland Yard add more excitement to the story.
I must say that the author was quite successful in creating an atmosphere of tension and horror. My only complaint is that, at times, the author has used metaphors which are compatible in an old-fashioned romance but not in a horror novel.
The movie had flopped because it deserved so but the book turned out to be much better. If you have watched the movie before then you might not want to read this book, but if you enjoy gore and violence-filled werewolf tales then it is worth a try.
The story is mostly set in Blackmoor, England in 1891. To be more precise, in the woods adjoining the village of Blackmoor ( though the place has been referred to as a town a couple of times). I have always felt that horror stories are best set in the olden days – when technology had not been so developed and the world still had an aura of mystery around it and the ideal locale, in my humble opinion, should be woods, villages, isolated towns and if the right atmosphere has been created then only cities.
Anyways, the story begins with the brutal murder of Ben Talbot in the woods and of course at the hands of the werewolf. His fiancée Gwen then writes a letter to Ben’s brother Lawrence, a famous tragedian, who had long ago shifted to America and by chance was performing in London. Lawrence comes back to the Talbot estate and tries to hunt down the creature that had so viciously killed his brother. Of all the characters in this novel, Lawrence’s character was the most fleshed out. The tension between Lawrence and his father Sir John Talbot is palpable and is related to a scene Lawrence had witnessed as a child post which he had been sent to an asylum and finally shipped to America.The human mind tries to remember the past in a way that lets it make sense of a tragedy and some humans are very good at manipulating the truth to further their own agenda.
The book has plenty of detailed description of the carnage carried out by the werewolf in the woods as well as in merry old London. Surprisingly, while I was reading the first such carnage it started to rain heavily – there were lightning flashes and thunders. All these actually enhanced my reading experience. I read most of the book at night and all these just added to the atmosphere for horror. The scenes where the town people would try to hunt the werewolf in the woods, London cops would try to kill the creature etc. were pretty exciting.
Other characters include Inspector Aberline of Scotland Yard, Singh – Sir John’s old and faithful servant, town folks – some obnoxious, some not, an old Gypsy lady and so on. Ancient stone relics that follow the movement of the moon, a gamekeeper’s tale, a mental asylum in London, gypsy tales, Special Police units of the Scotland Yard add more excitement to the story.
I must say that the author was quite successful in creating an atmosphere of tension and horror. My only complaint is that, at times, the author has used metaphors which are compatible in an old-fashioned romance but not in a horror novel.
The movie had flopped because it deserved so but the book turned out to be much better. If you have watched the movie before then you might not want to read this book, but if you enjoy gore and violence-filled werewolf tales then it is worth a try.
November 17, 2014
Normally I'm not a huge fan of movie novelizations, but when I heard that the awesome Jonathan Maberry did the novelization for this movie, I was intrigued. I love the original Wolfman movie with Lon Chaney Jr, but had mixed feelings about the remake. After reading Maberry's version of the remake, I wish the final product had been more in line with his take on the tale. Truly, Maberry's story has most of the same major plot points as the film, but he adds so much more rich history and description for the people and places. The characters, especially Lawrence Talbot, are much more fleshed out on the page, plus the Wolfman's rampage in London is more epic and exciting in the book. Actually, the action is one of the book's strongest points. Maberry does an incredible job of choreographing the Wolfman's various attacks, painting vivid scenes of gruesome destruction and rising tension. If you're a fan of either werewolf fiction or either Wolfman movie, pick this up. You'll enjoy it!
November 25, 2012
I didn’t have too many hopes for reading Jonathan Maberry’s novelization of The Wolfman. I had seen the movie a while back and didn’t care for it, not to mention I have never heard of Maberry. I ended up being surprised and thoroughly enjoyed the book. Although a little slow at times, during action scenes this was not the case and it kept me reading. The insight into the characters was intriguing and had me much more involved with the story than the film had.
As soon as I cracked the binding I realized the book was going to follow the exact story line of the film. I wasn’t excited about this, but the more Maberry delved into the characters, primarily Lawrence Talbot, the more I realized just how much a difference it makes when you know what the character is feeling during transformations. However much this may seem like common sense, I have read one novelization in the past and it was so horribly written that I’ve never picked up another one since. This book has given me a little more respect for novelizations and I had more fun reading it than watching the corresponding movie.
