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O Lobo
Nesta fábula moderna, Joseph Smith narra a travessia de um lobo por um inverno rigoroso. Acostumado a ser temido por outros animais, ele agora se vê cada vez mais fraco, até o ponto em que, desesperado para encontrar alimento, será forçado a tomar trilhas imprevisíveis. Pela primeira vez, sua sobrevivência está em jogo. Ao longo desta trama envolvente e inusitada, narrada pelo próprio lobo, passamos a conhecer as alucinações e os medos mais íntimos da fera.
"Um romance ousado, que alcança o mais difícil dos desafios: alterar levemente o mundo para o leitor.” The Observer
"Smith atinge um ponto crucial: há um pouco do lobo em cada um de nós.” Time Out
"Sou o lobo, o ceifador de vidas: o predador. Ataco de olhos abertos e vejo a morte luminosa e feroz pular no olhar da minha presa. Sou o lobo, a sombra que traz a luz da morte, a vida que concede a liberdade aos rebanhos temerosos e lutadores e que põe fim ao sofrimento dos fracos."
Com um texto ágil, cinematográfico, Joseph Smith recria os momentos trágicos de um lobo e a sua desesperada procura por alimento, em meio a um inverno rigoroso que assola a floresta onde ele vive. Fraco, sentindo que o auge de suas forças talvez já tenha passado, não lhe resta mais nada a não ser sacrificar suas antigas seguranças em busca de uma salvação. O lobo é uma fábula moderna, uma surpreendente parábola sobre a sobrevivência e a superação.
"Um romance ousado, que alcança o mais difícil dos desafios: alterar levemente o mundo para o leitor.” The Observer
"Smith atinge um ponto crucial: há um pouco do lobo em cada um de nós.” Time Out
"Sou o lobo, o ceifador de vidas: o predador. Ataco de olhos abertos e vejo a morte luminosa e feroz pular no olhar da minha presa. Sou o lobo, a sombra que traz a luz da morte, a vida que concede a liberdade aos rebanhos temerosos e lutadores e que põe fim ao sofrimento dos fracos."
Com um texto ágil, cinematográfico, Joseph Smith recria os momentos trágicos de um lobo e a sua desesperada procura por alimento, em meio a um inverno rigoroso que assola a floresta onde ele vive. Fraco, sentindo que o auge de suas forças talvez já tenha passado, não lhe resta mais nada a não ser sacrificar suas antigas seguranças em busca de uma salvação. O lobo é uma fábula moderna, uma surpreendente parábola sobre a sobrevivência e a superação.
136 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2008
8 people are currently reading
2603 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Smith
5 books20 followersJoseph Smith is the author of the novellas The Wolf , Taurus and a collection of short stories Finally My Ambulance. He is a dad and a husband, and lives and works in France.
He is passionate about great books that he has read, some of which are reviewed on this site.
In his time he has been an administrator, a student of philosophy, a secretary, an estate agent and a professional gambler.
Inspired by Barry Lopez's Of Wolves and Men, he wrote his debut novella The Wolf while living alone in the snowy north of England. It is a tale of a lone animal facing an increasing struggle against nature, a mixture of nature writing and fantasy. The villain of fairytales and traveller's myths, turned hero of his own adventure.
The Wolf was Irish Times Literary Event of the Year 2008, and was published worldwide.
Taurus is the opposite story: the shadow of the wild wolf, the tale of a domesticated fighting bull trapped in routine and boredom, slowly becoming aware of his own power, and what he might do with it.
Joe Smith's most recent book is Finally My Ambulance, a coherent flow of short stories, best read as a whole, linked in theme and tone.
He continues to write.
He is passionate about great books that he has read, some of which are reviewed on this site.
In his time he has been an administrator, a student of philosophy, a secretary, an estate agent and a professional gambler.
Inspired by Barry Lopez's Of Wolves and Men, he wrote his debut novella The Wolf while living alone in the snowy north of England. It is a tale of a lone animal facing an increasing struggle against nature, a mixture of nature writing and fantasy. The villain of fairytales and traveller's myths, turned hero of his own adventure.
The Wolf was Irish Times Literary Event of the Year 2008, and was published worldwide.
Taurus is the opposite story: the shadow of the wild wolf, the tale of a domesticated fighting bull trapped in routine and boredom, slowly becoming aware of his own power, and what he might do with it.
Joe Smith's most recent book is Finally My Ambulance, a coherent flow of short stories, best read as a whole, linked in theme and tone.
