The Howling

Novel by Gary Brandner (USA) 1977.

Karyn Beatty is raped in her apartment and the resulting trauma forces her and her husband Roy to move to the small village of Drago. They expect the village to be quiet but it seems unnaturally so; they don't see any children about; and every night they hear the howling. Roy ignores it but Karyn investigates, especially after her dog is torn apart. What she eventually discovers changes the course of her life dramatically.

Though far from the best of the trilogy (followed by Return of the Howling and Echoes), and certainly not the most critically acclaimed, this is probably the most influential modern werewolf novel: it took off in a big way, spawning two sequels and six films. There's nothing particularly new here, it's merely the conventional gothic werewolf tale brought into a more modern day setting, and as such offers nothing particularly new. But it is worth a look on its own merit because Brandner brings out the characters admirably for a novel this size, and the pace is breathtaking. It's one of those books that are much more important than good, but worth reading anyway. Later filmed by Joe Dante (1981), starring Dee Wallace and Patrick MacNee.