Status
Available
Call number
Publication
New York : Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2012.
Description
A young reporter on assignment is attacked and bitten by an unknown beast in rural Northern California and begins a terrifying but seductive transformation into a being with a dual nature, both man and wolf.
User reviews
LibraryThing member zjakkelien
I enjoyed this very much. Despite the occurrence of the occasional ripped off head or arm, the pacing is not too fast. The book takes its time to describe the environment, in particular the house in which a lot takes place. It has mystery and camaraderie and a loving relationship (even though that falls in love with your best friend when you meet someone out of the blue who digs werewolves. Yes, that would also be my first reaction, 'Hey, a man with a wolf head. Let's kiss!. ) Despite the fact that the book has some formidable female characters, it is rather male oriented, but at least some sort of explanation is given: there are female werewolves, but they form their own packs. Fine, there are precedents in nature, although wolves are not among them.
Overall, I just loved the idea of the house, with in the end a group of friends who occupy it. It seemed a lovely arrangement and I can't help liking groups of supportive friends in anything I read.
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part seemed a bit too easy to be realistic; the girlfriend you sort of loved but that was clearly not a good fit to begin with conveniently Overall, I just loved the idea of the house, with in the end a group of friends who occupy it. It seemed a lovely arrangement and I can't help liking groups of supportive friends in anything I read.
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LibraryThing member saramllr
Anne Rice and I have had a tumultuous relationship over the years. She was my favorite author, then she had a personal crisis and changed the focus of her writing. I couldn't bring myself to follow along, so I had to leave her in favor of Kelley Armstrong, Jim Butcher and Charlaine Harris. Well...I
The Wolf Gift is about Reuben Golding, a California reporter who is called to a beautiful old mansion for an interview about the property and the disappearance of the former owner, Felix Nideck. During the night, robbers break in and stab Reuben but he is saved by a strange creature that rips his attackers to pieces and then leaves him bleeding and unconscious. While recovering in the hospital Reuben learns that he has been bitten by this creature and his wounds are healing at a miraculous rate. He is also growing taller, his hair is thickening, and his sense of hearing and smell have been heightened. You can see where this is going.
As Reuben learns more about his "Wolf Gift," we are introduced to a whole menagerie of characters and learn more about the Morphenkinder. Her spin on the werewolf legends is a little bit different (the full moon thing? not true), but the story she is weaving is fascinating. The language is beautiful and the narrative is intelligent, blending legend with religion, philosophy and science. My only complaint about the book would be that there are so many people to keep track of, but she is clearly setting up a whole new series here. I can't wait to see where she goes with this one.
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am happy to say that she's back in my good graces with this one.The Wolf Gift is about Reuben Golding, a California reporter who is called to a beautiful old mansion for an interview about the property and the disappearance of the former owner, Felix Nideck. During the night, robbers break in and stab Reuben but he is saved by a strange creature that rips his attackers to pieces and then leaves him bleeding and unconscious. While recovering in the hospital Reuben learns that he has been bitten by this creature and his wounds are healing at a miraculous rate. He is also growing taller, his hair is thickening, and his sense of hearing and smell have been heightened. You can see where this is going.
As Reuben learns more about his "Wolf Gift," we are introduced to a whole menagerie of characters and learn more about the Morphenkinder. Her spin on the werewolf legends is a little bit different (the full moon thing? not true), but the story she is weaving is fascinating. The language is beautiful and the narrative is intelligent, blending legend with religion, philosophy and science. My only complaint about the book would be that there are so many people to keep track of, but she is clearly setting up a whole new series here. I can't wait to see where she goes with this one.
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LibraryThing member KatKealy
This is the first Anne Rice book I really enjoyed in years and years... I'm so glad she took a step away from religion. I've enjoyed a lot of religious fiction, but I could not stand hers...
This is a return to what she does best and I really enjoyed it. I can't wait for the next book!
This is a return to what she does best and I really enjoyed it. I can't wait for the next book!
LibraryThing member blockbuster1994
I am only lukewarm on this book. The contrast between pure good and pure evil abound with predictable and unexciting results. The writing is a bit flowery for me, definitely given more over to impress the romance reader. I may be skeptical, but I don't buy this attitude that I love this woman so
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much I want to have sex with her anywhere, anytime. Love is more substantial, I hope. Show Less
LibraryThing member arielfl
I was a huge fan of Anne Rice. I read all of the vampire books and the Mayfair witches. I count The Mummy as an all time favorite though I opted to skip the religious books. That was around the time I stopped anticipating every new book that she would write. The thought of rekindling my love led me
There are two ways of approaching the werewolf story. Horror, like the rip your head off werewolves as presented in Those Across the River or fantasy, like the warm and fuzzy werewolves as presented in Twilight. Anne went the fantasy route with her vampire take.
In this story we meet Reuben. He shares a lot of the same traits all fantasy heroes have, he's filthy rich and gorgeous. One night he is accidentally bitten by a werewolf and as a result he becomes a superhero. Suddenly he can hear the cries of innocent victims which causes him to turn into a wolf form so that he can save them and kill evil doers. One night he meets Laura in the woods while in his wolf form and without so much as a hi how are you? they go on to have carnal knowledge of each other, while he's in his wolf form. That would be the part that started losing me. I did not get the whole Reuben, Laura love story. The books picks up traction at the back end when the mythology of how the werewolf came to be is explained. Setting up the whole fantasy premise and selling it to the reader is really what Anne Rice excels at.
All in all I could have lived happily never having read this. It was like she cribbed off Spider Man or X Men substituting in the werewolf angle without bringing anything fresh. There were many times when reading this book that I had to keep prodding myself along to finish it. At least I will always have the memories of the vampire Lestat.
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to read this book even though I am sick to death of werewolves. I was hoping that she could bring something new to the table because she is such a gifted myth creator but it was not be. There are two ways of approaching the werewolf story. Horror, like the rip your head off werewolves as presented in Those Across the River or fantasy, like the warm and fuzzy werewolves as presented in Twilight. Anne went the fantasy route with her vampire take.
