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The House of the Wolf
High above the Hungarian village of Lugos rise the towers of Castle Homolky, whose subterranean dungeons contain the remains of a chamber of horrors once used for the torture of enemies, and whose tragic and violent history has caused it to be known as The House of the Wolf. Into this legend-haunted region comes John Coleridge, an American professor and expert on lycanthropy, who is staying as a guest of Count Homolky while attending a conference on European folklore. After a villager is found dead with his throat torn out and a huge black wolf with seemingly preternatural powers is seen stalking the halls of the Castle, leaving scenes of bloody carnage in its wake, Coleridge and his colleagues must hunt the beast. But is the killer a wolf, or could the unthinkable be true: that one of the Castle’s inhabitants is actually a werewolf?
After the success of his Victorian gaslight Gothic tale Necropolis (1980), published by the legendary Arkham House, Basil Copper (1924-2013) returned with another atmospheric Victorian chiller, The House of the Wolf (1983). This new edition of Copper’s classic includes an introduction by the author discussing the influences on his novel, including Universal and Hammer werewolf films, an afterword by award-winning editor Stephen Jones, and more than 40 illustrations by Stephen E. Fabian.
“Britain's leading purveyor of the macabre.” – Peter Haining
“One of the last of the great traditionalists of English fiction.” – Colin Wilson
“An outstanding British writer in the genre.” – August Derleth
After the success of his Victorian gaslight Gothic tale Necropolis (1980), published by the legendary Arkham House, Basil Copper (1924-2013) returned with another atmospheric Victorian chiller, The House of the Wolf (1983). This new edition of Copper’s classic includes an introduction by the author discussing the influences on his novel, including Universal and Hammer werewolf films, an afterword by award-winning editor Stephen Jones, and more than 40 illustrations by Stephen E. Fabian.
“Britain's leading purveyor of the macabre.” – Peter Haining
“One of the last of the great traditionalists of English fiction.” – Colin Wilson
“An outstanding British writer in the genre.” – August Derleth
314 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
11 people are currently reading
238 people want to read
About the author
Basil Copper
185 books41 followersBasil Copper was an English writer and former journalist and newspaper editor. He has written over 50 books and scripts. In addition to fantasy and horror, Copper is known for his series of Solar Pons stories continuing the character created by August Derleth.
Copper edited a 1982 two-volume omnibus collection of Derleth's stories of the 'Pontine' canon, published by Arkham House, a publishing firm founded by Derleth himself and chiefly publishing weird fiction (such as Cthulhu Mythos tales); in that edition, Copper "edited" most of the tales in ways that many Pontine aficionados found objectionable[citation needed]. A later omnibus, The Original Text Solar Pons Omnibus Edition, was issued in 2000 under the imprint of Mycroft & Moran (a name which is itself a Holmesian jest).
He also wrote the long-running hard-boiled detective stories of "Mike Faraday" (58 novels from 1966 to 1988).
Copper has received many honours in recent years. In 1979, the Mark Twain Society of America elected him a Knight of Mark Twain for his outstanding "contribution to modern fiction", while the Praed Street Irregulars have twice honoured him for his work on the Solar Pons series. He has been a member of the Crime Writer's Association for over thirty years, serving as chairman in 1981/82 and on its committee for a total of seven years.
In early 2008, a bio-bibliography was published on him: Basil Copper: A Life in Books, compiled and edited by Stephen Jones.
In March 2010, Darkness, Mist and Shadow: The Collected Macabre Tales of Basil Copper was launched at the Brighton World Horror Convention as a two-volume set by PS Publishing.
Copper edited a 1982 two-volume omnibus collection of Derleth's stories of the 'Pontine' canon, published by Arkham House, a publishing firm founded by Derleth himself and chiefly publishing weird fiction (such as Cthulhu Mythos tales); in that edition, Copper "edited" most of the tales in ways that many Pontine aficionados found objectionable[citation needed]. A later omnibus, The Original Text Solar Pons Omnibus Edition, was issued in 2000 under the imprint of Mycroft & Moran (a name which is itself a Holmesian jest).
He also wrote the long-running hard-boiled detective stories of "Mike Faraday" (58 novels from 1966 to 1988).
Copper has received many honours in recent years. In 1979, the Mark Twain Society of America elected him a Knight of Mark Twain for his outstanding "contribution to modern fiction", while the Praed Street Irregulars have twice honoured him for his work on the Solar Pons series. He has been a member of the Crime Writer's Association for over thirty years, serving as chairman in 1981/82 and on its committee for a total of seven years.
In early 2008, a bio-bibliography was published on him: Basil Copper: A Life in Books, compiled and edited by Stephen Jones.