The story itself was interesting, however, extremely simple. I do feel the book was a little bloated at times, but this seems to be because every scene in the film was included in the book. After the werewolf kills Benjamin Talbot, nothing exciting occurs until page one hundred and eight. Needless to say, I wasn’t particularly fond of the book up until this point. There is a lot of material and, while most of it is needed, a lot of the bloat could have probably been cut without altering the story. There were times I felt that Maberry may have been required by Universal to stick to the script and if he had been given leeway, the work may have been more succinct. I could be completely wrong about this and it may have been Maberry’s choice to stick so closely with the movie.
After the long, slow beginning, the werewolf’s attack at the gypsy camp occurs. The language was smooth and the speed of the scene was perfectly suitable for the intensity of the action on the page. The sentences and words were short, making the action snappy and quick and allowed much faster reading. Basically, everything I’ve learned from instructors, authors, and my own research, Maberry had done and proven that it works. Regardless of how people feel about this book, and many may differ from my sentiments, there are things that can be learned from this that will only help a horror writer improve his/her work to be more effective.
In my dramatic writing class the students are always asked what we want to steal from the plays we read to use for what we are writing for the course. If I were to apply the question to The Wolfman, I would want to steal how Maberry writes the werewolf’s attack scenes and the vivid description he uses for the kills. I found these rather exciting and, as an avid horror fan, loved how the scenes read.
I do think there will be many who disagree with what I’ve had to say, but besides the extra content I felt could have been done away with, I enjoyed the latter two-thirds of the book. The entire thing was well written and has eliminated my bias against novelizations.
As soon as I cracked the binding I realized the book was going to follow the exact story line of the film. I wasn’t excited about this, but the more Maberry delved into the characters, primarily Lawrence Talbot, the more I realized just how much a difference it makes when you know what the character is feeling during transformations. However much this may seem like common sense, I have read one novelization in the past and it was so horribly written that I’ve never picked up another one since. This book has given me a little more respect for novelizations and I had more fun reading it than watching the corresponding movie.
The story itself was interesting, however, extremely simple. I do feel the book was a little bloated at times, but this seems to be because every scene in the film was included in the book. After the werewolf kills Benjamin Talbot, nothing exciting occurs until page one hundred and eight. Needless to say, I wasn’t particularly fond of the book up until this point. There is a lot of material and, while most of it is needed, a lot of the bloat could have probably been cut without altering the story. There were times I felt that Maberry may have been required by Universal to stick to the script and if he had been given leeway, the work may have been more succinct. I could be completely wrong about this and it may have been Maberry’s choice to stick so closely with the movie.
After the long, slow beginning, the werewolf’s attack at the gypsy camp occurs. The language was smooth and the speed of the scene was perfectly suitable for the intensity of the action on the page. The sentences and words were short, making the action snappy and quick and allowed much faster reading. Basically, everything I’ve learned from instructors, authors, and my own research, Maberry had done and proven that it works. Regardless of how people feel about this book, and many may differ from my sentiments, there are things that can be learned from this that will only help a horror writer improve his/her work to be more effective.
In my dramatic writing class the students are always asked what we want to steal from the plays we read to use for what we are writing for the course. If I were to apply the question to The Wolfman, I would want to steal how Maberry writes the werewolf’s attack scenes and the vivid description he uses for the kills. I found these rather exciting and, as an avid horror fan, loved how the scenes read.
I do think there will be many who disagree with what I’ve had to say, but besides the extra content I felt could have been done away with, I enjoyed the latter two-thirds of the book. The entire thing was well written and has eliminated my bias against novelizations.
August 19, 2024
1. I hate this trope.
2. (But) It was written by Mr Maberry and I am trying to complete his back list.
3. I enjoyed it, despite hating the werewolf trope.
2. (But) It was written by Mr Maberry and I am trying to complete his back list.
3. I enjoyed it, despite hating the werewolf trope.
May 6, 2010
„Лорънс се загледа в дървената плоскост и въздъхна.149237z
- Вие, сър – каза той на сянката си, - сте невероятен дръвник.”
Първото, с което успя да ме грабне тази книга, бе не историята й, а начина, по който е написана. Изключително увлекателна на първо място, главите са по страничка или две и те карат да си казваш само още една и после още една.