In this story we meet Reuben. He shares a lot of the same traits all fantasy heroes have, he's filthy rich and gorgeous. One night he is accidentally bitten by a werewolf and as a result he becomes a superhero. Suddenly he can hear the cries of innocent victims which causes him to turn into a wolf form so that he can save them and kill evil doers. One night he meets Laura in the woods while in his wolf form and without so much as a hi how are you? they go on to have carnal knowledge of each other, while he's in his wolf form. That would be the part that started losing me. I did not get the whole Reuben, Laura love story. The books picks up traction at the back end when the mythology of how the werewolf came to be is explained. Setting up the whole fantasy premise and selling it to the reader is really what Anne Rice excels at.
All in all I could have lived happily never having read this. It was like she cribbed off Spider Man or X Men substituting in the werewolf angle without bringing anything fresh. There were many times when reading this book that I had to keep prodding myself along to finish it. At least I will always have the memories of the vampire Lestat.
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LibraryThing member melancholycat
I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with this novel. While the basic bones of it were interesting - recent "man-wolf", hears and smells evil, and seeks to destroy it. But the problem is that Rice waxed poetic and philosophical throughout. I mean seriously, philosophical ponderings and
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wanderings that just go on and on and on. A little philosophy and wondering of moral issues would have been fine but when you start yelling at the main character or other associated characters to just shut the hell up and get on with the story (and you do this multiple times) you know there's a problem. Show Less
LibraryThing member CelineNyx
Ms Rice has made some pretty weird twists and turns in her writing career. She has written BDSM erotica, steamy romance, ancient vampire fantasy, contemporary witches, religious fiction. Now she has left the Church, this is her latest addition to her bibliography: werewolf literary fiction.
The Wolf
Even though Ms Rice may have left the Church, religious themes are very distinctly present. Very distinctly. I call this book werewolf literary fiction on purpose. This is not a light fast-paced paranormal read. The Wolf Gift is heavy stuff, continuously spiralling toward philosophical insights and ethical inner conversations about the true nature of good and evil. I guess she brings up some valid points here, but to be very honest that was not what I was expecting. I was hoping to see something more like her older work from her vampire-era. The Wolf Gift wasn't what I thought it would be at all.
This just really isn't my kind of book. I started skipping their philosophical discussions after a while. I am sure some of you will enjoy them, but I will warn you. Do not expect this book to be fast-paced or something that keeps you on the edge of your chair. This is something you might read in a comfortable chair with a sophisticated alcoholic beverage of your choice. Something you will discuss over dinner with your theological discussion group. Or something like that.
If the only thing I didn't enjoy in this story was the themes, I might have given this a higher rating. Something that really bummed me out was how horribly shallow the characters were. They felt like sock-puppets, just for show. They had no real personality, they weren't consistent. At some point I got confused by who was speaking, because all of their voices are almost identical. I was a bit disappointed by this. The woman who has created one of my favourite characters of all time, the vampire Lestat, wasn't able to bring this promising cast of characters to life.
Another thing that struck a nerve was how she handles the female relationships with Reuben, the main character. He switches effortlessly between lovers, loving (as in "I love you", not as in lusting after) them in a single week. Someone that made a very deep impression to him in the first half of the book, gets completely forgotten in the second half. He cheats on his girlfriend, but his girlfriend doesn't care because she understands. He gets a different girlfriend, and when he sees the old one, they're friends. No awkwardness at all. Even if a book is fiction, I like the story to have a certain credibility. I was very much disappointed in that area.
The Wolf Gift is not a bad book. There is a market for this kind of book, and I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy it. But in my humble book-lover's opinion, this isn't Ms Rice's best work so far.
The Wolf
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Gift is the story about a man that has been called Beautiful Boy all of his life, a label he detests. He is a reporter, and when he visits a mansion to write an article about, he gets attacked by an mysterious assailant. He survives, but it seems like things are changing. Changing his whole identity.Even though Ms Rice may have left the Church, religious themes are very distinctly present. Very distinctly. I call this book werewolf literary fiction on purpose. This is not a light fast-paced paranormal read. The Wolf Gift is heavy stuff, continuously spiralling toward philosophical insights and ethical inner conversations about the true nature of good and evil. I guess she brings up some valid points here, but to be very honest that was not what I was expecting. I was hoping to see something more like her older work from her vampire-era. The Wolf Gift wasn't what I thought it would be at all.
This just really isn't my kind of book. I started skipping their philosophical discussions after a while. I am sure some of you will enjoy them, but I will warn you. Do not expect this book to be fast-paced or something that keeps you on the edge of your chair. This is something you might read in a comfortable chair with a sophisticated alcoholic beverage of your choice. Something you will discuss over dinner with your theological discussion group. Or something like that.
If the only thing I didn't enjoy in this story was the themes, I might have given this a higher rating. Something that really bummed me out was how horribly shallow the characters were. They felt like sock-puppets, just for show. They had no real personality, they weren't consistent. At some point I got confused by who was speaking, because all of their voices are almost identical. I was a bit disappointed by this. The woman who has created one of my favourite characters of all time, the vampire Lestat, wasn't able to bring this promising cast of characters to life.
Another thing that struck a nerve was how she handles the female relationships with Reuben, the main character. He switches effortlessly between lovers, loving (as in "I love you", not as in lusting after) them in a single week. Someone that made a very deep impression to him in the first half of the book, gets completely forgotten in the second half. He cheats on his girlfriend, but his girlfriend doesn't care because she understands. He gets a different girlfriend, and when he sees the old one, they're friends. No awkwardness at all. Even if a book is fiction, I like the story to have a certain credibility. I was very much disappointed in that area.
The Wolf Gift is not a bad book. There is a market for this kind of book, and I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy it. But in my humble book-lover's opinion, this isn't Ms Rice's best work so far.
