This is another story that was bundled together with collection that also contained John Polidori's take on the vampire. Published in 1896, The Were-Wolf is a short story written by Clemence Housman. I say horror story but it also falls into the drama category. After all, you get generous doses of human angst and relationship woes, not to mention a bit of moral message about the age old fight between good and evil. 

The overall story is quite simple. It is set in a cold, far off location in Scandinavia where a little farming settlement is plagued by animal attacks. The two main characters of this family setting are two brothers called Sven and Christian. The former is the popular, athletic one who lets reason be his guide (well, most of the time) while latter is a lanky yet swift brother who is open-minded about paranormal activity and such.

Enter an enigmatic woman called White Fell. She wins over the brawn of the family and comes by quiet often on her travels. Christian starts suspecting that she is actually a shape-shifter but is unable to convince anyone else. Now, the less assertive brother must find a way to save his brother before the were wolf takes his life.

The Were-Wolf was a fascinating read for many reasons. Firstly, how often do you come across a female shapeshifter who is a wolf? Alright, as a friend also pointed out to me, the word 'werewolf' has gender specification in it etymological roots and thus, it is not wonder that all werewolf happened to be men. Then again, a bit more research pointed out that 'wolf' could refer to women, especially those who were considered social deviants. Plus, there were tales of berserkers in the Scandinavian regions where fighters would don wolf skins as part of their guise. The point is, there is no real reason why you couldn't include a female shapeshifter in a horror story. And in this case, it was refreshing to see it played out as such. 

Secondly, the author's writing style added substance to what, in another writer's hands, might have been gimmicky little fireside tale to scare little kids. Housman is clearly a gifted author and this is obvious in the narrative style. She has a flair for creating the right atmosphere; you can feel the tension in the air as well as the fear felt by various characters.

Furthermore, given that this was a short story, I was surprised at her ability to flesh out distinctive personalities for Sven and Christian. Their beliefs, their emotions, their own unique problem-solving methods and the way they felt about each other all contributed to the way the plot unfolded. The story is as much about a brother battling to save another's life (and soul) as much as it is about a bloodthirsty werewolf preying on folks in a smallholding.

Actually, that brings up two aspects that was a bit outdated and thereby, can be off-putting for modern readers. Housman clearly felt strongly about moral issues and therefore, the concept of saving one's soul and embracing spirituality is a big theme within the plot. However, for most readers, this viewpoint can seem a bit preachy. As it is, I was annoyed that the brother who accepted logic and reason was painted as the gullible one who needed saving.

The second aspect is the portrayal of women. I am guessing that, since this book was written by a woman, it is no surprise that the powerful villain ended up as a female character. I mean, how many 19th century novels would depict a strong and cunning female character? Having said that, what was distressing was the reference to other women being delicate and weak. The worry-wart brother, Christian, dared not attack White Fell because she took the form of a woman. And he fretted about the were wolf attacking women and children of the household, of alarming them unduly etc. etc. Maybe this was the author's idea of the perfect hero?