Но описанията на всичко в нея са изумителни. Привидно кратки, но толкова добре изразени, че те пренасят директно в ситуацията. Представяш си всичко, сякаш е пред теб. Носи се една заразна нежност от страниците, всички тези красиви описания и ненапразно пропилени думи те заразяват и не можеш да спреш да четеш. А историята започва със смърт. Бруталната смърт на единият от двамата братя Толбът.
Красотата и спокойствието, които срещнах, уви, бяха само временни. Ужасът започва прекалено рано, прекалено нечестно, прекалено кърваво. И пълното описание на звяра и жертвите му могат да доведат изумителни картини в главата ти. Такива, с каквито дори и филм не може да се похвали.
Едно мога да кажа със сигурност, книгата е изумителна. Думите са просто излишни. Всичко останало оставям във вашите ръце.
П.П. Ако мога да си позволя да използвам системата на Блажев за оценяване бих й дала 12/13.
- Вие, сър – каза той на сянката си, - сте невероятен дръвник.”
Първото, с което успя да ме грабне тази книга, бе не историята й, а начина, по който е написана. Изключително увлекателна на първо място, главите са по страничка или две и те карат да си казваш само още една и после още една.
Но описанията на всичко в нея са изумителни. Привидно кратки, но толкова добре изразени, че те пренасят директно в ситуацията. Представяш си всичко, сякаш е пред теб. Носи се една заразна нежност от страниците, всички тези красиви описания и ненапразно пропилени думи те заразяват и не можеш да спреш да четеш. А историята започва със смърт. Бруталната смърт на единият от двамата братя Толбът.
Красотата и спокойствието, които срещнах, уви, бяха само временни. Ужасът започва прекалено рано, прекалено нечестно, прекалено кърваво. И пълното описание на звяра и жертвите му могат да доведат изумителни картини в главата ти. Такива, с каквито дори и филм не може да се похвали.
Едно мога да кажа със сигурност, книгата е изумителна. Думите са просто излишни. Всичко останало оставям във вашите ръце.
П.П. Ако мога да си позволя да използвам системата на Блажев за оценяване бих й дала 12/13.
April 22, 2020
This novelization is bloody, risque, and dripping in Gothic atmosphere. A tortured protagonist, murder, an isolated rural town, a dysfunctional family, a tragic backstory, an unconventional romance, madness, and monsters (in every sense of the word). Better than the movie.
February 20, 2010
I really enjoyed the film, but after reading the book I wish the movie had kept in time with the book.
October 21, 2016
Твърде плоско написана, едно пластова история, въпреки че става за четене, но определено ще е далеч по-въздействаща, ако се чете от хора на възраст между 10 и 13 години.
September 10, 2025
THAT was a good book! My deep dive into movie novelizations doth continue. I have enjoyed most of them to a great degree, but this one was Great! 1891 Blackmoore, England was the perfect setting for this story. Gothic and eerie in all its splendor. Lawrence Talbot, cursed to roam the forest as a creature in search of its next victim... The Gypsies are no help, the authorities are of no use, but what of love?
I have a weakness when it come to werewolf horror, and this one fulfilled that itch that I have for such horror. 5 stars for me and I will likely make this a yearly read this time next year as well.
Loved it!
I have a weakness when it come to werewolf horror, and this one fulfilled that itch that I have for such horror. 5 stars for me and I will likely make this a yearly read this time next year as well.
Loved it!
October 15, 2023
"Łowy nigdy się nie kończą. Tak jak głód"
[2/5]
To naprawdę miało potencjał. Głębokie opisy dodawały klimatu, a sama w sobie historia, choć dość przewidywalna, była ciekawa, aczkolwiek wątek romantyczny zepsuł dosłownie wszystko.
Brat głównego bohatera dopiero co umarł, a on już fantazjuje o jego żonie. Do tego te wyznania! Miałam szczerze dość i cieszę się, że nie należała ta książka do najdłuższych.
[2/5]
To naprawdę miało potencjał. Głębokie opisy dodawały klimatu, a sama w sobie historia, choć dość przewidywalna, była ciekawa, aczkolwiek wątek romantyczny zepsuł dosłownie wszystko.