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LibraryThing member jmchshannon
While not quite as captivating as Ms. Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, The Wolf Gift is ultimately a welcome addition to the horror genre. Ms. Rice’s monsters are as angst-ridden and as complicated as one would expect. Reuben Golding is neither beast nor man and must learn to navigate his way in this
What Ms. Rice does so well in all her novels is explore the definition of humanity as it applies to those not normally considered part of society; The Wolf Gift is no exception. As Reuben explores his new powers, the line between good and evil is very narrow indeed. His conflict over distancing himself from his loved ones to protect them versus the need he has to surround himself with those same loved ones is as understandable as it is heartbreaking. As outlandish as the entire scenario might be, the reader has no difficulties empathizing with Reuben and his fight for normalcy. After all, love and happiness are what everyone seeks.
A reader should be warned that Ms. Rice’s werewolves are not the neutered Twilight version. They are meant to savagely and bloodily destroy anything they want, and that is exactly what they do. The amount of blood shed, bones crushed, and flesh devoured could upset even the most iron-stomached reader. Ms. Rice pulls no stops in presenting images of a profoundly dangerous and powerful man-beast and the destruction he can so easily cause and so readily does.
Of almost equal disturbance however is the sexuality, nee lasciviousness on the part of the werewolves. Like most wild animals, they are driven by their need for food and for sex. Ms. Rice makes sure that there is very little that is left to the imagination in all of these descriptions, whether the scene is one of Reuben hunting or of him performing a more intimate act. While readers will have no issues with these scenes, except for the explicitness of them perhaps, Ms. Rice’s version of werewolf transformation is a bit more questionable and less understandable. Surprisingly, Ms. Rice allows her werewolves the pleasure of orgasmic transformations, and there are a lot of them. As expertly as they are written, these scenes make the reader feel voyeuristic and slightly dirty for having been privy to such intensely personal scenes. It is an interesting albeit unfamiliar reaction to a novel.
In The Wolf Gift, Anne Rice returns to her macabre roots with a complex and utterly gruesome tale of a man turned werewolf. Part coming-of-age novel, part horror story, Ms. Rice transports readers to coastal California through her lush and vivid descriptions, pulse-pounding pacing, and intricate cast of characters. Fans everywhere will welcome the Queen of Goth’s refreshingly frank take on yet another well-known monster.
Acknowledgement: Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf Publishing for my e-galley.
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new world as best as he can. It is this journey and the unexpected twists and turns along the way that make Ms. Rice’s latest novel so intriguing. What Ms. Rice does so well in all her novels is explore the definition of humanity as it applies to those not normally considered part of society; The Wolf Gift is no exception. As Reuben explores his new powers, the line between good and evil is very narrow indeed. His conflict over distancing himself from his loved ones to protect them versus the need he has to surround himself with those same loved ones is as understandable as it is heartbreaking. As outlandish as the entire scenario might be, the reader has no difficulties empathizing with Reuben and his fight for normalcy. After all, love and happiness are what everyone seeks.
A reader should be warned that Ms. Rice’s werewolves are not the neutered Twilight version. They are meant to savagely and bloodily destroy anything they want, and that is exactly what they do. The amount of blood shed, bones crushed, and flesh devoured could upset even the most iron-stomached reader. Ms. Rice pulls no stops in presenting images of a profoundly dangerous and powerful man-beast and the destruction he can so easily cause and so readily does.
Of almost equal disturbance however is the sexuality, nee lasciviousness on the part of the werewolves. Like most wild animals, they are driven by their need for food and for sex. Ms. Rice makes sure that there is very little that is left to the imagination in all of these descriptions, whether the scene is one of Reuben hunting or of him performing a more intimate act. While readers will have no issues with these scenes, except for the explicitness of them perhaps, Ms. Rice’s version of werewolf transformation is a bit more questionable and less understandable. Surprisingly, Ms. Rice allows her werewolves the pleasure of orgasmic transformations, and there are a lot of them. As expertly as they are written, these scenes make the reader feel voyeuristic and slightly dirty for having been privy to such intensely personal scenes. It is an interesting albeit unfamiliar reaction to a novel.
In The Wolf Gift, Anne Rice returns to her macabre roots with a complex and utterly gruesome tale of a man turned werewolf. Part coming-of-age novel, part horror story, Ms. Rice transports readers to coastal California through her lush and vivid descriptions, pulse-pounding pacing, and intricate cast of characters. Fans everywhere will welcome the Queen of Goth’s refreshingly frank take on yet another well-known monster.
Acknowledgement: Thank you to Netgalley and Knopf Publishing for my e-galley.
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LibraryThing member silversurfer
Ms Rice is back in Top Form with this fanatastic tale re-visting the Werewolf Myth. A real page turner. My only hope that this become a series.
LibraryThing member dgmlrhodes
Anne Rice has done it again! She has created a new cast of fascinating, creepy yet loveable characters. Reuben, a reporter from the San Francisco Observer, has an encounter with an elegant woman named Merchant Nidek. An violent encounter ensues and Reuben is given the wolf gift (becomes a
The story ensues with a cast of old werewolfs and the associated intrigues. Overall, this was a great read that fans of Anne Rice are going to love!!!
Reader received a complimentary copy from Good Reads First Reads.
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werewolf).The story ensues with a cast of old werewolfs and the associated intrigues. Overall, this was a great read that fans of Anne Rice are going to love!!!
Reader received a complimentary copy from Good Reads First Reads.
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LibraryThing member earthwindwalker
My favorite character:
Reuben would have to be my favorite. He is a tormented soul coming to terms with his gift. I like how he is at odds at times with his wolf but still retains his humanity
My thoughts:
Anne Rice is one of my favorite authors and I’ve read all her books up until she decided to
I give this book 5 fairy rating for pulling me into the story and making me think about metaphysical philosophies.