He continues to write.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
January 9, 2016
I was so close to giving this novella four stars. So very close. But let me tell you why it ended up with only three:
There's a lot to admire about this little book. The wolf felt like a well-developed character, even without knowing his name (although, not needed), and the altogether absence of dialogue. I was with him all the way on this harsh, Winter's journey through forest, field, and cliff. It's a sobering look through the eyes of a predator in the depths of a brutal landscape & season.
Now, all that aside, here's where it niggled me, and bear in mind once more, there is no dialogue, the way the animals in this novella communicate is by looking into one another's eyes, and telepathically showing memories, intentions, and emotions. I found this to be a bit too fantastical for my tastes, especially in what should be such a grounded literary work. I give Mr. Smith credit, though, for his creative take on animal conversation. That there brought the book down one star for me.
I decommissioned the next star because of the ending. Although fitting and realistic as it was, it left me feeling a bit... down. The pages leading up to it involve a surprisingly gripping encounter with a trapped, weakened swan, and the wolf's philosophical ponderings on the nature of predator and prey, life and death, and (astoundingly) a somewhat sense of morality. I was heading home from the city on the train, and my stop was fast approaching as I arrived at the climax of this passage, and I almost stayed seated (which would've resulted in me missing my station) to see how it ended. As gripped as I was, it concluded (the entire story) in a bleak manner. Once again, it left me feeling a tad upset, actually. Goodbye four star book, hello acceptable three stars.
There's a lot to admire about this little book. The wolf felt like a well-developed character, even without knowing his name (although, not needed), and the altogether absence of dialogue. I was with him all the way on this harsh, Winter's journey through forest, field, and cliff. It's a sobering look through the eyes of a predator in the depths of a brutal landscape & season.
Now, all that aside, here's where it niggled me, and bear in mind once more, there is no dialogue, the way the animals in this novella communicate is by looking into one another's eyes, and telepathically showing memories, intentions, and emotions. I found this to be a bit too fantastical for my tastes, especially in what should be such a grounded literary work. I give Mr. Smith credit, though, for his creative take on animal conversation. That there brought the book down one star for me.
I decommissioned the next star because of the ending. Although fitting and realistic as it was, it left me feeling a bit... down. The pages leading up to it involve a surprisingly gripping encounter with a trapped, weakened swan, and the wolf's philosophical ponderings on the nature of predator and prey, life and death, and (astoundingly) a somewhat sense of morality. I was heading home from the city on the train, and my stop was fast approaching as I arrived at the climax of this passage, and I almost stayed seated (which would've resulted in me missing my station) to see how it ended. As gripped as I was, it concluded (the entire story) in a bleak manner. Once again, it left me feeling a tad upset, actually. Goodbye four star book, hello acceptable three stars.
April 12, 2023
"A neve o frio espremeram a vida da floresta ou a sugaram para saciar a própria fome desesperada."
A sensação era de ler uma Fábula de Escopo mas longa como a caminhada do lobo... Bem poético.
A sensação era de ler uma Fábula de Escopo mas longa como a caminhada do lobo... Bem poético.
February 1, 2012
‘The Wolf, a novella by Joseph Smith, tells the tale of survival during a harsh winter through the perspective of the titular character. Prowling through the dense layer of snow, the animal hunts for food with desperation driving it as far as to attack a flock of sheep on the territory of the wolf’s most feared and hated enemy, the man.
Obviously, the point of view of ‘The Wolf’ is the most remarkable and memorable aspect of the entire book. To tell a story without dialogue, names or a clear narrative structure, is really enough to make this novel a remarkable feat.
Surprisingly, the wolf comes across as a well rounded character, without becoming too humanlike. If anything, it can be compared to a serial killer; an attacker thrilled by the chase and the kill and utterly in his element with his surroundings. There is a deep respect for nature in all its shapes and aspects for it defines what the wolf is. An almost overconfident – so flawed – creature, seemingly at the top of his game and undisputed by his surroundings. A look into the mind of a predator – a hunter, but not a human one.
Yet, despite the harsh winter that is now completely controlling the wolf’s life, it seems to find plenty of time to sink away into semi-philosophical reminiscing, endlessly pondering its reason of being, the meaning of being a hunter versus a hunted creature etc., becoming a little too human.