Brat głównego bohatera dopiero co umarł, a on już fantazjuje o jego żonie. Do tego te wyznania! Miałam szczerze dość i cieszę się, że nie należała ta książka do najdłuższych.
October 24, 2019
Review to come.
May 6, 2025
the movie was wayyy ahead of its time - still one of my favorites to this day! I was excited to read this novelized take on the movie and it did not disappoint. I love how there is more to the background of the story as well as a more internalized viewpoint with the characters.
December 12, 2013
In This Book, The Wolfman Novelized by Jonathan Mabery, It starts off with a man named Ben who was walking in the forest. Ben heard noises and screamed ‘who’s There!?’ Ben was startled but continued walking. Then Ben heard the noise again and turned around to see the face of a Monster. A Wolfman. Ben then Gets Gruesomely Mauled.
Then The Book Flips to the Protagonist Lawrence who is Bens brother. Saddened by his brothers death he goes to Blackmoore where his Father lives to attend bens funeral. On his was there he meets a Frenchman with a special cane. A wolfs head being as the handle of the cane. The Frenchman then leaves the cane for Lawrence.
Lawrence then arrives at Blackmoore, Sees his dad after years and years, sees his dead brother after years and years, and goes to a bar, hears some people talk about his mother and try’s to fight everyone. Lawrence then explores the house seeing all these memories of his childhood.
Lawrence then travels into the woods to find some answers only to find out that what he’s looking into is a beast that comes on the full moon to feed on the souls of plenty.
Then The Book Flips to the Protagonist Lawrence who is Bens brother. Saddened by his brothers death he goes to Blackmoore where his Father lives to attend bens funeral. On his was there he meets a Frenchman with a special cane. A wolfs head being as the handle of the cane. The Frenchman then leaves the cane for Lawrence.
Lawrence then arrives at Blackmoore, Sees his dad after years and years, sees his dead brother after years and years, and goes to a bar, hears some people talk about his mother and try’s to fight everyone. Lawrence then explores the house seeing all these memories of his childhood.
Lawrence then travels into the woods to find some answers only to find out that what he’s looking into is a beast that comes on the full moon to feed on the souls of plenty.
November 12, 2015
Книгата ми попадна случайно на една улична сергия за 3 лв и може би именно заради ниската цена я взех, въпреки че това изобщо не е моят жанр книги. И в крайна сметка напълно си заслужи парите :D Нямах никакви очаквания към нея, но историята, макар и простичка и непретенциозно написана, беше доста увлекателна.
December 19, 2011
Omg, this book was kinda gross but cool. Like especially where the werewolf cuts and eats ppl and he cuts them and stuff. I thought that maybe the dad or his butler might have been the werewolf but instead it was the dad Mr. John was it or wat was his name.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2014
I thought it was a really good love story with an evil twist. The ending was also very sadning but still an awsome book. I think it's a;sp better than the movie. :)
December 23, 2025
This is a novelization of the 2010 gothic horror movie, Universal's The Wolfman, by Jonathan Maberry. Lawrence Talbot is called back to his childhood village of Blackmoor upon learning of the death of his younger brother, Ben. Lawrence hasn't seen his brother or father for almost 30 years, and his return is, indeed, very chilling. He learns that Ben's death is due to a savage beast that has been roaming Blackmoor for a while now, this thing hunts down its prey and leaves bloody carnage everywhere. From the pleads of Ben's finacee, Gwen Conliffe, Lawrence vows to kill the monster that killed his brother, but in the process, he may become the monster.
I have recently watched The Wolfman, for the first time, this past Halloween. And I found it to be a pretty good remake of the original Wolfman movie. To be honest, the movie could stand on its own, especially the director's cut, which better establishes the characters much more. In similar ways to the director's cut, this novelization expands a bit more on its cast of characters while following the general plot of the film, with only minor changes here and there. The changes are kind of noticeable, such as the development of affection between Lawrence and Gwen, a spotlight on Singh and Maleva, as well as a slightly different death for the werewolf. It improves on some of the characterization that the movie kind of underdeveloped, but other than that, it's a pretty faithful adaptation. Maberry is a horror writer in his own right, and he managed to capture the tone of the movie well enough that you wouldn't have to watch it if you decide to read this companion piece.