Reuben would have to be my favorite. He is a tormented soul coming to terms with his gift. I like how he is at odds at times with his wolf but still retains his humanity
My thoughts:
Anne Rice is one of my favorite authors and I’ve read all her books up until she decided to
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write Christian fiction then I moved away from her writings. Wolf Gift is her return to the Gothic world and she again writes about monsters that really aren’t portrayed as monsters. The metaphysical connotations really hooked me in and made me think as I was reading Profound thoughts about God, Hell, Love, and Spirit are dappled through the entire book. Her vivid descriptions may seem wordy to some but I really enjoy them as I become immersed within the story and find myself flowing seamlessly into Reuben’s world as I turn the pages. I would classify this as a dark Gothic tale that blends metaphysical world nicely to create a visionary tale of good and evil. There are some sensual scenes that touch a bit on the taboo side of things but I didn’t mind them at all. In fact, it just flows nicely with the story. There is romance, intrigue, mystery and philosophy seamlessly intertwined within the pages which makes it my kind of book. I would recommend this to any Anne Rice fans as well as fans of Gothic novels. There are metaphysical ideas that are found within the pages that should whet any spiritual seeker’s appetite. It’s a definite read for werewolf lovers that show a different take on the werewolf legend.I give this book 5 fairy rating for pulling me into the story and making me think about metaphysical philosophies.
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LibraryThing member cinnamonowl
I was so excited to read a new supernatural book by one of my favorite authors, Anne Rice. I have been waiting so long, and when I heard that her newest book was about werewolves, I raced to the store and bought it. Then I heard that the main character's looks were based on actor Matt Bomer, I
However, I have mixed feelings about this book. The writing, the descriptions, the crumbly house with eccentric, well read, intelligent characters is classic Anne Rice. I could not get enough of Nideck House, and I, like Nick, would have loved to live there. I loved Marchent. I love the account of the attack on them, Reuben's miraculous recovery, his gradual changing into something other, then his first forays as a werewolf and the use of his "wolf gift" to help those that are being killed or abused.
Then it starts to get weird. Reuben has a girlfriend, although he seems ambivalent about her. This does not stop him from having sex in his werewolf form with a human he runs into in the woods. That whole part was seriously icky and I did not enjoy reading it one bit. Bleh. This continues throughout the book as well, with the same woman and same furry form. Then other things start to happen, other werewolves, the mystery of Felix Nideck, a fight. That is all pretty interesting, and set up for the next book.
I think that Reuben, before he became a werewolf, was pampered, spoiled, and not taken seriously by anyone, not even himself, and was often referred to by close family and his girlfriend as some sort of boy nickname, like Golden Boy, Baby Boy. He is just a pretty face, an innocent almost. Then, he becomes the werewolf and this change not only changed him physically, but also seemed to force him to grow up and become a man, and I believe this was the real transformation.
I am not so sure where this series is going - but I am willing to give the next book, which I am sure there will be one, a try.
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thought that was pretty cool too, since I watch White Collar, the current show he is in. However, I have mixed feelings about this book. The writing, the descriptions, the crumbly house with eccentric, well read, intelligent characters is classic Anne Rice. I could not get enough of Nideck House, and I, like Nick, would have loved to live there. I loved Marchent. I love the account of the attack on them, Reuben's miraculous recovery, his gradual changing into something other, then his first forays as a werewolf and the use of his "wolf gift" to help those that are being killed or abused.
Then it starts to get weird. Reuben has a girlfriend, although he seems ambivalent about her. This does not stop him from having sex in his werewolf form with a human he runs into in the woods. That whole part was seriously icky and I did not enjoy reading it one bit. Bleh. This continues throughout the book as well, with the same woman and same furry form. Then other things start to happen, other werewolves, the mystery of Felix Nideck, a fight. That is all pretty interesting, and set up for the next book.
I think that Reuben, before he became a werewolf, was pampered, spoiled, and not taken seriously by anyone, not even himself, and was often referred to by close family and his girlfriend as some sort of boy nickname, like Golden Boy, Baby Boy. He is just a pretty face, an innocent almost. Then, he becomes the werewolf and this change not only changed him physically, but also seemed to force him to grow up and become a man, and I believe this was the real transformation.
I am not so sure where this series is going - but I am willing to give the next book, which I am sure there will be one, a try.
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LibraryThing member debherter
An absolutely wonderful new book by Anne Rice. What would it be like to be a werewolf in modern times? A must read.
LibraryThing member thejohnsmith
An enjoyably readable and entertaining novel that re-castes the werewolf legend well and truly. When a young and well-heeled reporter visits a remote Californian mansion he gets a lot more than he expected. A night of passion, an horrific attack and an unexpected inheritance combine with life
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changing consequences. I really enjoyed this tale and hope there is more to come in the Reuben Golding story. Show Less
LibraryThing member msjessie
Anne Rice has never been a go-to or auto-buy author for me; I think I missed hitting the crest of her wave of popularity by a few years - when I think of vampires and such, hers aren't the texts that shoot to mind. I've obviously read some of her ubiquitous novels, but never on my own impulse;
The first problem I had with this was the narrative style of the book itself. Just like Interview, or the Vampire Lestat, this opens with a naive reporter heading to an unknown place to deal with a supernatural creature. However, unlike in Vampire or Lestat, Rueben, the somewhat naive main character, isn't actually aware that he is running headlong into a foray into life's wilder side. Pursuing a story for The San Francisco Observer, Rueben's trek to the mysterious house in question sets an effective and enveloping ominous feeling for the novel. Rueben works as a main character, and that's perhaps the best that can be said of him. He's not one of the intense protagonists that bursts with life - Rueben is more loosely drawn than that, with the focus of the novel on unraveling the mysteries rather than illuminating his personality. Outside of characterization woes, the tone and feeling of the novel really are done quite well, and with a dab hand - I readily admit that Anne Rice is a good storyteller. I just wish I was more easily enthralled in the stories she chooses to write.