In March 2010, Darkness, Mist and Shadow: The Collected Macabre Tales of Basil Copper was launched at the Brighton World Horror Convention as a two-volume set by PS Publishing.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 20, 2020
Old-fashioned supernatural murder mystery with loads of wonderful atmosphere. Perfect for a cold night! Copper is a studiedly anti-modern writer, which I enjoy. The narrative is fun but predictable, the characters are as old-fashioned as the writing. It's all so vintage, in both intent and execution. It's a familiar tune and the author never misses a beat. The selling point here is the lavish amount of descriptive passages detailing a truly amazing gothic castle (and the rustic Hungarian village surrounding it). I was delighted to live in it throughout the course of the book. If there were a genre called Castle Porn, this would be a prime example.
November 6, 2020
A werewolf novel which is written like a whodunit, with the true identity of the beast revealed only at the end as a shock - at least, that is what the author intends (he says so in the foreword). But IMHO, it fails both as horror (not frightening by a long chalk) and as mystery (any aficionado of mysteries would have a fair inkling of who the culprit is, much before the denouement).
Professor John Coleridge, folklorist with a special interest in lycanthropy, is leading a congress on the occult and supernatural at a remote, snowbound castle in Hungary, owned by the Count Homolky. The nearby village of Logos is terrified by a man-eating wolf - at the same time, there is apparently a werewolf loose in the castle also. The professor spends his time chasing the wolf and romancing the count's teen daughter, until ultimately everything is satisfactorily resolved.
Like the author's The Great White Space, here also the problem seems to be one of stretching a story beyond its organic length (apart from the tepid mystery angle). This would have been reasonably okay as a novella, though not great.
Professor John Coleridge, folklorist with a special interest in lycanthropy, is leading a congress on the occult and supernatural at a remote, snowbound castle in Hungary, owned by the Count Homolky. The nearby village of Logos is terrified by a man-eating wolf - at the same time, there is apparently a werewolf loose in the castle also. The professor spends his time chasing the wolf and romancing the count's teen daughter, until ultimately everything is satisfactorily resolved.
Like the author's The Great White Space, here also the problem seems to be one of stretching a story beyond its organic length (apart from the tepid mystery angle). This would have been reasonably okay as a novella, though not great.
December 17, 2017
In a remote part of Hungary, a congress on folklore and the occult is taking place in the old castle Homolky, surrounded by deep forests, veiled in snow and overlooking a village where dark rumors abound about werewolves attacking the villagers who venture out into the woods. The savvy professor Coleridge arrives at the castle to give a speech on lycanthropy and is quickly drawn into a web of murder and mystery surrounding the Congress. The House of the Wolf is an excellent gothic thriller, perfect for reading now during the winter season. Snowy forests around an old haunted castle, intrigue, drama, an old family curse perhaps and maybe even a werewolf. Really liked this one.
March 8, 2012
There are authors who, despite their manifold accomplishments, often tend to get categorised only on the basis of certain ‘types’/kinds of works, which they aspire to “leave behind” and create something (according to them) better, most famous example being Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Although Basil Copper doesn’t have such a fantastically diverse portfolio that may be comparable to Sir Arthur’s, he did write very polished pieces that are worlds apart from the “comte cruel” variety showcased by the Pan Book of Horror Stories, unfortunately many in the genre remembers him only for those stories that had achieved fame & notoriety via publication in that series. This particular novel under question, ever since its 1st publication by Arkham House in 1983, has been trying to rectify that impression. And this particular edition, available from retailers like Cold Tonnage & Realms of Fantasy, should be patronised by any lover of horror simply to appreciate the genius of Basil Copper.
This, is a “werewolf” novel, apart from many other things, namely: a gothic thriller, a study in narrative tautness while describing things in broad strokes of white & black, and a well-researched view of East European wilderness as perceived by fin-de-siècle scholars. The story is well known: a group of scholars, who specialise in folklore associated with the bizarre & the risqué elements, are invited to the Castle Homolky atop the Hungarian type of Lugos. The countryside had been seeing the depredations of a pack of wolves, led by a wolf whose cunning and near-invincibility has already thrown an aura of supernatural around it and the killings. And then, along-with the folklorists, something else enters the castle and starts roaming its dark & haunted corridors for a kill: a werewolf! There are damsels in distress (described gorgeously), blood-drenched history, darkness in the past of the noble family in question, mistrust & misplaced trust, faith & betrayal, terrific suspense. In short: you would hardly notice when the brief chapters have flown by, and you are gasping with the open-ended solution that is offered in the final pages.
Despite all such glory-words, I have certain problems with this novel. Too many issues were left unresolved (or, at least, not exactly resolved to my satisfaction). The antagonist was not dealt with adequately, without punishing the man/wolf for the murders that he had committed (5 and counting!). And despite being a very gothic thriller, and an accomplished horror novel, the mystery was not that difficult to solve. All these factors have compelled me to drop a star. Recommended, but if you wish to read a proper gothic mystery-cum-thriller, try to get hold of Ron Weighell’s “The Shadow of The Wolf” (available from Calabash Press collection of his stories, as well as in “The Werewolf Pack” edited by Mark Valentine): a Sherlock Holmes pastiche that is better than this volume, on each & every count.
