The Wolves of Paris is a 1978 book by Daniel P. Mannix of The Fox and the Hound fame.
Loosely based on real events from 18th century France, The Wolves of Paris is a suspenseful novel about animals hunting humans. It's told from the POV of a wolf-dog. The protagonist is an abnormally large wolf-dog without a fear of humans. The story tells of how he turned from a livestock killer to a man killer.
The Wolves of Paris provides examples of:
- Canine Confusion: The wolf-dog protagonist is described as hairless when he's born. Canines are born fully furred.
- A Hero Is Born: Halfway through the first chapter, the protagonist's birth and puppyhood are explained.
- A Minor Kidroduction: The story starts with a half-grown Courtaud being hunted by humans.
- Heroic Dog: Inverted. Despite this story focuses on a dog, he is never heroic at all.
- Mature Animal Story: The story is a dark novel about a murderous wolf-dog.
- Offing the Offspring: The protagonist's mother accidentally killed his siblings. She was a captured wolf who lived in a kennel with hundreds of dogs. Fearing the dogs would hurt her pups, she'd grab a pup, run around, and push them into a crack. By the end of the day, only one pup had been left alive.
- Period Piece: The story takes place in 1700s France.
- Protagonist Journey to Villain: The wolf-dog protagonist qualifies.
- Somewhere, a Mammalogist Is Crying: Wolf-dog pups aren't born hairless.
- Very Loosely Based on a True Story: The book is inspired by the Beast of Gévaudan. The Beast of Gévaudan is the name associated with a man-eating animal who attacked southern France between 1764 and 1767. The animal, or animals, has never been identified but it's suspected to be a canine.
- Villain Protagonist: Although the wolf-dog protagonist was no slouch at killing livestock, he became this deep-down at the end of the story, consuming human flesh For the Evulz.
- Xenofiction: The Wolves of Paris is told from the POV of a wolf-dog.