Rueben is a mostly rounded-out character, I definitely wouldn't call him a cliche yet: he's smart but feels unfulfilled in his job and coddled as "Sunshine Boy" by his well-meaning family and the darling of his parents eye. Reuben's situation and attitude toward his parents was the most believable to me. Like Reuben himself of the novel, Reuben the character has a lot of potential that he unfortunately never quite achieves all the way. He does a few things that are personally distasteful to me (I find it hard to like a main character that cheats on their significant other so easily and readily), but at least he is not a stagnant character: he learns, changes, adapts to his new situation. It's very interesting that a character so ingrained to use technology, one who can't go 10 minutes without his iPhone is the one transformed into a much earthier, natural state. He's decent; he gets the job done and doesn't alienate the reader too much, though his attraction to gray-haired Marchent strains credulity. As the multiple mysteries surrounding older-woman Marchent Nideck, the house and her family evolve more and more, so too does Rueben. I have to say I didn't like any of the romantic entanglements present in The Wolf Gift; neither Reuben and Celeste, nor Reuben and Marchent or Celeste and anyone else, feels like an actual, viable relationship. People are just paired of as convenient or just seems 'sexy' at the time. The sex scenes themselves also just read as cold to me - there was no heat, no chemistry to make them fun to read. The man-wolf/woman sex scenes in particular crossed from "awkward" to almost laughable - I probably snickered involuntarily.
The supernatural aspect of this is probably what worked the best and what I liked the most. Marchent's family history was long, complicated and murderous but it only turned truly interesting and compelling when the mysterious Felix was mentioned, or explorations into the "Man Wolf" were written. I wish a bit more thought/time had been given to the exposition of the Man Wolf. Bare bones are present to account for the appearance in Reuben's life, but more forthcoming information would've rounded out the large and important paranormal aspect of The Wolf Gift. The morphenkinder and the history of the "Man Wolf" , besides having an awesome-sounding name, served to balance out the more tedious parts of the novel, especially the beginning. I wish more had been provided.
I think long-time and ardent fans will get the most out of this werewolf offering from the queen of vampire novels. Otherwise, this is rather run-of-the-mill, and there are too many books about just this kind of story for this to warrant more than its three (grudging) stars. This drags on and on a bit towards the end, and feels a bit meandering in pace for several bits in the middle-ish, but the ends are nicely wrapped up and the resolution for Reuben is satisfactory. Hopefully this is a standalone, not the beginning of a series featuring Reuben because I think I can say with finality: I am done reading Anne Rice novels.
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friends had to coax me into bare interest then bring me their copies or, as in one case, order one from the library for me. I was bored by Interview with a Vampire, almost died of ennui during a mostly-skimming read of The Vampire Lestat and just annoyed at the more religious-in-tone The Songs of the Seraphim series. So I took a chance against my better judgement with this "daring departure from the inspired author" and decided to give a much-maligned author another shot. And while The Wolf Gift didn't inspire the depths of dislike that its predecessors did, it wasn't a complete good read either. I definitely wouldn't stretch the truth so far as to claim this is a daring departure - this is firmly in the vein of what she's produced before.The first problem I had with this was the narrative style of the book itself. Just like Interview, or the Vampire Lestat, this opens with a naive reporter heading to an unknown place to deal with a supernatural creature. However, unlike in Vampire or Lestat, Rueben, the somewhat naive main character, isn't actually aware that he is running headlong into a foray into life's wilder side. Pursuing a story for The San Francisco Observer, Rueben's trek to the mysterious house in question sets an effective and enveloping ominous feeling for the novel. Rueben works as a main character, and that's perhaps the best that can be said of him. He's not one of the intense protagonists that bursts with life - Rueben is more loosely drawn than that, with the focus of the novel on unraveling the mysteries rather than illuminating his personality. Outside of characterization woes, the tone and feeling of the novel really are done quite well, and with a dab hand - I readily admit that Anne Rice is a good storyteller. I just wish I was more easily enthralled in the stories she chooses to write.
Rueben is a mostly rounded-out character, I definitely wouldn't call him a cliche yet: he's smart but feels unfulfilled in his job and coddled as "Sunshine Boy" by his well-meaning family and the darling of his parents eye. Reuben's situation and attitude toward his parents was the most believable to me. Like Reuben himself of the novel, Reuben the character has a lot of potential that he unfortunately never quite achieves all the way. He does a few things that are personally distasteful to me (I find it hard to like a main character that cheats on their significant other so easily and readily), but at least he is not a stagnant character: he learns, changes, adapts to his new situation. It's very interesting that a character so ingrained to use technology, one who can't go 10 minutes without his iPhone is the one transformed into a much earthier, natural state. He's decent; he gets the job done and doesn't alienate the reader too much, though his attraction to gray-haired Marchent strains credulity. As the multiple mysteries surrounding older-woman Marchent Nideck, the house and her family evolve more and more, so too does Rueben. I have to say I didn't like any of the romantic entanglements present in The Wolf Gift; neither Reuben and Celeste, nor Reuben and Marchent or Celeste and anyone else, feels like an actual, viable relationship. People are just paired of as convenient or just seems 'sexy' at the time. The sex scenes themselves also just read as cold to me - there was no heat, no chemistry to make them fun to read. The man-wolf/woman sex scenes in particular crossed from "awkward" to almost laughable - I probably snickered involuntarily.
The supernatural aspect of this is probably what worked the best and what I liked the most. Marchent's family history was long, complicated and murderous but it only turned truly interesting and compelling when the mysterious Felix was mentioned, or explorations into the "Man Wolf" were written. I wish a bit more thought/time had been given to the exposition of the Man Wolf. Bare bones are present to account for the appearance in Reuben's life, but more forthcoming information would've rounded out the large and important paranormal aspect of The Wolf Gift. The morphenkinder and the history of the "Man Wolf" , besides having an awesome-sounding name, served to balance out the more tedious parts of the novel, especially the beginning. I wish more had been provided.
