“The hallmarks of the noir style are fear, guilt and loneliness, breakdown and despair, sexual obsession and social corruption, a sense that the world is controlled by, malignant forces preying on us, a rejection of happy endings and a preference… — Francis M. Nevins Copy Share Image
“In Woolrich's crime fiction there is a gradual development from pulp to noir. The earlier a story, the more likely it stresses pulp elements: one-dimensional macho protagonists, preposterous methods of murder, hordes of cardboard gangsters, dialogue full of whiny insults,… — Francis M. Nevins Copy Share Image
“Long before the Theater of the Absurd, Woolrich discovered that an incomprehensible universe is best reflected in an incomprehensible story. ("Introduction")” — Francis M. Nevins Copy Share Image
“His most characteristic detective stories end with the realization that no rational account of events is possible, and his suspense stories tend to close… — Francis M. Nevins Copy Share Image
“But suspense presupposes uncertainty. No matter how nightmarish the situation, real suspense is impossible when we know in advance that the protagonist will prevail… — Francis M. Nevins Copy Share Image
“The hallmarks of the noir style are fear, guilt and loneliness, breakdown and despair, sexual obsession and social corruption, a sense that the world… — Francis M. Nevins Copy Share Image
“All we can do about this nightmare we live in is to create, if we are very lucky, a few islands of love and… — Francis M. Nevins Copy Share Image
“Woolrich had a genius for creating types of story perfectly consonant with his world: the noir cop story, the clock race story, the waking… — Francis M. Nevins Copy Share Image
“The viewpoint character in each story is usually someone trapped in a living nightmare, but this doesn't guarantee that we and the protagonist are… — Francis M. Nevins Copy Share Image
“In Woolrich's crime fiction there is a gradual development from pulp to noir. The earlier a story, the more likely it stresses pulp elements:… — Francis M. Nevins Copy Share Image
