The Wolf Man

by Alfred Machard

Alfred Machard, in "The Wolf Man", has written a thoroughly unconventional crime story, a story in which the character of the actors is elaborated rather than the sensation of the plot. An escaped French convict, within five days of the completion of his term, finds himself under suspicion. Hampered on every side, he appeals to a secret society of escaped convicts to aid him. The story is admirably told, and the character sketching is excellent. Basis for the now lost films Le Loup Garou (France, 1924) and Gehetzte Menschen (Germany, 1932).

319 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1920

About the author

Alfred Machard was born October 12, 1887 in Paris, France. He was a writer, playwright, screenwriter, and actor. Two of his early novels have been translated into English: Le massacre des innocents: légende du temps de la guerre (1918) translated into English under the title The Innocents: A Legend of War-Time, and Le Loup Garou (1920), titled The Wolf Man (The Were-wolf) (1925) in English translation. He also wrote a number of books not yet translated such as Quand minuit sonnera (1936), L'homme sans coeur (1937), and Ah, quelle équipe! (1957). He died on December 5, 1962 in France.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is quite obscure now and deservedly so, I'm afraid. I purchased it thinking I was going to be having the pleasure of reading an early werewolf story. I was mistaken. No werewolf appears in the story despite the fact that its French title Le Loup Garou literally means The Werewolf. The only werewolf featured is the one the father, protagonist Bernier, tells his son will appear to eat the boy unless the boy behaves properly. It works. The son buys it, stays by his father, and believes they are on the run from a werewolf.

What the father is really on the run from is the law. Apparently, France, at least at this time, unlike the U.S., has a statute of limitations on the crime of murder. The protagonist, once unjustly imprisoned for murder, escaped and has four more days before he no longer has to worry about becoming reincarcerated if recaptured. He has lived a good life since his escape and is a widower with an adorable young son.

An incident occurs to expose Bernier and put him on the run. Unfortunately, Bernier has no resources. So he enlists the aid of a secret society of escaped or ex-convicts to help him evade capture. The society agrees to help Bernier, but only if he commits crimes for them, which then threatens to place Bernier behind bars again for years. Can Bernier refuse the society's offer of assistance and stay free though? This is the dilemma the novel poses.

I give this story two stars, GoodReads' okay rating, despite its great readability--there is a lot of well written dialogue--because the story is terribly melodramatic by today's standards. It also relies on a number of improbabilities, not the least of which is the existence of the well-organized society designed to aid ex-convicts, that itself engages in illegal activity. It's a non-sequitur just like a "League of Anarchists" promoting organized anarchy would be. Also, it's too coincidental that after years of living off the grid, Bernier becomes known again four days before it will never matter.

The plot did generate some amount of suspense, but not enough to keep me continuously reading. It took a full month for me to finish this relatively short work.

[R. W. Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like Dan, who wrote a review before me, I thought I would read an early introduction to the story of The Wolf Man. You know, Lon Chaney Jr. (1941), or a more modern example, Benicio Del Toro (2010), or even a more comedic example staring Michael Landon in “I Was A Teenage Werewolf” (1957). And after reading the book and discovering I was in error, I was not disappointed.

This was an entertaining mystery that unfolds on the streets of Paris circa 1925. The protagonist is interesting to follow in his trials and tribulations with his dear son in tow. The entire story takes place in what amounts to a few days. But the excitement in that time is very entertaining.

Go ahead, give this short story a try if you are looking for a 1925 Paris setting that includes mystery and suspense. But be careful, the Wolf Man is always near! LOL, LOL, LOL