I think long-time and ardent fans will get the most out of this werewolf offering from the queen of vampire novels. Otherwise, this is rather run-of-the-mill, and there are too many books about just this kind of story for this to warrant more than its three (grudging) stars. This drags on and on a bit towards the end, and feels a bit meandering in pace for several bits in the middle-ish, but the ends are nicely wrapped up and the resolution for Reuben is satisfactory. Hopefully this is a standalone, not the beginning of a series featuring Reuben because I think I can say with finality: I am done reading Anne Rice novels.
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LibraryThing member stefferoo
Okay, this book really wasn't as bad as I thought. Yes, there were a whole bunch of things that bothered or bugged me while I was reading, but from some of the horribly brutal reviews I've seen, I truly expected a train wreck.
Maybe that's it -- I was so prepared for the worst that I was actually
Except I actually quite liked the story in The Wolf Gift! And I found that I really enjoyed Anne Rice's take on werewolves and her shapeshifter mythology. Admittedly, I picked this book up when I read some reviews on here that described it as Anne Rice back in true form (no pun intended). I think that's what attracted me the most, because I used to be a big fan of Rice's until after a while her books just got way too weird and I gave up on her stuff. Then I realized it's been so long since I've read any of her books, I can't remember what her older stuff was like anyway, so any comparison would be a moot point. Oh well, suffice to say, at least nothing put me off about the story or her writing in this book, so that's a plus.
Anyway, on to the list of things that bugged me. First of all, the characters. While I enjoyed the story, I couldn't say the same for the protagonist. Not even close. It wasn't that Reuben was unlikeable, but he wasn't likeable either. In fact, the way he was written I could hardly muster up any feelings for him at all. He was just bland and I found I just did not care. Same for almost everyone else in the novel. I'm not sure if this is because Rice is writing in the third person here, and I am more used to seeing her write in the first.
This might not be such a big deal to other people, but the other thing that bothered me was the number of times brand names were dropped in this book. I don't mind the odd mention of an iPhone or a Porsche, but when it's Porsche this and iPhone that and Bose this every other page, it really gets on my nerves. Why not just call it a car, a phone or a music player? Guess what, normal people do!
And finally the ending. Like I said, I thought the take on the werewolf origin and mythos in this book very interesting, but the info dump you get in the last two chapters or so was just too much. I would prefer if things like that were revealed and spread out more throughout the entire novel, and not just heaped onto you in one huge exposition like it was done here.
Maybe that's it -- I was so prepared for the worst that I was actually
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surprised when the book exceeded the very low expectations I had in the first place. Or maybe it's because I listened to the audiobook. The narrator did an excellent job, and we all know how a good voice actor can bring even a mediocre story to life.Except I actually quite liked the story in The Wolf Gift! And I found that I really enjoyed Anne Rice's take on werewolves and her shapeshifter mythology. Admittedly, I picked this book up when I read some reviews on here that described it as Anne Rice back in true form (no pun intended). I think that's what attracted me the most, because I used to be a big fan of Rice's until after a while her books just got way too weird and I gave up on her stuff. Then I realized it's been so long since I've read any of her books, I can't remember what her older stuff was like anyway, so any comparison would be a moot point. Oh well, suffice to say, at least nothing put me off about the story or her writing in this book, so that's a plus.
Anyway, on to the list of things that bugged me. First of all, the characters. While I enjoyed the story, I couldn't say the same for the protagonist. Not even close. It wasn't that Reuben was unlikeable, but he wasn't likeable either. In fact, the way he was written I could hardly muster up any feelings for him at all. He was just bland and I found I just did not care. Same for almost everyone else in the novel. I'm not sure if this is because Rice is writing in the third person here, and I am more used to seeing her write in the first.
This might not be such a big deal to other people, but the other thing that bothered me was the number of times brand names were dropped in this book. I don't mind the odd mention of an iPhone or a Porsche, but when it's Porsche this and iPhone that and Bose this every other page, it really gets on my nerves. Why not just call it a car, a phone or a music player? Guess what, normal people do!
And finally the ending. Like I said, I thought the take on the werewolf origin and mythos in this book very interesting, but the info dump you get in the last two chapters or so was just too much. I would prefer if things like that were revealed and spread out more throughout the entire novel, and not just heaped onto you in one huge exposition like it was done here.
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LibraryThing member shojo_a
So, the Wolf Gift.
What can I say? It could only have been written by Anne Rice. I’m actually stumped as to how someone who hasn’t read any of Anne Rice’s books before would feel about this novel.
I get the feeling that the world of Anne Rice’s books and the actual world have grown farther
I feel like she writes her historical books and her contemporary books in much the same way. But her writing works for historical fiction, or for example, for the vampires who were mostly born in another time, who often act older than they look. It sounds natural when Lestat says, “My god!”, but not so much when a 16 year old boy from California says it.
However, her writing has a rhythm to it, the essence hasn’t changed at all. It’s her language, her themes, her character types, her dialogue, the catchphrases I recognize from so many other books (‘Dear God’, ‘Lord God’, ‘For the love of hell’, etc. ‘Powerfully excited’ was used at least ten times.) If you had told me that this was a lost manuscript from the 80s, I would have believed you, if not for the fact that everyone had an iPhone.
In that way, although I’d never read the book before, the reading experience was almost similar to that of reading a comfort read for me. And I found the characters likable enough, because none of them were the old characters I loved being rendered utterly unrecognizable, as happened with the last books in the Vampire Chronicles. So I enjoyed it, It wasn't a hard read at all for me. I read it in a day. I reminded me a lot of The Mummy, for example.
The only two aspects of this book that I felt set it apart from her earlier writing was: 1) It was much more Catholic. That aspect was much more overt. 2) It was less gay, or should I say, less bi-sexual. There was a gay character, but he was very clearly marked as such, unlike the general love and affection between men in her earlier book where every male character including the hero fell in love with another man or mentioned having been in love with another man despite never being identified as gay or bisexual.
Also, I can only end with 3 points.
