Werewolves in Their Youth

Werewolves in Their Youth
First edition cover
AuthorMichael Chabon
Cover artistArt director: Andy Carpenter
Jacket design: Kapo Ng
LanguageEnglish
PublisherRandom House
Publication date
1999
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
Pages212 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN0-679-41587-4 (first edition, hardback)
OCLC39060578
813/.54 21
LC ClassPS3553.H15 W4 1999

Werewolves in Their Youth is a 1999 short story collection by American author Michael Chabon.[1]

Contents

  • "Werewolves in Their Youth"
  • "House Hunting"
  • "Son of the Wolfman"
  • "Green's Book"
  • "Mrs. Box"
  • "Spikes"
  • "The Harris Fetko Story"
  • "That Was Me"
  • "In the Black Mill"

Collection

With the exception of the concluding story, all involve failed or failing marriages. The final story, "In the Black Mill" is introduced as the work of August Van Zorn, a fictional writer from Chabon's Wonder Boys. It is a throwback to pulp horror stories of the pre-World War II era.

Reception

Werewolves in Their Youth received mixed reviews from critics. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly referred to Chabon's "ironic talents", further writing, "Chabon is as witty as ever while dispensing with the glibness that sometimes marred his earlier work. His characters, even whey they are silly and flawed, come across as sympathetic, three-dimensional human beings."[2] Kirkus Reviews called the collection "pretty thin gruel", while stating, "Chabon is a stylist [...] whose finely crafted sentences unfortunately don—t add up to very interesting narratives."[3]

References

  1. ^ "Werewolves in Their Youth". Booklist. December 15, 1998. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  2. ^ "Werewolves in Their Youth: Stories by Michael Chabon". Publishers Weekly. January 4, 1999. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  3. ^ "Werewolves in Their Youth". Kirkus Reviews. November 1, 1998. Retrieved March 17, 2026.