Anne Rice has done it again. In her latest novel, "The Wolf Gift", the woman who single-handedly, reinvented the vampire genre puts her formidable talent to work rewriting "were-wolf" lore and in the end succeeds magnificiently.
The main character, Reuben Golding, is a "Golden Boy" from an affluent San Francisco family. Young and handsome, he has breezed through his life using his charm, talent and good looks. Working as a reporter for a San Francisco newspaper, he is asked to cover the story of a beutiful mansion located in Mendocino County on the coast of California. It is there, surrounded by the majesty of the forrest and the multitude of ageless redwood trees, where Reuben is attacked by some type of viscious animal and also where this fascinating story of "The Wolf Gift" really begins.
"The Wolf Gift" is Anne Rice's return to the atmospheric gothic-horror novels she has written in the past. Reminiscient of her "Vampire Chronicles", the book is moody, sexy and secretive. It more than delivers on Mrs. Rice's unbelievable ability to so vividly describe people, places and feelings.
Her descriptions of the great mansion, the magnificent forrests and the transformation from man to wolf, are so rich in detail, it takes very little assistance from the reader's own imagination to make the words come alive.
Just as we walked the streets of New Orleans with Lestat and Louis, feasting on every sight, sound and smell, "The Wolf Gift" enables us to close our eyes and get lost in it's pages. Whether we're hit with the salty spray of mist as the winds whip up a massive Pacific ocean wave, or hear the sound of every heart-beat, breath and sigh as if each and every creature for miles around is living just for you or, perhaps, savor the taste of human flesh as you feel the bones break and witness the flesh tear in your mind, this book is as alive as the reader who can't wait to turn to the next page.
Once again, as in most Anne Rice novels, the author has used her writing to help her explore her own beliefs regarding the true nature of good and evil. And, as always, this search for an answer, is a job the reader gladly accepts and one we feel we owe Anne Rice for her years and years of allowing us to join her quest.
The story moves along quickly and the characters are real and fleshed out. With "The Wolf Gift", Anne Rice has succeeded once again in giving her millions of loyal and adoring fans exactly what they want; a new, hunky anti-hero to love and, even more important, another beutiful visitor on those cold and lonely nights who will gladly fulfill all their hungry fantasies.
Just like "Violin" and "Cry to Heaven" (to name just a couple), "The Wolf Gift" is another successful, stand-alone, novel for Anne Rice. Room has been left to revisit these characters in a sequel if Mrs. Rice so chooses and considering her recent comments admitting her heartfelt love for Reuben Golding, I'm pretty sure we won't have to wait too long for another visit from the "man-wolf" and "The Wolf Gift".
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I hope you enjoyed my review of "The Wolf Gift". I recommend it, whole-heartedly, to all Anne Rice fans and anyone who is looking for a great book to read.
Anne Rice begins her book tour for "The Wolf Gift" next week with planned stops in Toronto, New York and Philadelphia plus many more. Please go to her website at www.annerice.com for a complete lists of locations. If you can go and see her, she is as friendly and receptive as she seems. Take it from me, there's nothing like owning a signed copy (or 6) of one of her books. And if you do go, say "Hi" from me.
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Coming up next, my review of "Rub Out the Words - The Letters of William S. Burroughs", "Unorthodox" by Deborah Feldman and "Rolling Pennies in the Dark" by Douglas Mackinnon.
See ya next time!
