Return of the Wolf Man

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Summary: For a Howling Good Time
Review: Having grown up watching Universal's classic monster movies on Saturday afternoons, I approached this book with great trepidation. Fears of the wolf man being written into a blood and guts slasher story ala "Friday the 13th" ran through my mind. Much to my great relief, this was not the case. The author, Jeff Rovin, takes the classic movie character and skilfully brings him into the 1990's. The book begins immediately where "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" leaves off, nobody really thought a fall of several hundred feet into the ocean could really end the wolf man and Dracula did they? Without giving too much away, Dracula takes off, and the wolf man goes into hibernation. Fifty years later, a representative from the greatest vampire off all (the IRS) is conducting a survey and awakens the wolf man. Before you know it both Dracula and the Frankenstein monster join the fun. Rovin does a superb job of capturing the tragic character of the wolf man, Lawrence Talbot, in print. One can't help be feel sorry for the gentle man who now not only turns into a savage beast when the moon is full, but is now also trapped in a world fifty years ahead of him. In this novel, Rovin ties up several inconsistencies from the movies, and provides a truly chilling origin for Universal's Dracula. Astute readers will pick up on off the cuff references to some less well remembered monsters like the giant praying mantis, and the monolith monsters. If you don't remember the monolith monsters, don't feel too badly, it just means you have a life. The novel ends with all the loose ends tied up. However, the epilog does pave the way for a sequel. If it can match the quality of this book, lets hope it is soon in coming.

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Summary: TRIPE
Review: I had to force myself to finish this one. Good idea, bad execution. I can't believe anyone would buy this for $18.00 as shown above.

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Summary: THEY'RE BACK...WITH A VENGEANCE!
Review: I have always been a huge Universal classic horror fan. ...Picking up where we last saw the Wolf Man, Dracula, and the Frankenstein Monster, Rovin continues the legendary saga and carries it into present day Florida. The Wolf Man and the Monster are revived by accident when the heir to Mornay Castle attempts to discover what is in the sealed off basement. Dracula, who has been in hiding for 50 years, learns of this, and is determined to give the Monster a pliable brain he can control, as well as eliminate his nemesis :the Wolf Man. The result is an amazing adventure filled with thrills and chills. Rovin's writing is superb, and his characterizations of his monster characters are exactly what monster fans will expect. The most intriguing scenes are between Dracula and Talbot/the Wolf Man. The book is also wrought with inside jokes, and some character names are taken from the movies. There is also an amusing parody of Lugosi's immortal Dracula line," I never drink - wine." Talbot says " I never eat - chicken." I have read this book three times already, and it never gets tiring. If you love the classic monster films of Universal or are simply interested, buy this book. Trust me, you won't regret it!

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Summary: A wonderful homage to the Universal Monsters
Review: I love the Universal Monsters, and it's obvious from "Return of the Wolf Man" that Jeff Rovin does too. Almost every page contains a veiled reference or in-joke, and yet the whole tells a compelling story, one which treats the characters with respect, rather than reducing them to charicatures (as the follow-on books by David Jacobs have done). Rovin is a skilled storyteller, and his passion for the classic movies shines out of every page. I continually found myself laughing in delight at finding a new movie reference or joke, and found my imagination fired by Rovin's pacing, drama and deft prose. The story is very self-contained, so even though this is part of a series, there is no need to buy the sequels (and believe me, you don't want to). If you love the old movies, do yourself a tremendous favour and buy this book. You won't regret it for an instant.

Rating:
Summary: well done, could be a movie
Review: I mean, it COULD be a good movie, but I think a follow up to a 1948 movie may have limited appeal. The monsters in the book, however, still have a strong appeal, so maybe it would work. He starts at the end of the Abbott and Costello spoof, which is a difficult place to start from, and he brings it back to all out horror without ignoring the characters Wilbur and Chick. That's impressive. This is well worth buying. He ties it in with some Universal Movies that never were part of the Wolfman series, and makes it work with few inconsistencies. Rovin has an enthusiastic style that seems slightly immature, but that only means his best work is ahead of him, and "Return of the Wolfman" is as good of a novel as any out there in the last several years anyway. Find a way to get a copy.

