TL;DR: A bit dry, but a fascinating history.
Source: NetGalley, so many thanks to the publisher!
Setting: This is primarily focused on European traditions and myths with a few mentions of Hindu culture.
Readability: Probably middle of the road, it’s dry but the subject material is fairly fun to read about.
Summary:
Sabine Baring-Gould’s The Book of Were-Wolves has long prowled the edges of horror lore and been whispered about by devoted fans, but now, after decades, this ancient work reemerges in a stunning hardcover edition, introduced by modern horror master Stephen Graham Jones. The shadow manifested in your room. The figure in the trees. The howl carried across the moors. They all started here. When it first appeared in 1865, Sabine Baring-Gould’s The Book of Were-Wolves was the first serious study of a superstition as old as Arcadia and as vast as human fear itself. Moving through folklore, confession, and what would one day be called true crime, Baring-Gould traces stories of wolves in league with the devil, of men drifting into the shapes of bears, serpents, and hyenas, and of a boundary between human and beast so thin it dissolves in the moonlight. For generations, this strange volume has imprinted itself on the minds of horror writers, its rare editions passed quietly from hand to hand. Now, with a new introduction by Stephen Graham Jones, Baring-Gould’s dark and curious classic steps once more into the light—summoning ancient lore with it.
Thoughts:
The Book of Were-wolves is one of those kind of legendary books in the paranormal, occult book circles. It’s been passed around in paperbacks and ebook copies for years and now we’re finally getting it in a lovely hardcover!
This one, I’ll be the first to admit, is dreadfully dry. It was written in 1865, so you’ve got to temper your expectations to the time period. It does however collect some fascinating myths and stories, some of which I hadn’t heard of. It also doesn’t shy around some very dark stories from history. But you also have to keep in mind that this was from a man who was very willing to believe everything he heard as fact.
If you’re interested in the stories and history of the were-wolf from someone in the 1800s, this is a fascinating pickup. If you’re looking for something that’s fast paced or keeps you hooked, this could be a skip.
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