What felt even more out of place was the way Smith figured the animals seem to communicate with each other in this book. By looking into each others’ eyes, they seem able to discuss matters at hand telepathically. Deals are made between characters, roads to travel discussed and argues fought out, all without a scrap of dialogue but through the power of the mind, simply by looking into the other’s eyes. A little too experimental and fantastical for such an austere and sober story.
So as a narrative experiment, it has both its successful and failed results. Though not a spectacular or highly memorable novel, 'The Wolf' can be considered a good addiction to the portfolio of a young author, a promisingly calling card and a warm-up for whatever material he will come up with later on in his carrier.
Obviously, the point of view of ‘The Wolf’ is the most remarkable and memorable aspect of the entire book. To tell a story without dialogue, names or a clear narrative structure, is really enough to make this novel a remarkable feat.
Surprisingly, the wolf comes across as a well rounded character, without becoming too humanlike. If anything, it can be compared to a serial killer; an attacker thrilled by the chase and the kill and utterly in his element with his surroundings. There is a deep respect for nature in all its shapes and aspects for it defines what the wolf is. An almost overconfident – so flawed – creature, seemingly at the top of his game and undisputed by his surroundings. A look into the mind of a predator – a hunter, but not a human one.
Yet, despite the harsh winter that is now completely controlling the wolf’s life, it seems to find plenty of time to sink away into semi-philosophical reminiscing, endlessly pondering its reason of being, the meaning of being a hunter versus a hunted creature etc., becoming a little too human.
What felt even more out of place was the way Smith figured the animals seem to communicate with each other in this book. By looking into each others’ eyes, they seem able to discuss matters at hand telepathically. Deals are made between characters, roads to travel discussed and argues fought out, all without a scrap of dialogue but through the power of the mind, simply by looking into the other’s eyes. A little too experimental and fantastical for such an austere and sober story.
So as a narrative experiment, it has both its successful and failed results. Though not a spectacular or highly memorable novel, 'The Wolf' can be considered a good addiction to the portfolio of a young author, a promisingly calling card and a warm-up for whatever material he will come up with later on in his carrier.
October 18, 2013
Joseph Smith’s first novel, a tale about a lone wolf struggling to survive the winter, is beautifully written and easily to follow its plot. The chapters are flowing one after the other in a well-made attempt to keep the reader interested and focused. A story narrated through the eyes of a wild animal, The Wolf is not only an interesting piece of writing but also a reminder of the animal instincts that are buried deep within each of us.
“Even as I stand here hesitating, alive and able to live for another chance at killing, I do so for the first time as the haunted, as the thing feeling its own life instead of ripping it from another.” Although it is one of the many winters the wolf has to struggle to survive, its paws take it through new adventures the wild animal did not encounter before. Different situations make the beast feel a variation of sensations he never felt before: the shame of letting your hunt go, the terror of being the one hunted by men, the compassion for hunters like itself that have fell low and finally the pity for the degrading creature it has become.
Narrated in eleven chapters the novella is a story made for anyone to read and interpret in the way the feel. Some people may believe it to be the quest of a lone wolf for survival, others may only comprehend the sorrowful feelings of a beast that is slowly pacing to its death. Whatever the reader chooses to understand or feel, the novel is a short story written to make a tribute to the fiercely and proud hunter that is pitifully taken as low as to become the haunted. Without even once aspersing its dignity as the most feared beast, the author shows that even the mighty wolf will eventually be taken over by such feelings as fear or uneasiness.
“Even as I stand here hesitating, alive and able to live for another chance at killing, I do so for the first time as the haunted, as the thing feeling its own life instead of ripping it from another.” Although it is one of the many winters the wolf has to struggle to survive, its paws take it through new adventures the wild animal did not encounter before. Different situations make the beast feel a variation of sensations he never felt before: the shame of letting your hunt go, the terror of being the one hunted by men, the compassion for hunters like itself that have fell low and finally the pity for the degrading creature it has become.
Narrated in eleven chapters the novella is a story made for anyone to read and interpret in the way the feel. Some people may believe it to be the quest of a lone wolf for survival, others may only comprehend the sorrowful feelings of a beast that is slowly pacing to its death. Whatever the reader chooses to understand or feel, the novel is a short story written to make a tribute to the fiercely and proud hunter that is pitifully taken as low as to become the haunted. Without even once aspersing its dignity as the most feared beast, the author shows that even the mighty wolf will eventually be taken over by such feelings as fear or uneasiness.
October 5, 2024
Temos aqui uma fábula moderna, onde o protagonista, um lobo faminto, luta pela sobrevivência no inverno mais rigoroso que já passou.