I have recently watched The Wolfman, for the first time, this past Halloween. And I found it to be a pretty good remake of the original Wolfman movie. To be honest, the movie could stand on its own, especially the director's cut, which better establishes the characters much more. In similar ways to the director's cut, this novelization expands a bit more on its cast of characters while following the general plot of the film, with only minor changes here and there. The changes are kind of noticeable, such as the development of affection between Lawrence and Gwen, a spotlight on Singh and Maleva, as well as a slightly different death for the werewolf. It improves on some of the characterization that the movie kind of underdeveloped, but other than that, it's a pretty faithful adaptation. Maberry is a horror writer in his own right, and he managed to capture the tone of the movie well enough that you wouldn't have to watch it if you decide to read this companion piece.
March 14, 2018
I have read dozens of novelizations over the years. Most are written by less-than talented writers. That was not the case with Jonathan Maberry and The Wolfman. I have seen the Universal Studios remake of The Wolfman and am a fan of the film. The acting and cast are first-rate. Still, I was expecting a canned version of the film when I started reading The Wolfman.
The novelization is a better constructed tale and provides more insight into the characters. Mr. Maberry's take on the tale switches some scenes around and includes conversations and background that add to the color an feel of the horror tale. The writing is crisp and the descriptions are full-blooded. The result is a first-rate horror novel about the tragic tale of Lawrence Talbot. The intersting twist is how the curse came about and the tragedy surrounding the Talbot family. There is a doomed romance with a twist, terror, and thrills aplenty here for the seasoned reader.
I recommend this book and only ask the reader to keep an open mind as one approaches the novel.
The novelization is a better constructed tale and provides more insight into the characters. Mr. Maberry's take on the tale switches some scenes around and includes conversations and background that add to the color an feel of the horror tale. The writing is crisp and the descriptions are full-blooded. The result is a first-rate horror novel about the tragic tale of Lawrence Talbot. The intersting twist is how the curse came about and the tragedy surrounding the Talbot family. There is a doomed romance with a twist, terror, and thrills aplenty here for the seasoned reader.
I recommend this book and only ask the reader to keep an open mind as one approaches the novel.
October 8, 2020
This book by author Jonathan Maberry is described as being a 'novelization' of the film of the same name . I wasn't too sure what I would actually make of it having previously read (and enjoyed ) 'Frankensein' by Mary Shelley and 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker. With these two novels being rightly regarded as being true classics it would be very unfair to compare this 2010 novelization to them . I can ,however , report that I enjoyed reading 'The Wolfman '.The book is well written ,easy to read and follow and also quite engaging .There are a total of 342 pages in total and the chapters tend to be refreshingly short.I would recommend this book especially to fans of this particular film and also to those who are fans of the original screen 'Wolfman' as depicted in the 1940's films that were also made by the Universal film studios .In conclusion one note of caution that I will offer is that those of a nervous disposition are advised to avoid reading this book during a full Moon
November 19, 2020
Nicely told story, really enjoyed the rich details and the pace of the story. I found myself really engaged with the characters though I could tell what was coming before it came to be. The fact that this is a novelization of a motion picture is really evident in the way that in the minds eye all the visual details paint a well versed picture and tell the story quite visually enabling the reader to really "see" what is going on. Enjoyed this one and in all honesty I probably don't need to see the movie now, because I read the novelization of it! For those that want both, VPL has the movie and the book on the shelves! Enjoy!
March 23, 2012
"'That orbed maiden with white fire laden...
...Whom mortals call the Moon.'" (Sir John quotes Percy B. Shelley in The Wolfman (2010), by Johnathan Maberry)
I watched the DVD (2010 remake of the 1941 film) 6 months ago. The film starred Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins and Emily Blunt. I loved the film. What's not to like about Anthony Hopkins breaking out into a swarthy hairy beast? But this blog isn't about the movie, it's about Maberry's book.
First of all, I thought it was clever to write a story/novel based on a short story and movie which had outlived it's copyright. I'm not sure, exactly, of all the legalities involved but it's smart to pinpoint a novel on something related to a topic (movie/short story) you love and write on it. If it's beyond copyright law, then awesome. Never mind that your story is already outlined for you and all you have to do is fill in the words. It seems sort of like painting by number.
