Werewolf at Dusk

This evocative, sure-handed triptych of short stories from Small (Stitches) showcases his talent to conjure foreboding. The title piece, adapted from a story by Lincoln Michel, depicts an aging werewolf who’s now “lucky [to] overtake an injured squirrel.” As isolated as ever, he’s still fearful of the full moon, but for a different reason: —“It used to mean I’d hurt other people. Now it means I hurt myself.” The dreamlike middle story, “A Walk in the Old City,” portrays a burnt-out psychiatrist as he follows a mysterious old man across a bridge festooned with giant spiders, haunted by the specter of death. In the final entry, “The Tiger in Vogue” (adapted from a story by Jean Ferry), a dilettante in 1920s Germany tries to enjoy the “innocent delights” of a music hall—a Belle Epoque–style pop of color in a dim and rainy city—but despises one particular number, in which a woman courts a tiger dressed like a dapper gentleman. The tiger’s wildness is barely contained by a cat tamer fashioned as Hitler, whose power requires the complacency and complicity of the audience. Small’s elegant, spidery drawings, reminiscent of Jules Feiffer, and limited color palette unite the set. Wisdom does not beget freedom in the sorrowful world of these stories—but it’s still a place well worth visiting. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Book Group. (Mar.)