1. The phrase ‘Man Wolf’ never stopped being funny.
2. There was WAY too much werewolf/human sex.
3. The most hilarious line in the book: “Well, you’re one splendid boy wolf I’ll tell you that.”
What can I say? It could only have been written by Anne Rice. I’m actually stumped as to how someone who hasn’t read any of Anne Rice’s books before would feel about this novel.
I get the feeling that the world of Anne Rice’s books and the actual world have grown farther
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and farther apart as the years go by. No one dresses the way they do in her books. No one speaks the way they do in her books. Certainly she had no concept of age – The hero, Reuben already has his Masters at 23, for example. I feel like she writes her historical books and her contemporary books in much the same way. But her writing works for historical fiction, or for example, for the vampires who were mostly born in another time, who often act older than they look. It sounds natural when Lestat says, “My god!”, but not so much when a 16 year old boy from California says it.
However, her writing has a rhythm to it, the essence hasn’t changed at all. It’s her language, her themes, her character types, her dialogue, the catchphrases I recognize from so many other books (‘Dear God’, ‘Lord God’, ‘For the love of hell’, etc. ‘Powerfully excited’ was used at least ten times.) If you had told me that this was a lost manuscript from the 80s, I would have believed you, if not for the fact that everyone had an iPhone.
In that way, although I’d never read the book before, the reading experience was almost similar to that of reading a comfort read for me. And I found the characters likable enough, because none of them were the old characters I loved being rendered utterly unrecognizable, as happened with the last books in the Vampire Chronicles. So I enjoyed it, It wasn't a hard read at all for me. I read it in a day. I reminded me a lot of The Mummy, for example.
The only two aspects of this book that I felt set it apart from her earlier writing was: 1) It was much more Catholic. That aspect was much more overt. 2) It was less gay, or should I say, less bi-sexual. There was a gay character, but he was very clearly marked as such, unlike the general love and affection between men in her earlier book where every male character including the hero fell in love with another man or mentioned having been in love with another man despite never being identified as gay or bisexual.
Also, I can only end with 3 points.
1. The phrase ‘Man Wolf’ never stopped being funny.
2. There was WAY too much werewolf/human sex.
3. The most hilarious line in the book: “Well, you’re one splendid boy wolf I’ll tell you that.”
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LibraryThing member shojo_a
So, the Wolf Gift.
What can I say? It could only have been written by Anne Rice. I’m actually stumped as to how someone who hasn’t read any of Anne Rice’s books before would feel about this novel.
I get the feeling that the world of Anne Rice’s books and the actual world have grown farther
I feel like she writes her historical books and her contemporary books in much the same way. But her writing works for historical fiction, or for example, for the vampires who were mostly born in another time, who often act older than they look. It sounds natural when Lestat says, “My god!”, but not so much when a 16 year old boy from California says it.
However, her writing has a rhythm to it, the essence hasn’t changed at all. It’s her language, her themes, her character types, her dialogue, the catchphrases I recognize from so many other books (‘Dear God’, ‘Lord God’, ‘For the love of hell’, etc. ‘Powerfully excited’ was used at least ten times.) If you had told me that this was a lost manuscript from the 80s, I would have believed you, if not for the fact that everyone had an iPhone.
In that way, although I’d never read the book before, the reading experience was almost similar to that of reading a comfort read for me. And I found the characters likable enough, because none of them were the old characters I loved being rendered utterly unrecognizable, as happened with the last books in the Vampire Chronicles. So I enjoyed it, It wasn't a hard read at all for me. I read it in a day. I reminded me a lot of The Mummy, for example.
The only two aspects of this book that I felt set it apart from her earlier writing was: 1) It was much more Catholic. That aspect was much more overt. 2) It was less gay, or should I say, less bi-sexual. There was a gay character, but he was very clearly marked as such, unlike the general love and affection between men in her earlier book where every male character including the hero fell in love with another man or mentioned having been in love with another man despite never being identified as gay or bisexual.
Also, I can only end with 3 points.
1. The phrase ‘Man Wolf’ never stopped being funny.
2. There was WAY too much werewolf/human sex.
3. The most hilarious line in the book: “Well, you’re one splendid boy wolf I’ll tell you that.”
What can I say? It could only have been written by Anne Rice. I’m actually stumped as to how someone who hasn’t read any of Anne Rice’s books before would feel about this novel.
I get the feeling that the world of Anne Rice’s books and the actual world have grown farther
Show More
and farther apart as the years go by. No one dresses the way they do in her books. No one speaks the way they do in her books. Certainly she had no concept of age – The hero, Reuben already has his Masters at 23, for example. I feel like she writes her historical books and her contemporary books in much the same way. But her writing works for historical fiction, or for example, for the vampires who were mostly born in another time, who often act older than they look. It sounds natural when Lestat says, “My god!”, but not so much when a 16 year old boy from California says it.
However, her writing has a rhythm to it, the essence hasn’t changed at all. It’s her language, her themes, her character types, her dialogue, the catchphrases I recognize from so many other books (‘Dear God’, ‘Lord God’, ‘For the love of hell’, etc. ‘Powerfully excited’ was used at least ten times.) If you had told me that this was a lost manuscript from the 80s, I would have believed you, if not for the fact that everyone had an iPhone.
In that way, although I’d never read the book before, the reading experience was almost similar to that of reading a comfort read for me. And I found the characters likable enough, because none of them were the old characters I loved being rendered utterly unrecognizable, as happened with the last books in the Vampire Chronicles. So I enjoyed it, It wasn't a hard read at all for me. I read it in a day. I reminded me a lot of The Mummy, for example.
The only two aspects of this book that I felt set it apart from her earlier writing was: 1) It was much more Catholic. That aspect was much more overt. 2) It was less gay, or should I say, less bi-sexual. There was a gay character, but he was very clearly marked as such, unlike the general love and affection between men in her earlier book where every male character including the hero fell in love with another man or mentioned having been in love with another man despite never being identified as gay or bisexual.
Also, I can only end with 3 points.