This is not to devalue Maberry's work, mind you. There's very good paint by number people, and those that suck at it. Some choose their own colors without paying attention to the number/color guide, some have no technique and just slap the paint on there, and some make paint by number seem like an original Picasso because they are masters in understanding brush strokes, color and they have finesse. Maberry is the latter. If I hadn't seen the film I would have still enjoyed this story. Immensely.
I will have to admit (because I bought the Kindle version) that the editor in me highlighted the passive voice which seemed overused throughout the prose. I did wonder why, on page 18, Lawrence considers the moon 'threatening.' It seems illogical. He considers it threatening as he parts the curtains of his room only to see what he thought was the moon, was actually the face of Big Ben. It was a foreshadowing, but it was something that didn't make sense to me since Lawrence hadn't transformed into a hairy were-beast. Not yet.
I had to look up the word daguerreotype, which was educational. It's French for the first successful photographic process. The novel was different from the 2010 film in that Lawrence received notice of his brother's disappearance via a hand-written letter from Ben's fiance' (instead of in person), but the part where the walking stick he received from a kindly old gentleman on the train (which bore a wolfhead design and parted into a sword-like/rapier weapon) was basically the same. More foreshadowing. (If I were to write a book, based on this story, I should like to do it from the perspective of the old Frenchman that Lawrence met on the train.)
Maberry writes the Frenchman's words: "It is one of the few privileges of the old,” the Frenchman said, “to pass on our burdens to the young.” (page 28). I loved that line, and intend to use it on my children. And maybe my grandchildren. Or my great-grandchildren. Time will tell.
In the movie, Lawrence politely but respectfully refuses the cane. In the book he accepts it in trade for his own plain one. An interesting difference, but I think the later holds much more meaning.
The name of the town, Blackmoor, has a foreboding quality to it. Although I already knew the story, the name of the town still filled me with a certain...curious dread. Maberry's description of Talbot Hall was both poetic and frightful. The fact that Lawrence felt he had to knock on the door at a place he grew up in said so much. "...he had never been here as a man"(page 29).
Sir John was as distant and unapproachable as seen in the film, and Maberry drew his countenance on paper as if it were a photograph. The fact that Ben's body was discovered, and that Lawrence's father broke the news to him seemed out of place somehow, but I went with it. And so it goes throughout this novel, certain things that are different, a twist here and there, which make the reading of the novel interesting after having seen the film. What I also enjoyed was Maberry's use of language. The story 'sounded' as if it were written in older times, as if crafted in the 1800's, and Maberry made the 'feel' of it equal to the tale at hand.
A hundred and eight pages in, we finally see a werewolf. And the way it wrecked havoc on the gypsy camp was painted in gory detail. Everything about the werewolf is speculation up until then, but after that scene there is no doubt as to the werewolf's existence, and how devastating the slash of it's claws can be.
When I first started watching the movie, and when I later read the book, I didn't get the splintered hints of the love story until the end. And it wasn't just one love story. From the slash and bite of the werewolf's claws and fangs on Lawrence's body to the final showdown at the end between Werewolf and Wolfman, there were the love stories of father and son, mother and son, of brothers and that of man and woman. And finally there was the story of ultimate sacrifice.
Would I read this story again? Absolutely. Maberry did an excellent job with it. Despite the number of 'nods' I noticed in the sentences (Timons Esaias, you have forever ruined the 'nod' for me), and the frequent lapses into passive voice, the writing was beautiful and I enjoyed every minute of it. I think Maberry pulled this novel together with moonlit finesse. I heard the monster howl. I felt and smelled the blood. And I experienced the loss that perhaps not just humans, but beasts, feel as well.
"Fate’s way is a cruel one. But she seeks a greater end.”
http://wieldingpenandsword.blogspot.c...
...Whom mortals call the Moon.'" (Sir John quotes Percy B. Shelley in The Wolfman (2010), by Johnathan Maberry)
I watched the DVD (2010 remake of the 1941 film) 6 months ago. The film starred Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins and Emily Blunt. I loved the film. What's not to like about Anthony Hopkins breaking out into a swarthy hairy beast? But this blog isn't about the movie, it's about Maberry's book.
First of all, I thought it was clever to write a story/novel based on a short story and movie which had outlived it's copyright. I'm not sure, exactly, of all the legalities involved but it's smart to pinpoint a novel on something related to a topic (movie/short story) you love and write on it. If it's beyond copyright law, then awesome. Never mind that your story is already outlined for you and all you have to do is fill in the words. It seems sort of like painting by number.
This is not to devalue Maberry's work, mind you. There's very good paint by number people, and those that suck at it. Some choose their own colors without paying attention to the number/color guide, some have no technique and just slap the paint on there, and some make paint by number seem like an original Picasso because they are masters in understanding brush strokes, color and they have finesse. Maberry is the latter. If I hadn't seen the film I would have still enjoyed this story. Immensely.
I will have to admit (because I bought the Kindle version) that the editor in me highlighted the passive voice which seemed overused throughout the prose. I did wonder why, on page 18, Lawrence considers the moon 'threatening.' It seems illogical. He considers it threatening as he parts the curtains of his room only to see what he thought was the moon, was actually the face of Big Ben. It was a foreshadowing, but it was something that didn't make sense to me since Lawrence hadn't transformed into a hairy were-beast. Not yet.
I had to look up the word daguerreotype, which was educational. It's French for the first successful photographic process. The novel was different from the 2010 film in that Lawrence received notice of his brother's disappearance via a hand-written letter from Ben's fiance' (instead of in person), but the part where the walking stick he received from a kindly old gentleman on the train (which bore a wolfhead design and parted into a sword-like/rapier weapon) was basically the same. More foreshadowing. (If I were to write a book, based on this story, I should like to do it from the perspective of the old Frenchman that Lawrence met on the train.)
Maberry writes the Frenchman's words: "It is one of the few privileges of the old,” the Frenchman said, “to pass on our burdens to the young.” (page 28). I loved that line, and intend to use it on my children. And maybe my grandchildren. Or my great-grandchildren. Time will tell.
In the movie, Lawrence politely but respectfully refuses the cane. In the book he accepts it in trade for his own plain one. An interesting difference, but I think the later holds much more meaning.
The name of the town, Blackmoor, has a foreboding quality to it. Although I already knew the story, the name of the town still filled me with a certain...curious dread. Maberry's description of Talbot Hall was both poetic and frightful. The fact that Lawrence felt he had to knock on the door at a place he grew up in said so much. "...he had never been here as a man"(page 29).
Sir John was as distant and unapproachable as seen in the film, and Maberry drew his countenance on paper as if it were a photograph. The fact that Ben's body was discovered, and that Lawrence's father broke the news to him seemed out of place somehow, but I went with it. And so it goes throughout this novel, certain things that are different, a twist here and there, which make the reading of the novel interesting after having seen the film. What I also enjoyed was Maberry's use of language. The story 'sounded' as if it were written in older times, as if crafted in the 1800's, and Maberry made the 'feel' of it equal to the tale at hand.
A hundred and eight pages in, we finally see a werewolf. And the way it wrecked havoc on the gypsy camp was painted in gory detail. Everything about the werewolf is speculation up until then, but after that scene there is no doubt as to the werewolf's existence, and how devastating the slash of it's claws can be.
When I first started watching the movie, and when I later read the book, I didn't get the splintered hints of the love story until the end. And it wasn't just one love story. From the slash and bite of the werewolf's claws and fangs on Lawrence's body to the final showdown at the end between Werewolf and Wolfman, there were the love stories of father and son, mother and son, of brothers and that of man and woman. And finally there was the story of ultimate sacrifice.
Would I read this story again? Absolutely. Maberry did an excellent job with it. Despite the number of 'nods' I noticed in the sentences (Timons Esaias, you have forever ruined the 'nod' for me), and the frequent lapses into passive voice, the writing was beautiful and I enjoyed every minute of it. I think Maberry pulled this novel together with moonlit finesse. I heard the monster howl. I felt and smelled the blood. And I experienced the loss that perhaps not just humans, but beasts, feel as well.
"Fate’s way is a cruel one. But she seeks a greater end.”
http://wieldingpenandsword.blogspot.c...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2019
As always, I really like Jonathon Maberry's writing - it is action packed and bloody. However, I did not like this movie novelization. Of course, that could be the source material. I didn't like the movie either. I found the whole thing to be overly melodramatic - it is gothic horror, but pumped up to the nth degree. I will say, that if you like the movie, then you can't help but liking this book, as it really does flesh out the characters, making their actions more understandable. But sadly, though I wish I had loved this, I can still only say... meh.