Rating:
Summary: Classic monsters never die they just get better!
Review: I really enjoyed reading this book, it tied in nicely to the last movie the monsters were all together in. The book was true to it's characters, these monsters were the things that went bump in the night before movies went into blood and gore for effects. I would highly recommend this back to anyone who loves the old movie monsters and I hope they continue to bring them back in new stories such as this.

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Summary: In one word: INCREDIBLE!!!!
Review: I stumbled on this book by accident while browsing the shelves at Walden Books and I must say that it was the best finds I could have made! I am a big fan of the old Universal monsters and it was a treat to see them back for one last (Or is it the last?) ride! Jeff Rovin took the old movies and made them entertaining again! I fell in love with the "Big Three" from Universal when I was five years old and saw "The Wolf-Man" for the first time. It was great to see what happened after the end of "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein"and the sequence of events that followed up to the present. A very enjoyable read for anyone who remembers what the old movies were like and for those who are just finding out. I wait with baited breath to see the next one when it comes out! Hurry, Jeff! The fans await! :-)

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful job of reviving some old friends!
Review: I've been waiting for this book since August, and it was worth it. It remains true to the spirit of the original films while bringing them convincingly into the present day. There are any number of nice touches, from Larry Talbot's not being "politically correct" to the idea that the Frankenstein monster is energized by our world's pervasive microwave radiation. It had the feel of an all new saturday matinee - I hoped, but hardly expected it would be this good. It's a series that should continue, but no further dates or titles are listed. That makes me nervous. If you're a Universal fan, read it! Lets bring back the old days.

Rating:
Summary: Lon Chaney, Jr. would be proud.
Review: Jeff Rovin makes the wishes of monster fans come true with this novel. Picking up at the climax of ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, we are finally told what "really" happened to Lawrence Talbot/the Wolf Man, Count Dracula, and the Frankenstein Monster following that film's conclusion.

Fifty years later in 1998, the Wolf Man and the Monster are discovered alive in the ruins of the basement at Mornay Castle. Dr. Caroline Cooke, the new owner, agrees to not only help Talbot find a cure for his lycanthropy, but to finally destroy the Monster once and for all.

Everything soon falls apart when Dracula learns of all this, and sets in motion a diabolical plan that will turn the Monster into his indestructable slave and give the Wolf Man a taste of "true death."

Rovin's characterizations of the three monsters fit so perfectly that it's difficult to imagine this novel as anything other than the Universal film that SHOULD have been made, but wasn't.

Lawrence Talbot is just as tragic and heroic as Lon Chaney, Jr. portrayed him, battling his own inner demons all while trying to use his power to thwart the greater evil of Dracula, while the Count himself possesses all the charm and nobility that Bela Lugosi brought to the role. The Frankenstein Monster is given less to do than his two co-stars, but he still plays an active part in the story. By no means does Rovin leave him on an operating table; he is mobile!

The book is loaded with in-jokes that will appeal to the die-hard fans of the Universal films, and some of these references even fall far outside the realm of the Dracula/Frankenstein/Wolf Man sagas.

My one gripe is that Rovin's dates for the events seen on the screen seem a bit off, especially considering the amount of time the monsters supposedly remained dormant between films. Other than that, Return of the Wolf Man is an excellent read, filled with action, suspense, and the perfect amount of horror. A welcome new addition to a classic series!

Rating:
Summary: A most satisfying resurrection
Review: Jeff Rovin's "roman a cinema" is a great read for several reasons -- it's obviously written by someone who deeply loves the old Universal horror classics, and who delights in salting the text with sly references and in-jokes (e.g., "Strickfaden batteries", named after Kenneth Strickfaden, who created the original lab equipment for "Frankenstein" and "Bride Of Frankenstein"). I'm such a junkie for anything having to do with those old movies that, even if the book were no more than that, I'd consider it worth the money. But wait -- there's more! "Return of the Wolfman" is also an exploration of the tragic character of Larry Talbot, a decent man cursed to live forever, killing every full moon. His search for death's release, his honor and his determination to protect the world from the evil of Count Dracula, are the real meat of the book, and raise it perilously close to the level of literature. I can't wait for the sequel.