This, is a “werewolf” novel, apart from many other things, namely: a gothic thriller, a study in narrative tautness while describing things in broad strokes of white & black, and a well-researched view of East European wilderness as perceived by fin-de-siècle scholars. The story is well known: a group of scholars, who specialise in folklore associated with the bizarre & the risqué elements, are invited to the Castle Homolky atop the Hungarian type of Lugos. The countryside had been seeing the depredations of a pack of wolves, led by a wolf whose cunning and near-invincibility has already thrown an aura of supernatural around it and the killings. And then, along-with the folklorists, something else enters the castle and starts roaming its dark & haunted corridors for a kill: a werewolf! There are damsels in distress (described gorgeously), blood-drenched history, darkness in the past of the noble family in question, mistrust & misplaced trust, faith & betrayal, terrific suspense. In short: you would hardly notice when the brief chapters have flown by, and you are gasping with the open-ended solution that is offered in the final pages.
Despite all such glory-words, I have certain problems with this novel. Too many issues were left unresolved (or, at least, not exactly resolved to my satisfaction). The antagonist was not dealt with adequately, without punishing the man/wolf for the murders that he had committed (5 and counting!). And despite being a very gothic thriller, and an accomplished horror novel, the mystery was not that difficult to solve. All these factors have compelled me to drop a star. Recommended, but if you wish to read a proper gothic mystery-cum-thriller, try to get hold of Ron Weighell’s “The Shadow of The Wolf” (available from Calabash Press collection of his stories, as well as in “The Werewolf Pack” edited by Mark Valentine): a Sherlock Holmes pastiche that is better than this volume, on each & every count.
April 15, 2022
A werewolf novel that is not your average dog.
June 4, 2025
As with Copper's other "gothic" novel, Necropolis, the best and most unsettling elements are the hints at the weird and supernatural: the strange smell on Nadia, the strange smells of the plants, the recurrence of silver objects and items in the castle, the wolf-like features of various persons. Copper, however, does nothing to expand on those moments, and I frankly think he didn't even intend for those moments to work as they did.
October 21, 2024
This hit my sweet spot. Remote Hungarian mansions in the 1800s with murder mysteries abounding as science types look for a werewolf (or potential murderer) among them are hard to top as far as setting goes. It's the kind of tale where characters are revived from physical ordeals by sips of brandy. Love that
December 17, 2023
I went into this basically blind and ended up discovering one of the best gothic novels I have ever read. I can not recommend this enough to anyone who enjoys werewolves and anything of the gothic variety.
February 9, 2018
Wonderfully, refreshingly Gothic werewolf story. I loved atmosphere of the setting - Hungarian castle in late 19th century.
November 16, 2023
A murder mystery with werewolf overtones. It works, though without being spectacular or especially inventive.
August 13, 2025
2 1/2
March 22, 2016
lot of science reading. This past week, however, I jumped back into the fiction, picking up Basil Copper‘s 1983 novel The House of the Wolf.
It is not difficult to deduce from the title that The House of the Wolf is about werewolves! In fact, that realization made me reluctant to pick up the book, which has been sitting on my shelf for at least six months, simply because I (personally) find werewolf stories a little tedious. (One notable exception: Valancourt’s collection of very early werewolf stories that I’ve blogged about before.)
As I should have known, however, from my previous experiences with Copper’s writing, The House of the Wolf is quite fun! A Gothic novel similar to his earlier Necropolis (1980) and his later The Black Death (1991), it is a mixture of horror and mystery that is slow to start but quite stunning by the end.
Read the whole review.
It is not difficult to deduce from the title that The House of the Wolf is about werewolves! In fact, that realization made me reluctant to pick up the book, which has been sitting on my shelf for at least six months, simply because I (personally) find werewolf stories a little tedious. (One notable exception: Valancourt’s collection of very early werewolf stories that I’ve blogged about before.)
As I should have known, however, from my previous experiences with Copper’s writing, The House of the Wolf is quite fun! A Gothic novel similar to his earlier Necropolis (1980) and his later The Black Death (1991), it is a mixture of horror and mystery that is slow to start but quite stunning by the end.
Read the whole review.
February 20, 2012
Not a startlingly original book, but a book that brings together all the right classic elements--werewolves; an Eastern European setting, complete with ancient castle and isolated village in the depths of winter; mysterious strangers; etc--and assembles them into very enjoyable Gothic mix. Perfect for deep winter reading.
June 19, 2015
This gets a full three stars mainly for the terror it inspired in me as a 10-year-old child. I didn't find it quite as effective 25 years later, but it deserves credit for being a book I still think about after all these years.
November 22, 2018
I gave up. The Mother of All Clichés.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews