We're in the final stretch of the A-Z Challenge. Yahoo! The letter for today is W and I'm featuring, George Reynold's penny dreadful, Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf. Earlier in the A-Z Challenge, I blogged about Reynolds and mentioned some of his accomplishments including Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf. Today, I wanted to go into more detail about the penny dreadful and how important it's story was to the Gothic genre.
Like Varney the Vampire or Feast of Blood, Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf, is a classic piece of Gothic literature. Aside from the pack with the devil, many werewolf characteristics we use today originated from this serial. For example, Reynold's story was the one of the first English literature that mentions of a man transforming into a wolf-like creature.
From the back cover of Penny Dreadful Multipack Volume 1, (a book of the original penny dreadfuls with images) the series "is set in the sixteenth century and begins with a recently abandoned old man waiting in vain for his granddaughter to return and care for him as a storm rages in the ancient forest surrounding his isolated cottage. To his surprise, a stranger appears and offers him something he cannot refuse: beauty and youth. But it comes with a price as he must also suffer the curse of the werewolf. Love, violence, and intrigue are all weaved around Fernand Wagner as he struggles to balance being a human and a murderous animal. As things become more out of hand and uncontrollable, the secret he has been trying to hide may just have to come forth and be faced by all involved, including his beloved Nisida."
"Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf"
Like Varney the Vampire or Feast of Blood, Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf, is a classic piece of Gothic literature. Aside from the pack with the devil, many werewolf characteristics we use today originated from this serial. For example, Reynold's story was the one of the first English literature that mentions of a man transforming into a wolf-like creature.From the back cover of Penny Dreadful Multipack Volume 1, (a book of the original penny dreadfuls with images) the series "is set in the sixteenth century and begins with a recently abandoned old man waiting in vain for his granddaughter to return and care for him as a storm rages in the ancient forest surrounding his isolated cottage. To his surprise, a stranger appears and offers him something he cannot refuse: beauty and youth. But it comes with a price as he must also suffer the curse of the werewolf. Love, violence, and intrigue are all weaved around Fernand Wagner as he struggles to balance being a human and a murderous animal. As things become more out of hand and uncontrollable, the secret he has been trying to hide may just have to come forth and be faced by all involved, including his beloved Nisida."
Where can I get a copy of Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf ?
I found my FREE copy of George Reynold's penny dreadful, Wagner, the Wehr-Wolf via Gutenberg ebooks. Enjoy!
Have a great day!
Mina Burrows
5 comments:
Love free! Love that you post the links and love your posts too!
I bet that one was really popular.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I had no idea this story even existed. I love gothic literature and Victorian, and I liked Varney the vampire, so I have to read this one now. And it's FREE.
My latest Blogging A to Z post.
Werewolves are the best! Seriously Mina, this is such an awesome theme. I've made a HUGE list based on your suggestions.
Sounds like a good one! My list is also expanding with these intriguing stories.
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