A comida está muito escassa, ele se depara com uma fera que, ao ser abatida poderá lhe proporcionar comida para mantê-lo saciado por muito tempo. Ela consegue escapar e o lobo passa a se questionar sobre suas habilidades de grande e temido predador.
Sua auto confiança vai caindo à medida que a fome aumenta e ele tem alguns encontros que o introduzem a um sentimento até então, praticamente desconhecido: o medo.
Medo do bicho-homem, de uma esperta raposa e de se ver numa armadilha fétida e claustrofóbica que divide com um cisne amedrontrado.
Histórico de leitura
"Lá de dentro da floresta, à minha frente, eu posso ouvir um rangido de patas na neve. Tudo mais está quieto."
A comida está muito escassa, ele se depara com uma fera que, ao ser abatida poderá lhe proporcionar comida para mantê-lo saciado por muito tempo. Ela consegue escapar e o lobo passa a se questionar sobre suas habilidades de grande e temido predador.
Sua auto confiança vai caindo à medida que a fome aumenta e ele tem alguns encontros que o introduzem a um sentimento até então, praticamente desconhecido: o medo.
Medo do bicho-homem, de uma esperta raposa e de se ver numa armadilha fétida e claustrofóbica que divide com um cisne amedrontrado.
Histórico de leitura
"Lá de dentro da floresta, à minha frente, eu posso ouvir um rangido de patas na neve. Tudo mais está quieto."
July 2, 2013
Reviewed By: A Simple Taste for Reading
"I am the wolf, the taker of life: the predator."
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
The wolf, one of my favorite animals, admired from afar. The beauty in the creature and the brutal killer it really is. I would like to thank the author, Joseph Smith for sending me his book for review! The cover of this book is quite intriguing and the pages are filled with drawings quite the same. It brings the simplicity out in the book.
We can never really know what a wolf is thinking. We can watch with our human eyes and see the magic in the creature, but we cannot know, cannot feel the true heart of them. Joseph writes for us through the eyes of The Wolf. Winter comes for him, it comes for us, we are cozy in our homes with no worries as he is fighting the deep pains of hunger. We read through the eyes of The Wolf as he thoughtfully battles through winter and the constant thoughts of life and death. Finding the opportunity at hunting for food becoming less as winter sets in. He gives a fox the option of life, in return the fox shows him the way to a meal that will keep him full and happy. Along the way The Wolf fights many battles, and the honest brutality of it all. One must do what one must to survive.
My favorite part in the book:
"Whatever occurred last night cannot be undone. It was a shock to feel such things but I am still alive and while I have this life no matter how weak I become I will continue forwards. As nothing can outrun me, no fear or memory will be able to keep pace, to follow the paths I take from here."
"I am the wolf, the taker of life: the predator."
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
The wolf, one of my favorite animals, admired from afar. The beauty in the creature and the brutal killer it really is. I would like to thank the author, Joseph Smith for sending me his book for review! The cover of this book is quite intriguing and the pages are filled with drawings quite the same. It brings the simplicity out in the book.
We can never really know what a wolf is thinking. We can watch with our human eyes and see the magic in the creature, but we cannot know, cannot feel the true heart of them. Joseph writes for us through the eyes of The Wolf. Winter comes for him, it comes for us, we are cozy in our homes with no worries as he is fighting the deep pains of hunger. We read through the eyes of The Wolf as he thoughtfully battles through winter and the constant thoughts of life and death. Finding the opportunity at hunting for food becoming less as winter sets in. He gives a fox the option of life, in return the fox shows him the way to a meal that will keep him full and happy. Along the way The Wolf fights many battles, and the honest brutality of it all. One must do what one must to survive.
My favorite part in the book:
"Whatever occurred last night cannot be undone. It was a shock to feel such things but I am still alive and while I have this life no matter how weak I become I will continue forwards. As nothing can outrun me, no fear or memory will be able to keep pace, to follow the paths I take from here."
July 5, 2015
With beautifully descriptive passages and vivid imagery, author Joseph Smith takes us inside the wolf's mind. In the coldest winter this wolf has ever known, his belly is empty and all he can find to snack on are mice and small critters. When he finally sees suitable prey,his ego reminds him how fierce and powerful he is. When the beast stuns him with one kick, then escapes, the wolf must decide the value of following outside his home territory, his comfort zone.
He decides to venture down the hill into "man's" area. There wolf experiences fear for the first time. Racing back to familiar territory, wolf's thoughts reframe the experience. He knows that if man came to his home, man would not escape.
So many thoughts fill wolf's mind. When he gets close enough to see other creatures eye to eye they exchange thought pictures. Fear impacts wolf's thoughts but his ego overrides those thoughts around another predator. Ego is greedy so wolf spares a fox's life in dreams of a larger prize. As events move further, wolf cannot truly interpret fox's messages but dares not believe himself to be the weaker. His desire to survive and be thought the strongest and greatest predator keeps him moving forward when a lesser creature would have lost hope.
Eventually life be comes a question of will and self preservation over circumstances.
How does wolf justify his actions?
Will he remain true to his values?
How does the reader see himself in this tale?
I did receive a copy of the book in exchange for my home st review.
He decides to venture down the hill into "man's" area. There wolf experiences fear for the first time. Racing back to familiar territory, wolf's thoughts reframe the experience. He knows that if man came to his home, man would not escape.
So many thoughts fill wolf's mind. When he gets close enough to see other creatures eye to eye they exchange thought pictures. Fear impacts wolf's thoughts but his ego overrides those thoughts around another predator. Ego is greedy so wolf spares a fox's life in dreams of a larger prize. As events move further, wolf cannot truly interpret fox's messages but dares not believe himself to be the weaker. His desire to survive and be thought the strongest and greatest predator keeps him moving forward when a lesser creature would have lost hope.
Eventually life be comes a question of will and self preservation over circumstances.
How does wolf justify his actions?
Will he remain true to his values?
How does the reader see himself in this tale?
I did receive a copy of the book in exchange for my home st review.
October 13, 2013
I won this book through goodreads first-reads. I’ve never been infatuated with wolves but they are beautiful and inspiring animals, and that’s what drew me to the book. The lovely, simple cover design was a bonus too.
We follow the wolf through a journey in the harsh Winter, where he’s struggling to find food. This is a very philosophical read, it touches on a lot of things and gave me much to think about. This did mean for me that it was quite a slow read.
Much of the book is about the relationship between predator and prey, and the changes in that relationship at times. The wolf is a narrator I switched between liking and disliking. I wasn’t always on his side, but I was interested throughout the whole book.
I didn’t really put myself in the place of the wolf while reading. Instead, the main things I thought about were the moments we feel most alive, and the power we as humans have given ourselves over nature. For me, the wolf was an experience that made me think rather than feel. I’ve disliked novels this year for that reason, but in The Wolf it was what I’d hoped for.
I will probably pick up the other novel by the author like this, Taurus, which has been published with The Wolf by Vintage. This isn’t a type of book I would read often, but it was a new reading experience for me and I hope the author does well in the future.
We follow the wolf through a journey in the harsh Winter, where he’s struggling to find food. This is a very philosophical read, it touches on a lot of things and gave me much to think about. This did mean for me that it was quite a slow read.
Much of the book is about the relationship between predator and prey, and the changes in that relationship at times. The wolf is a narrator I switched between liking and disliking. I wasn’t always on his side, but I was interested throughout the whole book.
I didn’t really put myself in the place of the wolf while reading. Instead, the main things I thought about were the moments we feel most alive, and the power we as humans have given ourselves over nature. For me, the wolf was an experience that made me think rather than feel. I’ve disliked novels this year for that reason, but in The Wolf it was what I’d hoped for.
I will probably pick up the other novel by the author like this, Taurus, which has been published with The Wolf by Vintage. This isn’t a type of book I would read often, but it was a new reading experience for me and I hope the author does well in the future.
August 6, 2009
El debut de Joseph Smith desprende un poderoso aroma a clásico... O, al menos, eso es lo que pretende (encarecidamente). La pretensión es tan intensa que, por momentos, no sabes si es algo natural o forzado en un intento del joven británico de conducir su prosa hacia nombres clásicos como Herman Hesse y otros expertos en facturar cuentos morales (elevadamente intelectuales).
Este pequeño cuento, cruel y destartalado, narra las peripecias de un lobo filtradas a través del don de Smith para la palabra cristalina: su prosa es fluida y transparente sin renunciar a los claroscuros morales de la vida de todo animal. Incluido el ser humano. La acción transcurre en un invierno particularmente duro en el que los valores intrínsecos de la naturaleza se invierten: víctimas que ayudan a sus depredadores y lobos que no pueden morder… ¿Alegoría de tiempos de crisis? ¿Pretenciosidad que se estrella contra su propia abstracción? Como siempre, la palabra final la tiene el lector. Aunque, si hay que fiarse de su éxito en ventas, parece que los lectores ya se han pronunciado... Ahora bien, si hay que fiarse de quien hace esta reseña, me da a mí que es com si J.K. Rowling estuviera viviendo su particular sobredosis de Hesse (y barbitúricos): pretendida literatura moral y elevada para las masas.
Este pequeño cuento, cruel y destartalado, narra las peripecias de un lobo filtradas a través del don de Smith para la palabra cristalina: su prosa es fluida y transparente sin renunciar a los claroscuros morales de la vida de todo animal. Incluido el ser humano. La acción transcurre en un invierno particularmente duro en el que los valores intrínsecos de la naturaleza se invierten: víctimas que ayudan a sus depredadores y lobos que no pueden morder… ¿Alegoría de tiempos de crisis? ¿Pretenciosidad que se estrella contra su propia abstracción? Como siempre, la palabra final la tiene el lector. Aunque, si hay que fiarse de su éxito en ventas, parece que los lectores ya se han pronunciado... Ahora bien, si hay que fiarse de quien hace esta reseña, me da a mí que es com si J.K. Rowling estuviera viviendo su particular sobredosis de Hesse (y barbitúricos): pretendida literatura moral y elevada para las masas.
June 21, 2009
"Forse spera di stancarmi, ma non sa che più cerca di farmi desistere, più cerca di tenermi a distanza e più io divento forte.
E' lo sbaglio che fanno sempre i più forti. Credono di potermi scoraggiare mostrandosi agguerriti e decisi a scacciarmi. Ma la loro aggressività non fa che accrescere la mia fame di abbatterli. E questa bestia, la bestia che adesso seguo negli ultimi grigi di questo giorno d'inverno, ben presto sarà molto più stanca, molto più debole di me. Ormai so che è sempre così con loro, con queste creature, e pur riuscendo ad essere pericolose anche nel momento di massima debolezza - anche al termine dell'inseguimento più lungo e spossante, quando hanno ancora la possibilità di sfuggirmi - sono sempre io a prevalere: la mia brama di morte è sempre più forte della loro voglia di vita."
E' lo sbaglio che fanno sempre i più forti. Credono di potermi scoraggiare mostrandosi agguerriti e decisi a scacciarmi. Ma la loro aggressività non fa che accrescere la mia fame di abbatterli. E questa bestia, la bestia che adesso seguo negli ultimi grigi di questo giorno d'inverno, ben presto sarà molto più stanca, molto più debole di me. Ormai so che è sempre così con loro, con queste creature, e pur riuscendo ad essere pericolose anche nel momento di massima debolezza - anche al termine dell'inseguimento più lungo e spossante, quando hanno ancora la possibilità di sfuggirmi - sono sempre io a prevalere: la mia brama di morte è sempre più forte della loro voglia di vita."
March 11, 2010
Esta siendo un libro muy corto pero extremadamente interesante; sobretodo por las descripciones que te hacen entrar en la cabeza y los ojos del propio animal; por ahora excelente.
Os dejo la descripción de la contraportada:
Entre los árboles de un bosque nevado, en lo más crudo del frío invierno, habita nuestro protagonista: el lobo, un depredador hambriento. Gracias a su mirada, el lector viaja por el paisaje helado, comprende la ferocidad del animal y le acompaña en su reto. Sin embargo, un tropiezo desafortunado pone a prueba su propia naturaleza, llevándole a debatirse entre la vida y la muerte...
"Es difícil explicar la maravillosa conmoción que provoca su lectura. Desde la primera a la última de sus páginas, llenas de imágenes cautivadoras y símbolos, el lector sigue sobrecogido a la peripecia de ese animal terrible, hambriento e inicialmente despiadado" Jacinto Antón.
September 24, 2015
I absolutely loved this book, it was vivid, gripping and took you deep into the mind of a wolf as he struggles to survive the harsh winter months. Smith uses vivid prose to make sure the reader feels every sense and emotion that the wolf does from the cold snow under your feet to the deep hunger gnawing at your soul. In doing so he captures the beauty and cold reality of the wolf and the natural world, bringing your own natural instincts to the surface as they react to the intensity of the situations the wolf finds himself in. This may only be a short novella but it is packed from start to finish and will leave you feeling breathless. All I can say is simply 'read it'.
July 6, 2014
"I am the wolf, the reaper of life; the predator." --my most favorite line.
The Wolf is written in the actual wolf, the animal's POV which was interesting and new. Reading the story, i feel like i'm really inside the predator's mind. it's thoughts, the things it sees, everything!
It's so refreshing to read and the feelings of pain and hunger by the wolf as he keeps himself alive during winter. his struggles and his failures of so many times to catch himself a prey.
reading it, personally, i can't help cheering on him. telling him he can do it. Truly, it was a great novel.
The Wolf is written in the actual wolf, the animal's POV which was interesting and new. Reading the story, i feel like i'm really inside the predator's mind. it's thoughts, the things it sees, everything!
It's so refreshing to read and the feelings of pain and hunger by the wolf as he keeps himself alive during winter. his struggles and his failures of so many times to catch himself a prey.
reading it, personally, i can't help cheering on him. telling him he can do it. Truly, it was a great novel.
September 29, 2014
This was a masterpiece, ive never read anything quite like this. The struggle the wolf goes through allows you to easily forget that he is a predator, every hunting scene was gut wrenching, even though it is written in an animals POV it is still so raw and unnerving. I really enjoyed this and im so glad i picked it up on a whim.
August 11, 2014
The imagery was perfect and the definition and the movements of the wolf are also very real! It was quite ironic how the swan he wanted to devour was the only thing he ended up saving in the end. (I do appreciate the treachery and the lies of the fox. Just goes to show how wolves and foxes never go so well.
December 26, 2014
I was enthralled by the start of this story so much so that I devoured it in one sitting. The story is from the point of view of a starving wolf trying to survive a harrowing winter. Very well-written, philosophical and poetic read, I would recommend it for anyone interested in exploring the brutality of the natural world.
I loved it!
I loved it!
August 5, 2009
The sheer magic of Joseph Smith's sophisticated first novel, which enters the mind of a starving wolf patrolling the harsh winter landscape. A strange encounter with a fox results in an uneasy journey.
September 27, 2009
Mai hagués pensat que una novel·la escrita des del punt de vista d'un llop pogués ser tan profundament humana sense deixar de ser rabiosament animal.
Me n'ha interessat sobretot la reflexió sobre el poder (i la capacitat d'exercir-lo o d'abstenir-se'n).
Me n'ha interessat sobretot la reflexió sobre el poder (i la capacitat d'exercir-lo o d'abstenir-se'n).
October 29, 2013
Interesting, Thought the book was very slow in places but it kinda fit the narrative. The setting was very well written as I was very cold while reading this. The slower pace of the book was a bit thick with writing. Enjoyable but not going to be a HAVE TO READ AGAIN, kinda book.
August 11, 2013
Bellissimo romanzo breve. Dopo averlo letto, qualcosa in voi cambierà. Impossibile dimenticarlo.
http://mrs-teapot.blogspot.it/2013/08...
http://mrs-teapot.blogspot.it/2013/08...
October 14, 2013
Non so perché, ma ha qualcosa che una volta finito mi ha fatto pensare al Gabbiano Jonathan Livingstone.
Anche se non è allo stesso livello.
Anche se non è allo stesso livello.
August 4, 2016
An excellent story, with a sophisticated and unique perspective which is very different from anything I have read before.
January 30, 2017
What an original book! I never read anything even close to this! A wild animal as a narrator, no dialogues at all.. Animals comunicating by staring at each other, projecting their memories! You're not only seeing the enviroment through the wolf's eyes, you're actually deep inside his mind, his needs, his feelings, his morality.. Very vivid read, enjoyed every last page, even if it was kinda slow at some points, i think this feature was adding to the staggered and confused mindset of the wolf.. Personaly i think that the last chapter, the one where he finds the swan, and whatever follows from there, is the highlight of the book.. From doing everything to survive as a strong predator to just trying to go back home, at the forest, just to have his final breath there at peace.. A proud animal that even in his final moment thought that the man's gun was not enough to kill him.. Not by itself.. He was never defeated by the man, the one thing he was afraid of..
Even if i wish the book was longer, i'll give it 5 stars for the thrilling time i had reading it!
Even if i wish the book was longer, i'll give it 5 stars for the thrilling time i had reading it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2020
"e, quando um frio além da neve e do gelo do inverno começa a me congelar — quando um cansaço maior do que a exaustão começa a me fechar o olho —, penso no cisne, e fico maravilhado com a nuvem que vejo, e como as nuvens se parecem com as coisas vivas." nessa fábula, a narrativa criada pelo autor apresenta ao leitor algumas analogias que servem para reflexão humana. a decadência do predador, que enfrenta um inverno rigoroso, um inverno diferente, algo totalmente novo para o lobo que se depara com diversos problemas durante a história, e sua busca interminável pela sobrevivência. seus atos de piedade diante da fome, seus sentimentos contraditórios em relação à raposa. é possível observar, na fábula, a mudança de perspectiva e reflexões do protagonista enquanto o seu período de dominância na floresta está acabando. em síntese, o autor utilizou uma escrita cinematográfica para narrar os limites da sobrevivência, do orgulho, e da natureza do indivíduo.
August 10, 2018
Esse livro trata principalmente da decadência de um predador, ñ há diálogos com palavras, mas há um "um compartilhamento de pensamentos" através dos olhos entre os animais que é interessante esteticamente. Percebi tambem um certo senso de humor bem suave do autor ao tratar dessa decadência, por exemplo no inicio ele esnoba de seus sentidos e instintos de caçador ao perseguir o que parecer ser um cervidio, porém na pág 122, já todo ferrado ele narra o seguinte: "o cisne provavelmente vai me enganar e eu me afogarei naquela água asquerosa.talvez até ele mesmo tente me sufocar ou me dar uma surra com suas asas" kkk confesso que ri nesta parte =p. Todos nos a partir de determinado momento entramos em desgaste e é exatamente nesse ponto que a dramaticidade do livro tocar algumas cordas incomodas do nosso intimo, por mais que se trate de seres não humanos.
February 22, 2020
"El lobo" es un libro único. El mérito narrativo de su autor, Joseph Smith, reside en que es capaz de ponernos en la piel del lobo, vivir la historia en más que en primerísima persona. El lenguaje es casi poético. La naturaleza, el bosque en el que se desarrolla la acción, es un personaje más. Y las descripciones de dicho entorno, una auténtica delicia. Una lectura muy acertada si se busca algo diferente.
"Estos árboles de mi hogar el hombre los considera barreras, la nieve la ve como un estorbo, el frío glacial y el viento cortante le parecen enemigos, pero yo amo esas cosas porque son las que me hacen fuerte: no me echan atrás, sino que siempre me han empujado adelante, lejos del recuerdo del hombre." (pág.37)
"Estos árboles de mi hogar el hombre los considera barreras, la nieve la ve como un estorbo, el frío glacial y el viento cortante le parecen enemigos, pero yo amo esas cosas porque son las que me hacen fuerte: no me echan atrás, sino que siempre me han empujado adelante, lejos del recuerdo del hombre." (pág.37)
February 11, 2026
Noto que me estoy muriendo, que casi estoy muerto: lo noto y nada podría devolverme ahora al bosque, lejos de aquí. Pero ¡no me matará el hombre!
Y mientras empieza a congelarme un frío más allá de la nieve y el hielo del invierno y un cansancio más allá del agotamiento comienza a cerrarme el ojo, pienso en el cisne y me pregunto sobre la nube que veo y sobre cómo a veces las nubes pueden parecer seres vivos.
Y mientras empieza a congelarme un frío más allá de la nieve y el hielo del invierno y un cansancio más allá del agotamiento comienza a cerrarme el ojo, pienso en el cisne y me pregunto sobre la nube que veo y sobre cómo a veces las nubes pueden parecer seres vivos.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2019
This tale of a lone wolf struggling to survive a harsh winter is easy to follow and well written. I particularly enjoyed the author using no dialog, and found communication of the animals by telepathy via memories and emotions quite intriguing.
The Wolf, which is the only name necessary for the protagonist, is a -sometimes brutal- reminder that animal instincts are buried deep within us all.
The Wolf, which is the only name necessary for the protagonist, is a -sometimes brutal- reminder that animal instincts are buried deep within us all.
April 12, 2020
No logro atraparme, las situaciones muchas veces no se me hicieron claras y no me motivaba a seguir leyendo, solo mi intención de terminar el libro lo hizo. Hubo dos o tres partes que me lograron mantener algo la atención pero no fue mucho. Quizás si se hiciera un corto con la historia seria mejor.
January 16, 2021
Interessante, de fácil leitura , o livro coloca o lobo como protagonista da história relatando seu percurso, seus devaneios, conflitos e obstáculos enfrentados, bem como sua visão dos humanos e outras espécies.
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