The Wolf’s Hour
by Robert R. McCammon
Pocket Books, 1989
ISBN: 0-671-66485-9
603 pages
Mass Market Paperback
Historical Fiction/Horror
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What can I say about Robert McCammon? A brilliant 1980’s author who’s storytelling is not easily classified (Mystery Walk, Gone South, The Wolf’s Hour, Boy’s Life), McCammon retired in the early 1990’s, “citing variously depression, exhaustion from overwork, a desire to spend more time with his family, and frustration with publishers, who insisted he limit himself to writing genre horror fiction when he wanted to explore other literary forms.” McCammon returned to the publishing world in 2002 with his intriguing historical novel Speaks the Nightbird.
The Wolf’s Hour (1989), one of my favourite McCammon books is probably his strangest work to date. Two stories in one, The Wolf’s Hour follows the exploits of intelligence agent extraordinaire Michael Gallatin as he frantically tries to foil a Nazi plot to emasculate the allied invasion of Europe in 1944, and it also chronicles the life of Mikhail Gallatinov, a boy who is saved from a Russian Death Squad in 1918 only to become a werewolf.
The two people are obviously the same, and what makes this story work is the amazing and heroic tale that takes an orphaned Russian and turns him into a British werewolf spy who is eventually able to answer the question “What is the lycanthrope in the eyes of God?”
The Wolf’s Hour is a treat. Every character in the book is painted larger than life, and each scene stands out clearly in the mind as it comes to a close. I’ve often wondered why the book has never been put on film.
Yes, some of the criticisms you’ll read are true: the writing does get better as the book progresses, and the distinction between the good guys and the bad guys is never blurred. There are even some situations that are so over the top you’ll laugh and shake your head in disbelief. Then you have the one item I really dislike, which is the unworkable explanation of how one becomes a werewolf (think about it as you read the book, if you wish: you’ll figure it out.). But The Wolf’s Hour is still unique in the writing world: it breaks the mold of the werewolf as a tragic but fundamentally evil soul, bringing the reader a complex, moral and intelligent creature with free will. No wonder the book became a New York Times bestseller and was nominated by the Horror Writers Association for a Bram Stoker award.
In fact, according to my research, during the period from 1987 to 1991, Robert R. McCammon received the following Bram Stoker nominations and awards:1987, Novel: Swan Song (Winner), Short story: The Deep End (Winner); 1988, Novel: Stinger (Nominated); 1989, Novel: The Wolf’s Hour (Nominated), Short story: Eat Me (Winner), Collections: Blue World (Nominated); 1990, Novel: MINE (Winner) and 1991, Novel: Boy’s Life (Winner).
The Wolf’s Hour, complete in itself, leaves two great openings for a sequel. It’s my hope that McCammon (who has spoken of doing so) will one day treat us to this story.
Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye 2009
Tags: Bram Stoker Nominee, Horror, Reviewed by Clayton Bye, Robert R. McCammon, The Wolf's Hour
I have never read one of this authors books, although an avid reader. I will definitely have to try one of his works.
Thank you very much for the review!
You are most welcome. A lady friend of mine said she enjoyed A Boy’s Life, which actually won a Bram Stoker. If you like historical fiction, McCammon’s current series, beginning with Speaks The Nightbird is also very good.
We wait until we see a blog is going to be used before feeding through to the front page of the magazine… I have added this one
The front page is also linked to the Facebook group.
Great review , I too will have to seek out this authors works. Thanks for joining and producing such great content.
Travel Visa…
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