1. The phrase ‘Man Wolf’ never stopped being funny.
2. There was WAY too much werewolf/human sex.
3. The most hilarious line in the book: “Well, you’re one splendid boy wolf I’ll tell you that.”
Show Less
LibraryThing member amanderson
I read an advance reader's copy of this on the plane, courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley. It was sort of disappointing, but it did keep me fairly engrossed. It starts off beautifully, with a journalist, a poetic and handsome young man named Reuben, meeting an older woman at her gorgeous spooky
It's been years since I read the first 3 Interview with a Vampire books, but I think they had more verve than this novel. It had all the elements of a good Anne Rice novel, but put together it lacked a certain passion and liveliness. There is a love story too, but i fail to see the appeal of wolfman nooky, it was kind of odd. I think Reuben needed to be more of a tortured hero instead of a pleasant young nice guy who was basically perfectly fine with his fate. On the other hand, I have zero interest in religion, so it's quite possible others with more will enjoy this book a good deal more than I did.
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old mansion in the isolated redwoods of Northern California, inherited from an exotic uncle who mysteriously disappeared. Bites, wolfishness, philosophical and religious ponderings, and the more interesting pursuit of evildoers and mayhem ensue. Then it devolves into more philosophy lite and overly deliberate explications, around the wolfman dining table, of wolfman origins. It's been years since I read the first 3 Interview with a Vampire books, but I think they had more verve than this novel. It had all the elements of a good Anne Rice novel, but put together it lacked a certain passion and liveliness. There is a love story too, but i fail to see the appeal of wolfman nooky, it was kind of odd. I think Reuben needed to be more of a tortured hero instead of a pleasant young nice guy who was basically perfectly fine with his fate. On the other hand, I have zero interest in religion, so it's quite possible others with more will enjoy this book a good deal more than I did.
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LibraryThing member damienfranco
I have such a fondness for the way Anne Rice is able to paint such wonderful scenery in her books. This book seems like a slight departure from the same layout and stye of her vampire books but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. I was expecting something different and was left with
I'm very interested to see where, and how far, she takes this series. I want more.
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enough interest and intrigue throughout the book to make it quite enjoyable. Nice fast pace with great visual stimuli - pretty much what you expect from Anne Rice at her best.I'm very interested to see where, and how far, she takes this series. I want more.
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LibraryThing member jshillingford
I haven't read an Anne Rice book in a long time because her religiously themed works just didn't interest me. Her vampires are what hooked me, so when I saw she had decided to tackle werewolves I thought she might be coming back to her paranormal/horror roots. And she did, sorta.
Reuben has been
Despite these flaws, I did enjoy the book and would read the sequel (which the book obviously leaves room for). The ending was more exciting as Reuben encountered more of his kind, learned of their history, and more. I liked the characters and the world-building. Plus, now that "Peter Parker" has explored his new abilities and gotten the origin story out of the way, he can get on with saving the city. Overall, recommended to paranormal fans looking for something different, but be prepared to be patient. It is worth reading.
Reuben has been
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bitten by a creature, and he soon transforms into a man wolf - not a wolf, but a cross between the two. And, he retains his full faculties in his altered state. Rice's biggest twist on the age-old story is that Reuben can now hear "voices" - imagine that scene in Superman Returns where he hovers above the earth listening for those who need him; same here. Reuben can hear the innocent in need, and he can literally smell evil. He has a craving to respond to it. It's a cool idea, with a lot of potential. Yet, the book is slow. Very slow. I found it interesting, but never had any problem putting it down to read something else, surf the net, etc. Rice has always included moral introspection in her work - many of her vampires wondered if they were, in fact, evil. So I wasn't surprised when she did the same here. However, she went way overboard. Most of the book is Reuben running an internal monologue of why this could have happened; is it okay to kill people who are evil; is there a purpose to his existence, etc. Over, and over again. Add to that all the highly detailed descriptions of everything and anything, and not a lot happens.Despite these flaws, I did enjoy the book and would read the sequel (which the book obviously leaves room for). The ending was more exciting as Reuben encountered more of his kind, learned of their history, and more. I liked the characters and the world-building. Plus, now that "Peter Parker" has explored his new abilities and gotten the origin story out of the way, he can get on with saving the city. Overall, recommended to paranormal fans looking for something different, but be prepared to be patient. It is worth reading.
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LibraryThing member asgwilli
3.5 Stars
I really liked the premise of this book. The flow of it kept you entertained and wanting to know more. It just felt kind of wordy, or shall I say had too many details. It was one of those books where I just started skipping to the dialogue, because you knew every aspect of feeling,
I really liked the premise of this book. The flow of it kept you entertained and wanting to know more. It just felt kind of wordy, or shall I say had too many details. It was one of those books where I just started skipping to the dialogue, because you knew every aspect of feeling,
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texture, color, smell, etc.. and it made the book a tedious read. I had to put it down and come back to it a few times. But when you finish, it makes you feel like you accomplished something awesome. Overall a good read, but you've got to be in the mood for Anne Rice. Show Less
LibraryThing member AutumnTurner
Finished this last night. Simply amazing. I enjoyed her vampire series and thought they were wonderful, but this outshines them by far!
I want more! I want more of Reuben, Laura, Stuart, and Jim. I especially want more of Felix, Margon and Thibault. As much as I would like more about Reuben, I would
I highly suggest this read. It beats the lycanthropy presented in garbage like Twilight, not that that takes much, but her take on it is intriguing.
I want more! I want more of Reuben, Laura, Stuart, and Jim. I especially want more of Felix, Margon and Thibault. As much as I would like more about Reuben, I would
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love to see a book focused on these three.I highly suggest this read. It beats the lycanthropy presented in garbage like Twilight, not that that takes much, but her take on it is intriguing.
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LibraryThing member RyaneCandyce
Not even sure where to go with this. I enjoyed the story, not how it was told.
LibraryThing member BevFuller
I enjoyed this book so much. Welcome back, Anne Rice. We've missed you.
Language
Original publication date
2012-02-14
ISBN
030770047X / 9780307700476