The Howling
Author: Gary Brandner
Genre: Horror
Blurb: After a brutal attack leaves her shattered, Karyn Beatty and her husband Roy flee to the remote mountain town of Drago, hoping for a fresh start. But something isn’t right in this sleepy little village. The locals are just a little too friendly. The nights are filled with strange sounds—low, guttural, inhuman. And when the full moon rises, the nightmare truly begins. Because Drago isn’t just a town. It’s a hunting ground. And the things that stalk the darkness aren’t just hungry… they’re waiting. Encyclopocalypse Publications proudly presents the definitive edition of Gary Brandner’s masterpiece—a ferocious tale of primal terror that will sink its teeth into you… and never let go.
Buy on Amazon and Bookshop.org
Review – Spoiler Free:
I had vaguely heard about The Howling as a movie. I never really knew that it was a book at all. I saw this cover in particular and it drew me in for sure. I enjoy the idea of werewolves but haven’t read too many books about them. To say that I was disappointed would be putting it mildly. This is a book that feels like it was definitely written by a guy that doesn’t really understand the psyche of women in general but it was originally published in the 70’s so I feel like it’s unfair to hold that against the author.
There are several things that I didn’t like about this book. The first being the main character Karyn. She experiences something that I think every woman fears at some point in their lives. It’s so random that I feel it wasn’t really necessary to the story. I say that because she doesn’t act like someone who went through such an experience.
The whole story feels like it was all kind of thrown together without much thought about the bigger picture. Karyn and her husband seem to have the perfect relationship. However, it falls apart. While that can be believable, I really have a hard time getting behind everything else.
The other thing that I don’t really think did anything for the story over all is all the sex. I’m not against there being sex in books. It’s a natural part of life. This is especially true when you are trying to tell a story with people. Yet the motivations for the sex, the way it’s written, its just…very unappealing to me. There is also a random use of a closeted gay character. This aspect of the character just comes out of nowhere and feels pointless.
I spent more time scoffing and rolling my eyes at the story then really enjoying it. I even ranted to my fiancé about the ridiculousness of it all when I was about halfway through the book. I finished it in a day, it’s a pretty short book.
Spoilers – Open with Caution
Some important points need to be made but they offer spoilers so this is the second warning before I continue.
Karyn is raped by a random person at the complex she lives at. The detail of that rape is pretty rough and traumatic. She goes to Drago because her doctor thought going to the middle of nowhere was a good idea to solve all her problems. Her and her husband aren’t having good sex, if they have it at all, so she wants to go mainly to try get over the whole rape so that she could please her husband again.
This in fact has the opposite effect. The sounds of howling stop the only time they may have been able to rekindle that. After that, they don’t have sex again. At some point, it’s evident that her husband is attracted to one of the residents. Later, this person tells him she wants him too.
The first instance of sex that just feels so wrong is after Karyn shoots the wolf. Her husband comes back from work. He goes into the woods to look for it. The woman he found attractive comes out in a damn nightgown and they fuck in a clearing. While his wife is waiting for him to come back. Then at one point he tells Karyn they will leave. He goes and tells this woman they are leaving and she’s like nah and they fuck again. After that, she bites him and makes him a werewolf.
Karyn is off for one really main reason at one point after she finds her dead dog. Her husband is away and a couple come to the door and she just lets them in. There is no hesitation, no trepidation she just says yeah come in , and please stay I’ll feed you. The last time she opened her door when she wasn’t expecting someone she got raped. It felt off that she just didn’t care or even think about that at all.
Then final thing I think was useless to the story. The closet gay character is a woman that Karyn meets early on in the book. She tells Karyn about werewolves. She used to be a nun. Towards the end you find out that she got kicked out of the convent. Because she was discovered naked with some woman that was staying there. She starts thinking about this after she realizes that she was turned on by Karyn hugging her. Then she dies! What was the point?!?
The ending is stupid. The book was kind of stupid too. I won’t say it was totally bad. I think that the premise had potential. However, overall I don’t think it was a very good story. I have zero interest in reading the sequels.
Did you read this book? What did you think about it? I’d love to know in the comments. I hope you enjoyed this review! Let me know but giving it a like.
Leave a Reply