July 16, 2019
It's not a bad story and it's definitely not the story I saw on film. It even sounds via the audiobook that it could be a film as is without the Hollywood edit. Very in-depth characters and I like knowing everyone's background story. The narrator gave each character a wonderful accent or cadence when needed. And the ending was just as sad as the movie it was adapted from. Well done to Jonathan Maberry on this one!
September 5, 2023
I've owned this book for a decade and just finally read it. My feelings for it are much like the film. I liked parts of if and overall enjoyed it. But it's not the most memorable story to me. This has nothing to do with Jonathan Maberry. If anything he probably improved the story from the screenplay. I liked this more because in my mind it kept reminding me of The Beast Of Gévaudan. Fascinating and terrifying bit of history if you haven't heard of it. It's worth a Google.
October 12, 2024
I was excited to listen to this audiobook as I thought it would be like the old movie we used to watch years ago. It started out good and scary, then it dragged on and I had a hard time keeping track as it seemed to go all over the place and got to the point that I was just wanting to finish it. There were some very scary parts and lots of blood and gore. 2.5 stars for the scary parts otherwise not what I expected.
October 28, 2019
I thought this might be one of those anthologies that Maberry has been collecting (V wars, Night of the living Dead, Alien). When I got it and saw it was based on a movie (that I haven't seen), I almost returned it. But, I've always enjoyed his writing.
I'm glad I read it, well written, very gory, and a classic werewolf story that I pretty much can't get enough of.
I'm glad I read it, well written, very gory, and a classic werewolf story that I pretty much can't get enough of.
October 31, 2020
3 1/2 stars
This was an entertaining gothic atmospheric novel. I didn't know it was based off a movie. I was reading for a reading challenge and the category was "werewolves". I loved the writing style, detailed, but didn't bog me down. The pacing was great with backstory, build up and action. Fun, entertaining, easy read! It is what it is!
This was an entertaining gothic atmospheric novel. I didn't know it was based off a movie. I was reading for a reading challenge and the category was "werewolves". I loved the writing style, detailed, but didn't bog me down. The pacing was great with backstory, build up and action. Fun, entertaining, easy read! It is what it is!
February 17, 2024
Приятна върколашка история в духа на всички клиширани такива.
Лошото е, че няма как да се запознаем с творчеството на Джонатан Мабъри с тази книга, защото е новелизация на филма от 2010 г., който пък е римейк на друг филм от 41-ва г. и така историята се размива дотолкова, че според мен, буквално се губи писателят в този случай.
Темата и подходът към тази история е клише по всички параграфи, а трактовката на върколака е повече от повърхностна и сведена до - първо, елементарното възприемане, че да си върколак е проклятие и две - обикновен екшън, принтова не от добеите, с няколко касапски сцени, които реално повдигат оценката на книгата в моите очи. За съжаление, други книги на. Мабъри не са излизали на български.
За мен тази история си заслужава 3 от 5 звезди, защото е точно половин идея над средното ниво, при това само заради две добри екшън сцени.
Лошото е, че няма как да се запознаем с творчеството на Джонатан Мабъри с тази книга, защото е новелизация на филма от 2010 г., който пък е римейк на друг филм от 41-ва г. и така историята се размива дотолкова, че според мен, буквално се губи писателят в този случай.
Темата и подходът към тази история е клише по всички параграфи, а трактовката на върколака е повече от повърхностна и сведена до - първо, елементарното възприемане, че да си върколак е проклятие и две - обикновен екшън, принтова не от добеите, с няколко касапски сцени, които реално повдигат оценката на книгата в моите очи. За съжаление, други книги на. Мабъри не са излизали на български.
За мен тази история си заслужава 3 от 5 звезди, защото е точно половин идея над средното ниво, при това само заради две добри екшън сцени.
October 23, 2024
found this book in a take one-leave one library thingy and thought it would be perfect for halloween time. i later found out it was a movie to book adaptation which intrigued me. the book was beautifully written and so easy to see; i will be thinking about this book and its tragedy for a while, but i don’t think ill watch the movie as i don’t want to ruin the images i had in my head of it.
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